Coronavirus knocks out direct market - Diamond stops deliveries

[numberthirty]

I'm pretty convinced that comics fans will say what they will, and put up any excuse they want to put up, but ultimately it comes down to them being stuck in their ways and not wanting to do something different, even if it makes sense (like now). I believe that whoever could fix digital to be the best things ever, and these people would still come up with some excuse as to why they don't like it. They will blame the digital experience, but that's because that takes the scrutiny off of them and puts it on something else. I don't really buy it, because you're literally reading something on a screen right now, and we've gotten to the point where people do this on a very regular basis.

This falls in line with other general behavior from them, like only being interested in characters created from the 1930s to maybe the 1960s or 70s, which is incredibly bizarre when you sit and think about it. To tell you the truth, I never related with this type of mindset and always found it odd. This is the real reason why the industry is dying. It's not SJW's or anything like that (though that doesn't really help). Actually, if anything, it's hyper conservatism. It's doggedly not wanting to change.

Thing is, only comics fans like what they like. Only they will hunt down specialty stores and have "pull boxes" (I've never had one of those). Only they will spend $40 to $50 a week or so on a stack of bad comics, just because that's what they've been doing for however long. Only they will be interested in making sense of poorly written events that rattle the universe only to have it rattled again one month after it had been rattled.

I understand the dilemma the publishers are in. This is the audience they have and no one else is really interested in their content. But this whole thing is largely the publishers' fault and no one else is going to get them out of this. I guess their best hope is their YA graphic novels, but...somehow I'm not sure that will be enough. Those anthologies they put in Wal-Mart won't do it. I don't think people like anthologies, and stuffing them full of semi-random junk content won't get a lot of interest from people.

As for me, I've always loved the comics medium, but always hated the industry, and never related with a lot of the fans. If the whole mainstream comics industry went away, I don't think I would mind, and I sort of think it kind of has to, otherwise it will just keep trudging along as it is now, and it's kind of embarrassing when there are billion dollar corporations backing it and more interest in the comics characters owned by them than ever (no thanks to the comics).

"Apple"/"Orange"

[Vampire Savior]

"Apple"/"Orange"

As someone who has read comics on a computer screen, a tablet, a phone, and in physical form, I don't see it that way. Not a big difference between looking at a .jpeg and looking at a page in person. You're seeing the same pictures and getting the same story. I can certainly understand having a preference, but anyone who can't get past that is just especially stubborn or fickle. And yeah, I think there are a lot of people like that.

Anyway, I don't know if it's been mentioned but Diamond Comics Distributor might even go out of business, as it can't afford to pay the publishers what those companies are owed.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/he...yments-1287665

So even if those comics shops reopen, unless DC and Marvel get some other distributors that are able and willing to stock those comics shops, I don't know how the shops will get their comics if that happens. I'm led to believe there must not have been a ton of money (relatively speaking) in that whole enterprise, seeing as how Diamond straight ran out of money in a whole two week time span. It's difficult for me to have sympathy for the industry because of the things I mentioned previously--many of the fans are so unreasonable, the business is so backwards, and the whole cycle is so...out of date, that I think it's just run its course.

[manwhohaseverything]

As someone who has read comics on a computer screen, a tablet, a phone, and in physical form, I don't see it that way. Not a big difference between looking at a .jpeg and looking at a page in person. You're seeing the same pictures and getting the same story. I can certainly understand having a preference, but anyone who can't get past that is just especially stubborn or fickle. And yeah, I think there are a lot of people like that.

Infact with digital, we can even get better presentation. There even ways to make it look like you are turning pages and you can have panel focus mechanism where the device leads you from one panel to the next inside the book and in away that makes reading stories easier.Slide transition and vibrations etc can be added to make it look more animated.

[Katana500]

I honestly have no idea why the comics industry makes things so difficult and awkward for non americans. Its a pain in the arse.

[Gaastra]

Manga companies are making their manga free online to help those at home! So this is how the manga companies are dealing with the virus.


https://soranews24.com/2020/03/09/th...o-read-online/

With much of Japan’s population staying at home in order to stay safe, manga publishers want to help them stay happy and entertained too.

In response to the coronavirus outbreak, many schools in Japan are closed and a number of companies have instituted telecommuting policies. Major entertainment events, including concerts and anime conventions, have been cancelled, in keeping with health officials’ recommendation to avoid spending time in crowded places.
Of course, “crowded places” describes a lot of Japan’s urban and suburban communities in general, and the overall result of combining “don’t go to school/work” with “don’t go out” is a sort of strange combination between a vacation and house arrest. Thankfully, to help people keep their spirits up and combat boredom, a large number of Japan’s manga publishers are making their comics available to read online for free.
The current free-to-read anthology selection includes back issues from the last few months, for a total of 78 free editions currently available (access app/website in parentheses):
● Weekly Shonen Jump (Shonen Jump +)
● Weekly Shonen Sunday (Sunday Webly)
● Kokoro Comic, Kokoro Ichiban (Kokoro Online)
● Betsu Comi, Sho-Comi, Cheese!, Ciao Deluxe, Petit Comic, Monthly Flowers (Shogakukan e-Comic Store)
● Ribbon, Bessatsu Margaret, Koko Hana, The Margaret (Margaret Bookstore)
● Weekly Shonen Champion (Manga Cross)
● Hana to Yume, The Hana to Yume Shin, LaLa, LaLaDX (Hakusensha.enet!)
What’s arguably even better, though, is that a number of publishers are making the entirety of historically best-selling individual series available, giving fans the chance to revisit/finish off long-running series. Shogakukan’s Sunday Webly, for example, will be making every single volume free-to-read for 11 titles, starting with Hayate the Combat Butler, Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple, and Kekkaishi. On March 8, Ranma 1/2, Major, and Psyche Mata Shite mo get added to the list, with The Law of Ueki, Ghost Sweeper Mikami, and Miyuki coming on the 15th and Ushio and Tora and Libero Revolution on the 22nd. In total that’s 392 volumes of free manga (and to reiterate, that’s volumes, with each containing multiple chapters).

