This is BIG

Bone-A-Fach-ee · Post by **Bone-A-Fach-ee** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 4:19:06 pm

Greg, please don't change the section this article goes in, it's too big, and EVERYONE needs to see it!

http://goodereader.com/blog/digital-com ... on-digital

Please read this and post your thoughts! What does this mean for the print industry? For brick and mortar stores?
Was Marvel at ComicsPro this weekend in Atlanta?
To me, this comes as a shock of an announcement.

Elveen · Post by **Elveen** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 4:26:10 pm

That would be quite a change. But I just can't see it happening yet. I think Marvel wants to make $$$$$. They make $$$$ selling lots of physical comic book. Why change that?

Can I see them not wanting have someone else make $$$ by selling their digital books.

I can't see them getting rid of books yet. Maybe down the line..... but not now. That would be terrible business, they make too much $$$...... right?

greg · Post by **greg** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 4:27:57 pm

Sounds like they are killing retail (Barnes & Noble) but keeping direct (Diamond and comic shops).

At first it sounded like "no paper", but I think they just mean "no newsstand, just direct editions".

Bone-A-Fach-ee · Post by **Bone-A-Fach-ee** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 4:29:35 pm

greg wrote:Sounds like they are killing retail (Barnes & Noble) but keeping direct (Diamond and comic shops).

At first it sounded like "no paper", but I think they just mean "no newsstand, just direct editions".

Maybe according to the headline, but the first sentence is: "Marvel is endeavoring to focus almost exclusively on digital distribution to maximize revenue."

WTF??!?!? Although the article gives no timeline for this.

Heath · Post by **Heath** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 4:45:20 pm

greg wrote:Sounds like they are killing retail (Barnes & Noble) but keeping direct (Diamond and comic shops).

At first it sounded like "no paper", but I think they just mean "no newsstand, just direct editions".

That's how I read it too. In the "retail" market (Barnes & Noble, etc), they have to take back and give a credit for any unsold issues each month. That's quite a bit different than the "direct" market (your local comic shops) where unsold copies just become store inventory. It's that "retail" market, where they have to take back unsold copies and issue those dealers a credit, that they are pulling out of.

But eventually they'll pull out of the "direct" market too. That will take a lot longer, though. Kind of like how there are still a few newspapers around.

bobby97801 · Post by **bobby97801** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 4:48:22 pm

I don't see this happening. I think if they ever go to all digital, they would lose a lot of readers. I for one, love the way a comic feels in my hand.

nycjadie · Post by **nycjadie** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 5:00:48 pm

greg wrote:Sounds like they are killing retail (Barnes & Noble) but keeping direct (Diamond and comic shops).

At first it sounded like "no paper", but I think they just mean "no newsstand, just direct editions".

I think that's the more likely scenario, but the reporter didn't write that article.

Elveen · Post by **Elveen** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 5:06:43 pm

bobby97801 wrote:I don't see this happening. I think if they ever go to all digital, they would lose a lot of readers. I for one, love the way a comic feels in my hand.

It is a tactile experience.

Heath · Post by **Heath** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 5:07:39 pm

bobby97801 wrote:I don't see this happening. I think if they ever go to all digital, they would lose a lot of readers. I for one, love the way a comic feels in my hand.

The comic market has changed. The comics are just another revenue stream along with movies, tv shows, video games, theme park attractions, cartoons, action figures, clothing, coloring books, and the millions of other licensed products. And they'll do whatever they think is best to maximize the profit from that revenue stream. If that means all digital, that's what they'll do. These aren't just "comic book characters" anymore. Marvel is not just a "comic book company" anymore. Marvel is a multimedia entertainment company handling a set of intellectual properties. Comic books is just one of the things they license and probably isn't the most profitable.

They'll go <almost> all digital eventually. As will every other publisher. But it will take a long time.

