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The comic book blind bags trend could be a bubble that pops if its overused and betrays the fans, warns Image Comics' president (and Spawn creator) Todd McFarlane
Spawn creator Todd McFarlane worries that going all in on blind bags will drive readers away
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The blind bag craze has been a huge win for retailers, publishers, and readers, but one comic legend is warning everyone that things could backfire. If you aren’t familiar, a blind bag is when a publisher sells a comic in a opaque polybag and the customer doesn’t know which variant cover they’re getting. In some cases, customers might get a rare cover. Some comic shops have taken things a step further, creating blind bags where the customer doesn’t even know what series they’re purchasing, encouraging readers to try something new.
The craze has been a success, with Image Comics & Skybound Entertainment's Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #1 selling nearly 400,000 copies, with the numbers credited to the blind bag initiative. Things have been going well, but Image Comics' president (and Spawn creator) Todd McFarlane warns everyone that the bubble could burst
“If you have something that works that’s valuable, then you can use it for value,” Todd McFarlane says during an interview with ComicPop Returns. “What we historically find out in business, not just comic books, in business, is once something works good, there’s a tendency to milk the cow dry. And everybody just goes, ‘Oh, there’s money to be had. Let’s go.’ And then all of a sudden, you turn the consumer off, and once the consumer leaves, I would argue that’s the hardest thing to ever recover is getting the consumer back. Especially if they feel like they’ve been betrayed somewhat.”
McFarlane himself has taken part in the blind bag trend, as both Image Comics president and creator, with an Image Comics Holiday Blind Bag in 2025. Will blind bags go the way of holographic covers, or are they an important part of the industry’s future? Sound off in the comments section below.
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