January 2015 Sales Discussion

[Keith]

Here we go again...

RETAIL MARKET SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 41.05%
DC COMICS 24.18%
IMAGE COMICS 9.21%
IDW PUBLISHING 5.78%
DARK HORSE COMICS 4.01%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 2.41%
BOOM! STUDIOS 2.26%
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD 1.46%
AVATAR PRESS INC 1.08%
VIZ MEDIA 0.95%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 7.61%

UNIT MARKET SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 45.64%
DC COMICS 27.06%
IMAGE COMICS 8.91%
IDW PUBLISHING 4.52%
DARK HORSE COMICS 3.03%
BOOM! STUDIOS 2.28%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 2.22%
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC 0.93%
AVATAR PRESS INC 0.81%
TITAN 0.71%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 3.89%

[FormerReader]

I'm excited to see the sales over the next few months. I think we're going to see a little less doom and gloom.

[ilzuccone]

I'm DOOM to see the DOOM over the next DOOM months. I think we're going to see a little DOOM doom and DOOM.

fixed

[Phoenix8008]

I'm DOOM to see the DOOM over the next DOOM months. I think we're going to see a little DOOM doom and DOOM.

fixed

You forgot the GLOOM! Now it's all unbalanced and everything.

[ilzuccone]

I'm DOOM to see the DOOM over the next DOOM months. I think we're going to see a little DOOM doom and DOOM.

fixed

You forgot the DOOM! Now it's all DOOM and DOOM.

[leonmallett]

I'm DOOM to see the DOOM over the next DOOM months. I think we're going to see a little DOOM doom and DOOM.

fixed

You forgot the DOOM! Now it's all DOOM and DOOM.

Time to start the thread again? Reboot?

[drmirage]

I thought they were always 40% / 40%....

Seems like DC is slipping behind.

RETAIL MARKET SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 41.05%
DC COMICS 24.18%

UNIT MARKET SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 45.64%
DC COMICS 27.06%

[dornwolf]

I'm DOOM to see the DOOM over the next DOOM months. I think we're going to see a little DOOM doom and DOOM.

fixed

You forgot the DOOM! Now it's all DOOM and DOOM.

Time to start the thread again? Reboot?

Come now reboot is such a nasty word. Think of it more as a new beginning free from the nasty constraints of anything cool.

Also...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A5XOIMs6D0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMSHvgaUWc8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mateo107]

I thought they were always 40% / 40%....

DC has always been behind Marvel, usually around 25%, I can't recall them ever being higher than 33%. I think Star Wars #1 made Marvel higher than usual this month.

[Captain Craig]

I'm looking forward to when VEI is consistently back to an at least 1%+ market share status!

[Phoenix8008]

I'm looking forward to when VEI is consistently back to an at least 1%+ market share status!

Yep, it would be nice to see them listed separately again instead of just part of the "Other" category.

[jaden_sai]

I'm looking forward to when VEI is consistently back to an at least 1%+ market share status!

Yep, it would be nice to see them listed separately again instead of just part of the "Other" category.

+1

[Bone-A-Fach-ee]

I thought they were always 40% / 40%....

DC has always been behind Marvel, usually around 25%, I can't recall them ever being higher than 33%. I think Star Wars #1 made Marvel higher than usual this month.

Yeah, they usually each hover on the opposite side of 30%. Marvel like 30-35%, DC around 27-33%. But yes, Star Wars selling 1million copies was huge, not just for Marvel, but the industry.

And as much as I'd like to see Valiant in the Top 10 Retail, I think it says even more that they're in the Top 10 Unit chart. EagleMoss can have 1 $100 product that sells a fraction of items that Valiant sells, but because it's 25 times more expensive, it charts higher. Not entirely accurate, or fair for a "comics" sales chart. Just saying...

[ilzuccone]

I'm DOOM to see the DOOM over the next DOOM months. I think we're going to see a little DOOM doom and DOOM.

fixed

You forgot the DOOM! Now it's all DOOM and DOOM.

Time to start the thread again? Reboot?

yes reboot. reboot it all!

[TheFerg714]

Here we go again...

RETAIL MARKET SHARE
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD 1.46%
AVATAR PRESS INC 1.08%
VIZ MEDIA 0.95%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 7.61%

What does Avatar, Viz, or Eaglemoss even do? I find it hard to believe that these guys show up on the list, rather than Valiant, when I see/hear much more Valiant talk from my friends and various forums.

[leonmallett]

I'm looking forward to when VEI is consistently back to an at least 1%+ market share status!

Yep, it would be nice to see them listed separately again instead of just part of the "Other" category.

+1

I cannot see that happening consistently while the current 8-9 monthly books publishing plan is in place. More books = more opportunity for market and dollar share. Presumably in VEI's calculations they are satisfied with their current status quo, even if some fans (myself included) which they would do more.