Tim · Post by **Tim** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 5:20:26 pm

Comics are an incredibly huge part of my life, but if they ever went all digital I'd just buy old back issues and go to cons.

sonicdan · Post by **sonicdan** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 5:31:00 pm

nycjadie wrote:
greg wrote:Sounds like they are killing retail (Barnes & Noble) but keeping direct (Diamond and comic shops).

At first it sounded like "no paper", but I think they just mean "no newsstand, just direct editions".

I think that's the more likely scenario, but the reporter didn't write that article.

+1

nycjadie · Post by **nycjadie** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 5:49:36 pm

Tim wrote:Comics are an incredibly huge part of my life, but if they ever went all digital I'd just buy old back issues and go to cons.

+1. I totally agree, and I am an early adopter of just about any technology, but I won't give up my paper comics.

Intrepidxc · Post by **Intrepidxc** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 6:10:49 pm

No printed comics, good buy collecting. I can't bind, slab, or enjoy the pages of my tablet.

IanAlexavier · Post by **IanAlexavier** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 7:16:57 pm

I wonder how LCS's will fair from this. Will sales increase due to no floppies at those other stores?

I wonder if, as digital books increase in popularity, floppies will increase in price?

I wonder if the market will continue to move towards graphic novels with more material and higher price than single floppies.

I know we all grew up with paper to read on, but I see the times changing towards digital whether we like it or not.

paradise · Post by **paradise** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 7:20:22 pm

Bone-A-Fach-ee wrote:Greg, please don't change the section this article goes in, it's too big, and EVERYONE needs to see it!

http://goodereader.com/blog/digital-com ... on-digital

Please read this and post your thoughts! What does this mean for the print industry? For brick and mortar stores?
Was Marvel at ComicsPro this weekend in Atlanta?
To me, this comes as a shock of an announcement.

DONT BELIEVE THE HYPE! It is a ridiculous article that can't be paid attention to. I can give you real reasons why marvel pulled out of bookstores, and they have NOTHING to do with digital. They have to do with absurd amount of returns after 30 or 60 days that had to be processed, credited and shredded

Intrepidxc · Post by **Intrepidxc** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 7:21:50 pm

paradise wrote:
Bone-A-Fach-ee wrote:Greg, please don't change the section this article goes in, it's too big, and EVERYONE needs to see it!

http://goodereader.com/blog/digital-com ... on-digital

Please read this and post your thoughts! What does this mean for the print industry? For brick and mortar stores?
Was Marvel at ComicsPro this weekend in Atlanta?
To me, this comes as a shock of an announcement.
DONT BELIEVE THE HYPE! It is a ridiculous article that can't be paid attention to. I can give you real reasons why marvel pulled out of bookstores, and they have NOTHING to do with digital. They have to do with absurd amount of returns after 30 or 60 days that had to be processed, credited and shredded

I'm glad to hear that Ed. I don't know what I'd do without paper in my hands every month!!

IMJ · Post by **IMJ** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 7:44:10 pm

paradise wrote:DONT BELIEVE THE HYPE! It is a ridiculous article that can't be paid attention to. I can give you real reasons why marvel pulled out of bookstores, and they have NOTHING to do with digital. They have to do with absurd amount of returns after 30 or 60 days that had to be processed, credited and shredded

Um, LOL!
And the rest of your statement should read... "credited and shredded.... and therefore plan on increasing their digital distribution to compensate".

That article is complete extreme in one reaction, just like the first post in this thread, and complete extreme denial in the other direction like what I've quoted here. It's very clear that the industry is going to go digital - and as the generations of comic book readers find that to be more and more the norm, the print media will vanish.

Bone-A-Fach-ee · Post by **Bone-A-Fach-ee** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 8:04:13 pm

IMJ wrote:
paradise wrote:DONT BELIEVE THE HYPE! It is a ridiculous article that can't be paid attention to. I can give you real reasons why marvel pulled out of bookstores, and they have NOTHING to do with digital. They have to do with absurd amount of returns after 30 or 60 days that had to be processed, credited and shredded
Um, LOL!
And the rest of your statement should read... "credited and shredded.... and therefore plan on increasing their digital distribution to compensate".

