What do Superman, Batman and Spider-Man have in common? Besides being superheroes, they all originated from comic books. Writers and artists have spent decades developing these characters into what they are today. Sadly, these talented comic book creators rarely see residuals for their work appearing in movies, TV shows, video games and even new comic books. Yet if it weren’t for them, these characters would not exist. Now you might be saying “comic books are still a thing?” Indeed, comic books are still a thing and the industry is struggling to survive. Like the print industry in general, comic books either need to adapt to the digital age or they will probably not survive much longer. The survival of the comic book industry will depend on its ability to maintain and attract new readers in the digital age though a base of hard-core fans that keep the industry alive.
As the print industry is dying, the comic book industry is trying to survive in the digital age. Signs of the industry’s collapse began back in the 90’s. The speculator boom, Marvel Comic’s bankruptcy and the uninteresting stories all were contributing factors according to moviebob’s, “Comics in the 90’s: What Happened?” on Youtube. This video shows how the ripple effect of the collapse is still felt today.
A transition of comic books to digital media can be seen. According to Comic Tropes, “How Distribution has Saved and is Now Killing Comics”, Diamond Distribution is the only distributor left to distribute print comics to comic book retailers. Wired.com reports comiXology, which is owned by Amazon.com, is a large digital medium platform for comics that is helping comics survive in the digital age.
There are so many ways to buy, read, sell, and publish comic books now it’s crazy. Many websites both publish and fund the publication of comic books to the point that creators might not have to go to traditional publishers anymore. With social media it’s easier to discover new comic books and creators. Even with the new digital opportunities out there, creators still struggle to do this for a living. Comic book creator Curt Pires, creator of “Olympia”, put a statement at the end of his comic book that I recently read, “Just wanted to take a second to personally thank every retailer and every reader who is holding this comic book in their hands and who has taken time and money to support this story. You are the life blood of this wonderful industry and as someone who makes a living doing what is such a dream job, such an immense blessing, your support does not go unnoticed. Thank you so much. This is the most personal and important story I have ever told, and it is an honor to share it with you.”
With the evolution of retail and digital options for comics, brick and mortar comic shops are struggling to stay afloat. Comic bookstores get their printed media directly from comic book distributors market. The direct market model is fading away per Business Insider Article, “2 major changes happening in comic books could shape the industry’s future-and comic shops will have to adapt to survive” because the distribution model is changing. The distribution model is switching over to the digital medium. Like brick and mortar retailers struggling to survive against online shopping, comic bookstores are also hit hard. Even before the recent pandemic, comic book shops have been closing left and right. What used to be a meeting place for fans and collectors has now once again been replaced with online shopping and social media. My local comic bookstore closed in Crystal Lake recently and pretty much every time I was there before it closed, there wasn’t a soul except for me and the clerk inside the store.
Additionally, the comic book community is fading due to closure of comic book shops. There is no longer a gathering space for fans to foster the unique social relationship, per theconversaion.com article, “Comics VS Coronavirus: Comic Industry Shut Down for the First Time in Almost a Century”. The loss of the gathering space may not be the only factor affecting the comic book community. The comic book collectors’ market is not as profitable as it once was. Too many copies of comic books were published post 1990’s causing too much inventory and decreasing the books values. According to Science Fiction.com article, “Your Comic Book Collection? Yeah, It’s Pretty Much Worthless”, milestone and cross over comics used to be in high demand, but the resale market for those has bottomed out due to too many reprints.
The need for large publishers in the comic book industry is fading due to self-publication and self-promotion. For traditional publishers like DC Comics and Marvel Comics, creators work under a work for hire agreement and don’t own their work. The New York Times article, “In the Comics World, Needy Have Heroes of Their Own” the industry paid their creators on a per page basis. This left the publishers to own the characters the creators create. The characters that originate in comic books have now been turned into movie blockbuster epics. For a company like WarnerMedia, DC Comics, their subsidiary, is basically an afterthought. Disney (which owns Marvel Comics) and WarnerMedia could possibly use the comic books as idea testing grounds for new movies, TV shows and video games. After talking with my Mom, I myself came to this simple answer. The screenwriters can just make new creative content without needing the comic books as a source. DC Comics was recently hit with layoffs that cut a number of high-profile positions. According to ign.com article “The DC Comics Layoffs: How The Publisher Could Change In 2021” DC Comics laid off a third of its staff including editor-in-chief Bob Harras.
The traditional process for creators to get their work published is changing. The creators don’t need publishers like Marvel and DC anymore. Kickstarter and other crowd funding sites have helped creators get funding to create and publish their own work says, The New York Times article, “Comic Books Flourish on Crowdfunding Sites, Drawing Big Names”. The article on Venturebeat.com, “How Graphicaly is Paving the Way for Self-published digital comic books”, lets us know there are avenues besides traditional publishers to get their work published and sold.
Will all the other distractions add to the death of comic books? If the comic book industry is to survive, it will require the support of favorite comics, creators and retailers by their readers. This can be done by either promoting the comics through social media or just by buying them. People today have so many distractions for entertainment that they may not even bother reading comic books. Overall, things look bleak, but also bright for the comic book industry. As I was saying earlier the industry’s survival depends on it gaining new fans and readers. Even though the stores rarely see customers, the hardcore fans will still support their favorite comics, creators and retailers because of their love for the medium. The short and sweet answer to the question will the comic book industry survive in the digital age? Only if fans and new readers can support it.
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