1. Graphic Novel
“The Heroes of Messines”
DES 809 Entrepreneurship - 2011
Prepared by Andrew Hepburn

2. Andrew Hepburn_ DES_809_ Entrepreneurship
Contents
PRODUCT..................................................................................................................... 3
STAKEHOLDERS........................................................................................................ 3
STRATEGIC VECTOR: MARKET ANALYSIS......................................................... 4
STRATEGIC VECTOR: OBJECTIVES...................................................................... 6
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3. 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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4. Andrew Hepburn_ DES_809_ Entrepreneurship
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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5. 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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6. 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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7. 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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