Comic Books in 2008 – The Gentrification Continues

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Comic Books in 2008 – The Gentrification Continues
By Hervé St-Louis
December 31, 2008 - 20:06

In 2008, the comic book industry continued to go in the same direction it has begun going since 1999. It is increasingly becoming an industry of experts and marketers who see comic books not as a fully formed art form, but as a fully formed media part of a wider strategy to reach an ever elusive clientèle segregated and differentiated on minute demographics and profiles. The Internet, a wider array of television choices and more entertainment in both our news and real entertainment has made us, the buying public a very complex beast that is easily reachable through various media. Comic books are one of them.

Currently, in North America, comic books have been used to push one type of entertainment, heroic fantasy from which the super hero is a subset. In 2008, many more films based on tested and untested comic book ideas have appeared on the market. Some films, like Hancock, have even borrowed from the comic book formula without having originated from comic books.

Professionalization

This convergence with video gaming, film making and other forms of entertainment has forced the comic book industry to professionalize itself, so it can deal with all the outside partners that are increasingly involved in the industry. The drawback to the professionalization forced on the comic book industry, is that the Hollywood venture model is hardly the most professional and safest way to generate business. In fact, compared to other industries, it is chaotic and based on superstitions and closed network of people. Whether this method of business and deal making will survive the current economic predicament is another matter.

Seeking Licenses and Foreign Rights

To feed a system bent on producing quickly in order to maximize revenues and spread risks over a greater amount of properties, licenses from comic books originating from Europe and Asia are seen as a cheaper way to develop contents to keep the mills running. Another technique that has also flourished in 2008 is the purchased of licenses from heroic fantasy themed material from television, books and movies.

Barrier to Entry

These professionalization upgrades have made the promotion of comic books and their distribution costlier. For example, this year, Diamond Comics, the main North American distributor of printed comic books, has introduced a new terminal system in late 2007 to allow retailers to order their products. This new costly system is a severe burden on many comic book store retailers faced with diminishing sales and upheaval in their currency, such as in Canada.

Being a comic book retailer is more difficult than ever and for smaller margins. But retailers are not the only ones having a tough time. Comic book creators used to self publishing and smaller publishers are faced with a barrage of contents from larger outlets trying to maximize their production capabilities by releasing more comic books, more special issues, more series and more crossovers. The small market share of so called-independent publishers is shrinking further. Without a proper means of marketing their products many smaller publishers are finding it difficult to produce a product for a small market on time and in a profitable manner.

Web Comics

Hopefully, there are some positive hopes for comic book creators and publishers willing to innovate. In 2008, many established publishers have attempted what I would call tryouts to test the online means of distributing their wares. The main problem with the various attempts, some repackaging existing contents, some offering dumb down material, some offering original material, is that it’s very difficult for the online customer to figure out where to go and what is available. There is also a failure to reach out to potential clients that may be interested in these new online ventures. To put it mildly, comic book creators and publishers have problems identifying their online clients.

Web comics have existed for a decade now, but it was only in 2008 that they became a respectable alternative in the industry.

Predictions for 2009

In 2009, in part based on a restricting economic outlook, The Comic Book Bin predicts that comic book publishers in the second half of 2009 will reassess their productive output and aim for better products. Fiascoes such as Secret Invasion and Final Crisis may bring initial numbers, but it depletes the ranks of steady comic book readers when products are not competitive and entertaining. For the first half of 2009, publishers still have to go through existing stocks of projects yet to be delivered.

The Comic Book Bin will be there in 2009, continuing to chronicle, review, criticize and analyze the comic book industry for our readers. Our focus will continue to assume that our readers are not experts in comic books and thus need a quick introduction to detailed topics before we dig deeper. That’s our commitment to you our dedicated readers.