I am pleased to announce my TWILIGHT ZONE book just received the gold standard of publishing. A limited number of 100 copies were printed in hardcover format with a variant cover. What is a variant cover, you might ask?
In comic books, a variant cover (sometimes referred to as a variant edition) refers to an issue of a comic book printed with multiple covers, each with unique cover art. The first comic book marketed with a variant cover was the 1986 first issue of The Man of Steel, which featured two different covers by writer/artist John Byrne. Fans of Superman who were serious collectors found themselves buying not one issue, but two. Since then, publishing companies look for creative ways to build hype and establish investments by offering limited edition variant covers.
Due to shortages caused by production errors, some variant covers came to be known as "chase covers," as many scrambled to find them. Publishers create chase covers by issuing variants in ratios designed to establish rarity. As an example, attendees at the San Diego Comic Con can purchase an exclusive variant cover, with the convention logo printed on the front cover, and available only at the event. While fans could visit their local comic book store to purchase Spider-Man issue #800 for $4, for example, the San Diego Comic Con variant cover is rare enough to warrant a $40 price tag.
The practice of issuing variant covers spread to some magazines, notably TV Guide, which quickly discovered that collectors who kept one of every issue would buy multiple issues if there were different covers. As an example, in 1996, TV Guide printed four different covers each with a different starship captain in recognition of the 30th anniversary of Star Trek. Inside, the contents were the same. But for that one week, fans flocked to the stores to buy all four issues which now sell for an average of $35 for the set.
While my TWILIGHT ZONE book is not a comic book or a magazine, variant covers are not common for reference books. Yet, it seemed a natural choice for a variant cover. Below is a photo of my wife holding one of them. So if you never got a copy of my TWILIGHT ZONE book yet and want a limited edition variant hardcover instead of the standard paperback, grab your copy now at www.MartinGrams.biz before they set out. Only 100 copies were printed and as of today more than 20 are sold... make that 21. I am keeping one for myself.
