Sat Aug 2, 2008 4:02PM8 comments ›
Sat Aug 2, 2008 — by Van Jensen
SDCC: The (Maybe) Imminent Demise of Monthly Comics
Douglas Wolk, Joe Keatinge and others talk floppies and the future
I know, I know. More news from San Diego? A full week later?
Apologies all around, but this is too interesting to pass up. Newsarama has a recap of a panel where a few industry folks discuss the potential demise of comics in their monthly, floppy form.
Douglas Wolk and Joe Keatinge are the headliners, and everyone has a different opinion with plenty of insight to back up their thoughts. Things went toward the chicken and egg argument, as illustrated by this quote from retailer Carr D'Angelo:
Wolk asked D’Angelo about difference between the return on investment between monthly comics and graphic novel.
“We call them our perennials,” he said, about graphic novels that always seem to sell. “If we can find a new product we can turn endlessly, it’s like what Scrooge McDuck wants, a machine that turns lead into gold.” He named Persepolis and Blankets as examples, saying his investment was virtually guaranteed when he ordered them – unlike with monthly comics.
“I can never have too many Y the Last Man trades,” D’Angelo said. “It’s an endless supply of business. But I couldn’t do that if there weren’t 60 issues in the first place, building up goodwill, and building up an audience, and building up reviews.”
Jump to comments (8)
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Comments (8)
Glenn Hauman (10:53 PM on Sat Aug 2, 2008)
Gosh, what could possibly replace it? Web publication going straight to trades perhaps? O:)
Lord Snooty (2:29 PM on Mon Aug 4, 2008)
I still believe that the internet can be used BETTER together with PRINTING a comic !. Here in the UK a new WEEKLY comic was started with the internet in mind as it can ONLY be ordered on the net and the comic has codes at you can use online to unlock extra storys/art. The best bit is its an PRE teen comic with up tp 6 differant storys running at one time so you get a good mix of stuff.They have alo got Phillip Pullman writing for the comic with all the doom about these days its good to see someone trying to open up the market to new readers at an age that they can get hooked. If the website works in the US its www.thedfc.co.uk
Mike Gold (3:17 PM on Mon Aug 4, 2008)
Isn't 2000 AD being sold online in downloadable PDF format? Not a bad idea -- not as good as "free," of course -- but for a big weekly anthology title that seems pretty convenient.
Lord Snooty (7:48 AM on Tue Aug 5, 2008)
Good one MIke I forgot about 2000AD online !! another great use of the net to a get a PRINTED comic to a much bigger market the U.S !!. But not sure now Dynamite have the rights for the U.S if it will keep going worldwide ?
Mike Gold (8:33 AM on Tue Aug 5, 2008)
I believe Dynamite is planning on going back to the beginning and printing the Dredd stories in order, which is a great idea. But only if they have the rights to the "missing" Cursed Earth stories!
Lord Snooty (10:46 AM on Tue Aug 5, 2008)
Well mike the deal was after the court case was if they didn't reprint the "missing" parts of the cursed earth no payment was need to be pay the the people who got so up set with them !! but that was in the UK not sure if they can in the U.S ! They have reprinted Dredd in order in tpb's for some time over here and they seem to sell well.
Vinnie Bartilucci (3:58 PM on Mon Aug 4, 2008)
I seem to recall the demise of the daily newspaper was supposed to have happened by now. So too the movie theater, in place of pay-per-view releases on the day of release. CDs? can't get them anymore, everybody's downloading or pirating. Oh, wait...
The comics industry will certiainly change, just as it did when the direct market was created. It will be up to the people in the industry to find a way to continue to make money in that new market.
One thing I heard more than once over SDCC was the idea that the comics companies were trying to find ways to do new things in comics "while not alienating their current market", ie, pissing off the LCS owners. While it's great that they want to keep those stores healthy, some of those big changes are going to affect those stores, and eventually the pin's gonna have to be pulled, and it's their job to get out of the way.
Once digital comics come from DC and Marvel, we're gonna see a push similar to the push from VHS to DVD. Extra bonus content, special deals, you name it. And it's coming. Five years, max; closer to two is my hope.
Neil Ottenstein (9:23 AM on Tue Aug 5, 2008)
"I seem to recall the demise of the daily newspaper was supposed to have happened by now." Well, the demise of the daily newspaper is getting closer and closer as more newspapers are losing money all the time. I still think there is a place for a daily newspaper, though, and would sorely miss reading it should it disappear.