"Importantly, Marvel's a print publisher actually breaking away from the rest of print industry, operating at an incredible profit margin of 40%."

By licensing the characters out, you could achieve a profit margin of probably twice that.

Mike

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Again,the analogy fails. Warner already had a publishing arm. Disney doesn't.Keeping Marvel Comics going would require the bean counters at Disneyto learn a whole new skill set.

Anyway -- I used to buy my DVDs at Tower Records. Tower was bought out -- and shut down, profitable or not.

QUOTE: Again,the analogy fails. Warner already had a publishing arm. Disney doesn't.Keeping Marvel Comics going would require the bean counters at Disneyto learn a whole new skill set.

Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW) is the world's largest publisher of children’s books and magazines, reaching more than 100 million readers each month in 75 countries. Disney's imprints include Disney Libri, Hyperion Books for Children, Jump at the Sun, Disney Press, and Disney Editions.

http://corporate.disney.go.com/corporate/overview.html

QUOTE: "Importantly, Marvel's a print publisher actually breaking away from the rest of print industry, operating at an incredible profit margin of 40%." By licensing the characters out, you could achieve a profit margin of probably twice that.

By licensing the characters out to other publishers your profit margins certainly do soar, since you have virtually no overhead involved, but your profits shrink since you're sharing them with someone else. The reason to license this stuff out is if you don't have a comic publishing operation of your own. It's why you give Star Trek to IDW or Alien to Dark Horse. Because they are already equipped to do comics, whereas you are not, and it would be too costly for you to get equipped to do it. Better to go with an established publisher already in the business who will pay you for the privilege of publishing your stuff. You just say, "do it," and collect some money.

Marvel comics is already the most successful comic book publisher on Earth. They'd likely make less money farming out the work to a compnay that's not nearly as successful as Marvel.

"Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW) is the world's largest publisher of children’s books and magazines, reaching more than 100 million readers each month in 75 countries. Disney's imprints include Disney Libri, Hyperion Books for Children, Jump at the Sun, Disney Press, and Disney Editions."

Then what interest could they possibly have to fool around with the competively tiny and disfunctional Direct Market?

Mike

Marvel purchase shows Disney’s boy troubles

Channels have had a tough time appealing to males as much as females

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32663578/ns/business-media_biz/

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But what would that content be? Given current trends (and the unfortunate stigma that comics have as being 'just for kids') a lot of places that would stock a Disney product might not stock a Marvel product.

If I were someone with any say at Disney, and decided that the content should stay as is, I would seriously consider stopping monthly titles and just go straight to the Trade Paperback/Graphic Novel route.   If I decided that the content needs to be changed (which it does) then I would change it, and carry on with the monthlies for about a year or so, then make a decision regarding the validity of the format. And being that Steve Jobs is involved with Disney and Apple, I'd look at getting anything I could (Old and New) onto iTunes.

Marvel as it stands needs a serious overhaul, and maybe Disney are just the right people to do it.

Whatever will happen, the characters will outlive us all, Stan, Jack and Co, were too good at their job, but whether their adventures will be read about in a manner that we're used to, remains to be seen.

"By licensing the characters out to other publishers your profit margins certainly do soar, since you have virtually no overhead involved, but your profits shrink since you're sharing them with someone else."

And has been pointed out, the profits generated by Marvel's comic publishing are not going to impress anyone at Disney.

Try this analogy.  Marvel cancelled THE DEFENDERS in the 80s, not because it wasn't making money but because they wanted to shift editorial resources and characters to a new title X-FACTOR.  Disney could make the same decision to shift Marvel's resources away from comic publishing to more profitable ventures, no matter what the profit margin of the comics may be.

Mike