Mark - (continued from last week.) It's a lot like the (cocoa-cola) analogy. It (coke) comes in 12 oz cans, soda fountains, (or 2 liter bottles). Choice and price (will drive) production and performance. [In comics on the web] the entire page will load in about a minute. As you roll your cursor over a word balloon it will expand. The web pages will be translated into Spanish, Italian, Danish, Swedish, and forthcoming are Russian, Chinese, and Japanese.
Audience question on covers for the Compendiums.
Mark - There will be no alternate covers for the compendiums.
Audience question on the location of the portals to access CrossGen comics on the web.
Mark - The portals are not on the CrossGen website. Mercury Media has guaranteed portals for at least 150 unique visitors (at the same time) and 400 million unique visitors per month. The ISP will mainstream the consumer to the web portal. (Portals that will lead you to access of comics on the web include U-Click, ComicCon.com, and Newsarama, among others).
Audience question on retaining attorney.
Mark - Our attorney talks with Mr. K at Pixar and with Mr. E at Disney. With her we have (a way) to cut through the bull in Hollywood. (She will handle) all of our properties (in representing them to entertainment industry).
Audience question on why stories are repeated in Compendiums.
Mark - Think of these as price points for entry. (The monthly magazines cost $2.95 each, but you get them first. The trade paperbacks come out next, and are priced less per book, about $1.50 to $2.00 per story. The compendiums follow the trade paperbacks and the cost is about $1.00 per story. The comics on the web are the lowest priced). It's like the movies. First run is in the theaters, then comes pay-per-view. Then DVD and VHS, and you can decide to rent or buy, then foreign languages.
(In the comic books) CrossGen is about Justice (in the CrossGen universe.). (We want to be) exporting value at a price you can afford.
Audience question about crossover stories between titles.
Mark - We do not see any (cross overs) in the next three to five years. The writers meet every week to make the basic plans (for the upcoming stories). I read the message boards everyday.
