comic sales drop substantualy year over year

[superman-prime]

comic sales are down 17 percent over last year same month and graphic novels are down 27 percent comics are attributed to the 3.99 price point but this is bad if something is not done the mediam will not be profitable enough to continue for more then 3 more years

not 1 comic sold over 100 k and only 2 at 90 k and the numberd drop very fast down to 60 k
here is the top 10 diamond list

93,459 Brightest Day #7

91,546 Brightest Day #8

87,333 Avengers #4

81,354 New Avengers #3

74,655 Secret Avengers #4

73,656 Amazing Spider-Man #640

73,414 Batman #702

71,464 X-Men #2

69,052 Uncanny X-Men #527

[dhudson1]

I hope part of this is the economy and sales will come back somewhat. But marketing and lack of availability, as well as price, hurt the market.

I went to a LCS in Roanoke, VA, Blacksburg, VA and Princeton, WV, and none carried the GK by DH, or very much other than Marvel/dC.

[Drift]

Bookstores and the way they handle graphic novels are one of the problems. When everything was going great guns they ordered in massive amounts of books but because they didn't know what they were doing they didn't promote them in order to maintain growth they just let them sit on the shelves, ordered what was popular and let it ride. Now that they have partly killed that off the GN sections get smaller and they don't order as much so people cannot see the range of stuff that is available and lose interest. At least that is the way things are over here. I used to think bookstores carrying GNs would be a good idea but after seeing how they have done things it hasn't done anyone any good and was just another cash in quick fix to line their pockets.

[Doorman]

unfortunately, there's no incentive to Marvel to drop their price point of $3.99. All of their books in the top 10 (aside from ASM) are $3.99 books.

as much as I'd like to read them, I don't support any $3.99 Marvel books. I'm "voting with my wallet" (even though I order online to get hefty discounts that make the books lower than $2.99). A regular, new comic at $3.99 is just ridiculous.

[dhudson1]

I bet most of the big two's profit, aside from movies, comes from toys and action figures. My son buys DC universe figures, but has read very few DC comics.

[superman-prime]

comics dont make much they are pretty much advertising at this point, they need to drop main titles down to a buck each NOW and that will entice others to buy more as tehy get in to the main title and help drive sales up

[Chiclo]

What month are you taking these numbers from, SP?

If those are July numbers, things are pretty bad.

[ian_house]

I think they are August. I saw a similar thing on Bleeding Cool.

[superman-prime]

its aug. year vs year

[StarBrand]

if something is not done the mediam will not be profitable enough to continue for more then 3 more years

This ain't good, but many people expected the demise of the industry in the mid-nineties and pretty much stated the supposedly soon to come death of comics as a fact.
I think comics will survive this time period, too.

[Daniel Jackson]

A regular, new comic at $3.99 is just ridiculous.

Agreed.

[dellamorte]

Don't let Marvel and DC fool you guys. They make plenty off of the comics. The cost of paper might have gone up but these guys print so many of their books that it costs them about .25 cents to print a copy (most likely less).

The cost of talent has risen, I've heard reports that Bendis gets about $5000 per issue, but still plenty of money to be had after that. And don't forget the ad money.

[Tim]

unfortunately, there's no incentive to Marvel to drop their price point of $3.99. All of their books in the top 10 (aside from ASM) are $3.99 books.

as much as I'd like to read them, I don't support any $3.99 Marvel books. I'm "voting with my wallet" (even though I order online to get hefty discounts that make the books lower than $2.99). A regular, new comic at $3.99 is just ridiculous.

I'm with you there. I'm dropping mine this month also. With the last issue of Thanos Imperative, I'm basically done with Marvel period. I was holding out for Avengers and Secret Avengers to be even remotely worthwhile, but 4 issues in and I'm finished.

Just going to free more of my comics budget up for cheap back issues!

[ibreakhorses]

unfortunately, there's no incentive to Marvel to drop their price point of $3.99. All of their books in the top 10 (aside from ASM) are $3.99 books.

as much as I'd like to read them, I don't support any $3.99 Marvel books. I'm "voting with my wallet" (even though I order online to get hefty discounts that make the books lower than $2.99). A regular, new comic at $3.99 is just ridiculous.

I also agree with this statement. Comic books are great to read and fun to collect, but $3.99 takes away that fun. I hope the comic book publishers will take note and drop the prices. Heck, I'm fine with some titles going back to the cheap paper. It's been quite some time since I've purchased a new comic book at the price. I'm willing to save my money and wait for the TPB.

[Doorman]

I urge all of you dropping new books to at least pick up a few $2.99 titles. Stuff like Avengers Academy is still available at this price point and it's precursor (Avengers: the Initiative) was a blast! Supporting $2.99 books still supports the industry and can send a message to the publishers that we're not going to accept $3.99 books.

[tanord]

Don't let Marvel and DC fool you guys. They make plenty off of the comics. The cost of paper might have gone up but these guys print so many of their books that it costs them about .25 cents to print a copy (most likely less).

The cost of talent has risen, I've heard reports that Bendis gets about $5000 per issue, but still plenty of money to be had after that. And don't forget the ad money.

Does the $5000 include the royalties that he also gets? I've read that the average writer in comics makes about $72,000 annually but, they have to write more than one title to reach that mark. I totally agree that $3.99 is way expensive for a 22 page story. And imagine if the story sucks. Then you just wasted $3.99 on a sucky story and leave with a feeling that you just got ripped off. The sad thing is that I can see these comic companies trying to look into raising the price of comics even further to $4.99.

[Zool]

A recently posted article about the economics of comic book publishing has been doing the rounds.

I think those figures are probably around the ballpark for the majority of books (it was linked to by a number of pro's on twitter), some books will cost less and some will cost way, way more (for big name talent with a solid fanbase).