That article is complete extreme in one reaction, just like the first post in this thread, and complete extreme denial in the other direction like what I've quoted here. It's very clear that the industry is going to go digital - and as the generations of comic book readers find that to be more and more the norm, the print media will vanish.

Alright, I didn't mean to take it over the top with this article. Not my intention. However, I took this article to mean that they were discontinuing ALL print comics, and switching over to digital, not just stopping with Barnes And Noble. If I misinterpreted, then my bad, but I've known this for a while now, I thought this was a news story saying that they were finished with ALL print.
Sorry for being an alarmist, but when I read this article, that's what I see that it is saying?

Jace · Post by **Jace** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 8:33:10 pm

Terrible syntax in the article, terrible research ... just the worst kind of journalism. I even hesitate to use the word journalism because this was so blatantly WRONG it was laughable. To think any major publisher will switch over to completely digital when the majority of the books they sell are still print is complete lunacy. Maybe some day, but definitely no time soon.

Bone-A-Fach-ee · Post by **Bone-A-Fach-ee** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 9:10:25 pm

Jace wrote:Terrible syntax in the article, terrible research ... just the worst kind of journalism. I even hesitate to use the word journalism because this was so blatantly WRONG it was laughable. To think any major publisher will switch over to completely digital when the majority of the books they sell are still print is complete lunacy. Maybe some day, but definitely no time soon.

I saw you posted to the author? I'm intrigued by his vague response. I too prodded for more. I'll let you know if he gets back to me with anything newsworthy.

Reber · Post by **Reber** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 9:36:54 pm

The whole thing is BS. Horrible article. Nothing in it can be used for fact and it's all speculation. Digital sales only make up about 15% of total sales. Why would anyone think a company would go all digital? The only thing that will stop single issues on the stands are people no longer buying them.

paradise · Post by **paradise** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 9:37:51 pm

IMJ wrote: It's very clear that the industry is going to go digital - and as the generations of comic book readers find that to be more and more the norm, the print media will vanish.

I think it will take another generation before we see any real move towards preference for digital products. My kids who are 10 and 15 still read books while we have an ipad. Their kids may be the first generation that prefers the ipad to a book.

At this point sales of digital comics are less than 10% of total comic book sales. That number is actually skewed more towards Image and other independents who have a younger, hipper audience. Why would Marvel (or anyone else) abandon 90% of the marketplace? It would have to turn in the opposite direction (10% real, 90% digital) for them to abandon print.

NOTHING besides Direct Market (Comic book stores) has worked to distribute comics. People want to go into a comic book shop, talk to real people, come to events, see other books available, leaf through them. No way to duplicate that, Comixology interface is busy and not friendly.

jmatt · Post by **jmatt** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 9:40:06 pm

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And the VCR replaced teachers and now there are no longer any public schools. I'm old enough to remember those ridiculous prognostications.

I have no interest in digital comics.

MarkRoseHFX · Post by **MarkRoseHFX** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 9:49:15 pm

I love digital comics and I think they most certainly have their place. But i'd NEVER be down for no paper comics. I think we all know that the digital market is just going to get bigger and bigger. Hopefully it'll be the new gateway into comics for a lot of kids and they start going to LCS's more and more

Bone-A-Fach-ee · Post by **Bone-A-Fach-ee** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 9:49:46 pm

So, if you go back to the original article, Jace has started a dialogue with the writer of it. I have jumped on board as well. If you're interested in seeing how this writer responds to our questions/criticisms, feel free to go back to the link at the top of this thread, and scroll down beneath the article for the comments between he and us.

ValiantFans.com Board - Since 2004

This is BIG

This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG

Re: This is BIG