The Perry Rhodan World Communication Club (PRWCC) recently got hold
of Eckhard Schwettman for an interview. He is the new Marketing Director
for Perry Rhodan at VPM.
PRWCC members submitted questions to Thorsten Eyrich, the club President,
who conducted the interview.
Let's start with the most frequently asked question. Could you tell us something about yourself:
Name: Eckhard Schwettmann
Age: 38
Computer knowledge:
I am mainly a computer user, and I prefer the Windows format. I am not especially skilled at programming software, my brother is the family expert in that field.
I introduced Page Maker at Rough Trade Rec. In 1987. Before 1996, I worked in Hamburg for 6 months in multimedia development at PopNet.
How good is your knowledge of PR:
I read many of them up to number 850, then started again with issues # 1000 and 1200. But I found the cycle starting with 1200 to be much too dark. Anyway, I have worked mainly in the music/media/marketing area for the last 10 years and haven't kept up. Unfortunately there was not a lot of time left over to read for pleasure, just enough for some special books.
How did you become aware of PR:
I grew up in the Ruhr, where you can find kiosks everywhere (These are also called 'Trinkhalle' or 'Büdchen'.) Inevitably I noticed the covers of Johnny Bruck, and a few friends of mine had already begun reading PR. That's how I started. But I have never been a member of a fanclub.
When did you first start reading PR:
In the late 60s and early 70s.
What is your favorite cycle:
MdI (Meister der Insel, or Masters of the Island)
Do you still read PR:
Of course, unfortunately I am presently about 6 numbers behind.
What is your prior work experience, and why did you move to VPM:
My working life: M.A. in history, then I started at Rough Trade Rec. In Promotion/Marketing in 1986. After 5 years I moved to the marketing department of the magazine PRINZ (from 10/91); then became head of the publishing house of PRINZ in Cologne from 4/93 until 10/95; after that I developed new, interactive media at PopNet (Motor Music, Rough Trade, Popkomm., Magazin 2000+) in Hamburg for 6 months; then came to the marketing department of Perry Rhodan at VPM in Rastatt starting 09/01/96.
How did you get the job as VPM's marketing expert:
I read a job offer in W&V (marketing magazine) and was stunned.
Hey, I thought, that's what I want to do. After all we can't always let the Americans lead the way. Perry Rhodan is, after all, much older than Star Trek.
So I decided to try something new and, at the same time, work with one of my heroes.
Possibly because of my education and vocational experience VPM decided to hire me.
And now the questions:
No. 1: Do you see any danger of Perry Rhodan losing its charm and image because of too much commercialism, especially with inferior products, that impair the image of the series, The old film and other items, such as the PR stamps by Al Kelsner in a coffee table book - for example)?
You have to make a distinction here: earning money is not bad. And the best deals are when everyone profits, the publisher, the authors AND the fans/readers.
Of course, "SOS aus dem Weltraum"; ("SOS from space") was a bad film and never attained the high level of quality associated with the series. Some possible stamps have been refused by the postal service because they were considered advertising. Otherwise we would really have liked to do them, but anyway I got better products than the stamps in Garching.
By which I don't mean to say something against Kelsner!
But: The image of Perry number 1 was too tiny.
Anyway, the idea is great.
Otherwise: If we make good products, e.g. space-opera music, computer games, spaceship models, CD-ROMs, T-shirts, perhaps watches and so on, it will only be good for the image of Perry Rhodan.
No. 2: Is the quality of the planned PR computer game up to the current standard?
As far I can tell, yes.
The folks at Spellbound are definitely world class.
No. 3: How is the work environment at Moewig? Are you under stress (or do you put yourself under stress) because you have to show results of your work immediately?
The climate here is very good.
It's true, I do put myself under stress.
But the management here gives me a free hand. So far I haven't made any blunders.
I try to get as many opinions as I can . That's not easy and everyone who is familiar with the job knows that.
Unfortunately quite a few opportunities have been missed in the past. Perry Rhodan has always been successful, so they apparently thought " it works by itself".
But times have changed.
Competition is steadily growing in the so called " entertainment industry"
and is very cutthroat. Also, because of TV, people tend to read less and
less.
No. 4: Do you have a free hand or does management tell you what to do ?
No, I'm not told what to do.
However, decisions are made by the team and I don't make any solo decisions, but rather get as much information as possible before proceeding.
No. 5: When will the CD-ROM encyclopedia come out?
We're doing so many things right now it is hard to say, but actually it should shortly be available (see above, omissions). Right now we're working on a CD-ROM with the working title " The Archives", release date November 1996. It's close to a real encyclopedia.
No. 6: Will there be sketches on that CD-ROM?
Yes, Sketches will be included.
No. 7: There was negative feedback made by some members, that one cannot believe VPM concerning how the series is going. This was said in the later editions and the PR magazine. Can you assure us that the first edition and the "Silberbande"; are going well? The huge advertising campaign does not necessarily indicate a success, since if it was a good product it wouldn't need any advertising.
