With so many what-were-they-thinking examples of comics marketing, it’s nice to see someone (First Second Books, in this case) put together a smart, entertaining sales tool (its Spring ’06 catalog).
What makes the First Second catalog so terrific is that it doesn’t simply preach to the choir. Like Paul Gravett’s books, it combines eye-catching design and the kind of information that should be useful to people who aren’t familiar with graphic novels as a category. The final product is a persuasive argument for the category itself, as well as for First Second’s offerings (which are also on gorgeous display).
It opens with a fun Graphic Novels 101 piece, written and illustrated by Jessica (La Perdida) Abel. Later on, Paul (Batman: Year 100) Pope talks about the diversity of the medium and lists some of his favorite creators. Booklist columnist Michael Cart talks about some of the best books currently on the shelves, from Age of Bronze to Persepolis to Calvin and Hobbes. Editor Tanya McKinnon talks about her later-in-life-than-usual introduction to comics, and Kat Kan outlines the increasing presence and popularity of graphic novels in libraries.
The catalog is an appealing introduction to the graphic novel category for people who might not have delved into it too deeply (or at all). I can see it being of real value not just to casual readers but to booksellers and librarians who want to offer more graphic novels but aren’t sure know where to start. First Second isn’t just selling its list; it’s selling the category as a whole in an engaging, informative way.
(The only piece that doesn’t work for me is Calvin Reid’s “My Life as a Comics Reviewer.” I like the idea of including a look at the increasing presence of graphic novels in mainstream critical discourse, and Publishers Weekly is certainly a solid example of that trend, but the self-congratulatory tone here is a little off-putting. It’s the closest the catalog ever comes to boosterism.)
The catalog intersperses informational pieces like this with solicitations and sample pages of First Second’s spring line. Like the text pieces, the entries are crafted well, suited to the individual titles in terms of tone, and feature sample pages and author bios. Putting them side by side with the general interest stuff places them in intelligent context with the category as a whole. The two-part message is very clear: “graphic novels are the next big thing, and we think our books can stand with the best of them.”
It’s a really nice appeal to multiple audiences at the same time. It’s smart, solid work.