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Comic Sales Soar After Artist Engages 4chan Pirates

Posted by kdawson on from the more-flies-with-honey dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Steve Lieber, the artist behind the graphic novel Underground, discovered that someone on 4chan had scanned and posted the entire comic. Rather than complaining, he joined the conversation, chatting with the 4channers about the comic... and the next day he saw his sales jump to unheard-of levels, much higher than he'd seen even when the comic book was reviewed on popular sites like Boing Boing."

10 of 305 comments (clear)

  1. Imagine that! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Engaging your customer base is good for business...

    1. Re:Imagine that! by Shikaku · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Something the RIAA/MPAA will never learn.

    2. Re:Imagine that! by TrekkieGod · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This is one of the reasons why I release all the music I make on last.fm and in a torrent...both of which will be freely available and supported by me when the time comes to put my stuff up for sale.

      Granted, I'm not trying to make a living off it, but still...the more access people have to it...

      The article had a quote by the author that he posted on the 4chan boards that really got to me:

      As for putting all the pages up here. What can I say? I get that this is how things go, and I'm trying to live in the same decade as everyone else. If nothing else, I'm flattered that someone thought enough of the book to take the time to scan and post it.

      From that quote, I noticed two things: he didn't expect that he would get a huge boost in sales from the event, he was just kinda resigned that you can't stop piracy. However, the most important part was the whole bit about being flattered that people liked his book. Sometimes you forget this caliber of artist still exists: the guy who cares about the work more than the money. The money is nice, and I'm happy when the artists can survive and even get rich off it. However, that shouldn't be the motivation for what they do.

      So, thanks for what you do, keeping the real art alive. I went to your website, and found the links to last.fm to your music, and I will take a listen. Obviously I don't know if I'll enjoy it, but if I do, you can count me on your list of customers as soon as they go on sale.

      --

      Warning: Opinions known to be heavily biased.

  2. Good? by whisper_jeff · · Score: 5, Funny

    4chan can use their powers for good?

    Um... I just don't know how to process that information...

    1. Re:Good? by jollyreaper · · Score: 5, Insightful

      4chan can use their powers for good?

      Um... I just don't know how to process that information...

      4chan strikes me a bit more like the classic greek gods, capricious, capable of granting blessings and curses on a whim.

      --
      Kwisatz Haderach
      Sell the spice to CHOAM
      This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
    2. Re:Good? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      4chan strikes me a bit more like the classic greek gods, capricious, capable of granting blessings and curses on a whim.

      Along with a steady dose of bestiality and incest.

    3. Re:Good? by Even+on+Slashdot+FOE · · Score: 5, Funny

      Well, he did say Greek gods, amirite?

  3. I think exposure to piracy normalizes sales. by feepness · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Those with high sales would see them reduce, and relative unknowns would see them increase.

    Thus the resistance at the high end, and embracing at the lower end.

  4. Re:piracy is better than obscurity by greyline · · Score: 5, Funny

    Who?

  5. Re:Wow, the Slashdot piracy party is at it again by hesiod · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No, because they got to see the artwork and read the story, and then engage with the author immediately afterward, as a surprise. If he just showed up out of the blue, a bunch of jerks would be all "who the hell are you, and why should we care", etc. Others would think he was an imposter, and a ton more would assume it's a crappy marketing ploy.