Graphic Novel

“The Heroes of Messines”

DES 809 Entrepreneurship - 2011

Prepared by Andrew Hepburn

Andrew Hepburn_ DES_809_ Entrepreneurship

Contents

PRODUCT ..................................................................................................................... 3

STAKEHOLDERS ........................................................................................................ 3

STRATEGIC VECTOR: MARKET ANALYSIS ......................................................... 4

STRATEGIC VECTOR: OBJECTIVES ...................................................................... 6

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Andrew Hepburn_ DES_809_ Entrepreneurship

PRODUCT

The product is a full colour graphic novel / comic describing and illustrating the key events

surrounding the Irish participation in the World War One battle of Messines on the 7th June

1917.

Background: The publication tells the story of the battle of Messines where the Nationalist

16th Irish Division lead by the Irish Nationalist MP Major William Redmond and the Unionist

36th Ulster Division fought together successfully. The key event of the battle is where the

Unionist Private soldier John Meeke risks his life on the battlefield to save the life of the

Nationalist Major William Redmond. The mutual respect of both ideologies is forever

galvanised in this heroic act.

STAKEHOLDERS

This project has two sponsoring organisations.

1.The Verbal arts Centre (VAC): The organisation has a mandate and the technical capacity

to support graphic novel design and production. The VAC has been promoting sequential art

and supporting comic culture in Ireland for the last four and a half years. The Centre has

developed a £100, 000 capital facility for the production of high quality comics and graphic

novels. (Supporting Statement attached)

2. International School for Peace Studies (ISPS): The publication will be used in the

“Conflict Resolution Messines Experience” for the schools links programmes in Ireland to

increase awareness of the story.

The key reasons in designing the comic are to provide and easy and engaging learning tool

for the students in the ISPS programme and also for the adult education programme. There is

a clear need and requirement from the ISPS to provide a graphic novel to meet the needs of

their clients and full publication costs are factored into their financial projections .

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STRATEGIC VECTOR: MARKET ANALYSIS

The following section outlines important organisations and key issues regarding their current

status and strategic plans that will directly impact the sales and distribution strategy of my

product.

Derry: Verbal Arts Centre:

The Verbal Arts Centre have been instrumental in establishing “2D” Northern Ireland's

foremost comics festival 2D promoting the comics related work that the Verbal Arts Centre

has undertaken over the last three years bringing the best international talent and industry to

the North West of Ireland.

The NI Arts Council Strategy designates the Verbal Arts Centre as the key centre to develop

the comics / graphic novel publishing sector in the Island of Ireland.

Derry: International School for Peace Studies (ISPS)

The International School for Peace Studies will use the product to promote their cross

community education programmes.

Derry: Yes Publications

Mission Statement

Yes! Publications produces work of local interest to provoke, stimulate, and encourage writing and writers in the North West of Ireland.

Publishers of: ‘We were Brothers’, ‘Remembering’, Three Cheers for the Derrys’ and the

‘Amelia Earhart Story’ (Graphic Novel)

Organisation is very interested in promoting / distributing the product.

Dublin: O’Briens Press

Today, The O'Brien Press is Ireland's leading independent publisher, with a diverse

publishing programme covering many different areas including fiction, architecture, travel,

humour, environmental issues, history, biography, classic literature, autobiography, business,

folklore, travel & tourism, art, photography, poetry, sport, music, politics, true crime, reference

books and much more.

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Andrew Hepburn_ DES_809_ Entrepreneurship

Publisher off: “Blood Upon the Rose: Easter Rising 1916” Graphic Novel by O’Brien

Press. This is the first graphic novel publication relating to a significant time in Irish history.

Released in October 2009 it has sold out in many branched of Easons almost immediately

and now has been republished in a smaller format.

Ireland’s Forgotten Legacy (Irish Book Awards 2010: Non-Fiction Book of the Year

WINNER) Author: Neil Richardson In 1914-1918, two hundred thousand Irishmen from all

religions and backgrounds went to war. At least thirty-five thousand never came home. Those

that did were scarred for the rest of their lives. Many of these survivors found themselves

abandoned and ostracised by their countrymen, their voices seldom heard.

O’ Briens Reading Programme: “For many years now, teachers have been using our

novels as the basis for their class reading material. And, because of recent changes to the

curriculum, many others have approached us seeking advice on how best to introduce real

books to their pupils.”

O’Briens Reading has had excellent success in the market area, a strong brand identity and

has a successful strategy focusing in promoting reading / education and subsequent sales in

the Irish Education system.

UK: Classical Comics UK

Classical Comics are new publishers who are creating engaging new versions of literary

classics, by converting the timeless stories into stunning graphic novels. The books, as well

as meeting the criteria of being strong in colour, dynamic in action, vibrant, engaging and

exciting, have a myriad of applications in education across all ages and skill levels.

