so it seems that people are not buying comics anymore, i think even the fans are bored with traditional superhero comics, But on the other hand graphic novels are doing well and webcomics have a large fan base. so what do you think is the future of comics? will it all be on the web. will traditional comics slowly fade away?
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i think that it is a question of price. the graphic novel typically is cheaper than the comic book.
a stapled comic is about 4 bucks today.
black and white digest graphic novels, which are like 4 or more times the length are from 8 about to 12 bucks
color ones are from 10 to 15
full size color trades are like 15 to 20
of course this depends on title and publisher
so graphic novels are much cheaper by page count, which is why i think they have become prominent in the past decade- plus i think they have reached many fans who weren't or wouldn't have been comics fans in the 90s- especially teenagers and females.
i think newspaper comics are now definitely on the web. look at the newspapers with diminished comics sections. i was a newspaper subscriber, much for the comics. without the comics, i no longer subscribe.
now is there the same money on the web? i don't think so. some webcomcis make money- but not really very many.
many books are transferring to online, so that's part of it, too. i think print will continue, but web will increase- but again, the profit is the question. so much is bootlegged.
"There's a choice to be made: get on board with the new industry, or lose your shirt trying to hold onto the old..."
Agreed. And I touched on this in another post - but below is Part B.
Part B:
I think it's time for comic creators/companies/publishers to realize:THE MARKET IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT.
1. If people aren't buying your comics (or anyone's for that matter) it's because you/they haven't provided enough reason for someone to dish out the bucks for your book. So you have one of two choices: a) Cut your losses, pack up and go home. b) Find out why no one wants your book, adjust accordingly and try again.
2. DON'T RELY ON THE DIRECT MARKET THE BOOKSTORE or any other specific mechanism as your catchall for purchases. Die-hard fans will pick up the books they want and rarely if ever stray outside of that. Older people, artists, and folks with taste will stray into other properties and seek out good stuff but they are few and far between.
3. FIND YOUR OWN AUDIENCE AND CATER TO THEM - the above be darned. Find your niche audience, find out WHERE, HOW, WHEN and WHY they WANT TO BUY, and provide your product to them in the manner they want. If you sell enough books or product on your own to support yourself you've done your job. Sometimes this is all you need to do if you want to make this a living. (Forget the traditional system). Find enough people wherever you can, who will pay for your living, and provide them that product. You be consistent, and your customers will be loyal. Examples: Dave Sim, Stan Sakai.
4. PRINT IS DEAD. LONG LIVE PRINT. Provide print ONLY when it makes sense - and is cost effective/or demand requires otherwise.
5. PROVIDE MORE. Add something - anything that will add something to your comic. Conversations with the author, a free sketch, interviews, promote someone else that you enjoy (but not to the detriment of yourself.
I believe people are getting bored with the fact of buying comicbooks for $3-5.00 dollars a pop and only getting a partial story conclusion to on going inconvenience of bi-weekly to monthly intervals. It's like hurry up and wait!!! Also factor in the gas used to travel there and you start to feel like you are getting nickeled & dimed after a while, especially if the storyline starts losing its luster. Now as for graphic novels you are getting the beginning, middle, and ending of a particular story in one solid purchase. Easy convenience of stopping and starting the novel as much as you want when you want. No waiting to collect a collabration of mini-stories for entire year to get to the ending already. Don't know much about the web comics, but common-sense would suggest that its also a better convenience to access via web then to run out to the comic book store once or twice a month and from what I do see the fee is much much cheaper too.
As far as superheros goes, they are beefing up all over in movies and animations these days, so its just much easier to turn on the TV or go to the movies to get your superhero fill. The idea of sequential art traditionally will still remain, so no way it would fade out, but how they are distributed is the new evolutional question for comics that we all have to wait and see. So let's hurry up and wait!
If it were 1910 (instead of 2010) we'd be horse and buggy drivers/owners lamenting the coming of the Model T and the burgeoning auto industry. There's a choice to be made: get on board with the new industry, or lose your shirt trying to hold onto the old (if you've a vested interest in it, that is). There's still a very small niche market for hansom cabs in Central Park of NYC or other such places, but not for mass transit. The analogy holds true for mass communications and the publishing/entertainment industry as well.
I don't think it's the format but the storytelling in superhero comics. People still love the superheroes they grew up reading about every month. Storylines have become repetitive driving away the older fans and not drawing in new fans. The excitement is still there it just has to be shown.
calvary comics dude you are seriously bumming me out. nah just kidding facts are facts, i can only trust God and pray that he uses my skill and storytelling. in the end its not about comics its about Christ, but still it hurts to know that no one buys comics and graphic novels anymore..
If you look again at the link on the other thread, you'll find that the graphic novels sold even worse than the monthly titles. Too expensive, not many people read them anymore.
Replies
a stapled comic is about 4 bucks today.
black and white digest graphic novels, which are like 4 or more times the length are from 8 about to 12 bucks
color ones are from 10 to 15
full size color trades are like 15 to 20
of course this depends on title and publisher
so graphic novels are much cheaper by page count, which is why i think they have become prominent in the past decade- plus i think they have reached many fans who weren't or wouldn't have been comics fans in the 90s- especially teenagers and females.
i think newspaper comics are now definitely on the web. look at the newspapers with diminished comics sections. i was a newspaper subscriber, much for the comics. without the comics, i no longer subscribe.
now is there the same money on the web? i don't think so. some webcomcis make money- but not really very many.
many books are transferring to online, so that's part of it, too. i think print will continue, but web will increase- but again, the profit is the question. so much is bootlegged.
Agreed. And I touched on this in another post - but below is Part B.
Part B:
I think it's time for comic creators/companies/publishers to realize:THE MARKET IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT.
1. If people aren't buying your comics (or anyone's for that matter) it's because you/they haven't provided enough reason for someone to dish out the bucks for your book. So you have one of two choices: a) Cut your losses, pack up and go home. b) Find out why no one wants your book, adjust accordingly and try again.
2. DON'T RELY ON THE DIRECT MARKET THE BOOKSTORE or any other specific mechanism as your catchall for purchases. Die-hard fans will pick up the books they want and rarely if ever stray outside of that. Older people, artists, and folks with taste will stray into other properties and seek out good stuff but they are few and far between.
3. FIND YOUR OWN AUDIENCE AND CATER TO THEM - the above be darned. Find your niche audience, find out WHERE, HOW, WHEN and WHY they WANT TO BUY, and provide your product to them in the manner they want. If you sell enough books or product on your own to support yourself you've done your job. Sometimes this is all you need to do if you want to make this a living. (Forget the traditional system). Find enough people wherever you can, who will pay for your living, and provide them that product. You be consistent, and your customers will be loyal. Examples: Dave Sim, Stan Sakai.
4. PRINT IS DEAD. LONG LIVE PRINT. Provide print ONLY when it makes sense - and is cost effective/or demand requires otherwise.
5. PROVIDE MORE. Add something - anything that will add something to your comic. Conversations with the author, a free sketch, interviews, promote someone else that you enjoy (but not to the detriment of yourself.
There's more but gotta go. Add as you see fit.
As far as superheros goes, they are beefing up all over in movies and animations these days, so its just much easier to turn on the TV or go to the movies to get your superhero fill. The idea of sequential art traditionally will still remain, so no way it would fade out, but how they are distributed is the new evolutional question for comics that we all have to wait and see. So let's hurry up and wait!