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Brian Philbin
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 11 May 2015
Posts: 5
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| Posted: 11 June 2015 at 12:58pm | IP Logged | 1
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Definitely with JB on this. I find it a bit sad that comics were once like magazines. Ubiquitous in most varied retail stores.
You could find them at the grocery store, convenience store, pharmacy, liquor (party) store, etc. - pretty much anywhere you'd find magazines, there was a healthy variety of reading material which eventually included the little digest-sized comics.
There were even comics magazines being published by Charlton, Marvel & Warren (with some rare appearances by DC).
Archie comics ended up becoming the biggest selling comics of the late 80s & early 90s because they retained a presence amongst magazines with those digest comics.
Unfortunately, no one in charge of distribution in the comics industry was listening to JB back then, either.
At this stage, the only way to make a future is to build an audience from scratch.
There's still a digest market in grocery stores and pharmacies (not sure about convenience stores, offhand) and there's opportunity on the magazine racks.
I'd really like to see comics publishers providing a "best of" format either in digest or magazine format to further market comics in these venues.
While I recognize the price point probably isn't ideal to aim such things at grade-school aged children, there are plenty of adolescents with the disposable income for such things.
Just my 2¢.
Pax, harmonia,
Brian G. Philbin
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 133248
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| Posted: 11 June 2015 at 1:24pm | IP Logged | 2
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I find it a bit sad that comics were once like magazines. Ubiquitous in most varied retail stores. •• As I have mentioned before, over the years of my childhood comic buying, I picked up isses from the grocery store, the bus station, the train station, the airport, various gas stations, department stores, drugstores and newsstands. It was hard to walk along a block, downtown in either of the cities I grew up in, without passing some outlet that sold comics. Maybe not a lot, but they sold them.
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Anthony J Lombardi
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 January 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 9410
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| Posted: 11 June 2015 at 1:52pm | IP Logged | 3
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As I have mentioned before, over the years of my childhood comic buying, I picked up isses from the grocery store, the bus station, the train station, the airport, various gas stations, department stores, drugstores and newsstands. It was hard to walk along a block, downtown in either of the cities I grew up in, without passing some outlet that sold comics. Maybe not a lot, but they sold them.~~~~~~~~ I believe my generation were the last to be able to do that. I think it changed when I was in my pre teens or sometime around then.
Part of the fun in collecting was having to hunt for them. I sure miss those days.
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Brian Philbin
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 11 May 2015
Posts: 5
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| Posted: 11 June 2015 at 2:03pm | IP Logged | 4
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Agreed. For the majority of my childhood, the Bus Depot was the only place I knew of to get comics off the spinner rack.
The spinner rack had the "come hither" sign saying "Hey, Kids! Comics!" and had the most plentiful choices of comics because it took up little floor space and left the magazine rack to the magazines.
I found another one across town at a party store when I was 12 (1974) and would ride my bike all the way there and then stop at every place that sold comics on the way back (another party store, the bus depot and the convenience store). It was the only way to get good choices and possibly get all the next issues.
When I was 13, I discovered the "Eye of Agamotto" comic shop in Ann Arbor, MI. Irving had almost every comic from DC & Marvel every week. Even this, though, was before direct distribution, so he had to go through a magazine distributor to get everything.
I started taking the bus there to get my comics every couple/few weeks. But when I entered High School, I didn't read them as often and sold the bulk of my collection.
By the time I was in college and started reading comics again, there was a considerable amount of change going on, but it wasn't until around the late 80s or early 90s that comics seemed to simply disappear from everywhere but the comics shops.
Pax, harmonia,
Brian G. Philbin
Edited by Brian Philbin on 11 June 2015 at 2:05pm
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Brian Philbin
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 11 May 2015
Posts: 5
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| Posted: 11 June 2015 at 2:05pm | IP Logged | 5
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I should also mention that "The Adventures of Superman" TV show had an announcement at the end of every show, indicating you could read more of Superman's adventures in Superman and Action Comics magazines.
Why don't they do that for the movies and TV shows now?
Pax, harmonia,
Brian G. Philbin |
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Eric Jansen
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 27 October 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 2364
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| Posted: 11 June 2015 at 4:52pm | IP Logged | 6
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Yes! I've long thought the same. What would it possibly hurt to have (stipulated in the contract) a ten-second spot at the end of every episode of ARROW that says "Read the latest issue of GREEN ARROW every month!" And when a new trade comes out, show that for two seonds.
Comics are the only business I can think of that feels it unnecessary to advertise!
Edited by Eric Jansen on 11 June 2015 at 4:53pm
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Steve De Young
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 April 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 3507
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| Posted: 11 June 2015 at 8:31pm | IP Logged | 7
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DC post-Convergence is continuity-free. Which I suppose has advantages and disadvantages. What I mean by that is, for example, Superman right now has had his secret ID exposed, has been massively de-powered, and is wearing jeans and a t-shirt instead of a costume. Bruce Wayne is believed dead, and Commissioner Gordon is running around the Batman books in a bunny mecha suit as the new Batman, etc.
Meanwhile, there are two Justice League titles being published simultaneously with those books featuring the Bruce Wayne Batman, regular Superman in costume, etc.
On one hand, it seems like this'll generate some confusion over time. On the other hand, it makes it possible to just buy one or two titles you enjoy while avoiding stupidity that you don't.
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Stephen Churay
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 25 March 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 8369
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| Posted: 11 June 2015 at 10:41pm | IP Logged | 8
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I'm honestly surprised by the number of publishers and
books being published these days. How are these guys making
any profit with such high production costs and low sales?
====
This is an issue that plagues my mind, when I think about
how the Big Two are currently structured.
It maybe just me, but I would think that selling 25 books a
month would get you greater sales with fans buying the line
instead of select books. The publishers printing costs
would be lower and retailers might have a better shot at
making some real profit.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 133248
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| Posted: 12 June 2015 at 4:54am | IP Logged | 9
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I should also mention that "The Adventures of Superman" TV show had an announcement at the end of every show, indicating you could read more of Superman's adventures in Superman and Action Comics magazines.Why don't they do that for the movies and TV shows now? •• Personal experience: when I started watching THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, as a child in England, I found my first Superman comic in a shop on the High Street, about a block and a half from where I lived. As I have noted elsewhere (and many times), there used to be outlets for comics just about everywhere. An individual walking out of a movie theater after seeing SUPERMAN - THE MOVIE, for instance, would not have to take too many steps before seeing a Superman comic on sale. Now, even if there were notices of the kind you mention at the end of the various movies and shows, it would be a project to find those comics. Locate the closest comic shop, travel to it (sometimes miles). The spontaneity is GONE.
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James Woodcock
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 21 September 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 7769
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| Posted: 12 June 2015 at 6:13am | IP Logged | 10
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Posted this earlier in the Marvel's new look thread, re how we can buy comics in non-comic stores in the UK:In the UK, comics ARE available in a diverse range of outlets - you can now buy the Panini reprints in Asda (that's Walmart to you lot), WH Smiths (a newsagent/stationary shop) and other places.
We have comics aimed at kids - so Spider-Man, Avengers, Angry Birds etc - come out monthly, in a wrapper usually with a toy. You also have the Panini reprints as mentioned above - usually reprinting two to three linked titles in one issue.
Everything costs around £5 per issue though. And the Panini reprints are pretty current stories, so, you know, face peeled off Joker, decapitations, loads of blood etc. Best to stick to the wrapped in plastic issues but wrapped in plastic means you can't sample in the shop and then impulse buy. |
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