Survey Results & Response!

We put out a survey yesterday, and got a great response! So, thanks to all who took the time to give us your feedback. I thought some people would be interested in seeing the results, so I'm going to give a quick summation and respond to some of the specific suggestions.

Over 80% of you said the length of the show and the pace of the reading is just about right, and we're happy to hear that.

The top three Patreon benefits people value are the Master Spreadsheet, the Slack, and the Extra Issues Newsletter. Knowing this is actually really helpful in deciding what to focus on.

And most of you read the Extra Issues newsletter and the Weekly Update email, which, as the writer of those, is nice to hear!

Now onto the specific feedback:

 For Extra Issues, I love some of the ideas Zach has thrown around like reading a character or artist run we didn’t get to, instead of just a hodgepodge from the year. 

I love this idea too! The reason I don't have more of that is frankly just time. Writing the Extra Issues takes about as much time to put together as editing the episodes for that year, if not more. And with so many weirdo characters and events being introduced, it's hard to find the time to cover much else. But it's definitely on my mind to do if it feels doable.

... a later deadline on feedback too, as I often am not able to have listened to the most recent show before sending in my feedback.

We'd love to do this, but it's not possible to do if we want weekly episodes, because we record the Variant Covers 5 days before release and that leaves a small window for editing/ other issues to arise! The deadline will always be the day after the last episode for each year comes out though, so hopefully knowing that will help.

 I think including lead-in issues to the issues on the list would be great. It says we’re reading stories, not issues, and I often feel like we skip the first issue or two of the story...

As the person who didn't write the list, I understand some issues listed feel like they're starting in the middle of an arc or not resolving the arc. Dave has figured you will have the necessary context and wants to limit the number of issue on the list. So do what I do: skip back an issue or keep reading past the list. Most people appreciate how trimmed the list is, so tailor it to your tastes if you feel like you're missing something.

 I would love to hear the MMY supers get a bigger segment in the variant cover shows...

Definitely. We'll start trying to play in this space more moving forward. And weaving some of the heros/ villains together.

For extra features, maybe an option for backers at a certain level to be able to submit an extra issue for inclusion in the newsletter... backers could have the option to write something to go into the newsletter about why they like/chose that issue, or leave all the reviewing to you. 

Love this idea, and I'm going to implement it soon. I don't think it will be for everyone, but I know some people would love to be able to add issues to the list. And just like you said, if you want to write something, great! If not, I can do it!

 I would suggest making it easy for new listeners to get into the show as it' getting pretty hard to catch up. 

We're going to re-record Episode Zero to tell people they can start in 1970 pretty easily, but besides that, we don't have a great way to speed up the process of reading all those comics for people. We do want the pod to be relatively evergreen. I think some of our future reading club ideas will be easier to hop on at any point.

 Sleeper characters. Features on the new characters that might be a flop now but make a comeback in the hands of a different writer years (or even decades) later. 

That's Extra Issues! One of the big deciding factors of whether I include a new character intro is how long they're going to stick around in the Marvel universe. If they make 3 appearances total, doesn't seem worth covering. But some others, like Zemo, Prowler, Molecule Man, etc.. are going to come back again and again, even if their initial showing isn't a big deal.

A stiltman reading order would add huge value!

Get out.

Dave's audio can sometimes be a little wonky. In the most recent episode he was tracked hard left. 

Damn it, I hoped no one heard that before I fixed the file! Yeah, we're both pretty new to anything audio related, and still have a lot to learn. That being said, Dave just got a new mic, so you be hearing an improvement in a few weeks.

I'm not sure how feasible or necessary it is but I know the MMY concept has existed for a bit prior to the podcast, I'd be interested in seeing it updated/expanded with some new (new to the list) issues 

You're in luck! Starting in 1970, the list is going to be updated with new issues (mostly because MU has added so many new comics since the lists were initially written). On the Master Spreadsheet, we make clear what is new and what has been removed from the list.

Speaking of the lists, we did hear from a few people that the lists sometimes feel contradictory. So I'm going to attempt to clarify. There are four places you can consistently get the definitive list for the podcast: the weekly update email all patreon backers receive, the Master Spreadsheet accessible for $5+ patreon backers, the show notes on each ep of the podcast, and the newsletter you can sign up for here! The lists on Comic Book Herald are not going to be updated with the new comics we're adding.

How did you get so good at podcasts/ talking/ handsomeness? This question is specifically aimed at Zack. Not Dave.

Thanks, definitely real person and not me.

And thanks again to everyone for the help! We literally wouldn't be doing this without your support. You make all the work worth it! If you have any questions or comments about these responses, feel free to leave them below!