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

**mrbrklyn** · 08-10-2018, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by kjn

Not necessarily. Look at the book market,

really, from what I observe, this is just a bunch of wishful thinking that is rather joyless. You can't replace the paper collecting any more that you can replace the bats and balls in baseball.

And BTW - the book market has all but collapsed. I remember the publishing industry in NYC in the hey day and it is gutted and roasting. Collecting comics, like collecting art, has been essential to its business model from very beginning of the comics business, when the Windser McCays of their day were true rock stars.

**mrbrklyn** · 08-10-2018, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by kjn

but the distribution system for floppies seems very fragile on the retailer level

they are not 'floppies". They are comic books. And yes distribution is fragile and the problem looking for a solution. Subscriptions can not replace spontaneous sales.

**Carabas** · 08-10-2018, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by mrbrklyn

they are not 'floppies". They are comic books. And yes distribution is fragile and the problem looking for a solution. Subscriptions can not replace spontaneous sales.

Trades are comic books. Floppies are comic books. $100 deluxe Absolute hardcover tomes are comic books.

**kjn** · 08-10-2018, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by mrbrklyn

really, from what I observe, this is just a bunch of wishful thinking that is rather joyless. You can't replace the paper collecting any more that you can replace the bats and balls in baseball.

The comics industry could live very well on selling low-durability cheaply made products distributed in the millions per issue. Its current dependency on a small number of super-consumers only shows how badly off the industry is.

The only reason comics haven't suffered a disruption similar to or worse than music or books is that the market has become too small for Amazon to bother with.

**millernumber1** · 08-10-2018, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by Carabas

Trades are comic books. Floppies are comic books. $100 deluxe Absolute hardcover tomes are comic books.

Agreed.

And graphic novels can go jump in a lake. It's all comic books.

**skyvolt2000** · 08-10-2018, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by kjn

I think a parent would find it easier to bring a 10-year-old boy to the local comic book store than bringing a girl of the same age. Especially if they don't know anything about the store.

Depends on the parent.

A comic veteran parent probably wouldn't be an issue.

A noncomic parent would not bother-if they hard horror stories of how kids and poc, lgbt & women have been treated in stores. Or they wold go to Amazon of B7N to get the trade in more cases because that comic book store is not near them.

As far as distribution, you can't get any quicker, easier, or efficient than Comixology. Yet, and has been discussed, digital sales lag far behind paper sales,

Because not everyone does digital.

Also look at resale-I have Half Price books that buys books and then sales them at half the price or lower.
Or when digital and floppy are the same price-more will go with the printed matter.

Part of what kills the book industry is ACCESS to the books as a WHOLE. A lot of books don't get to be on shelves in stores.
Example-lets say DC decides to do a book line with Cyborg, Static, John Stewart & Aqualad. I would NOT be able to walk to Wal-Mart and see those books on shelves.

Why? Because history of black lead books at stores says all I will see is Hood Life, Thug Life, Romance and female dominate lead books. I would have to rely on the library to read those books if I don't order online.
That is part of the issue-the subject matter of books one can grab (impulse buy) is slim. Especially if you are trying to get boy of COLOR to read. So if you get one on the shelf-it's gone QUICKLY (looking at YOU Static & Chuck Clayton).

**millernumber1** · 08-11-2018, 12:52 PM

Hooray! I finally managed to get my copies of JLA and Superman #2! There was a really big chunk of both left in the stand at the Walmart I went to. I'm really looking forward to getting Batman in the next two weeks - with my favorite, Huntress, on the cover!

JLA Superman 2.jpg

**mrbrklyn** · 08-12-2018, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by millernumber1

Hooray! I finally managed to get my copies of JLA and Superman #2! There was a really big chunk of both left in the stand at the Walmart I went to. I'm really looking forward to getting Batman in the next two weeks - with my favorite, Huntress, on the cover!

JLA Superman 2.jpg

wow - those books look good

**mrbrklyn** · 08-12-2018, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by Carabas

Trades are comic books. Floppies are comic books. $100 deluxe Absolute hardcover tomes are comic books.

Not according to NY State. Comic Books are periodicals and are not taxed. Graphic Novels are books and are taxed....

**Carabas** · 08-12-2018, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by mrbrklyn

Not according to NY State. Comic Books are periodicals and are not taxed. Graphic Novels are books and are taxed....

Why would NY State get a say in this? It has never even read a comic.

**CaptCleghorn** · 08-12-2018, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by mrbrklyn

Not according to NY State. Comic Books are periodicals and are not taxed. Graphic Novels are books and are taxed....

And frozen pizza sold in a grocery store isn't taxed, but a hot slice or full pizza sold by a restaurant is taxed. We can discuss what a "comic book" is, but whether some states tax them isn't a criteria that has a lot of validity for definition.

**Kyer** · 08-12-2018, 05:23 PM

I try to stay away from Walmart and NY as much as possible...may actually be allergic to both. Prefer to get my comics through Target online, B&N, and Amazon (the last when absolutely-positively necessary.) Would really prefer an actual comic book store, but none around for miles and miles.

**numberthirty** · 08-13-2018, 05:41 AM

Originally Posted by mrbrklyn

Not according to NY State. Comic Books are periodicals and are not taxed. Graphic Novels are books and are taxed....

Unless the single issue content has changed drastically once it is collected into a trade, this assertion is on incredibly shaky ground.

**mrbrklyn** · 08-13-2018, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by numberthirty

Unless the single issue content has changed drastically once it is collected into a trade, this assertion is on incredibly shaky ground.

Originally Posted by numberthirty

Unless the single issue content has changed drastically once it is collected into a trade, this assertion is on incredibly shaky ground.

no it is not and it is key to understanding the business, and how comic books are created and work. A periodical is not taxed. It is a publication that comes out on a regular schedule, such as daily, weekly, monthly, bimonthly, annually, and it says that in the small print of the comic book. A graphics novel is not a regular periodical, and it not only taxed, but it is a significantly different species of reading material. usually because it is a complete work

I was just listening to the podcast OA in stitcher and they are interviewing Robert Venditti and he makes it urgently clear that the monthly production schedule drives the comic book industry and the creative process.

https://www.blogofoa.com/2018/08/the...isode-125.html

**HandofPrometheus** · 08-13-2018, 11:02 PM

Originally Posted by millernumber1

Hooray! I finally managed to get my copies of JLA and Superman #2! There was a really big chunk of both left in the stand at the Walmart I went to. I'm really looking forward to getting Batman in the next two weeks - with my favorite, Huntress, on the cover!

JLA Superman 2.jpg

I know most of these are old stories but are you enjoying the exclusive ones?

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