“Publishers of pioneering three-tier dialogue graphic novel adaptations of literary classics announces an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Heinle, part of Cengage Learning, to publish and distribute ELT (English language teaching) versions of the first four publications in its series.”

Classical Comics Press Releases: http://www.classicalcomics.com/press/pressreleases.html

Strategic Link with Heinle, Cenage a Worldwide educational publisher with a $2billion dollar

revenue. The company is now selling / distributing Classical Comics products throughout their

network http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cengage_Learning

International: IDW Publishing

IDW comic publisher have Developed a full digital library of over 650 products downloadable

via iTunes, Playstation network and other platforms. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IDW_Comics

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Andrew Hepburn_ DES_809_ Entrepreneurship

Derry Print Workshop Ltd. Pump St. / Gordon Gallery Derry, Pump St.

(I am Co-Director)

Publishers of limited edition Fine Art Prints specialising in Intaglio and Gyclee prints. Both

groups strategy includes developing on-line sales and distribution network.

Sales Data

The following sales “data bites” underpin the reality that a seismic shift in publishing

technology and distribution is taking place. The digital tablet and hand held device market is

rapidly expanding for comic book products and this is fact all publishers must factor into their

strategic plans.

UK Lifetime Hardware Sales Revealed:

The combined UK lifetime sales of PS2, DS, PSP, Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii hit 32 million … Jan 2010 .. Combined DS and PSP sales have hit 12 million units in the UK. Since launching in March 2005 the DS has moved 8.8 million units, while PSP has sold 3.2 million units since debuting in September 2005

Source: Guardian tech blog.

“Ipad … there is 57 million ipads forcast to be in existence by 2015”

Oct 7th 2010 By: Laura Hudson http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/10/07/digital-comics-

sales/#ixzz1FIKDZ3hq

Novel Sales Down 20%, Digital Comics Up Over 1000% in 2010

While the news for print was less than positive, with manga sales facing an estimated 20%

drop in 2010, the news for digital comics was very good indeed, with Griepp projecting that

digital comics sales would see a more than ten-fold increase this year over last.

STRATEGIC VECTOR: OBJECTIVES

The following section outlines the key strategic objectives of the product marketing,

distribution and product diversification based on the findings of the market intelligence in the

previous section.

The product will be digitally printed using the VA centre facility. This will contribute to the VA

strategy of promoting and developing the role of the Graphic Arts in publishing as

commissioned by the NI Arts Council. The 2D festival will provide a platform to showcase the

product and seek further distribution channels.

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Andrew Hepburn_ DES_809_ Entrepreneurship

The product will be used by the ISPS to support their cross community education strategy.

Waterside Theatre Exhibition (linked to the ISPS) relating to Graphic Arts exhibition proposed

and will enable sales of limited edition Fine Art Prints. (City Culture 2013)

The success of ‘Blood upon the Rose’ and ‘Ireland’s Forgotten Legacy’ will encourage

O’Briens Press to support and distribute “The Heroes of Messines” and involve a further print

run with a much wider distribution base.

A key aspect of the marketing strategy for this publication is the consideration of a series of

historical publications and possible interest by O’Briens Press in terms of their existing

business and education strategies. The success of “Blood upon the Rose” may encourage

them to support further projects such as the story of the Civil Rights Movement in Ireland and

ultimately the history of “Bloody Sunday” in Derry.

Classical Comics success in the UK and Ireland with a range of classical literature graphic

novels will encourage them to look at other markets / stories such as Irish Classics and

Historical stories. Clive Bryant (MD) is a regular visitor and contributor to the VA 2D festival

in Derry and the company now has an extensive UK and international distribution network via

the strategic alliance with Cenage Educational Publishing. There is potential to exploit this

strategic partnership with ‘Heroes of Messine’ or further products.

The IDW digital publishing strategy is one that all the above companies are or must consider

in their future strategic plans. The existing financial data very much indicates a huge growth

in digital comics / graphic products sales. A digital version of ‘Heroes of Messines’ will be

useful in demonstrating the flexibility of publishing platforms and will be made available to any

future on-line publishing strategy O’ Briens or Classical Comics have.

The comic artist has traditionally used the original artwork as a means of generating a bit of

extra income. With the development and maturity of Gyclee digital fine art printing technology

it is becoming practice to release a limited run of collectible gyclee prints. I am Co-Director of

Derry Print Workshop Ltd. and have been instrumental in setting up an intaglio fine art press

and intend to seek investment for a full blown gyclee system. There is a definite opportunity in

establishing a further revenue stream in promoting and selling fine art prints of local graphic

artists and the artists associated with the 2D festival and resulting collective.

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