[Digifiend]

Now this is a game changer!
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/toda...ket-was-saved/

[cranger]

Now this is a game changer!
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/toda...ket-was-saved/

Considering only 30% or so of shops are using a POS of any kind (and only 5% using Comic Hub) I still worry there are a lot of things the "haves" are not taking into consideration regarding the "have nots".

[DragonPiece]

Now this is a game changer!
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/toda...ket-was-saved/

Ok I'm trying to read more into this, is this not involving comixology at all? Looking at this thread on twitter and just getting more confused... https://twitter.com/RyanHigginsRyan/...44297458659329

[Gaastra]

So the big plan is to have comic shops sell digital copy codes then later this year we can get a real copy. Won't some people just say forget it and just go digital only that way? Can't see this as the big fix for comic shops plus not all comic shops have a online site and won't this start a battle with the online comic sites that sell digital comics and comic shops?

[mathew101281]

Manga companies are making their manga free online to help those at home! So this is how the manga companies are dealing with the virus.


https://soranews24.com/2020/03/09/th...o-read-online/

You see that’s how an actual healthy industry acts. But we don’t have this in the states. Here we have distributors, publishers and fans, who are clinging to an archaic, inefficient and overpriced format with impenetrable storylines mostly for sentimental reasons.

[DragonPiece]

You see that’s how an actual healthy industry acts. But we don’t have this in the states. Here we have distributors, publishers and fans, who are clinging to an archaic, inefficient and overpriced format with impenetrable storylines mostly for sentimental reasons.

That's 2 different industries though, comic shops would go bankrupt if they just put all new comics up for free.

[skyvolt2000]

That's 2 different industries though, comic shops would go bankrupt if they just put all new comics up for free.

The current free-to-read anthology selection includes back issues from the last few months, for a total of 78 free editions currently available (access app/website in parentheses):

In total that’s 392 volumes of free manga (and to reiterate, that’s volumes, with each containing multiple chapters

It's not new stuff. What they are doing is letting folks read the old stuff for free.

Also a lot of companies have unreleased stuff that could be released. If someone wanted something new.

So the big plan is to have comic shops sell digital copy codes then later this year we can get a real copy. Won't some people just say forget it and just go digital only that way? Can't see this as the big fix for comic shops plus not all comic shops have a online site and won't this start a battle with the online comic sites that sell digital comics and comic shops?

That battle is already happening.

Lets see pay $50 for the first appearance of Naomi at the comic book store or pay $30 for it from Midtown or $15 for it on Ebay. Guess who wins. That is also not counting Half Price books.

Those anthologies they put in Wal-Mart won't do it. I don't think people like anthologies, and stuffing them full of semi-random junk content won't get a lot of interest from people.

At that price they do at $5 that is a bargain for 100 pages. If we are talking KIDS not entitlement adults (who probably own what is in them).

However there are issues to avoid-Archie does this-reprint the same stories in various digests within months of each other.

Nothing in those books should be from Rebirth era that is already in trades. Do new stories with them. Especially POC-who we know don't have much.

Be aware of trades that are still in print especially popular runs. I would NOT do Jim Lee's batman run-I can get the floppies via bins that are cheaper than the anthologies.

Heck they need to do some minis in those things.

[Badou]

With manga their sales are driven by their collected volume sales. So while they probably don't like it they can still put up free digital chapters of their series that appear in their magazines because their industry is built around trying to get as many readers as possible to buy the collected volumes. So free digital chapters are a form of advertising. Magazine and digital subscription sales are still important, but they want to push readers to buy those volumes.

With comics it is the complete opposite. Their whole industry is built around floppy sales. New #1 issues, variant covers, special anniversary issues and so on that help prop up the industry are designed around single issue floppy sales that comic companies can charge a hefty price for a single issue. Plus there is the speculator market built around this format as well. With digital releases a lot of this isn't possible and the market would contract significantly if it went mostly digital. The volume/trade sales are nowhere near strong enough to support the industry if floppy sales become less of a focus as well.

While children's graphic novel sales are rising those trades from a DC, Marvel, or an Image aren't doing that well. They aren't churning out a ton of consistent hits for those sales to supplant floppy sales any time soon, and I think with DC their two highest selling trades every year for a long time now are still Watchmen and Killing Joke, both nearly 30+ year old series. Every now and then they will get a Snyder's Court of Owls that sells well, or Image will strike gold with a Saga, but it feels like those are very rare. I know DC is shifting more focus to original non DCU stories that are better built for trade, like the White Knight or DCeased series, but it feels like they will need a lot more new hits to really change how their industry is built.

[Lee Stone]

Now this is a game changer!
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/toda...ket-was-saved/

I read 'Comics Hub' and went 'Comics Who?'

My stance is that I already have a massive coillection on Comixology and the only thing that would ever pull me away from it is if the service offered pdf copies of everything you buy, including Marvel and DC.

[Lee Stone]

As someone who has read comics on a computer screen, a tablet, a phone, and in physical form, I don't see it that way. Not a big difference between looking at a .jpeg and looking at a page in person. You're seeing the same pictures and getting the same story. I can certainly understand having a preference, but anyone who can't get past that is just especially stubborn or fickle. And yeah, I think there are a lot of people like that.

Same here.
I think I've read comic strips online for forever now because my local newspapers didn't carry the adventure ones.