Can creator owned comics save the comics industry?

[AmiMizuno]

http://techgnotic.deviantart.com/jou...mics-530162469

[colonyofcells]

Creator owned graphic novels will probably save the comics industry. Maybe one day will we see graphic novels as popular as harry potter novels and percy jackson novels.

[FanboyStranger]

We have seen that creator-owned books have been the steady growth segment for the N American industry in the past few years. However, it is useful to point out that what the article is arguing is already going on at DC with Vertigo and at Marvel to a lesser extent with Icon. Also, as we've been discussing in the Doom Patrol thread, DC did experiment with creator-participation contracts in the '90s, and for the most part, few of the characters stuck around, barring Jack Knight and Hitman. I don't think the returns were worth the rights sharing in DC's eyes.

The unspoken element of this-- and this is a major sticking point-- is that fans seem reluctant to try things that aren't familiar in this conservative market. You hear about the great sales for Image creator-owned books, but what you see on most of them is excellent numbers on the first issue, then mediocre numbers as the series continues, some of them lower than both Marvel's and DC's cancellation points. It isn't a matter of quality, either-- if people were truly looking for DC's best superhero book, they'd be picking up Astro City, but it's not in-universe and sells around 20,000 copies monthly. Most fans seem to be looking for the same things they've always read in the books they buy, not trying something new. It's not something people want to hear, but it's born out by the sales charts.

[ed2962]

There also needs to be better incentives for creators to bring new concepts to companies. And some way to get actual comic books into the hands of the general audience, not just getting them to buy the movies and video games.

[superduperman]

I think there are a number of issues with OGNs and one of them is the fact that book stores are also in trouble. Physical print media, along with everything connected to it, doesn't have a bright future. One of the things that irks me nowadays about graphic novels is they all come wrapped in plastic so you can't read them in the stores. Even though that's usually how I decide if I like a book or not. That's what got me into the Earth One series. Getting to read the first volume in the store before buying. I think technology is the biggest problem the industry faces these days. What might happen is you end up with webcomics that find an audience and then a collected edition is put out. Yes, I think creator owned material is the future but I think that switching to things the Earth One format might be the only way to save the "big two" as it were. Ten years form now, OGNs will be the norm and floppies harder and harder to come by.

[gurkle]

Creator-owned comics have certainly helped the industry in the last few years by helping to break the stranglehold of superheroes. It's easier now for a writer to do a successful comic that isn't about capes and masks.

On the other hand, most of these comics are not going to spin off famous characters. Not just because the characters will cease to exist when the creator stops doing the comic, but because a lot of these comics are more concept-driven than character-driven. And because they are creator-owned, you're not going to get what happens in corporate comics, where multiple writers work on a character and expand him beyond what he originally was supposed to be.

There's no reason creator-owned work can't produce iconic characters - think of Sherlock Holmes or James Bond. But it might take some time to get there.

[mathew101281]

Not only can it, I'd argue it must. Marvel and DC aren't in the new ideas business anymore they are merely IP maintainers for WB and Disney.

[Lee Stone]

I would say so.
Walking Dead and Saga are two of the biggest sellers.

DC and Marvel have become IP farms with their characters limited in growth. If they grow too far, they have to start them over.
And new characters at DC and Marvel are scarce. Probably a combination of creators wanting to save any new characters for themselves and DC/Marvel being cautious about creators claiming ownership of any work for hire creations.

[Godlike13]

As long as its a creative mining ground for billing dollar movies and hit Tv shows the comic industry isn't going anywhere.

[t hedge coke]

Seems like the rest of the world does just fine with primarily creator-owned publications. Or, at least strong participation rights. So, the English language comics could follow suit, yes.

[Dr. Cheesesteak]

Can anyone enlighten me and define "save the comic industry"?

edit: yes, I read the article. Wanting sales #'s from 30-50 years ago and the creative freedom manga allows are great. Still not sure what needs "saving", though.

[Rod G]

I recall Sovereign 7, a title I enjoyed reading. Chris Claremont owns S7, not DC.

[GlennSimpson]

Can anyone enlighten me and define "save the comic industry"?

edit: yes, I read the article. Wanting sales #'s from 30-50 years ago and the creative freedom manga allows are great. Still not sure what needs "saving", though.

I'd say overall sales levels are still not sufficient to feel totally confident that some exec at DC or Marvel couldn't decide that the publishing division isn't worth maintaining. DC or Marvel goes down, most likely the comics shops go down. Then you're pretty much down to webcomics and reprints in bookstores.

Maybe that's wrong, maybe it's not. But while I don't know that I agree with everything in the article, the notion that we'd all be better off with higher overall sales is one I can agree with.

[HsssH]

The unspoken element of this-- and this is a major sticking point-- is that fans seem reluctant to try things that aren't familiar in this conservative market. You hear about the great sales for Image creator-owned books, but what you see on most of them is excellent numbers on the first issue, then mediocre numbers as the series continues, some of them lower than both Marvel's and DC's cancellation points. It isn't a matter of quality, either-- if people were truly looking for DC's best superhero book, they'd be picking up Astro City, but it's not in-universe and sells around 20,000 copies monthly. Most fans seem to be looking for the same things they've always read in the books they buy, not trying something new. It's not something people want to hear, but it's born out by the sales charts.

It has dropped a lot and Astro City #21 sold around 11,500 copies... Perfect example of quality of the work having very little to do with actual sales.

[RobinFan4880]

DC and Marvel will never get rid of their comics divisions. The print side, maybe, but not the comics division. It is just too economical to pay a few people a few hundred dollars to create a comic that stars many of the lesser known, less beloved characters so that the companies can maintain control over the characters.

Indy Comics are going to become more and more important in the future. We are still a long way away from them being the third tent pole of the comics industry.