The Indestructible Man
- Richard Brindisi
The comicbook industry is in dire need of revitalization. Our man
Rich is here to tell you why and what could be done about it.
State of the Industry
The Millennium is just about here. Most of us working in the industry
have been struggling with a terrifying question since the beginning of the technology boom. Could we witness the
end of the comic book, as we know it today, in the not too distant future? Some of you might be saying,"Well
that's just crazy!" The truth is, maybe not. Whether you are a reader, creator or publisher, it is hard not
to have noticed the significant decline in comic readerships over the past few years. The decline has not only
been experienced by the independent market, but the mainstream as well. Giants, like Marvel and DC, saw decreasing
numbers even in their flag ship titles. Titles with a circulation of five hundred thousand copies just a few years
ago are now only selling a fraction of what they use to. It might appear that more comic related properties have
made the jump to television and motion pictures, but one has to wonder what actually happened to the books. Who
is responsible for throwing kryptonite into the industry?
“...many of today's kids never experienced
a true "comic.”
Partially, the increasing popularity of video games and the lack of today's youth wanting to read can be blamed.
However, some of the silver bullets that struck the industry came from within. As a child, I indulged myself in
the wonder and joy of comics because they were accessible and inexpensive. I could jump on my bicycle or walk to
the nearest candy store, and with one dollar purchase five comics. The days of the corner candy store are long
gone, along with the wire racks that displayed comics in supermarkets and drug stores.
Today, comics are usually purchased at a specialty shop, and the last time I checked there are less then five thousand.
Entire States have only one or two specialty shops, making it a long trip for readers to visit one. The cover price
of today's comic can range from two dollars and up. A large portion of that increase is due to the extreme rise
in paper costs. The extra quality grain of paper used today is another factor in that increase. With all these
obstacles facing the industry, I still believe that the greatest portion of the decline is due to a lack of interest
on the part of today's youth.
The children of the technology boom have no problem spending hundreds of dollars on video game systems, components
and titles. Others spend large amounts of money on collecting gaming cards, such as "Magic" and "Pokemon"
cards. Some people might argue that you can trace the beginnings of the decline in the comic industry back to the
formation of a direct market. However, it was a lack of support of the publishers that added to the barn-fire.
The most significant problem with the direct market is retailers get stuck with unsold copies. As a result, they
are very leery to purchase more than they consider they can sell. Also influencing their purchasing is the crash
the industry experienced in the early nineties.
Unlike the sixties and seventies, when comics were available everywhere, many of today's kids never experienced
a true "comic." It would appear that the main publishers and distributors have relegated themselves into
this situation. The three major players in the industry are still raking in the money, and you know who you are!
Then what is the solution? I don't pretend to know all the answers, but I've come up with a basic strategy.
How can the heroes save the day? By coming to the rescue of every school age child. Companies should unite by pooling
their resources and print about forty-million mini-comics and place them in the hands of every child. The mini-comic
should feature a large cast of characters in the first part of a two-part story. A coupon could be printed, or
inserted, in the special comic to encourage them to visit a specialty shop to receive a discount off their first
purchase. If there was only a 1 percent return it could translate into 400,000 new comic readers. This would help
all the existing specialty store owners, which I am, and might cause other outlets to sell comics. Let's face it,
a good comic, story and art, has more to offer the nation's youth than a trading card.
In addition to revitalizing the industry and benefitting speciality shops, this strategy will help the hundreds
of alternative publishers increase print runs due to the new influx of readers. Before the birth of technicolor
movies, television, cassette players, video players, computers and DVDs, comics were, and still are, one of the
most imaginative and entertaining values for our entertainment dollar. If they should become extinct, it is frightening
to think what might be next. However, I like to think of myself as an optimist along with the likes of many other
creators left in comics, including Stan Lee himself.
I once heard Stan comment on the issue. I don't remember word-for-word what he said, but it went something like
this - "When I first heard about how everyone was worried that comics would die out due to the popularity
of this new medium called television, I wasn't really worried. Look at the book sales today and you can see that
television did not stop people from reading." Stan went on to say more, but I think you get the gist of it.
Hey, let's not forget that even Superman came back from the dead.
Other Indestructible
Man Columns:
You Can't Beat Superman
True Conventions
X-Men!
State of the Industry
