Digital ain't goin' nowhere. I've read 500% more comics--things I hadn't read previously--since I got my Kindle than before, and probably more than half of that was stuff I might never have considered reading if it wasn't available quickly and easily (and usually free).

It goes back to: do you need to own everything you read for ever and ever? Do you have to have every book, movie, or record at your fingertips? It's nice, but there's always something else.

I finally got into e-books a bit (reprints of my favorite author's old works were only coming out in e-book, so I didn't have much choice). But you can't read comics on an e-reader, unless it's a huge one and in colour, I guess. I have zero plans to get into e-comics. I don't buy mags any more, but there's nothing like sitting down with a nice physical collection.

Nostalgia plays a heavy part in many things I enjoy whether they be comic books or music or whatever.

The magic for me was a Spider-Man comic on the spinner rack when I was a kid, not a little digital screen to read. So having boxes filled with my favorite stuff in physical format is a pure joy. It makes the hobby fun. I have to think before buying something new, I have to prioritize what I spend my money on and whether something is really worth it. It's the thrill of the hunt...confound that last issue of a certain series I need that keeps eluding me, or that unobtainium wish list item I still hold out hope for someday. And the thrill of a box of comics showing up and actually sitting down and reading them because I was excited about my choices (and smelling that old paper, cause you've got to). And then cataloguing them for storage after that.

I remember growing up when people's homes had bookcases filled and racks of vinyl albums with cool stereos to play them on. Homes were "warmer" I think, being amongst the "stuff of life" was so joyous. Now I see the same sad flat TV's mounted on people's walls and I think...man, those old entertainment units were so cool. Got your stack of video tapes or DVD's, some video game stuff, place to stick some statues on top or whatever.

And yeah, I'm a DVD guy. The family loves streaming so I'm kind of alone in that, but I've got so much rare stuff that doesn't get streamed as well. I've got rare animation (man I love putting on the 60's Fantastic Four cartoon in the evening), rare concert footage, and a ton of 70's baseball and hockey game broadcasts I've accumulated over the years. Lots of old video game consoles and a massive library of games for them as well.

I don't want to have unlimited streaming options (of anything) to choose from, it's like a video game that's too easy. I would rather savor what I have, and keep the "grand hunt" going for what might get added next. So to the original question, yes, having physical copies of things does create that closer connection for me.

Reading physical copies is so much more satisfying than spending yet more time in front of a screen. My collection is small enough that it's all on bookshelves, so I don't have to worry about digging through boxes.

This is what I saw at Barnes & Noble, as digital played out in bookselling. You have a certain group of people who are drawn to new technology and will explore it and are more interested in the tech than the content. You have a certain set who love physical books and that physical connection to them, with the feel and the smells and the content. Then, you have those who like print copies, but like the convenience of digital, especially to sample new titles or authors, rather than committing to purchasing physical books they don't end up liking. Even though price might not be spectacularly different on a new release, it doesn't feel as bad as having bought the book and then not enjoy it and see it sit on the shelf for months, gathering dust, unwanted and unloved. They just delete it. Most people fell into that middle range, of preferring one option, but using the other for specific things. Some preferred digital, but wanted a physical copy for gifting, or because there was a special connection.

From an educational standpoint, digital was a boon. Kids who were intimidated by larger books, because of the page count took to reading digital better, since they only see the screen in front of them and focus on the page at hand, rather than the 327 pages to go. They could be "in the moment" while reading. Their reading skills and comprehension grew and they were more likely to read for pleasure than before. By the same token, comic books were a better early reading platform for kids, as the pictures reinforced and added detail and context to the words, helping the child to comprehend and follow the story better, especially when they had trouble with the language. That was lost when comic publishers started ignoring the child audience in favor of fans and collectors. They stopped producing comics for kids that helped them grow as readers and turn them into fans. So, comics went from being a mass medium to a niche product.