It's kind of sad for me to say it, but I do think most of you are assuming too much durability for the comic book format (in North America). That is, why should it still be as popular now as it was in the 1940s? In the '40s, kids didn't have spending money or cell phones and Wii's, there was no TV and no Internet, and the American hero comic book was still a new and dynamic format. All of that has long since changed.

To me, it's a bit like asking why the hoola-hoop or Frank Sinatra are not as popular now. Things change.

Now, some of you may ask -- what about, say, TV?? It was huge by the late 50s, and though not as unchallenged now, it's still huge. Why shouldn't comic books be the same?  One reason that comic book are seen as an outdated format in North America, but are still vital and selling in the millions in the Far East (where I now live again), is that the American comic book is based on retro. Who were the big characters in the 60s? Batman, Superman, Spider-man. Who are the big characters now?  Batman, Superman, Spider-man. If the comic book companies and (to a lesser extent) creators didn't take the business-safe, corporate-happy route every time by over-exposing and beating-to-death familiar characters, young people wouldn't look at comics as something old-fashioned and this forum wouldn't have an average age of 50.

Two rules of Business. (This is my day job!)

1. Don't limit your sales channels.

2. Offer a range of clearly differentiated products.

It strikes me the main comic companies do neither. They deliberately limited their sales channels to the direct market and they do not offer clear differentiated product. (Ultimate looks like the Marvel main line now.)

It's fine to sell direct to older collectors in a movie decompressed format with strong continuity. (In fact I'd recommend it, to enable you to keep "older" customers for as long a time as possible) but on it's own it's *not enough*.

You need gateway product, and you need general product. I feel comics (especially Marvel) are missing this general, run of the mill, product.

And you need to market these in appropriate sales channels. (Entry product need to be aimed at Toy Stores, Hypermarkets, etc. General product needs to be Newagents, local shops, HyperMarkets, subscription etc)

What you also don't want is people buying the wrong product (i.e. Kids picking up the adult stuff) so that's why you clearly differentiate. Change size of the comic to a magazine format. Change the covers to a more "adult style", arrange placement of these with the more adult literature such as cars and motors and films.

Publish "Annuals" around Christmas in this "Graphic Novel" style format. Use these as events and promote heavily.

This is not new information.

Quote: Have to call BS on this argument. The characters you cite are still incredibly popular in other media. What was the biggest movie last year? Yes, kids are are avoiding comics but going to see The Dark Knight and buying Lego Batman video games and Batman: The Brave and Bold toys because they perceive Batman as overexposed and old-fashioned.

Them's fightin' words, Robert! But seriously, you defeated your own point with "still incredibly popular in other media." THAT'S the problem -- the comic characters created in the past are seen as kitsch by the larger, mainstream adult public, and they're seen as movie/video-game characters by kids.

Here in the Far East, kids (to some extent), but especially teens and uni students -- male and female -- cram into comic book libraries and shops all around the cities (esp. near universities) all hours of the day and until midnight every night, reading comics, which remain a thriving, popular industry. Why? The stories and characters are relevant to them, not to their grandparents.

Of course I agree with the consensus point that making the comics accessible to a mass market is the larger problem, but in the long term I think the industries need to focus more on the present rather than on beating a dead horse.

Even if someone with clout in the comic industry would refuse to accept the current atmosphere of dimished expectations, any attempt at fixing the problem would be offset by howls of protest that there's absolutely nothing wrong, and things are just perfect as they are.

Sigh.

If comics expect to increase sales then they are going to have to keep up with the times.  The current format and distribution model are from a bygone era.  As much as I like to hold a paper comic in my hand, the future lies in digital downloading.