[leonmallett]

I'm DOOM to see the DOOM over the next DOOM months. I think we're going to see a little DOOM doom and DOOM.

fixed

You forgot the DOOM! Now it's all DOOM and DOOM.

Time to start the thread again? Reboot?

yes reboot. reboot it all!

[Phantom]

Here we go again...

RETAIL MARKET SHARE
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD 1.46%
AVATAR PRESS INC 1.08%
VIZ MEDIA 0.95%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 7.61%

What does Avatar, Viz, or Eaglemoss even do? I find it hard to believe that these guys show up on the list, rather than Valiant, when I see/hear much more Valiant talk from my friends and various forums.

Avator is similar to Valiant with their output. Minis, ongoings.
They have more variants.
They focus on the Horror genre ~ which is quite a good pull, as it separates itself from other publishers. it might be a nishe market may not have the potential to get new readers, but core followers.
Plus it publishes Bleeding Cool magazine ~ that must sell quite well ~ but I don't know the numbers.
Saying that ~ I do not read their books.

[dornwolf]

Here we go again...

RETAIL MARKET SHARE
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD 1.46%
AVATAR PRESS INC 1.08%
VIZ MEDIA 0.95%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 7.61%

What does Avatar, Viz, or Eaglemoss even do? I find it hard to believe that these guys show up on the list, rather than Valiant, when I see/hear much more Valiant talk from my friends and various forums.

Avator is similar to Valiant with their output. Minis, ongoings.
They have more variants.
They focus on the Horror genre ~ which is quite a good pull, as it separates itself from other publishers. it might be a nishe market may not have the potential to get new readers, but core followers.
Plus it publishes Bleeding Cool magazine ~ that must sell quite well ~ but I don't know the numbers.
Saying that ~ I do not read their books.

Viz is pretty easy to figure out as well as they are the main publisher of manga in North America, they publish the BIG series which really help them.

[Phantom]

I think alot about publishers below 5%.
I may have mentioned it before.
Woud like to here other peoples comments about the other pubishers, what is happning (as i only follow valiant) and know of the bigger news reports.

Seeing the numbers, I may track the market share of those below 5%.
It would be interesting to see the changes over the course of the year.
With the publishers below 5% and their movements.

By no means is this a request for someone else to do it.

[DirtbagSailor]

So looking at the list, without comparing apples to oranges, who really is VEI rival at this point then?

[Phantom]

Market is difficult.
Avator is the closest but horror genre.

Boom and IDW put out HEAPS of titles, triple (more even) of valiant.
Very hard to compare. Shows how strong valiant is as a company. With lower number of titles ~ but hhigher sales = more profit (if their is such a thing running a comic book company)

Avator is the closest I suppose, but then I am no retailer or distributor expert. They, like valiant, are probably aiming for future film licencing to push / support their comic based publishing.

At a GUESS, GUESS only Avator is closest rival. Due to output of titles and sales.

[BugsySig]

Here we go again...

RETAIL MARKET SHARE
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD 1.46%
AVATAR PRESS INC 1.08%
VIZ MEDIA 0.95%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 7.61%

What does Avatar, Viz, or Eaglemoss even do? I find it hard to believe that these guys show up on the list, rather than Valiant, when I see/hear much more Valiant talk from my friends and various forums.

The innitial publisher list is based on number of items (not units) shipped (comics + GNs + magazines + etc.). If you don't fall in the top 10 for items shipped, then you go in the "Other Non-Top 10" category.

VEI could have twice the Market Share of VIZ or Eaglemoss but have fewer items (i.e. 9 books + 1-3 trades or collections per month).

So looking at the list, without comparing apples to oranges, who really is VEI rival at this point then?

Really just Avatar, Zenoscope and Archie. Until VEI doubles or triples their output, they really aren't going to catch, BOOM!, Dynamite or DH and IDW is pretty far ahead.

VIZ and Eaglemoss aren't even in the monthly comics biz. They do reprints, magazines, collections, art compilation books, etc.

[StarBrand]

I'm looking forward to the individual issue numbers.

[erwinrafael]

I'm looking forward to when VEI is consistently back to an at least 1%+ market share status!

Yep, it would be nice to see them listed separately again instead of just part of the "Other" category.

+1

I cannot see that happening consistently while the current 8-9 monthly books publishing plan is in place. More books = more opportunity for market and dollar share. Presumably in VEI's calculations they are satisfied with their current status quo, even if some fans (myself included) which they would do more.

My guess is that adding another book would increase fixed costs. So they would rather develop the market first to let them launch around three books to make the increase in fixed cost worth it, play the economies of scale.

I also think that they are trying to have a breakout hit first that caters outside the core VEI fanbase. Maybe their data is showing that the markets for the individual titles are really just clustering on the same core fanbase, so there is a risk of new titles cannibalizing sales from the other titles. Thus, the continuous effort to market Q&W, which has a very different fanbase.