Posted in : Batman , Comics , Comics Publishers , Current News , DC Comics , Superman| Tagged : Anne Leung DePies , comicspro
DC Comics General Manager and Senior Vice President Anne Leung DePies ' Keynote Speech to ComicsPRO for 2025
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DC Comics General Manager and Senior Vice PresidentAnne Leung DePiesgave the Keynote speech at ComicsPRO , the laughable book retailer summit being hold at Glendale , California . Bleeding Cool has the transcript :
" ComicsPRO is an fabulously significant organization to DC.We are so appreciative of your employment and the leaders in our manufacture , so let ’s start with who the heck I am . I ’m a new face to many of you , but I spend almost 15 age working behind the scenes at DC . I ’m currently the general manager of DC Comics , focusing on our business sector and partnering with our publisher and chief creative officer , Jim Lee .
" And DC Comics , honestly , this has been a dream and not anything I could ’ve planned for . Certainly not a roadmap that my parents could ’ve imagined . My female parent may not screw what I actually do for a animation , but she does know Batman , Superman and Wonder Woman and how significant these characters are to many , many multitude around the world . So , search back , I started in 2021 … 2011 . I ’m render to make myself a little younger . stark timing , at that time , I had backstage admission to the New 52.This also have in mind front - words seatswatching my booster Dan attempt to vote out offNightwingin 2011 and 2012 , 2013 , and 2014 . in reality , I ’m just being nice . It came up every six month . So I ’ve been around for a while , but clip fly .
" The last time we had aBatmannumber one was during Rebirth , and that was almost ten yr ago . I am incredibly proud and humbled to top this fellowship with Jim in his early days in DC . I immerse myself in the fundamentals , design fifth weeks , one-year page rates , participation , paper , printing and finding retailer rebate distributer fees co - op and marketing . I also instruct very chop-chop that this business is made up of soul with fight - tested experience , incredible love of our characters , and a desire to tell apart the best story possible . And then share those report with as many the great unwashed as possible . And today , more than ever , I firmly believe in the power of storytelling , the baron of our character , the business leader of comic strip and the magnate of the verbatim market[APPLAUSE ] . Thank you . It ’s hard to jazz if you ’re listening because I know you ’re having lunch , so …
" The direct mart is the bread and butter of our business . When the lineal market is strong , DC is strong , bottom rail line . In this moment , we are all face both global and industry challenge . On the one hand , we have inflation , tariff , supply chain to-do , and Diamond ’s bankruptcy , just to name a few , challenging our basic line example . On the other hand , we ’re all fighting for the attending of our fans and a portion of that customer ’s wallet . But there should be a band of optimism . Interest in comics in our medium is as strong as ever . There are new generations interested in our stories , our characters and our foxiness . And here at DC , we ’re looking forth to July . We ’re so excited forSupermanin the dramatic art in July . We ’re golden to have groovy better half inPeter SaffronandJames Gunnat DC Studios . They are both comics fanatics . I ’m certain you ’ve seen James percentage on social media the playscript he hump to read , and every time that happens , we and I think you , see spikes in sales . And Peter has an incredibly comprehensive knowledge of our canon . We are so rosy to have James and Peter root for us and our comic diligence . If 2024 showed anything , it ’s that comic fans are eager and ready to read what come next . We are over the moonlight and appreciative of the funding you have show , from Absolute Power to All In and , of course of instruction , our Absolute line . While there is no silver hummer for the securities industry challenges we face , I am confident that , as this manufacture has done many time before , we have a solid route fore that is grounded in the fundamentals of a comic clientele with an center towards progress the future .
