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Since the "Uh oh" thread has completely derailed, let's get back on topic and talk about the future of Disney comics in the U.S.
I think Boom! losing the license is all but official, but we probably won't know for sure until the next publisher makes an announcement.
My money is on Marvel, but who knows?
That being said, what are you guys hoping for in the next era of American Disney comics?
What did previous publishers do right? What didn't you like?
If given the choice, who would your ideal publisher be?
Please discuss!

Yeah, I'd like to see more original material for the American market. Not that I'm against reprinting quality overseas material, mind you, but some more original stories would be nice.

Gladstone will always have a very special place in my heart, because those were the first Disney comics from my memory.
I'd like to see Marvel take the ball and run with it. Get these things out there and hopefully get these comics in higher profile areas - bookstores, theme parks, drugstores, etc. I like the idea of prestige formats for Uncle Scrooge and and WDCS, with other titles going the regular route.
I think they need to get away from the the alt covers and find a way to make subscriptions affordable, something that has been severely lacking for a long time in Disney comics. Driving 70 miles round trip isn't fun for me or my gas budget.

I think Marvel sounds like the logical choice for the next Disney Comics Publisher. I don't think they will make the same mistakes that Boom Studios made. The former Disney Afternoon comics can be considered classic titles compared to the Pixar comics. It is the 2010's after all. The mainstream Disney Comics (IE Walt Disney's Comics and Stories Uncle Scrooge Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse comics) have been around longer but The Disney Afternoon characters are not exactly modern anymore as they were in the 1980's and 90's Beside some of the mainstream characters have been on some of the Disney Afternoon shows of which these comic books are based on.

Here is a list of the mainstream characters and the shows that they appeared in

Scrooge McDuck - Duck Tales
Donald Duck - Duck Tales and Quack Pack
Huey Dewey and Louie - Duck Tales and Quack Pack
Gyro Gearloose - Duck Tales
Gladstone Gander - Duck Tales
Glittering Goldie O'Gilt - Duck Tales
Ludwig Von Drake - Duck Tales (One Episode Only) Bonkers, and Quack Pack
The Beagle Boys - Duck Tales and a cameo on one Darkwing Duck Episode
Flintheart Glomgold -Duck Tales and a cameo on one Darkwing Duck episode
Magica De Spell - Duck Tales and a cameo on one Darkwing Duck episode
Pete - Duck Tales and Goof Troop
The Phantom Blot - One Duck Tales Episode only
Chip N Dale - Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers
Goofy - Goof Troop
Daisy Duck - Quack Pack

Well, I didn't even know about it (!!!) but it seems Marvel has released a totally NEW comic for Cars 2 last June! This isn't the reprints of the Boom! comics that were announced previously.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/03/20/marvel-comics-to-adapt-cars-2/

It only sold moderately well though (4.798 copies, not much for a brand new comic of a movie that just came out the SAME week!!!)

http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/20700.html

Conclusion? It's not enough to do tie-in comics for famous movies or licences, you need to ADVERTISE it to make it work...I'm suddenly REALLY hoping they'll get serious when they will be doing classics/DA Disney comics. At least Boom Studios was pretty good for generating a buzz on the web. Currently, Marvel is doing NOTHING for the Pixar/Muppets books they're releasing. Finding info about these comics on the web is like searching a needle in a haystack.
Not good.

Quote:Heh, I'd agree that the Disney Afternoon could hardly be called "modern" anymore, given that most of the shows aired 20-25 years ago. wink
I think they're called "modern" because they're totally new and american comics, unlike the reprints of old comics or foreign countries.
Also, part of their success is because they look "fresh and modern" in the Disney line... (especially on the coloring side)

I think the digest size is a good idea. Disney Adventures magazine sold well as I recall, and those books are often "impulse buys" for people who never make it to a comic book shop. Archie (presumably) does well with their digest books, and they can be found in just about every grocery store and Wal-Mart in the USA.

I'm fine with Marvel giving this a try. What I'd like to see: More along the lines of Gemstone's or KABOOM 2011's classic Disney comics, with a mix of new and new-to-us and reprints. Put David Gerstein in editorial charge!! :) And other folks who know and love Disney comics. Yes, I'd like to see more original stuff written by American writers. They don't have to find new ones right away, do they? There are already Americans writing: John Lustig, Dave Rawson, Sarah Kinney, Stefan Petrucha, Janet Gilbert, Michael T. Gilbert, the McGreals, the Blocks....and David Gerstein (I want "You Vindaloo, You Lose a Few" in English!). Not to mention the American/Canadian Van Horns. There must be lots of stuff that was originally storyboarded in English that's never been published in English. That's not to say I don't want to see stories/art by Evert Geradts, Jan Kruse, Ben Verhagen, Daan Jippes, Marco Rota, Kari Korhonen et al.--I do. And I want it *all* colored by Susan Daigle-Leach!
Extra stuff that would make me happiest: A completion of the Barks-original/Rosa-sequel volumes. A second volume collecting the rest of the Jippes-redrawn Barksian JW stories (Gemstone did the first volume, "Donald Duck Family"). A coffee-table art book of (with his cooperation!) Rosa's full-page drawings, covers and Picsou posters and calendar art et al., with interviews of Rosa, pix of his studio, etc. (Wouldn't that sell to collectors in Europe and elsewhere?) The German Reisefuhrer Entenhausen (Duckburg Tour Guide) in English!
My only marketing idea: I wish Marvel or whoever would make a real push to produce Halloween "ashcan" little comics (including subscription ads, ad for website where there's fun stuff) and sell them by the dozen to adults who would give them out to trick-or-treaters. I know *lots* of adults who want an alternative to candy, and who would find Disney duck/mouse comics a fine alternative, even if they haven't ever *read* a Disney duck/mouse comic. And given how much they normally spend on Halloween candy, I think the price point could actually be feasible, since the main point would be marketing rather than immediate profit. I gave out the Gemstone ashcan comics to trick-or-treaters (the comics were welcomed by children of all ages!), but obviously you had to be in the know to get them. Perhaps Marvel could find a way to market these Halloween-treat comics to non-comic-buying adults. A prize for everyone who gets ten other adults to buy them? A funny YouTube video?
I have great fondness for both Gladstone and Gemstone. Only negative thought about Gladstone is the paper quality they sometimes felt forced to use (also the non-glossy paper covers on some issues). Gemstone's prestige comics were terrific, from my POV. The one thing I liked about the Disney Comics interregnum was that they often had comics with stories appropriate to the season/holiday, which I enjoy. I bought all the BOOM Uncle $crooge's, but gave almost all of them away. Best thing about BOOM duck comics were the covers, until the 2011 issues. (I am grateful to BOOM, though, for Muppet King Arthur and Muppet Sherlock Holmes!) I feel guilty being grateful for the two Rosa volumes, since they stiffed him, but I can't help being glad to have "Fir-Tree Fracas" on decent paper and to have "The Duck Who Never Was" with the two annoying errors corrected (the day/month labels on the form, and the "me/Scrooge" labels in Gus's chalked family tree).

More than likely it will be Marvel and it might be out by the end of this year.
I also hope that Marvel publishes some Duck Stories that weren't in the states just yet.