What is the state of the comics industry?

[comicstvcomputer]

It was no secret that long a go sales were down for comics before the new 52 from what I've read since then sales have been on the rise but some people are still saying the industry is in trouble so what do you all think?

[whiteshark]

Comic books sales are on the rise,and looking at the number of tickets which super hero movies sell the super hero genre is incredible popular.
Never mind the people saying the industry is in trouble,that just part of the whole negativism of comic book message boards.

[carabas]

It's not really very good, but better than it has been for a long while.

[comicstvcomputer]

is there anything that can be done to make it better

[Manga4life]

The current state of comic books (to me, anyway) is that it's better than it was a few years ago thanks to huge happenings like the DC New 52 (see link in my sig), and the new found excitement for Marvel's future relaunch. But also because companies such as Valiant, Dynamite, and Image are releasing comics that are really making a lot of noise in the industry right now and turning heads toward indy publishers as a true alternative form of comic book reading.

Look at the success of Valiant's X-O #1 and Harbinger #1, both of which sold out through Diamond and really made a huge splash in the Diamond 300 orders chart, not to mention Saga and The Walking Dead from Image. Dynamite has really planted their flag as a true heavy hitter with best selling books like The Boys, The Shadow, The Spider, Kirby: Genesis, and Vampirella, plus they're constantly putting out new titles that are drawing a huge audience and could possibly someday challenge for the coveted #3 position (possibly). Indy comics are getting hotter and hotter right now and DC's readership is better than it's been in years, so I'd say all in all the state of the comic book industry is not completely healthy but it's healthier than it's been in the past 6 or 7 years.

[Manga4life]

is there anything that can be done to make it better

Well, DC helped by doing the New 52 and bringing their own personal readership up a notch or two, Marvel is going to be doing something similar with the Marvel NOW concept of relaunching their books to draw in new readers with an easy entry point, and the indy publishers are (like I said earlier) continuing to put out great stuff and really make a splash. I think a big thing that's hurting comic book retail is the advent of digital comic book piracy and the rise of digital comic books. Legal apps like Comixology are great for getting people to pay for their comics so they can read them digitally, but it's hurting retail in many ways and taking the collectibility of comic books down a few notches, but at least people are still paying for their comics and reading them one way or another. But thanks to the internet comic books have been so easy to pirate and sometimes you see a file for a comic that's been downloaded 70,000 times and that's a potential of 70,000 extra people buying that specific comic that aren't, which is just downright sad. I say if you you don't pay for your comics and help support the industry than you are NOT a real comic book fan, plain and simple.

I think from an advertising standpoint that publishers need to advertise outside of the box because if your advertising to other comic book fans only that you're "preaching to the choir", if you catch my drift. Put ad's in USA Today and other newspaper publications and take out ads in other magazines with a high reader base, also I think advertising your weekly arrivals on networks such as Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Disney could bring awareness to your comics from a children and teens standpoint. Advertising on social media and in other comic publications is getting the word out to those already in the know, and that's great, but you also need to try to draw a new audience as well and staying within your circle isn't helping you to achieve that.

[comicstvcomputer]

next question what are the current problems with the industry

[DonC]

The current state of the comics industry is in flux. Sales may be up, but the real question out these is can companies make a go of things digitally. DC, Marvel, IDW and others are experimenting with digital comics. Once they get things like DRM and price point settled, things should level out and we'll see where things go from there.

[thwhtGuardian]

Eh, people have been predicting the death of comics for the last 30 years now, probably even before that and it hasn't happened yet. In fact, the best selling comics 30 years ago sold in quantities that are fairly similar to what they sell at today so I think its safe to say they aren't going anywhere.

[FanboyStranger]

Eh, people have been predicting the death of comics for the last 30 years now, probably even before that and it hasn't happened yet.

40 years, actually. Back in the '70s, when they broke in, people like Walt Simonson, Howard Chaykin, and Jim Starlin would have conversations about being the last generation to produce comics and since the end was near, they should just go for it with their stories.

[dupont2005]

I think the future is in bookstores, online sales, and digital.

[Slam_Bradley]

40 years, actually. Back in the '70s, when they broke in, people like Walt Simonson, Howard Chaykin, and Jim Starlin would have conversations about being the last generation to produce comics and since the end was near, they should just go for it with their stories.

You can go back to the 50s and the problems that resulted in the comics code. The great Marvel layoff in '56.

[FanboyStranger]

You can go back to the 50s and the problems that resulted in the comics code. The great Marvel layoff in '56.

I was just reading Mark Evanier's introduction to Doug Wildey's Rio: The Complete Saga, and he mentions that Wildey and pretty much every artist in comics was having a hard time getting work in 1957. After having a few false starts with newspaper strips, Wildey ended up in animation, which is where he'd really make his name.

[Johnny P. Sartre]

Didn't Marvel have another big layoff? Or am I exaggerating it?

To get on topic, money wise, comics are selling better than before (early 00s) and content wise both indie and corporate comics are doing a hell of a lot better, IMO.

[skyvolt2000]

next question what are the current problems with the industry

1) Getting comics (or graphic novels) in the hands of kids. You can not rely on digital for them to read your books.

2) Minority issue-why is it such an issue with them being in comics? Why is it an issue of a minority character has their own book? Or 2-3 on a superhero team? Or doing anything?

3) Promoting your stuff outside of the normal venues. Like Mangalife said.

4) Making your product available. ALL of it. Not everyone likes Superman, Batman or others. Yet what do see in BULK everywhere? What about the I Vampire, Static, Invincible and others that have fans and can serves as the gateway into others reading books. Not everyone can go online or visits stores to get certain books.

5) Making sure every book has a creative team that actually CARES about the book they are working on. Part of the issue with many of the new DC books is the creative team didn't care-we saw that with Static-he pretty said the book was a failure before it came out. That is how you end up losing readers-if YOU don't care why should we? Every book be it the 1st, 2nd, 400th, 700th or even the last issue should be your BEST work.

6) Get your comics into the schools and make sure the comics are diverse in character and genre.

7) WIN back the parents-who control the money. Some of these comics you can't give to a kid. Nothing is wrong with laying off the doom and gloom stories that some companies employ.