A pro artist told me that the Kubert's earn about $1000 a page, for instance.

As for how much Marvel and DC earn, 'the comics' is a tiny part of their business with licensing and more recently film money earning far, far more (the figures that came out when Disney bought Marvel were staggering).

I really wish Disney would invest a bit more in the market's future and drop the cost of Marvel books but I doubt it.

IMHO, although print will never die I have a strong feeling the future is digital distribution.

[IMJ]

I don't understand why people who run businesses don't learn the lesson with raising prices. It's reciprocating causation. You raise prices because sales are down, but then alienate buyers, so sales go down so you raise prices.

Guess what? It doesn't work. It's the lazy (or dumb) business man's motto.

This is a capitalistic society. It's the job of the people trying to create or sell a product to find a way to make something marketable, or attainable. You know how that will happen with comics? Get them back on the racks at grocers and drug stores. Make them cheap enough that mom will pick one up for their sick kid at home from school. Stop diversifying the lines so much that you have a "kids" line versus the standard line, etc.

I said this a long time ago - once our generation is done with the hobby, then the hobby is done. Nothing is being done to make comics truly accessible to new readers - what is being done is a misdirected effort. It's like creating that line of books for kids, and then putting them in comic stores. Kids don't go to comics stores. The logic is misaligned.

[OmenSpirits.com]

unfortunately, there's no incentive to Marvel to drop their price point of $3.99. All of their books in the top 10 (aside from ASM) are $3.99 books.

as much as I'd like to read them, I don't support any $3.99 Marvel books. I'm "voting with my wallet" (even though I order online to get hefty discounts that make the books lower than $2.99). A regular, new comic at $3.99 is just ridiculous.

I'm with you there. I'm dropping mine this month also. With the last issue of Thanos Imperative, I'm basically done with Marvel period. I was holding out for Avengers and Secret Avengers to be even remotely worthwhile, but 4 issues in and I'm finished.

Just going to free more of my comics budget up for cheap back issues!

I've gotten into searching out the minis marvel published in the late 90's to early 2000s that were done by some of my fav creators. I buy maybe 2 new books released, along with tpb of collections of storylines.

[Heath]

I totally, 100% agree, IMJ.

[caxiotis]

I don't understand why people who run businesses don't learn the lesson with raising prices. It's reciprocating causation. You raise prices because sales are down, but then alienate buyers, so sales go down so you raise prices.

Guess what? It doesn't work. It's the lazy (or dumb) business man's motto.

This is a capitalistic society. It's the job of the people trying to create or sell a product to find a way to make something marketable, or attainable. You know how that will happen with comics? Get them back on the racks at grocers and drug stores. Make them cheap enough that mom will pick one up for their sick kid at home from school. Stop diversifying the lines so much that you have a "kids" line versus the standard line, etc.

I said this a long time ago - once our generation is done with the hobby, then the hobby is done. Nothing is being done to make comics truly accessible to new readers - what is being done is a misdirected effort. It's like creating that line of books for kids, and then putting them in comic stores. Kids don't go to comics stores. The logic is misaligned.

I agree with this completely.

I just realized that I don't see comics at grocery stores, gas stations, or drug stores anymore. When i was a kid the first comic I picked up was at a grocery store. Everytime we went for groceries my mom could always find me reading comics in the aisle where they were located, and on the way out she would buy me a couple of comics. Of course that was when comics were $0.50 or $0.75.

[Draco]

They stopped selling comics on the racks here 15 years ago, so we get reprints again, though quite good ones.

There are a slew of kids Marvel style books from Super hero Squad to Spectacular Spiderman ( allways with shi tty free gifts).

Prices are unimportant for kids books as they are purchased as throwaways and the parents know it's to keep the kids happy.

The books aimed at the older audience are now only about money, so as they know we are hooked, they will keep taking the *SQUEE* till it crashes.

How the publishers honestly think things as they are now are remotely acceptable is pretty scary.

Bunch of Wankers.

[Elveen]

It's like creating that line of books for kids, and then putting them in comic stores. Kids don't go to comics stores. The logic is misaligned.

I have never thought about this. Good point.

I always, always ask the LCS dudes how the Boom books or kids books in general sell. Some guys have told me they have stopped ordering the Boom books, period.

I was talking to another guy and I said I was a teacher and he asked me how many kids read comics.......

It was an answer he did not want to hear.


If I was a comic company I would for sure make books that targeted teens and young adults. I think there is a BIG audience for Teen girl comic stories and TPBs.

I think stories like the Dark Tower books and I Kill Giants would do great with High school kids. But they need to have a lower price point. Drop paper quality, let your "big" talent do the $3.99 books. $1.99 are a must for teens and young 20s.

[The Spider]

I said this a long time ago - once our generation is done with the hobby, then the hobby is done. Nothing is being done to make comics truly accessible to new readers - what is being done is a misdirected effort. It's like creating that line of books for kids, and then putting them in comic stores. Kids don't go to comics stores. The logic is misaligned.

In fairness, the kids books are also sold at Borders bookstores, or at least the ones in my area. That may vary from state to state though. But I don't think the high prices help.

[Tim]

I said this a long time ago - once our generation is done with the hobby, then the hobby is done.

Yep. Been saying this for a long time too.

My cousin is 9 years old and LOVES superheroes. His walls are plastered with posters of Spider-man, Iron Man, and the X-Men. His toys are ALL superhero toys and he can name any superhero you throw at him.

The kid has no interest whatsoever in reading a comic book.

I don't blame him.

Most Marvel and DC mainstream titles are either over his head or so wrapped up in continuity that he'd get no enjoyment out of them, and most of the kiddie stuff is so kiddie it does nothing to engage or challenge him.

When we're dead, so will comic books be.