Do floppies have a future?

[t hedge coke]

I think it comes down to a single issue, monthly market who are adamantly that. And, good for them, I guess. I went from being a kid who couldn't be sure of getting issues in successive months (money, travel, likelihood issue would still be at the gas station or book store when I was ready) to an adult who just doesn't care enough to keep track of release dates, but for a very loyal fanbase, it is the end all, be all. Comics come out in thin little magazines once a month on Wednesdays, and this should not be violated.

So, the monthly single issue will probably always have a niche appeal. Vinyl albums have a niche appeal. Certain genres. Kinds of shoes. So, that's cool. That's okeh.

The single issue monthly at its current price range and distribution numbers probably isn't very sustainable as the cornerstone of the American/English-language comics market, though.

The argument is not just physical vs digital. The OP mentions OGNs as a replacement for the monthly issues, which would lose a lot of that sense of waiting to see what happens next, even if the writer tried to put in suggested breaks. It is like TV shows, which traditionally have cliffhangers even within an episode right before the scheduled commercial break, and you wait the three minutes for the show to come back on, but if you watch it on disc you do not get that sense, and often you can notice it does not flow correctly. You would lose that natural waiting period with OGNs.

It's not actually "natural," though. It's designed that way for a purpose. Removing the purpose means that the talent would then have to also change the design, the same way an eighty page comic can't be paced the same way a two page or twenty page comic is paced. It'd be different, but different doesn't mean better or worse and even single issues, in general, are going to have a longer lifespan as parts of a collection at this point.

There's no reason an OGN couldn't end on a cliffhanger, though, especially knowing that another Superman story or whatever is coming in the future.

[FanboyStranger]

The argument is not just physical vs digital. The OP mentions OGNs as a replacement for the monthly issues, which would lose a lot of that sense of waiting to see what happens next, even if the writer tried to put in suggested breaks. It is like TV shows, which traditionally have cliffhangers even within an episode right before the scheduled commercial break, and you wait the three minutes for the show to come back on, but if you watch it on disc you do not get that sense, and often you can notice it does not flow correctly. You would lose that natural waiting period with OGNs.

I guess it depends on your definition of "natural waiting period". The breaks between the chapters of The Incal took years, but that didn't kill the suspense people had for what happens next. The break between 2000AD progs can be a week or it could be months before the serial reappears, but neither really seem to diminish anticipation for what happens next.

[FanboyStranger]

One area we really haven't discussed is advertising within comics. Ad sales do help revenue for the book and the publisher. There are any given number of ad pages within the average Big Two comic. In some ways, I think this is the major reason why monthly comics continue to hang on as the dominant format in the N American market-- there's still advertising revenue to be made on a monthly basis, and while the smaller publishers generally approach this differently (mostly house ads at the end of the book after the story), they keep with the format because it's time-tested. You lose that steady revenue with collections and OGNs, at least as they're presented now.

[colonyofcells]

Should be easy for graphic novels to include product placement advertising. The back of books can include some advertisements.
http://w7acaj3pge9exjlo.zippykid.net...adioShack6.jpg

[buffalorock]

I try to stay away from digital because to me there is no value. I don't own it and can't resell it or give it to a friend to borrow without some inconvenience. As long as most readers see there is more value in a physical good comics should survive as they are. That being said, I think the younger generation does not see it this way and will probably spell trouble down the road for floppies. I am not even that old and I see it with video games and music already. It is just easier for some people to download things than physically purchase them.

[t hedge coke]

I try to stay away from digital because to me there is no value. I don't own it and can't resell it or give it to a friend to borrow without some inconvenience.

I tend to buy digital, any more, mostly from Amazon. As long as I have a backup of the file, I can access it whenever I want, even if they for whatever reason took it down or changed it (Amazon occasionally fixes formatting errors, allows for more panel blow-ups, or corrects things that are corrected in the physical editions, like coloring mishaps). So, I do own a copy. If I want to lend it to someone, I can either give them access to my account, or I can just hand them my tablet. Far as I can tell, that's actually easier, then, to share, than a physical copy, since I can only share a physical copy by handing it to them, not also by letting them access it remotely on their computer.

Added to the reduction in paper usage and necessary physical storage space, that works out pretty well for me.

But, for someone who prefers paper, who prefers a physical artifact they can see in a longbox or on a shelf, then print's the way to go and that's cool. But, it's not a way that will be dominant, I'd think, for too much longer.

[buffalorock]

But, for someone who prefers paper, who prefers a physical artifact they can see in a longbox or on a shelf, then print's the way to go and that's cool. But, it's not a way that will be dominant, I'd think, for too much longer.

Yeah that is kind of what I was trying to get at. Soon people like me will be obsolete , but it is what it is. I was not trying to knock digital purchasers as I will probably be there myself one day(more than I am now, which is limited to Steam, GOG, PSN for the most part), to each their own. Until I get a tablet that I can see a whole page and not have to scroll to read a comic, I'll hold onto print. It doesn't make me any better,just different I guess.

[cranger]

I guess it depends on your definition of "natural waiting period". The breaks between the chapters of The Incal took years, but that didn't kill the suspense people had for what happens next. The break between 2000AD progs can be a week or it could be months before the serial reappears, but neither really seem to diminish anticipation for what happens next.

