The biggest problem that goes unspoken is the creative bankruptcy arising from never letting a series end. Everyone knows what batman, superman, spider man are about. We’ve seen multiple multiverses now. It might be blasphemous to fans but let them end. Come up with new characters growing up in a new generation. Not just superhero junior with anxiety issues
It was a book marketed to kids. What kid can afford in some cases $10 a comic? When I was a kid comics were .55 and any allowance or paper route could pay for them. Sense there isn't any paper routes and the internet has made so much free content. Now AI is taking its first victim. Stan Lee's death was the nail in the coughen. As movies hurt the written word. the times have priced children out of what was their domain... Now you can find animation and video games also causing issues. You can play along with the story. The multi issue arc has learned like mlti show or seasonal TV arcs drive away viewership/readership.
No matter how well the publishers are selling the stores get screwed no matter what. Especially with DC and Marvel making a “streaming service” it’s just as easy to read it on your phone, the new system, while necessary for the survival of the industry kills the need for a store. There’s only 3 comic shops in a 100 mile radius of me, some of which do more then just comics out of necessity it’s sad to see them struggling
DC and Marvel seem content to let the stores just die off. I guess they think that digital sales will be able to replace them, but I don't think that will work.
I think the problem with getting enough young people on board with comics now is most of them live in a digital world, are glued to screens at all times (except when they're sleeping) and they expect flashiness and speed (unfortunately) from the thing they're viewing or they move on to something else. You'd have to rethink what a comic is to get their lasting attention, and you'd need to put it online. You're going to have a hard time getting them to touch actual paper and spend time looking at something where nothing moves except the pages as they turn them. Something like 'ComicTok' would have to be created. (sigh) And there's also the problem I've been hearing from teachertube which is way too many kids can't read anywhere near their grade level and teachers are freaking out. Low attention span and low literacy means no interest in any kind of book, even comics. (That's not just bad for comics, it's bad period.) Given all that, I wouldn't even bother with what kids might like and just stick to trying to entertain people old enough to drink.
I get what he is trying to say, but I don't think Brian properly explained it. What I think he is trying to say is "Corporate greed is stifling creativity. Wokeness is just a symptom of the problem. because chasing buzzwords. The problem is bad decisions being made in attempts at short term monetary gains, at the expense of the longevity of their business." If I am interpreting him correctly, I would agree with his opinion. Top level management, from my experience, tends to be, in best cases, partially detached from reality, so whenever they try to micromanage stuff, their levels of detachment from reality is causing more issues than it solves. This clearly looks like an issue, caused by bad micromanagement of their business, but people tend to focus more on the symptoms, rather than the actual problem.
I can only opine on why I don't buy them- not why anyone else doesn't buy them. For reference, I'm a highly liberal (woke, if you like- or even if you don't- though I don't find that word terribly useful for having fruitful conversations these days), straight, white, male, in my early 50's, who was raised in the rural Ozarks. I haven't bought a comic since the last time the industry was in a crisis, back in the 90's, when I stopped buying them because I could no longer afford them. Some decades later, my reason for not buying them remains the same. Maybe that's relevant. Maybe it's not. People who actually care about the "Industry" (I am not one of the ones that care) can decide.
Kids don't read anymore, the fandom is aging, how many times can I read the same old stories over and over? I say go with the manga business model. Forget monthly issues. I haven't followed a monthly series in 15 years. Trades and GNs are worth the money, not a $5 issue of 20 pages of art.
Yessir I agree fully with your take Brian has a shop in a San Francisco. I actually have gone to it recently it’s a graphic novel shop. Like fully 40 -50 percent books that carry that lgbt whatever title. I think he has this idea that the books with this agenda sell well. But. It’s hard to say they do if that is what he is carrying and still not able to turn a profit seems kind of obvious. but he’s also not entirely wrong with anything he saying if the books that we enjoy had competent creators, I’m not sure the message in the books would be as big of a problem. Of course at this point the minute I see the messaging I’m completely turned off of a book, but that is just me I guess Lol gave you a follow. Maybe you can give me one in return , appreciate what you’re saying and doing.
The biggest problem that goes unspoken is the creative bankruptcy arising from never letting a series end.
Everyone knows what batman, superman, spider man are about. We’ve seen multiple multiverses now. It might be blasphemous to fans but let them end.
