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Martin Redmond
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 27 June 2006
Posts: 3882
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| Posted: 04 April 2007 at 6:03pm | IP Logged | 1
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That's because there's barely any content in new trades. I don't mind switching to trades at all. But I won't spend 20$ on a 15 minutes read. That's why I always liked american comics a little more. They had more content for you bucks. European comics read fast and are expensive. That's why I usually buy those second hand.
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Mike Murray
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 September 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 530
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| Posted: 04 April 2007 at 10:08pm | IP Logged | 2
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I used to think that comics would die out when childen stopped buying, but I don't believe that any more. I know too many people who didn't read as kids but started buying and reading TBPs and graphic novels as adult to think that doesn't happen.
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Mark Haslett
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 6792
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| Posted: 04 April 2007 at 10:54pm | IP Logged | 3
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Interesting Mike,
When I was a kid and buying comics was a passion, I had lots of friends-- but I can only count 5 whom I know were buying comics at the same time. That's at a time when selling only 150,000 copies would get a comic cancelled.
Now I know 2 friends who buy comics and I don't buy them anymore. I know many children (I have 2 myself) -- and none of them read comics. (Mine read my back-issues)
How many people do you personally know who are buying and reading?
Edited by Mark Haslett on 04 April 2007 at 10:58pm
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Zaki Hasan
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 8101
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| Posted: 04 April 2007 at 10:59pm | IP Logged | 4
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I definitely get the sense that the general thrust of the industry has shifted to collection-based model, with the monthlies as loss leaders until the eventual repurposing of the material. Nothing wrong with that, in my opinion, as long as it keeps it out there.
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Mark Haslett
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 6792
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| Posted: 05 April 2007 at 12:04am | IP Logged | 5
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Steve: That was then. Today any kid who can get to a public library can read
every single issue of Lee and Kirby's run without spending a penny. If
that's not a spectacular improvement over my childhood comics
experience, what is?
***
That would only be an improvement for a child such as yourself-- already initiated by the coverless reprints at home. Why would a kid who's never bought a comic go look for Lee/Kirby at the library?
I had beat up coverless comics too. If someone stole my childhood comic experience of buying and reading comics as they came out and replaced it with "here's a library card, kid-- knock yourself out" -- I'd feel pretty cheated.
Without buying comics myself, as they came out, I would never have become as invested in them as I am.
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Steve Lieber
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 July 2004
Posts: 295
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| Posted: 05 April 2007 at 3:54am | IP Logged | 6
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"That would only be an improvement for a child such as yourself--
already initiated by the coverless reprints at home. Why would a kid
who's never bought a comic go look for Lee/Kirby at the library? "
I was a comics fan long before I ever bought a comic. I read the comics in the newspaper obsessively. Later my dad brought home a coverless Sub-Mariner comic he'd found at a flea market. I asked for more, but it was probably a year before I got another one. In the meantime, I read the newspaper strips and any comics my friends had, and got my sister to take me to the library where I read everything even vaguely comics related I could find. There wasn't much, but fortunately there were plenty of other things I wanted to read.
So why would the kid you describe go look for Lee/Kirby FF stories in the library? Maybe because a parent, teacher, librarian or friend recommended them. Or because he saw an FF volume in a library display, or stumbled upon one while browsing on a shelf. Take it from a kid who grew up broke, if you love to read, browsing the shelves of your local library is what you do. That library card you say you'd feel cheated by was the most valuable thing I owned, and I knew it.
"Without buying comics myself, as they came out, I would never have become as invested in them as I am. "
Maybe being married to a librarian is prejudicing me, but I'm having a hard time grasping what you're telling me here. A good story is a good story. Would you have enjoyed a Kirby story less if you'd read the library's copy instead of your own? In another post you wrote that "buying comics was a passion." Passionate about reading comics- that makes sense to me. But I just don't get how someone can be passionate about buying them.
I hope this doesn't come across as some kind of attack. I'm honestly not trying to take a shot or score points. I'm just trying to get my head around what seems to be a very different way of engaging comics.
Edited by Steve Lieber on 05 April 2007 at 3:57am
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Mark Haslett
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 6792
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| Posted: 05 April 2007 at 4:24am | IP Logged | 7
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I'm not trying to be different or mysterious-- when I was 12 years old I became passionate about a hobby-- collecting my allowance and getting to the 7-11 or (praise the saints) to the comic book store to get me some comics. I didn't walk in knowing what I would buy-- or even what would be on sale. But every time, there was far more that I wanted than I was able to afford.
But being more precise-- the buying was obviously secondary to having the comics. Owning them was a big thing-- I was a collector and needing to save up $5 to buy a back-issue of X-Men 137 (for example) made me consider my comic books precious.
I don't feel that way anymore-- and I don't want today's children to feel that way.
I do want them to feel the thrill I felt, however, of being a fan of a vital and exciting medium.
Going to the library to check out collections of comics made 40 years ago does not remotely fit that bill.
I appreciate your upbeat attitude to the current state of things. I simply can't agree they are an improvement on what once was because now comics are in libraries. I agree that I would have liked it if it had been there for me back then, but if comics back then were as they are now-- I wouldn't have been allowed to read them. I certainly didn't know anyone who could direct me to look for Lee/Kirby and I would have likely missed the whole enchilada.
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Greg Kirkpatrick
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 15 June 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 2193
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| Posted: 05 April 2007 at 6:28am | IP Logged | 8
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Going to the library to check out collections of comics made 40 years ago does not remotely fit that bill.
*****
I think you are missing the point. Kids checking out these comics probably have no idea they are 40 years old. They probably don't even knowwho Kirby and Stan are. Hopefully kids are just looking in the 'graphic novel' section and picking something that looks like they might enjoy it. Creators be damned.
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Matt Fugate
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 06 April 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 38
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| Posted: 05 April 2007 at 1:22pm | IP Logged | 9
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In my library, the Essentials and Showcases are filed in the general stacks with other graphic novels, next to stuff like Cerebus, Maus, Strangers in Paradise, Anything Garth Ennis Has Done, etc., while the current superhero fare (Birds of Prey, JLA, JSA, etc.) is down in young adult.
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David Miller
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Posts: 3166
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| Posted: 05 April 2007 at 1:55pm | IP Logged | 10
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{quote]Why would a kid who's never bought a comic go look for Lee/Kirby at the library? [/quote]
I cant speak to my motivations, but that's how I got into comics more than twenty years ago: by checking ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS out of the library.
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Eric Lund
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 15 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 2074
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| Posted: 05 April 2007 at 2:01pm | IP Logged | 11
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I would bet that anyone under the age of 15 has NO IDEA who the hell Jack Kirby is
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Kevin Mahoney
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 27 July 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 124
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| Posted: 05 April 2007 at 2:03pm | IP Logged | 12
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I cant speak to my motivations, but that's how I got into comics
more than twenty years ago: by checking ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS out of
the library.
----
I did the same. I wanted to read more about the people on Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends.
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