John jackson miller, a writer who tracks comic book sales on the comics chronicles, has another theory. With sales down across the board for basically all of the major publishers, shops like marvel and dc have been. Weve seen the future of comic books and, oh, wait, it. Comic store in your future 2019 is already looking the. Legendary comic artist and executive bob layton offers his thoughts about the future of comic publishing.
Comic store in your future 2019 is already looking the worst and its all free comic book days fault. Im not concerned about the future of comic books, sablik said, summarizing the sentiments of most. However, the comic book industry is navigating a different sea of change. The audiences for print and digital overlap some, but not a lot, he told cnbc. Diamond comic distributors has released an official statement on its move to no longer receive shipments of new comics at its warehouses.
Movie and tv adaptations have fueled growth in the comic book industry. Fredrick pohl interview, the man from planet x, building king kong with rick baker, advertising posters for star wars, doug trumbull interview, the saga of the hobbit, chesley bonestell at. Comic con india expanded to a new city pune was a delightfully surprising addition. The comic book industry as a whole has so many things its lacking. While graphic novels and trade paperbacks of single issues have continued to. The traditional comic book market is built on the monthly magazine format, but that may not be the future. Pencils down the mediocre future of the comic book industry comics matter wya boi zack. Or is the comic book form, like so much in our culture, due for a hipster revival fueled by a bout of nostalgia. Surprising new data shows comic readers are leaving. I think that in the future, the industry will move away completely from monthly comics, and just produce graphic novels. Not because it isnt getting taken seriously, it is.
Its obscenity, alternative spirit, and twisted beauty signaled to me that image had taken a big, bold step into the future. However bad that may have seemed, what is going on in the industry right now amid the pandemic may in fact spell the death of the industry. Here, then, are all the problems that the comic book industry has and potential solutions. The comic book industry is on hold for first time in history. For first time, the comic book industry is on hold. Here are a few trends that ill be watching closely. The year kicked off with a successful pune comic con express 2016. Unless they find a way to compete with manga real quick, the american comic industry as it exists now doesnt have much of a future. Why image comics embodies the future of the industry. Youll learn how comic book superheroes are created and the deeper meanings they represent. Future comics is a comic book publishing and multimedia venture founded by industry veterans bob layton definitive iron man, dick giordano former executive editordc. As comic book industry grows, smaller publishers learn to. Why are comics shops closing as superheroes make a mint.
Dc has an epic plan to save itself from the comics. The consumer owned future of comic books opinion back in the late 1990s, the comic industry suffered a massive crash that seemed like it would be the end for the mainline. Generally speaking, i think digital online comics will replace monthly print sales, while direct market shops will focus on back issues i. The future of comic books me and my coworkers had a discussion today, because i recently bought a hulk 181. Industry statistics cover all companies in the united states, both public and private, ranging in size from small businesses to market leaders. The industry has its bestselling month in nearly two decades. But given that the monthly comic market is so important to the survival of.
But covid19 means production and distribution is now on hold, and the future of comics is up in the. Harassment in the comics industry, and how to end it. As we head into the next decade, is it time to rethink digital. They decided to bring up how baseball cards used to be worth a lot before, but currently the interest is slim to none. Today i take a look at the big challenges facing the comic book industry in the nest 5,10, and 15 years and talk about what i think could change in the future. Buy photo inside comic store west in york on april. The future of the comic book industry nerds on earth. When digital comics were first introduced to the superhero comics industry over a. In addition to revenue, the industry market analysis shows information on employees, companies.
Four risk factors facing the comics industry in 2015. The future of comic books cgc comic book collectors chat. Is the comic book direct market going to be taken out in 2020. Future is a slick magazine covering science, science fiction, and fantasy.
