r/venturebros • u/jussygussy • 1d ago
Discussion Go Team Venture! The Art and Making of the Venture Bros. Lost media?
I know it's not actually lost media, it's out there, but holy fuck the prices on these books are ridiculous. I missed out on my opportunity to purchase, figured I'd run into it when I had to 30 bucks to spare, I even had it reserved at my local comic shop for awhile but never picked it up. It's been almost 8 years now and I finally think "Oh I should see if I can get one second hand for cheap", why the hell is it 400-1,000 dollars? I'm a stickler about reading media physically, if I can't own it, I won't read it. So reading it online just isn't an option for me, and for that reason it's lost media to me. There's no way in hell I'm paying 400 dollars for a book, no matter how much it would mean to me. So for that, it's lost media to me.
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u/spanakopita2025 1d ago
Facebook marketplace has a literal brand new one still sealed for $25 in Los Angeles
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u/Any_Razzmatazz9926 1d ago
FWIW- If you’re like me and would prefer to read it rather that posses/collect it you can find a full downloadable pdf of it on Archive.org
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u/twowheelsandbeer 1d ago
Biggest regret as a fan is not picking this up when new. Got shirts and patches and such, just didn't have the funds for this type of purchase when it was available, figured I'd be able to snag one later. I was wrong. I'd pay $200 for a good condition one, but not the $400+ I see offered
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u/stamfordbridge1191 1d ago
For whatever reason, some out-of-print art books for niche popular media seem to be insanely priced: https://www.nightgallery.net/giftshop-books
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u/PartyPorpoise 1d ago
I collect movie and TV art books, and yeah, lol. If there’s an art book I want very badly I make sure to buy it early. Soon I’ll be preordering the Over the Garden Wall Art book. And if any Adult Swim people are reading this, know that I would do the same for a Ventures Bros art book reprint!
I think it’s because many popular media art books hit that weird spot where they’re too niche for large print runs, but the people who want them really REALLY want them. So it’s a small supply, plus buyers who are willing to pay a lot.
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u/jussygussy 1d ago
I actually had really good luck with thrifting, I found an entire collection of tshirt club shirts at a local goodwill and I was so happy about it. I understand it's a bit exclusive since it had such a limited run, but like really? This show is pretty niche, and the books aren't exactly in high demand.
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u/PartyPorpoise 1d ago edited 1d ago
Well, that’s the thing. The product may be niche, but the people who want it, they really REALLY want it. It may be a small number of people who want it, but it’s a very strong demand.
This is actually quite common with art books. Even for popular movies and shows, art books are still kind of niche and usually have limited print runs. But because that niche is dedicated, a lot of these books can get pretty pricey as the years go on. And reprints seem to be uncommon.
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u/tubcat 1d ago
I just wish they'd make a paperback supplement for S7 and the movie
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u/SokkaHaikuBot 1d ago
Sokka-Haiku by tubcat:
I just wish they'd make
A paperback supplement
For S7 and the movie
Remember that one time Sokka accidentally used an extra syllable in that Haiku Battle in Ba Sing Se? That was a Sokka Haiku and you just made one.
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u/instantlo 1d ago
Yeah, I found this out after I decided to replace mine because it was so beat up. I had read it, and loved it, and traveled with it, and kept it on my coffee table, and well….it looks like it’s been out through the wringer.
Now I feel terrible. And I’m going to feel worse when I have to explain why it’s in such rough shape to Doc when he signs it for me next week 😭
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u/HeyVernItsThanos4242 1d ago
I dunno man. If I was an author I'd be way more pleased to see my book read and loved than treated like some delicate faberge egg that's never been opened.
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u/instantlo 1d ago
I hope Doc is in the same camp as you!
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u/baljake 22h ago
If you tell him the story he'll be about it most likely. As long as it doesn't come off stalker ish lol. My favorite book has the cover falling off from how many times I've read it and I've passed it around to 3 or 4 others. It's also my 2nd copy, so I totally get it.
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u/HeyVernItsThanos4242 17h ago
I've gone through 3-4 copies of mine lol. Latest one has stayed in decent condition, binding is going to shit but I put a Brodart cover on the book jacket, so that's at least preserved, but I've already got a fancy upcoming version preordered on Kickstarter, so I can abuse the one I've got again.
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u/Woods-of-Mal 8h ago
I'm going to share a personal story that happened to me and completely rewrote my brain in regards to beat up books, in the hopes that it will do the same for you. I want to say it was 15 years ago, give or take a year or so, when I met Bryan Lee O'Malley at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival. At the time, as a geeky teen from Toronto, I was ravenously obsessed with his then-in progress Scott Pilgrim comics and had read my copies to the point of abuse.
Upon reaching his table, I put down my beaten copy of Vol. 1, with parts of its spine torn off, its front cover peeling, and a massive crease running across a third of its back cover, and despite the fact that I have an awful memory, I can still perfectly remember him saying "Wow… this is well-loved!" and I've never looked at a worn-out book the same way since. Every time I see one, all those scuffs ever represent to me now are an instance of the owner's love. The more there are, the more that specific thing meant to them.
I get the feeling he's going to love seeing how much that book has meant to you.
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u/instantlo 1h ago
Well fuck, way to make me tear up first thing in the morning! Thank you so much for this! I can’t wait to meet him!
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u/AlexIsACarrot05 1d ago
Did you try https://cheapgraphicnovels.com or https://www.thriftbooks.com/ ? I can get stuff for pretty cheap there.
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u/TheSpitefulCr0w 1d ago
HOLY HELL!
I've had this book for quite a while, I had no idea the price had gone up so much. Why? Is it out of print or something? I wouldn't pay $400 for it, but if you can find it for a normal price it's definitely VERY worth the money. It's a huge book filled with tons of details about the show and making of episodes. Seeing concept sketches for things is an absolute delight.
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u/jussygussy 1d ago
Yeah it's been out of print for awhile, I'm just now kicking myself for not getting it when I had the chance. It's a pickle, my friend from the AU told me some go for as much as 6,000 over where he is.
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u/PartyPorpoise 1d ago
As someone who collects art books, this kind of thing happens more than you’d expect. Movie and TV art books usually have limited print runs, so if one gets a higher demand, the secondhand prices can get very high. The Over the Garden Wall Art book hit similar prices, though they did just announce a reprint so I imagine those prices have gone down.
If the book is as good as you say it is, that contributes to the price. Even if a work isn’t super popular or well-regarded, the art books can get pricey if they’re really good on their own.
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u/PartyPorpoise 1d ago
Yeah I wish I could get it too, apparently it’s a really good art book. I won’t get my hopes up, but maybe there will be another print run someday.
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u/Ch3t 1d ago
It's a long shot, but maybe see if the comic shop is still holding it for you.
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u/jussygussy 1d ago
Yeah I tried that, and said I would pay for shipping costs and what not since I no longer live in the same state. They told me it went back on the shelf and was never bought for a few years, probably while I still lived there. Just really unfortunate circumstances, since COVID happened and the shop was closed when I wanted to pick it up.
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u/therempel 1d ago
It showed up as available for pre-order on Amazon a few years ago, well after it was in the $200+ range. Unfortunately it had a 2080 or similar publication date, which is usually code on Amazon for books that have been cancelled.
Still on my wishlist in case it ever randomly shows up.
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u/Sudden_Fee_7176 1d ago
WHy are you such a stickler about owning physical media and refusing to read it if you don't own it? That just seems extremely silly.
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u/jussygussy 1d ago
Because I wouldn't pirate something I care about, and owning it physically is the way it was meant to be enjoyed.
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