Sorry, lots of laughs, or laugh out loud--but lol.

Just spit balling.

Sounds like an interesting idea. And the idea of polling readers for what they'd like to see sounds interesting, too.

But to drop my two cents into the idea...

Once the polls are answered and a general idea of what is most desired is made, it'd be a wise idea to then entrust it to a chosen writer to put it all together. Kind of like how, by my reading of it, Doc Savage occurred: All the general elements were given to Lester Dent and he went with them, adding his own flair, and success!

Otherwise, I think, too many cooks could ruin the broth, so to speak.

Again, just my two cents...

Yeah, that's pretty much what I meant. I Slaine or a Judge_Dred or a Phantom who has a story in every issue written by a solicited guest writer. Than character then becomes a flagship icon for FS art work and promotion.

It seems more definate a thing to hang a marketing creation around than a shared setting or a multitude of characters would strike me as too difuse. At publishing FS 4x a year(?) It'd take 3 years for the characters to be used over enough to get an identiy and a city or a landmass or a time period isn't a very structured "hook". Someone skipping an issue or two might not realize they're reading a story set in the same place.

It would seem that 4 stories a year about the same iconic character would be more identifiable than 4 stories set in the same city. Or even about 4 characters who happen to know each other--if that makes sense.

But--I'm just elaborating on my original spitball. I'm not saying the other's wouldn't work, not at all. Just that I think one character might be more efficent.

Making the whole of each issue a new shared world anthology might work as well. Just talking it out.