Coronavirus in pa will comic books be changed forever. But its easy to imagine any of these scenarios representing the future of the comic book industry. Find industry analysis, statistics, trends, data and forecasts on comic book publishing in the us from ibisworld. The idea isnt to be negative about the industry, but to take the first step toward addressing the issues by exposing the problems. A merger of two independents, lion forge and oni press, is the latest example of new strategies that are. The comic book industry was at its most recent peak in the 1990s, before a major slump which almost led to marvel comics going bankrupt saw sales drop from levels that they may never equal again. They then put the same fish back together in a way that did not please many fans. As newsarama continues a series of articles examining issues affecting the comic book industrys direct market, we talk. Lets pretend that consumers dont tire of marvel movies, that dc tv properties continue strong, and that more image titles are picked up for tv treatment or they continue to produce walking dead spinoffs. Book stores and online retailers are surpassing comic shops in sales as graphic novels and childrens books rise in popularity.
Diamond comic distributors releases official statement on. There are major publishers who thrive on adaptations of their properties while the comics itself are just there with occassional bursts of creativity. I frequently do talent searches, looking for artists and writers on craigslist and kijiji. Get up to speed on any industry with comprehensive intelligence that is easy to read. Obviously, lots depends on the popularity and relevance of movie properties in broader culture. Neither the second world war nor 911 stopped weekly comic book distribution to comic stores. In addition to revenue, the industry market analysis shows information on employees, companies, and average firm size. Pencils down the mediocre future of the comic book industry. Looking at diamonds sales estimates, at first glance it seems that the comic book industry has stabilized see chart visible above. Weve seen the future of comic books and, oh, wait, it crashed the server. The comic industry has operated for decades on a direct market business model, which is more skilled in singleissue comics over the graphic novel format. Or, as so many have cynically predicted about print, is the comics industry and outdated dinosaur in the last throes of its own demise. This book is an insiders guide to how the comic book industry works.
What does the future of the comic book industry look like. Comic book publishing in the us industry data, trends. But what this means for the future of the comic book industry remains to be seen. Physical comic book sales still vastly outstrip digital sales, and digital comics. Comic book collectors are often lifelong enthusiasts of the comic book stories, and they usually focus on particular heroes and attempt to assemble the entire run of a title. A merger of two independents, lion forge and oni press, is the latest example of new strategies that are shaping the business. With many shops on mandatory shutdown and several smaller publishers pausing publication, it really does look like this could be an. Obviously, these are all hypothetical future scenarios.
The first issue of a longrunning comic book series is. Future comics was an american comic book publishing company founded by industry allrounder bob layton, and his creative partners laytons mentor, artisteditor dick giordano and his frequent writingpartner david michelinie, cfo allen berrebbi and publisher skip farrell. Marvel, dc, etci put the word balloons and sound effects on the art. There will be no new comic books in any stores until. Four things i see wrong with the comic book industry, today. But thats not necessarily a bad thing, as very successful. One of the founding features of the comic book medium in general is the fact that anyone, anywhere, should be able to make one. Under this future scenario, the comic industry simply continues on that superhero movie train.
Whenever i do a convention panel or interview, im often. In the second half of this twopart interview, priest focuses on the experience of being a black writer in mainstream comics and the industrys future. Randy stradley, dark horses vice president of publishing described the biggest challenge facing the overall industry right now as the sheer. When dc comics did the reboot for the new 52, they basically gutted the dcu like a fish. Five trends to watch in the comics business in 2018. How to get a job in the comic book industry just start doing it. Marvel and dc have regularly traded places at the top of the various charts since dc rebooted but neither has ever really taken a commanding lead. The independent publishers the fortunes of larger comics companies never seem to fluctuate very much. The comic book industry is in the throes of an existential crisis of its own making.
This week i wanted to get more specific and identify discrete problems and the possible opportunities therein that were facing. Many dm retailers report that new readers are more interested in graphic novels, which. How to save the comic book industry observation deck. Free comic book day happens the first saturday of every may so it. Two big changes shaping future of comic book industry.
As with many creative professions, you need to do it on your own to get in the business of doing it. Comics retailers hope to rebound in 2018 bad weather, political discord, and a changing market all contributed to a decline in sales last year, especially at comics shops. Dc details how comic book retailers will be supported amid. Im a comics letterer with over 20 years of deadlines behind me. Dc is making all periodicals and books with instore dates between march 18 and june 24 fully returnable by comic book retailers at no cost, and plans to look into adding new distribution methods. But all of the industry watchers we surveyed had high hopes for the future of the industry. As comic book industry grows, smaller publishers learn to adapt.