What the Walmart Distribution means to DC Comics and the future market

[Trey Strain]

As for "As Big..."?

Forget about that. DC would be out of the game in less than five years without the rest of the market in play.

Would people stop buying DC's comics at Walmart if Marvel and the smaller comics companies went out of the comics business? Why would they do that?

How do you go out of business by becoming a monopoly? For what company has that ever been an undesirable condition?

Sure. The creative teams you can hire have zero to do with how much money is being made...

DC cannot make a cent without those teams.

With the other companies gone, DC can hire whoever it wants.

That's one of the many, many good things about being a monopoly.

[The Darknight Detective]

Would people stop buying DC's comics at Walmart if Marvel and the smaller comics companies went out of the comics business? Why would they do that?

How do you go out of business by becoming a monopoly? For what company has that ever been an undesirable condition?

While I don't see this happening at all in regard to DC, I agree with you, Trey. I can't think of a suddenly-new monopoly going out of business myself.

[numberthirty]

Would people stop buying DC's comics at Walmart if Marvel and the smaller comics companies went out of the comics business? Why would they do that?

How do you go out of business by becoming a monopoly? For what company has that ever been an undesirable condition?

That you can't even fathom a "Why" there is half of the problem.

A single line of titles would obviously reduce the number of writers/artists who would even bother with trying to work in the medium.

Never mind the writers who started their careers at a company other than DC.

[numberthirty]

While I don't see this happening at all in regard to DC, I agree with you, Trey. I can't think of a suddenly-new monopoly going out of business myself.

If your "New" monopoly is built on the ashes of the rest of the industry, it's just a matter of time.

Any readers who might have picked up one of your titles because they noticed it while they were at a shop to buy something else? Forget them. They are no longer in play.

Never mind the sort of venom towards your brand that you will have given birth to.

[Carabas]

Would people stop buying DC's comics at Walmart if Marvel and the smaller comics companies went out of the comics business?

Marvel once though something like that would be a swell idea and played around with self-distribution.

It was one of the major factors that lead to the current situation where Diamond rules supreme.

[Carabas]

That you can't even fathom a "Why" there is half of the problem.

A single line of titles would obviously reduce the number of writers/artists who would even bother with trying to work in the medium.

Never mind the writers who started their careers at a company other than DC.

I can see a lot of creative people who love comics vowing to never under any circumstances work for DC ever again.
I can't imagine there would be that many who would still want to work at DC after DC kills the independants and Marvel.

[The Darknight Detective]

If your "New" monopoly is built on the ashes of the rest of the industry, it's just a matter of time.

Okay, but there has to be an example of this happening in the past. Again, I can't recall one, but I admit to not being an expert in economic history.

Let me just add: I think any of this happening is a fantasy. As a fan of Marvel and the independents, I don't want this to happen myself.

[numberthirty]

With the other companies gone, DC can hire whoever it wants.

That's one of the many, many good things about being a monopoly.

Now, he says the creators actually matter...

Whatever is passing for your "Argument" is chewing it's own arm off.

[numberthirty]

I can see a lot of creative people who love comics vowing to never under any circumstances work for DC ever again.
I can't imagine there would be that many who would still want to work at DC after DC kills the independants and Marvel.

You'd have to imagine.

Never mind the degree to which you will have restricted the IP that creative teams can work on.

You think folks with actual talent are going to be thrilled to work on a "Beast Boy" title just so they have a job?

They'll just get out of the industry entirely.

That's before you even get to that you're trying to wipe out someone like Warren Ellis' other work while thinking everything on The Wild Storm will stay hunky dory.

[numberthirty]

Okay, but there has to be an example of this happening in the past. Again, I can't recall one, but I admit to not being an expert in economic history.

Let me just add: I think any of this happening is a fantasy. As a fan of Marvel and the independents, I don't want this to happen myself.

Almost a whole other discussion.

I think either one of the big two and indies keep specialty shops open just fine.

[Trey Strain]

Nobody has predicted that this will put Marvel and the smaller publishers out of the comics business, or even that DC will be able to sell any comics at all at Walmart.

But if someone at DC was smart enough to think of this, then don't tell me that they haven't imagined the possibility, or that they wouldn't jump at the chance to make it happen.

Almost a whole other discussion.

I think either one of the big two and indies keep specialty shops open just fine.

DC accounts for 38 percent of the comics market. The comics shops can't lose 38 percent of their income and stay in business.

[Carabas]

Nobody has predicted that this will put Marvel and the smaller publishers out of the comics business...

Dude, do you even read your own posts?

[millernumber1]

It was.

But DC selling all of their books exclusively through Walmart (how do you spell this anyway, I've seen a lot of variations in the thread) is just lunacy and financial suicide.

Agreed.

DC gains nothing through the existence of Marvel and the smaller companies. Just like Pepsi gains nothing from the existence of Coke.

YOU gain something from those companies, if you buy their comics. DC doesn't.

Dan DiDio won't wring his hands and weep if those competing comics go away. He'll order a champagne celebration.

You're worried that the cons wouldn't be as big or as good? They'd be just the same. The "comics" cons are not about comics. They're mainly about movies and television shows, and Marvel would still have those.

No. Simply no. There are too many customers who have brand loyalty to Marvel. They may pick up some DC titles in the shop because they're already there and a cover is interesting, but there's zero way that DC would actually be able to kill Marvel and not take a hit from the simple loss of an outlet. And as for the mythical "millions from Walmart" - so far, it's a fairly decent launch in terms of sell through - most stores seem to have sold out already, which means that there's demand for the product - but that's so far from justifying any of your "DC should try to sell everything through Walmart" posts.

[Trey Strain]

Dude, do you even read your own posts?

Go back and find where I said it would happen.

[Trey Strain]

"DC should try to sell everything through Walmart" posts.

What I said was, if the comics that DC is offering through Walmart sell well, then of course DC will offer more comics through Walmart.

Now think about that. What if those additional comics sell well too? What will DC do then? It will offer still more comics through Walmart, won't it?

And so on.

If it plays out that way -- and maybe it won't -- then what is the logical outcome of that process? Why would it be in DC's interests to then continue propping up the shops where its competitors are sold?