Well: The first edition and the " Silberbände" are definitely going very well and won't be stopped. On the contrary. Number 2000 will be published in December 1999, shortly before the year 2000. Until then the issues will remain unchanged. The problem with the reprint editions has been described by Klaus N. Frick in the Heyne fanbook very well: Flea markets and second hand traders are the biggest " problem". I was also able to get the full MdI-cycle in the first edition at a flea market a few years ago. Why wait 2 years until the cycle has been fully published when you can have it easier (and cheaper)?
No. 8: What do you really know of the typical Perry Rhodan readers? And what do you want to do against this lack of knowledge that exists, as Klaus stated..
Statistics is a difficult business.
A few surveys were made in the past. The results showed that Perry readers are mainly young, educated and high-income.
And it always showed that there ISN'T a typical reader. A reader can be young and live in the city or be a pensioner and live on a farm. There are many readers who started with number 1, just as there are many readers between the ages of 14 and 25. In the end it's useless, because apparently a wide variety of people are caught by the pleasure of reading Science Fiction.
And for many people Perry Rhodan is a synonym for "adventures in space".
No. 9: What is the target demographic for Perry Rhodan? Age, education level and so on.
You'll have to ask Klaus yourself how he sees the target group. It's clear for me (and certainly also for Klaus) that we'll have to pay attention to young people to make sure that the series has a future. For example, a space-opera or models of MERZ-spaceships are for young as well as for old people. But a computer game is mainly for young people. It's impossible to please everyone at the same time. In marketing this is called "fractal marketing": Spread actions (opera, models, and so on) are flanked by actions for specific groups, e.g. the technohouse-scene (an ongoing weekly party) by the group in Düsseldorf on the one hand, by supporting the fanclubs at the cons on the other hand. There will be a difference in the future.
People who don't like the parties will feel comfortable at the cons. However, what is most important is: the original series, the basis for all of this, won't be touched, but will remain as it is.
But my job is, among other things, to find new readers and to make them Perry Rhodan fans. You have to try something new, e.g. go where young people spend their time. I don't want to talk techno here but it's been a fashion-making culture for many years.
Perhaps the techno-people take less drugs then and enjoy the imaginative Science Fiction-world of our authors.
No misunderstanding there: The current technohouse-scene is not the only emphasis, but you can't ignore it these days.
No. 10: You have been in the PR-editorial staff for only a short time now. To what extent are the current stories planned by you?
I'm not on the editorial staff, you have to make a distinction there. The current promotional activities are planned by me, but only after teamwork and an exchange of ideas with the editorial staff.
No. 11: What do you think is the future of PR as a magazine, from your point of view as an expert in marketing?
At least until number 2000 there will be no change (see above), the current cycle should be sufficient until then.
No. 12: Because Eichinger (fortunately <g>) blocks the Film - what chance does he see for a PR:TAS-series "PERRY RHODAN - The Animated Series"?
We have no contact with Eichinger at the moment.
No. 13: Often the cover has an influence on the purchase. It would be interesting to compare the sales with a cover hit-list, are there any such statistics?
Because I worked in the publishing area for many years I know very well how important covers are in the purchase decision. Unfortunately there are no statistics available.
No. 14: The PR film. What are your plans against this ongoing impairment of the image of PR? The film is on TV at least two times a year. /P>
Unfortunately VPM has no rights on this "film", that indeed is an impairment of the image of PR (see above)
No. 15: Why was the "Planetenroman" 400 newly issued in the PR fanbook? It has been published just recently, if it had been a PR story that you cannot buy anymore, something really old, that would have been understandable.
You have to ask Klaus about that, he is the publisher.
I was also surprised.
No. 16: Robert Feldhoff's address was printed in the PR fanbook. It seemed everyone noticed it except VPM. Do you know why?
As above, please ask Klaus.
But the publisher is Heyne, because VPM doesn't make pocket books anymore.
No. 17: Do you have any ideas on how to rid PR of its dime novel-image?
A space-opera is certainly a step in the right direction.
Otherwise the Perry Rhodan series cannot be compared with anything else in the world. But the best advertising for the series is the current cycle which is very high-quality.
Besides - a joke - Perry is a 28 dime novel.
No. 18: Klaus thinks that PR needs a new outward appearance by the year 2000. Is there any information on what PR could look like
We plan to start a sequel on the Internet this year, let's see what it turns into.
We have no experience there, and it will be real pioneering work.
Besides: The shellac LPs are gone, not to mention vinyl ones.
It is certain that the current format has no future. We'll see what happens after number 2000!
No. 18A: You speak of a sequel that is soon to be published on the PR homepage. Do you think that PR won't be published in printed form any more?
For god's sake, everything will remain as it is with the printed Perrys. The Internet doesn't replace the printed medium, but complements it and offers new, multi-dimensional, multimedia and interactive opportunities. We want to try them out with a sequel. Not in my wildest nightmare would I consider stopping the publication Perry Rhodan in printed form. After all Moewig is a publisher.
No. 19: Do you take part in the author-team meetings or do you get your information about the progress of the plot from the editorial staff?
I get only sparse information about the progress of the series and don't take part in the author-team conferences.
