12 replies to this topic

[zencat]

So the official Ian Fleming Publications has not updated it's news page since October 8, 2003. They never even announced the last two Fleming books in the US in April. (Good thing we did it for them. ) And what's the story with the Gardner omnibus? Did they have something to do with it? They must have..but why no news on it?

Like so many official sites, it starts with great fanfare, goes strong for a while...and then suddenly dies.

Depressing.

[Xenobia]

To be honest...is there really anything new to update? Would it be their place to announce the Gardner books are coming back into print?

-- Xenobia

[Bryce (003)]

*Bryce emerges from IFP offices with flaming torch and dusting off cobwebs*

All I saw was a sign that said "Last one out, please turn off the lights."....

Yes, it does seem discouraging to see the main publication site so stale.

Maybe they're revamping.

Maybe not.

Pity.

[jwheels]

Yes, the IFP site is very dissapointing. I would love to know if they were involved in the Garnder omnibus, and, if they are, are they planning on re-releasing the other Gardner books as well.

I too am dissapointed by officail sites. The official movie Bond site is very dissiapointing. I find that most fan sites are far supperior to the offical ones.

[zencat]

[quote name='Xenobia' date='29 January 2004 - 19:11'] To be honest...is there really anything new to update?

[Qwerty]

I rarely bother with that site now. The official site, in my opinion, get the least amount of information most of the time.

[Xenobia]

But Zencat, you forget, we are the red-headed stepchild of the Bond family. They don't care about us.

-- Xen

[zencat]

But Zencat, you forget, we are the red-headed stepchild of the Bond family. They don't care about us.

-- Xen

I lost ya, Xen.

[Xenobia]

In other words (sorry, I forgot you don't speak fluent Xen ), IFP could care less about the American audience.

Don't you know all the real Bond fans are British?

-- Xenobia

[zencat]

In other words (sorry, I forgot you don't speak fluent Xen ), IFP could care less about the American audience.

Don't you know all the real Bond fans are British?

-- Xenobia

Oh, right, right, right. Got ya.

[Xenobia]

Sometimes, I really do think I speak a different language.

-- Xen

[doublenoughtspy]

I was supposed to have lunch with the "Miss Moneypenny" of IFP during my trip to London in mid December. (We met at the Indiana Univeristy conference on Fleming where I gave the presentation on Maibaum)

She said that would be lovely, but then when I tried to confirm a week before hand and while I was there - but there was no answer.

Hmm.

[clinkeroo]

She said that would be lovely, but then when I tried to confirm a week before hand and while I was there - but there was no answer.

You know, at first I thought the lack of updates might just be simple negligence, or a general lack of care in maintaining what fan base there may be left of the literary Bond, but now I'm beginning to see the underpinnings of something else, something far more nefarious.

Maybe something "unfortunate" and dastardly has befallen the IFP. The US reissue covers aside, the folks at Glidrose/IFP haven't made too many brilliant moves over the past few years. Dropping Amis's suggestions for continuations beyond Colonel Sun, shutting out Jenkin's, leaving the literary Bond stagnant while the film Bond was exploding in the 70's (OK, I'm counting Christopher Wood's stuff as film adaptations, not novels) , persecuting and prosecuting the fans that tried to keep the literary Bond alive in their own hearts through fan fiction, curtailing the creativity of an author of Gardner's stature, the small print runs, and the lack of advertising and POS material on Benson's books, and then dumping Benson right when it appeared he was really starting to hit his stride, and what's with the funky name change? Do they have something to hide? It is almost as if they have set out to destroy the credibility and marketability of the literary Bond.

Why, it is a plot worthy of Blofeld himself (or his cat). If you couldn't beat Bond, then you could certainly destroy his legacy. Certainly, if he could run Willard Whyte's empire for a few years, he could run a do-nothing publishing company...heck, they don't even publish anything, all they do is license the characters Fleming created. Maybe they should call themselves ESB Publications.

Either that or it's past two in the morning, well below zero outside, and I just need to get some sleep.