Come up with new characters growing up in a new generation. Not just superhero junior with anxiety issues
Thanks for upload
i know the price of my collection has plummeted in price over the last couple years.
It was a book marketed to kids. What kid can afford in some cases $10 a comic? When I was a kid comics were .55 and any allowance or paper route could pay for them. Sense there isn't any paper routes and the internet has made so much free content. Now AI is taking its first victim. Stan Lee's death was the nail in the coughen. As movies hurt the written word. the times have priced children out of what was their domain... Now you can find animation and video games also causing issues. You can play along with the story. The multi issue arc has learned like mlti show or seasonal TV arcs drive away viewership/readership.
No matter how well the publishers are selling the stores get screwed no matter what. Especially with DC and Marvel making a “streaming service” it’s just as easy to read it on your phone, the new system, while necessary for the survival of the industry kills the need for a store. There’s only 3 comic shops in a 100 mile radius of me, some of which do more then just comics out of necessity it’s sad to see them struggling
DC and Marvel seem content to let the stores just die off. I guess they think that digital sales will be able to replace them, but I don't think that will work.
"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain." - The Wizard.
I think the problem with getting enough young people on board with comics now is most of them live in a digital world, are glued to screens at all times (except when they're sleeping) and they expect flashiness and speed (unfortunately) from the thing they're viewing or they move on to something else. You'd have to rethink what a comic is to get their lasting attention, and you'd need to put it online. You're going to have a hard time getting them to touch actual paper and spend time looking at something where nothing moves except the pages as they turn them. Something like 'ComicTok' would have to be created. (sigh) And there's also the problem I've been hearing from teachertube which is way too many kids can't read anywhere near their grade level and teachers are freaking out. Low attention span and low literacy means no interest in any kind of book, even comics. (That's not just bad for comics, it's bad period.) Given all that, I wouldn't even bother with what kids might like and just stick to trying to entertain people old enough to drink.
Yeah, I've seen those complaints about current students and the difficulty teaching them, it's a mess. Comics are fighting an uphill battle.
American comics have been dead for 10 to 15 years, manga has taken over.
I get what he is trying to say, but I don't think Brian properly explained it.
What I think he is trying to say is "Corporate greed is stifling creativity. Wokeness is just a symptom of the problem. because chasing buzzwords. The problem is bad decisions being made in attempts at short term monetary gains, at the expense of the longevity of their business." If I am interpreting him correctly, I would agree with his opinion. Top level management, from my experience, tends to be, in best cases, partially detached from reality, so whenever they try to micromanage stuff, their levels of detachment from reality is causing more issues than it solves.
This clearly looks like an issue, caused by bad micromanagement of their business, but people tend to focus more on the symptoms, rather than the actual problem.
I see your point. Yes that makes sense.
I can only opine on why I don't buy them- not why anyone else doesn't buy them. For reference, I'm a highly liberal (woke, if you like- or even if you don't- though I don't find that word terribly useful for having fruitful conversations these days), straight, white, male, in my early 50's, who was raised in the rural Ozarks. I haven't bought a comic since the last time the industry was in a crisis, back in the 90's, when I stopped buying them because I could no longer afford them. Some decades later, my reason for not buying them remains the same.
Maybe that's relevant. Maybe it's not. People who actually care about the "Industry" (I am not one of the ones that care) can decide.
Kids don't read anymore, the fandom is aging, how many times can I read the same old stories over and over? I say go with the manga business model. Forget monthly issues. I haven't followed a monthly series in 15 years. Trades and GNs are worth the money, not a $5 issue of 20 pages of art.
I think that's the direction the industry will go eventually. I don't think they'll have much of a choice.
Yessir I agree fully with your take Brian has a shop in a San Francisco. I actually have gone to it recently it’s a graphic novel shop. Like fully 40 -50 percent books that carry that lgbt whatever title. I think he has this idea that the books with this agenda sell well. But. It’s hard to say they do if that is what he is carrying and still not able to turn a profit seems kind of obvious. but he’s also not entirely wrong with anything he saying if the books that we enjoy had competent creators, I’m not sure the message in the books would be as big of a problem. Of course at this point the minute I see the messaging I’m completely turned off of a book, but that is just me I guess Lol gave you a follow. Maybe you can give me one in return , appreciate what you’re saying and doing.
Consider yourself followed sir, thanks for the sub and the comment!