Should DC and Marvel drop ongoings.

[Mister Mets]

Floppies don't bother me, per se, but the structure of the stories is what bothers me. Most comics now are written to be collected. The ones that aren't are very few and far between. The reason for that is really simple, trades will sell for years and years, especially if the title is popular or well received, while floppies will sell for a few weeks and then be forgotten.

So lets look at this from a business stand point of ONLY Marvel and DC. Forget the creators, forget the comic shops, those are separate businesses or contracted employees. As a company, does it make more sense to release a 20 page piece of a 120 page story for $4 or $5 that will only be sold in a comparatively small market, or does it make more sense to release 120 pages of a 120 page story for $25, and have that product sold anywhere that carries books? To me, the smartest business decision comic publishers could make would be to abandon the comic shop model that they have shoe horned themselves into. Dollars and cents says you need to appeal to the largest market possible, and the potential for these publishers isn't being realized by catering to the current comic buying market. Sales and interest in their properties in printed form dwindles more and more very year. They need desperately to find an avenue into new readers, or this "hobby" of ours won't survive the next 20 years in any way that we would recognize currently.

In today's market, there is an argument that could be made that floppies are no longer relevant. In a world where everything you could ever want is literally available to you immediately in the palm of your hand, HOW does it make ANY sense to continue stretching stories out for six months at a time? People get antsy now if a video takes too long to buffer or their eReader has to be restarted for whatever reason. Web page takes too long to load? End of the world for some people. And for better or worse, that is where the money is, in that younger demographic. But by sticking steadfastly to this monthly publishing regiment of floppies, publishers are completely ignoring the world that exists around them.

There are other considerations.

An advantage of releasing a story piecemail is that it builds buzz and worth of mouth. Once a month, everyone's talking about the story again, and then can influence decisions for consumers.

It's also not clear that OGNs will sell better than monthlies. There are plenty of books available in stores everywhere that don't sell as well as the typical Superman comic.

[Goggindowner]

There are other considerations.

An advantage of releasing a story piecemail is that it builds buzz and worth of mouth. Once a month, everyone's talking about the story again, and then can influence decisions for consumers.

It's also not clear that OGNs will sell better than monthlies. There are plenty of books available in stores everywhere that don't sell as well as the typical Superman comic.

I think you over estimate how much buzz influences people's decision to buy into a series monthly after it is already underway. How many series have you, personally, heard good things about ten to twelve issues into the run, then went back and got the back issues and put it on your pull list?

And you're right, it isn't clear that the OGN format would do any better than the floppies. The one thing that is clear is that the monthly format isn't selling well, and gets worse all the time. I'm sure you remember the days when Spider-Man selling 125,000 copies was considered a slump. Now, it isn't even selling that number and its the number one or two book on the market. The format is on life support, and refusing to change something just because you don't know what will happen just means you're complacent in the downward spiral you already have. At some point risks are going to have to be taken, because the audience that comics have for monthly releases isn't growing, and has little room for growth. If a string of box office smash hits starring your characters can't drum up even a little bit of business, you need to start looking at your business model. And really, this is the perfect chance to do it, because the money being made off of the movies and licensing can float the publication arm while the transition into a new format.

[Cezar The Scribe]

Sorry but it is not a valid argument at all. Just because you don't like it doesn't make it a bad idea and just because you like floppies doesn't mean that the big two shouldn't swift. You are welcome to come with a real argument instead of one just based about how you feel.



It is not your fault but a business fault. If a series could survive. The problem (at least for DC) is that the trade is out so much later than the final issue. Image and Marvel's trades are more or less out along with the final issue of the trade.

The small press would mostly die out, if comics went to all trades.

Most comic shops would go out of business.

Trades don't open like a single issue does. They are stiffer.

Same applies to you.

Just because you don't like floppies doesn't mean they're a bad idea. In fact you've argued this won't even help sales of graphic novels:


Businesses are in the business of earning money. That's why they're businesses and not charities.

Good.

[Choos]

So one of the owners of my LCS and were reminiscing a couple of days ago about the old days (14 years ago) the TPB section was tiny with very little interest shown where now he told me it makes up half of their sales and growing.

Ongoing monthlies are only good if their are stories to tell, the decompression where nothing happens in an issue proves Marvel and DC don't actually have a game plan they are just fighting for survival.

