Another great Comic blog, Popgun Chao$!, recently posted an article about the decline of comic sales over the years and what the industry could do to get back to a time when its not bizarre for one comic to sale 300,000 copies.
As a reader, I feel like I'm still getting good stories for my money. Admittedly, I do spend way more on comics then I should, and I only really buy about a fourth, if that, of the titles from one of the major comic franchises. I hate to imagine what a hardcore comic geek shells out per month. With that said, there has to be a way for the industry to pull in new readers without them feeling like they're making a decision between eating that month, or reading comics. Trust me, any real comic book fan can tell you they've been there, whether they're willing to admit it or not.
Which brings me to my main point. As an honest-to-God comic book fan with a little PR training, who is better qualified to give the comic industry advice on how to improve their income. Certainly not the company's actual PR department, they're partially responsible for the shape the industry's in already. Thus, with a little help from Popgun Chaos$'s comments section, here are my suggestions for improving their sale potential.
1. Embrace Distribution of Digital Comics
The key to any successful company is the ability to adapt to a changing market. The landscape of the way people buy anything print is changing to digital. As hard as it is to admit, the idea of people buying a physical book will soon be a thing of the past. Products such as the Kindle make it easier then ever to purchase and read digital media. No longer are the days of having to pack several books before a trip, pack up your e-reader, and you've got entertainment for hours.
I can already hear the groans of comic book fans as I'm writing this. I know what you're thinking. "Reading comics on my computer is horrible, and the Kindle doesn't have the ability to convey the amazing art I've come to expect from my comics." To you I say, you've clearly never seen a digital comic on the iPad. Don't believe me? Go to your local Apple store and hold an open comic book up to the screen of an iPad. See that, almost the exact same size. If more products like this spring into the market, a legitimate platform for digital comics will exist.
Now its time to address those of you who are telling me that DC and Marvel are already embracing this new technology. On sites such as Comixology, you can purchase digital comics from all the major players. But do me a favor. Click on that link and browse the selection. You'll soon notice that there are very few new comics there, I wouldn't exactly call that "embracing new technology."
2. Provide an Cheaper and Easier Way for New Readers to Jump On
This one's tricky. I wasn't really sure what comic book companies could do, outside of making comics cheaper, to make it easier for new readers to dive head first into comics. Then after someone compared comic books to other periodicals did it hit me. Comic books could do something that Manga has done for years. Publish a group of comics in one periodical. Group together similar comics (a monthly compilation of Bat-verse comics comes to mind), and sell them in a Shonen Jump-like format with lower quality paper, maybe less color and a much cheaper price tag.
This would provide a sample of the DCU without breaking the bank. The hardcord fans could still get their amazing art and collector's copies and the casual reader could get the same stories. I'm sure there are other methods for making comics cheaper, but this is the first one that came to me.
3. Change the Public Perception of Comic Books
This is a biggie, and a much more complex issue then I have time to discuss here, but comic book fans have a horrible wrap. When the majority of America thinks about comic fans they picture one of two things. Either the stereotypical over-weight, or under-weight, anti-social guy that lives in his mother's basement or in an even more bizarre twist, children. With the amount of adult content in comics, I'm not sure why people relate kids to comics, but there are always those that do.
Its curious that with comic based movies, such as Iron Man and The Dark Knight, regularly taking top gross in the box office, that these same movie patrons don't feel the need to pick up a comic. I do feel a big part of it is that these people are afraid of being grouped with the previous stereotype.
But what can we do to change this perception? Primarily, we need to stop perpetuating this image. Firstly, it would seriously help if we could all jump on my bandwagon of getting us healthier (think of how much awesome-er your super hero costumes will look with real muscles beneath them!). Secondly, we need mainstream figures to represent us to show we are normal people. It did my heart good when Sam Evans on Glee casually listed comics as one of his interests and I love it anytime Adrianne Curry, America's first Next Top Model, posts pictures of her cosplay. Everytime someone see a non-stereotype do something geeky, it helps our image a little bit more. So, for now, we need to encourage more celebs and media writers to not be afraid to come out of the geeky closet.
That's it for my tips, I'd love to hear anymore you guys can offer. Feel free to light up the comment section below this post.
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