Making Media
Episode 19 IP: Making, Managing, and Monetizing
Making Media

Episode 19: IP: Making, Managing, and Monetizing

Making Media

Episode 19

IP: Making, Managing, and Monetizing

Todd McFarlane is a legendary comic book artist. We cover IP in detail with Todd, how he disrupted the toy market, and his advice for the next generation of storytellers.

This episode is brought to you by:

Scribe. Scribe is the presenting sponsor of this episode of Making Media and the magic behind the Colossus transcripts. One of the best decisions we made at Colossus was transcribing all of our audio into a searchable transcript library. We had been using another provider up until the summer of 2022 but we were constantly having issues with accuracy if our audio was just the slightest bit impaired. Whether it's training sessions, internal Q&As, or for media purposes, the value of transcripts is huge. And we are not alone. Scribe is the transcription service that powers all of S&P Global - like CapIQ - and the client list includes our friends at Tegus. Go to joincolossus.com/scribe to unlock 150 minutes of free transcription and test their capabilities.

 

(00:03:20) - (First question) - The outlook of original content versus legacy IP in the next decade

(00:05:39) - Why Spawn has thrived for 30 years and the secret to its enduring success

(00:08:24) - How production companies swiftly respond to new books in the industry

(00:10:12) - Spawn's diverse business ventures in TV, film, video games, and toys

(00:16:46) - Why the sale of rights to stories does not guarantee their production

(00:20:18) - How studios differentiate and the challenges creators face in negotiations

(00:27:43) - His perspective on why the Marvel movie franchises outperform DC

(00:29:07) - The challenges and strategies of licensing toys in the industry

(00:33:33) - How he disrupted the toy market to find success against established competitors

(00:41:48) - Why TV shows and movies are the key drivers for expanding brand recognition

(00:46:20) - His perspective on why only a fraction of great ideas make it to the spotlight

(00:50:24) - He recalls the golden opportunity in the toy industry propelled his success

(00:53:42) - Toys he would love to make if he could choose from any IP

(00:54:34) - How quality and fair pricing are the driving force for McFarlane Toys' profitability

(01:00:03) - The hitherto unrealized potential of AI to revolutionize the art industry

(01:06:57) - His advice for the next generation of storytellers

(01:12:22) - Debrief 

IP: Making, Managing, and Monetizing

Introduction

Matt
For today's Making Media, we are diving deep into the world of intellectual property. IP sits at the heart of many media discussions, and it's something we, at Colossus, are very curious about. In the pantheon of great IP management, Disney's purchase of Marvel for $4 billion in 2009 cannot be too far down on your list. That cinematic universe has earned the company over $28 billion at the box office in just over a decade since. That will pay for lunch.

Now for our discussion, we sat down with Todd McFarlane. And Todd knows a thing or two about comic books and IP. He drew Spider-Man. He co-created Venom. And he was the sole creator of Spawn. Todd founded Image Comics just over two decades ago, and that has become the #3 comic book business in the world.

So while Todd's perspective comes from his world of comic book characters and the IP that exists in that universe, it's really not hard to see the linkage to any original content you're producing across any medium. Please enjoy our conversation with Todd.

Access the full transcript
Sign in or register to view episode transcripts.

Contact

Get in touch at help@joincollossus.com