Reading indy titles, manga (and some translated European comics) I really get enjoyment when they tell stories and then move on to something new rather than the constant self referencing followed by breaking of their own continuity.

Superman Earth One is a prime example of putting out stories when they are ready that are great for comic fans and first time reader alike, the price of it is high so I am sure DC are making good money off it but you don't mind spending since it is likely to be great.

I think this thread has basically convinced me to dump the monthly.

[Tupiaz]

The small press would mostly die out, if comics went to all trades.

Most comic shops would go out of business.

Trades don't open like a single issue does. They are stiffer.

Why would the press die out. They could easily be talking about new books. It is not like there wont be released new books every week (hell probably still every Wednesday). It just wouldn't be a floppy but collected stories.

Maybe Comic Book Shops will go out of business but that is better than the whole industry is collapsing and wont be any comics in the future. The comic shops have chosen a very narrow market and maybe it is time to branch out and make "Geek" stores more combine instead of just a gaming store, a tabletop store or a comic store. Maybe it is time to have those stores in one house or at least in same chain (that is at least done in Denmark and have always been done this way). Simply having a store focusing only on comic books is not going to work in the long run. As a business model it is also bad for the publisher since the narrow their products to these stores instead of getting them widespread. It was a big success and news story when Marvel got their books at Wallmart. They should have been there ages ago.

Will some of the culture die because of the comic book stores will go away or change. It is not like I hope that all the comic shops will go away or I hope the owners will lose money because of this. I however have I hard time see how the comic books will continue to be released if the system isn't changed.

[Choos]

Why would the press die out. They could easily be talking about new books. It is not like there wont be released new books every week (hell probably still every Wednesday). It just wouldn't be a floppy but collected stories.

Maybe Comic Book Shops will go out of business but that is better than the whole industry is collapsing and wont be any comics in the future. The comic shops have chosen a very narrow market and maybe it is time to branch out and make "Geek" stores more combine instead of just a gaming store, a tabletop store or a comic store. Maybe it is time to have those stores in one house or at least in same chain (that is at least done in Denmark and have always been done this way).

No way I would be moving my comic spend from a small business to a part of a corporation and unfortunately that would mean a lot of education into markets a lot of comic store owners have sniffed at for alongtime.

Simply having a store focusing only on comic books is not going to work in the long run. As a business model it is also bad for the publisher since the narrow their products to these stores instead of getting them widespread. It was a big success and news story when Marvel got their books at Wallmart. They should have been there ages ago.

Don't forget the publishers made the switch from newstand to direct sales sometime ago which has been the (ever shrinking) market since.

Will some of the culture die because of the comic book stores will go away or change. It is not like I hope that all the comic shops will go away or I hope the owners will lose money because of this. I however have I hard time see how the comic books will continue to be released if the system isn't changed.

Thats the crux of it really evolve or die.

[Tupiaz]

No way I would be moving my comic spend from a small business to a part of a corporation and unfortunately that would mean a lot of education into markets a lot of comic store owners have sniffed at for alongtime.

Don't forget the publishers made the switch from newstand to direct sales sometime ago which has been the (ever shrinking) market since.

Thats the crux of it really evolve or die.

You don't loose knowledge if the staff is knowledgeable. If you have a decent staff isn't a problem. Sure the store can feel like a cooperation but don't need to be. It is simply branching out within the same field. I know why the comic books was created to begin with however if you want to expand you need to change things.

[KabutoRyder]

Interesting topic.
I haven't bought comics regularly in years. Feels like every time you turn around there is an event happening where you need to buy X-number of books to keep up with it and two months after that event ends, another one comes along that retcons half of what just happened in the previous event. It's annoying and has turned me off of regular buying. Trying to get back into things, but not really digging what's going on within the books right now so I am not overly motivated.

Have seen in the past where books are held up or only 2 issues of a 4 issue series come out due to behind the scenes stuff going on and having the books more spread out could help with that, but I don't see it going that way.

[Tupiaz]

I thought that Peter Davids statement about the cancelled X-Factor title is rather interesting.

"All I did was write a book that got tons of positive write-ups," he continued. "Which I guess is enough to encourage people to buy it when it comes out in trades, oblivious to the fact that books get cancelled when you do that."

Whatever or not Marvel and DC should move their focus they are still tied to the usually business model.