When I wrote natural I just meant that by the nature of monthlies there was a predictable break. Of course OGNs that continued on would have a break but it really would be different. This is not to say which is better but just that stories written for monthlies would be different than those written for OGNs and the difference is a matter of what makes comics enjoyable to some.

[Liquid]

My guess is in the future, all the land will be used to grow food so there won't be paper anymore for floppies. Maybe there will be edible floppies.

I support this idea.

[FanboyStranger]

Should be easy for graphic novels to include product placement advertising. The back of books can include some advertisements.
http://w7acaj3pge9exjlo.zippykid.net...adioShack6.jpg

They kinda do now, although it's mostly in-house advertising. To actually place ads within the story in a collection or OGN would be a radical change from the way they are put together now. I'm not sure how I'd feel about it. I mean, I know I wouldn't like it interfering with the story just like I don't like it in my monthly comics, but if I knew it were helping to make a more attractive format more affordable, I think I'd be able to live with it.

[FanboyStranger]

I try to stay away from digital because to me there is no value. I don't own it and can't resell it or give it to a friend to borrow without some inconvenience. As long as most readers see there is more value in a physical good comics should survive as they are. That being said, I think the younger generation does not see it this way and will probably spell trouble down the road for floppies. I am not even that old and I see it with video games and music already. It is just easier for some people to download things than physically purchase them.

I'm fairly ignorant when it comes to digital comics, so I have to ask: Can you print one copy for personal use (like you used to be able to burn a CD once), or is there some kind of restriction on that? Granted, it's sorta defeating the purpose of having the digital version of the comic, but I am curious about the interplay between formats (if there even is one).

[Billy Batson]

I'm fairly ignorant when it comes to digital comics, so I have to ask: Can you print one copy for personal use (like you used to be able to burn a CD once), or is there some kind of restriction on that? Granted, it's sorta defeating the purpose of having the digital version of the comic, but I am curious about the interplay between formats (if there even is one).

Yes and no. According to Image's digital comics policy you can print a copy for yourself but you can't share that print copy.

The Copyright Act grants five exclusive rights to copyright owners:

1. the right to reproduce the copyrighted work

2. the right to prepare derivative works based upon the work

3. the right to distribute copies of the work to the public

4. the right to perform the copyrighted work publicly

5. the right to display the copyrighted work publicly.

Image Comicss Digital Comic User Agreement tries to strike a balance between allowing you to enjoy digital comics without annoying DRM restrictions, while also protecting the rights of the creators whose hard work brings you the comics you love. Under the Agreement:

• You have a personal sublicense to display the copyrighted works in the digital media file that you purchase.

• You may make a copy of your digital comic for your own use onto any device.

• You may print a copy of your digital comic for your own offline enjoyment.

• You may share your digital comic by sharing a device on which you have loaded the comic. For example, by lending someone your Kindle. Image encourages you to share the goodness with your friends and family, or at least the ones you trust with your e-reader.

• You may not make copies of your digital comic—either the media file or print copies—to share with anyone else. For example, uploading the digital comic to a file-sharing site, emailing the file to others, or printing copies for friends (or strangers).

[Ascended]

I think floppies will stick around for a while longer because we fans are stubborn people set in our ways and there's seventy years of tradition behind the format.

But I think as we leave the hobby and new people replace us, the floppy will become less and less a standard and end up a niche market within the niche comics market.

Digital is the language Generation Y speaks. There's no worries about storage, there's no concern about availability. You dont need to wait for time off from work or school then fight traffic across town to get to your LCS. You can wake up in the morning and get all your comics while you make coffee. I buy about 40% of my titles digitally and if it werent for LCS loyalty and my wife's preference for print, I'd be full digital.

If I had to guess, I'd say digital weeklies will become the norm, and those will be collected and sold in trade format at bookstores, hobby shops, and places like Amazon. Buying incentives (pre-order the next trade, download the digital copies for free so you dont have to wait, or buy a hoodie and get a month's worth of digital issues free) will become a major source of cross-revenue and advertising. Web ads between scenes (like you get with Hulu) will be something we can complain about, possibly with the option of buying a membership and getting rid of those ads (somewhat akin to Marvel Unlimited).

Comic shops will have to focus on trades and merchandise, rather than single issue floppies.

Honestly, it's how I'd do it.

[Jim Kelly]

A fellow Canadian once said "The medium is the message." Meaning that the form a message is sent in tells us what import that message has or had. If the Romans carved messages in stone it meant they wanted those messages to last through the ages--they attached some special meaning of import to those messages--but the message was static, you had to come to that monument to see the messsage. If the Romans wrote on papyrus it meant that the message was disposable, but easily transportable--they valued the speed of transporting the message over its permanence.

Newsprint comics were disposable culture but easily traded and shared by the masses. Upgrading to better paper stock meant that comics could last a lot longer and retain their original condition, with little browning or tearing--yet their print runs were smaller and their prices higher--so the message was that these comics are only for the secret society of comic book readers who understand the codes of our culture. Slabbed comics send the message that only those rich and powerful enough may access these secrets. Digital is easily disposable but very quickly broadcast to a near limitless number of viewers.

An individual digital comic might have no future--so long as it stays only in digital form. Its continued existence relies on enough people sharing the digital images and copying to other platforms--or printings in book form (another medium). Many of the great works that Romans wrote on papyrus are lost to time--only those works that were copied over and over, because people thought those words had special meaning, managed to survive into the modern era.