What was the first store variant comic cover?10091
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Jesse_O private msg quote post Address this user | |
| The earliest store variant cover that I can find is for IDW's Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #1 (March, 2011). But it had 93 retailer covers. I'm sure there had to be earlier store variants. Does anyone know the comic book title, issue number and store that was the first? I've been trying to figure it out for a couple hours now to no avail. | ||
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Cowabunga_Kyle private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Watching | ||
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Kahless2005 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Im curious too | ||
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Jesse_O private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I've found earlier Aspen store variants and Top Cow store variants, but I'm pretty sure those are the publisher's store fronts. Godzilla is the first one I have found with lcs store variants. I'm almost beginning to think that IDW started this craze!!! | ||
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 Suck it up, buttercup!!
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KatKomics private msg quote post Address this user | |
| A pox upon their house!!!! | ||
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 It was a one trick pony show but always hilarious.
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GAC private msg quote post Address this user | |
| here's an article about store variants. clickable text |
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Jesse_O private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @KatKomics LOL!!!! @GAC yeah, I read that one. It really is more like an article on one stores experience. However, it did state that the Godzilla cover was where the store had their name put on the store that was being crushed. For that store, they actually had two characters drawn in to represent the main guys at their store. Here are two covers, including the Salefish one from the article.   |
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It was a one trick pony show but always hilarious.
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GAC private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Jesse_O Right..I think the books are from 2011. I don't know for certain but I'd suspect the first store variant would have been before 2011. It probably would have been from the big shops..Mile High, Midtown or something like that. | ||
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Jesse_O private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by GAC That's exactly my thoughts also!!! But I can find no proof of that. |
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CatCovers private msg quote post Address this user | |
Found this Mile High variant from 1999.  Never mind, that's 2011. The 1999 is the year Vol. 2 of ASM began. Still expect @GAC is right - one of the big ones probably got it started. Edit again - maybe not. I found this page listing Mile High variants - no idea if it's all of them or just the ones they have in stock. |
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CatCovers private msg quote post Address this user | |
| OK, I've become fascinated by this question. I found this article listing the books with the most variant covers. It looks like it may very well be that Godzilla book. Unless you want to count Walking Dead 1, which surpassed it in various reprints after the show started on AMC. | ||
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Jesse_O private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @CatCovers Yep, you're finding the same stuff I did. It looks like it was the 15th anniversary edition of TWD #1 that had the store variants, so that would be in 2018. I'm not counting that one. | ||
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peterc777 private msg quote post Address this user | |
I have The Muppet Show #1 from Midtown that came out in 2009. Here's the link: Muppet Show I also have the Atomic Comics/Hero Initiative Hulk #1 from 2008:  As seen here: Not my item I don't know if either of these fit the bill, but they were the first ones that popped into my head. |
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Darkseid_of_town private msg quote post Address this user | |
| You could make a decent argument for the Canadian test covers being done in the eighties as being first store variants since they would only appear in Canadian stores....but as to covers specifically aimed at a particular store, not sure. | ||
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 Beaten by boat oars
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Studley_Dudley private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Jesse_O IDW was doing store exclusive variants earlier than that. In 2006 for the Transformers: Infiltration story there were exclusives for Graham Crackers, Rupp's, and New Dimension.    |
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Wraith private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Need same thread for incentive variants | ||
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X51 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I'm thinking late 50's and early 60's store variants. Federal, Edwards, Big, Gallenkamps etc. http://charltoncomics.herobo.com/Charlton_Blue_Bird_Checklist.html |
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Jesse_O private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Ok. Here's where I am at. Before Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #1 (dated March, 2011) there were store variants and exclusives. However, they weren't in the same vein as the ones we see today. I'm 99% positive that the stores had no say in who the artist was or the content of the cover. They may have had suggestions, but they weren't working with the publishers to create a cover like stores are doing now. I also have a feeling that they were initiated by the publisher's marketing team. The publisher went to the customers and showed them an advertising option. The story behind Godzilla KOM #1 is that all the shops had to do was place an order for 500 comics and the IDW artists put their store on the cover. Now, the foot never changes throughout all the covers. But the buildings and people underneath the foot do. GCD has a page of the covers. You can see that they drew the building that they were sent a picture of. I think this was the turning point. Stores realized they could make money by selling these variants. People from all over the world supposedly tried to chase a copy of each cover for GKOM #1. I think it helped that IDW auctioned off a complete set on eBay to raise money for Japan disaster relief after they had the earthquake and tsunami. Because of the success of GKOM #1, I believe retailers started going to the publishers and wanting more of a say on the cover art. The publishers, realizing a good idea, went with it and we have what we have today. I'd still like to know the first comic and issue where the cover artist was picked by the retailer and the retailer had input on what was on the cover. I don't know if that is possible to figure out, but it'd be fun to know. |
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