You have to make a distinction between those activities.
I had to read updates myself to find out what I know!
No. 20: How do you plan to make contact with the readers? Will you get the reader's letters from Arndt Ellmer or do you see your job as being more theoretical, such as organizing and planning the campaigns?
In principal I will try to take part in as many cons as possible and talk to the readers. Garching was my first, Sinzig and the BuCon in Fraktfurt were next.
I suppose I will also go to the NordCon in Hamburg. The suggestions I got in Garching were really great.
Contact with the readers is very important for me, but I beg your pardon if I can't answer everyone personally. I don't have enough time for it.
No. 21: Why is it that north/middle Germany seems so neglected. For example the advertising campaigns (robot, and so on) could also take place in Bielefeld or Münster. After all one should also advertise where there aren't so many readers.
This just seems to be the case; it isn't so.
By advertisements in the September issues of the "Stadtillustrierte" for example we covered the whole of Germany, including the East. In the future we want to cover as many regions as possible.
At the moment it's NRW's turn with Popkomm, and Party Munich had an event in June with Garching, the opera will have its premiere in Berlin, in Bremen we want to do something with DASA, Hamburg will get an event with the NordCon, as will Frankfurt with the BuCon.
The robot campaign has long been planned and coordinated by department stores.
No. 22: Why is Vurguzz based on kiwi with 8% alcohol? The novel references indicate something totally different?
As far as I know, Franz Ettl took the secret recipe into his grave.
A "new" VURGUZZ could thoroughly consist of kiwi and vodka.
Tastes have changed in the meantime, people don't want strong drinks any more.
For me the idea of bringing a cult-drink of the Perry series onto the market is more important. Perhaps this will help to find new readers.
BUT: The mixture we used at Popkomm in Cologne is not ready yet.
Perhaps it will be totally different.
No. 23: What is your opinion of other SF or fantasy, for example Bab5, X-Files or Star Wars.
The X-Files are great, Bab5 no so great, I liked Star Wars because of the special effects.
And, please forgive me, I liked Star Trek TNG, but only in the original (english), because the Shakespearean actors are better in that version. I like Captain Picard, but his dubbed voice was not so good.
No. 24: What plans for marketing do you have. Hopefully not something like PR toys by Ban-Dai.
I don't know anything about that (perhaps fortunately).
I want to do something like watches, neckties (official), new T-shirts and so on. Besides a series of CDs "music of extraterrestrial cultures", Arkonide crystal music for example.
Also, I'd like to send a Johnny Bruck art exhibition through Germany.
No. 25: Can we expect more consumer products on a large scale, as is common with other SF series?
Hopefully, if everything goes well, yes.
However the special character of the Perry series must remain intact. No imitations, but rather new original things, that suits the biggest Science Fiction series of the world. Vurguzz of the opera, for example.
No. 26: What do you think of the future of PR altogether and in contrast to other big series like Star Trek?
I think the future will be very good.
Perry Rhodan has to separate itself much more clearly from Star Trek.
Our stories are much more complex and demanding. The Star Trek stories could take place in the surroundings of a normal family story.
There is a lot of personal interaction and so on, no huge cosmic scenarios.
For example, Star Trek could also be, with other costumes, a western. Deep Space 9 and Voyager are much weaker than Star Trek TNG.
Back to Perry: The series will most certainly profit from the present boom in Science Fiction, space, future studies and so on.
No. 27: Is your activity in the Internet only for promotional purposes or do you have other intentions?
The Internet is the medium of the future.
Perry Rhodan absolutely belongs on the Internet. Also, with a Web presence you can find out about the series from anywhere in the world. And, of course, it is good background for newcomers.
The Perry homepage was often called one of the best German websites. We plan to improve that.
No. 28: Arndt Ellmer is a member of a bulletin board and of the Rhodan group in the FidoNet, but doesn't want to do more, although reader's letters to him by Internet are still printed. Is something along these lines planned, perhaps bringing another author to the Internet as "Net-Reader'sLetter-Uncle", perhaps with an additional "NetReader'sLetterPage"?
That's right, this area has to be restructured. We get over 100 emails per week, so this question can't be answered in passing.
Other publishers who are active in the Internet have the same problem. Something will happen in the near future.
No. 29: As said before, Eichinger sits on the PR Film rights. Do you want to do something about it (Roland Emmerich would be better qualified for the film, together with Oliver Scholl (PR-drawer of the BASIS) he would have a professional working with him)?
Roland Emmerich definitely is our dream director, I have just recently sent a book with sketches and current issues to Oliver Scholl in L.A.
Nobody can think of anyone else we'd like to have working on a PR film.
The Perry Rhodan film must be of the highest quality; we already have a bad film (see above), we don't need another one.
No. 30: Since last month it has been known that the new PR pocket books will be published by Burgschmiet. How many are already planned (and written) and when will the first one be written and by whom will it be published?
Klaus N. Frick as editor knows more about this. The first pocket book will be published in January.
Thorsten: Thank you very much and see you.
Eckhard: Thanks for the interview!
Webmasters John Foyt (rhodanenglish@netscape.net)
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