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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jul 1, 2020 13:54:53 GMT -5
That's pretty much the reason the industry as we know it is a dead man walking. There are no new readers, just the same aging folks still buying floppies. I imagine if they thought they would sell more issues with the original numbering than # 1 gimmicks that's what they would do. Anecdotally, I agree. The constant renumbering, redundant titles and rising prices drove me off sooner than I otherwise might have dropped, but I don;t necessarily represent all monthly comic buyers. In any case, that specific medium is on borrowed time like most print periodicals. And here's the problem. This site skews very old and male. For a LOT of that demographic "comic book" = superhero. In particular Marvel and DC superhero. So if someone says "there are no new readers" they really mean among Big-Two superhero comics. Because graphic novel sales are one of the few growth areas of publishing. And while it appears the manga bubble has burst, there was a time that manga sales were huge all while everyone was moaning that "nobody buys comic books." Except that they do. It's just possible they don't read or buy them the same way we did 30, 40, 50, 60 years ago. Just like they don't consume music, television or movies the same way. Both my grand-sons love comics. But they love Captain Underpants and Dog Man and Bone and Diary of a Wimpy Kid and other ways of consuming comics. Marvel and DC are IP factories for movies, TV show and toys. You don't have to like it but that's the case. And pushing a largely obsolete delivery media in the 36 page monthly floppy isn't going to change that. |
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Post by impulse on Jul 1, 2020 14:40:10 GMT -5
Not sure if you are speaking generally or replying to me, but I agree with everything you've said.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jul 1, 2020 15:05:55 GMT -5
Not sure if you are speaking generally or replying to me, but I agree with everything you've said. Pretty much just speaking generally. |
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Post by rberman on Jul 1, 2020 15:37:42 GMT -5
And even if the format changed, the corporate ownership of created characters disincentivizes new talent from bringing their fresh ideas to the table under a Marvel or DC banner. Which means that Marvel and DC keep spinning their wheels with minor variations on the same basic characters, rebooted occasionally so the old stories can be told again to the old audience.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2020 22:29:43 GMT -5
And even if the format changed, the corporate ownership of created characters disincentivizes new talent from bringing their fresh ideas to the table under a Marvel or DC banner. Which means that Marvel and DC keep spinning their wheels with minor variations on the same basic characters, rebooted occasionally so the old stories can be told again to the old audience. For a long time, I would have agreed with you, but there seems to be a new generation f creators coming in, who have had opportunities to benefit financially from creator-owned comics who want to make their mark on the Marvel and DC Universes and ensure their legacy by creating characters that will be a part of those universes for the long term. Creators like James Tynion IV are spearheading this movement, creating their own stuff as creator-owned books and reaping the rewards of that, but also creating new characters for the work-for-hire universes they are working in because they want to make their mark and ensure their legacy there, and financial rewards are not part of that equation because they have that opportunity elsewhere. This was not the case in the generations of creators preceding this one who had to scratch and fight for every financial reward they could get, but the rise to prominence of creator-owned opportunities for creators has changed the views of many younger creators now rising to prominence. This is really something that has emerged within the last year or so, and I see a lot of it in the network of creator newsletters I subscribe to. -M |
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