" For DC , our plan is pretty straight . Tell the best stories possible , make for in newfangled sports fan and readers , meet the fans where they are and invest for the hereafter ; none of these thing is surprising directly or indirectly ; they ’re the building blocks of our businesses . Everything start with telling the best possible stories . Just to name a few , work with world - class writer and creative person likeMattandJorge , ScottandDan , TomandBilquest , we strain to bestow the best report we can to you . We ’re expanding our canon , we ’re creating a diverse portfolio of books across genres , formatting and ages . We desire to give you the stories that you could sell . The successes of 2024 , including All In and Absolute , tell us thatthe demand for great superhero storytelling stiff . It is not wear . "
" We just announced thesixth printing ofAbsolute Batmannumber one … sorry , Nancy , have we announce it ? I guess I just did . And you belike thought I was n’t gon na make any declaration . Let me … trueness be severalise , I do n’t get the play ones , so I ’m make out back all the fourth dimension now . To appointment , with only 15 issues , the Absolute line has sell over 2.5 million units , and we ’re not even near to being done . It is through our fib that we bring excitement to our line and energise our groundwork , bringing back the lapsed referee and attract new ones . You do n’t need me to remind you thatJimandJephhaveHushthis twelvemonth . You do n’t need me to prompt you that we haveaBatmannumber one . You do n’t need me to remind you thatwe’re bringing back Vertigo . All this is in service to our fans and also to bring in new fans and new readers . It ’s not an well-to-do task to bring in new reader , but the advantage is neat . "
" Our inquiry shows that those who get in the DC ecosystem as a comic reader are stickier . They stay around , they hang around , and they spend more than other fans . In some shipway , it ’s not surprising . We know how passionate our comic fans are , so DC will continue to invest in the Young Adult and middle - grade line of al-Qur’an , we have discover your feedback . [ APPLAUSE ] Wooo ! We have heard your feedback and are actively working on new formats and merchandise for the direct market , and this year in 2025 , we are expand into the former Reader note , which is for age 5 to 7 . I am convinced that this line will bring in young lover and even some lapsed parent fans starting withSuperman ’s Good Guy GangandAquamanatee , which really just wheel off your tongue . So we ’re very worked up , I ca n’t wait for you to see them . "
" So this leads me to our third pillar , get together sports fan where they are . What this means is that we need to continue to innovate with newfangled products and with how we lock with our fan . Sometimes , that stand for looking at our backlist otherwise , like we did withCompact Comics and DC Finest . Sometimes that means going to where the new customers are and aid them find their way of life to the direct securities industry . Last class , we starteda newfangled program with discount store like Dollar Tree , WinCo and Five Below to sell reprints of number I featuring our iconic theatrical role . On the back screening of each comedian is an ad to repel readers to your memory . The goal is to fetch these new readers into the market . When I think about meeting fans where they are , you , the retailers , are really the good example of that . You build and nurtured the community around your stores . We need to support what you ’re doing . By being planful with our marketing approach , we make excitement for our result , abide and engaging fans , set out at FOC and all the room through , in store and beyond . Our activations should leverage both in - somebody opportunities and digital instrument to nurture our very valuable devotee community . We ’re heart-to-heart to your theme , no one knows our fans better than you . Behind the scene … oops , I hop-skip something . lease me go back for a paragraph . Last but certainly , not least , we are put in the time to come . This mean that everything I ’ve already talked about , and I ’m not certain how my timing is going , but I ’m gon na say it ’s okay … But also ready for the unsung . "
" Behind the picture , DC is investing in our teams and in our operations , admit enquiry and analytics . These investments will serve us brave out current and future challenges in the marketplace . There are many externalities beyond our dominance , but we can certainly control how we prepare . When it comes to the unknown of tariffs or more provision chain flutter , we scenario plan . We gather data , we canvas , we develop options , and we figure out game programme . All this is to ensure that there is no disruption to our patronage , ensure we get our books to you , so you could get them to your customer . I continue to believe in the power of comics , the resiliency of our manufacture and this community ’s ability to introduce . There is no doubt that uncertainty of the wider world will likely bring unexpected challenges this coming year , but as a community , every one of us is ready . Writers , artists , publisher , distributors , retailer , and each person involved in bring the power of comics . There are so many opportunity in front of us , especially if we bring together and surprise and delectation fans . Speaking of awesome opportunities of working together and the power of comics , we ’re deeply grateful for your documentation of theDC Vs Marvel Omnibusand theAmalgam Omnibuslast year . I have a distich of special guest who share that sentiment and desire to come up and thank you for moving thousands and thousands of very , very weighed down hard cover . But before I do that and give you back the floor , give thanks you for your time , it ’s an honour process with you . "
" Please welcomeMarie Javins , EIC of DC Comics … andCB Cebuslki , EIC of Marvel Comics . " And that ’s when we scram the announcementof the new Marvel / DC crossovers …
Catch up with all our ComicsPRO break newsusing this tie-in if you desire … ComicsPRO is a trade tie for comic book retailers , a military volunteer non - profit organization that states it is dedicated to improving the comic book strong suit mart . Since the descent of Diamond , ComicsPRO Summit has become the central annual amusing volume retail merchant satisfy - up function .
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