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Drew Spence
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 February 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 229
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| Posted: 15 August 2017 at 4:47am | IP Logged | 1
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This popped up this morning....
Original link:
http://thekingdominsider.com/will-disney-stop-publishing-mar vel-comic-books/
Would the Walt Disney Company ever pull the plug on Marvel’s comic publishing business? It sounds far-fetched, but it could be a possibility if you read the tea leaves. A Little Background on the American Comic Book Market…Ever since Disney purchased Marvel in 2009, the internet has been abuzz with rampant speculation of how the Marvel movies might ultimately kill off the comic book industry for good. While I don’t think comics will ever truly die, I do see them being relegated to ancillary merchandise by the mighty corporate powers who basically control the comic book industry — Disney and Time Warner.
Known as “The Big Two” to comics fans, Marvel and DC Comics account for the vast majority of comic book sales in the United States. DC Comics is owned by Time Warner and Marvel Comics, of course is owned by Disney. Long gone are the days when most people bought comics at the drug store or spinner rack at the neighborhood 7-11. Most monthly comic book sales in the United States are sold through the “Direct Market.” That is, they’re sold through independently owned comic book specialty shops who order their books from one distributor — Diamond. And those shops haven’t been doing so hot these says. Besides, it’s hard for many potential buyers to even locate a comic book shop. Many people do not have access to them or the desire to seek out a specialty store to buy 24-32 page magazines at $4.00 a pop in 2017. So the comic shop crowd is often made up of diehards — a social group which can be intimidating for newer, casual readers to crack. The lack of convenience, high prices and insular culture has led to (in my opinion) the decline of the comic shop, and by extension the decline of the American comic book industry. It didn’t happen overnight, but it’s been a slow death that’s been hastened by the digital age. ---------- Article continues http://thekingdominsider.com/will-disney-stop-publishing-mar vel-comic-books/
Edited by Drew Spence on 15 August 2017 at 5:36am
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Robbie Parry
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007
Location: United Kingdom
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| Posted: 15 August 2017 at 4:59am | IP Logged | 2
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Link is dead. Tried both of them. Page not found.
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Petter Myhr Ness
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 02 July 2009
Location: Norway
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| Posted: 15 August 2017 at 5:13am | IP Logged | 3
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Alternative link:
LINK
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Robbie Parry
Byrne Robotics Member
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| Posted: 15 August 2017 at 5:35am | IP Logged | 4
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Thanks, Peter.
I wouldn't be surprised if comics became more niche. Not saying I am happy with that, of course.
To be honest, I'm wondering, with very few standalone tales published now by the Big Two (yes, there are exceptions, i.e. SCOOBY-DOO TEAM-UP), I wouldn't be surprised if they just sold complete stories in TPBs eventually. I could be wrong.
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Drew Spence
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 February 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 229
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| Posted: 15 August 2017 at 5:42am | IP Logged | 5
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If EVERYTHING in print is going the way of music....
Articles --> blogs
Newspapers --> Websites
Magazines --> eZines
Comics --> Webcomics
Worse yet, is the branding lean where MOVIES become the leader.....
I know lots of people who only know the movie version of the characters.
And don't care about any other version or switching of roles or history....
I think X-Men was the first time I cared and nobody else did....
I was like "Rogue?, what is she doing here so soon..? where's Kitty...no wait...Ice-man is a kid?" was very confused at first, but no one seemed to care. So it worked out just fine.
And also the opposite. I never read Green Lantern so I thought it was a good movie. Kinda liked it. EVERYBODY lost their mind at the butchery.
Sometimes NOT being tied to a history could work too.
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Mario Ribeiro
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 18 June 2016
Location: Brazil
Posts: 474
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| Posted: 15 August 2017 at 6:19am | IP Logged | 6
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Comic Books Resource, really? Argh. And there's no inside information, of course. No new facts.
Licensing is a possibility. So is TPB only instead of monthly comics, or digital only instead of print.
Or nothing happens and it will all stays the same. Who knows? I seriously doubt that comics featuring Marvel characters will completely disappear in my lifetime.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
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| Posted: 15 August 2017 at 7:18am | IP Logged | 7
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For years the conventional thinking has been that the big companies which acquire comics publishers -- Disney in the case of Marvel, Warner Bros in the case of DC -- would continue the printed material as a form of R&D. But have we really seen much of that? And today, when the movies themselves are far more successful than the comics, is it even really practical to "test" characters in a tiny niche market?Makes more sense to bring in new ideas in supporting roles in the movies, and get an immediate response.
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Robbie Parry
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| Posted: 15 August 2017 at 7:33am | IP Logged | 8
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How likely and practical is a TPB-only industry?
I do buy monthly books if I enjoy them, but there are times it makes sense to wait for the trade. I know that mindset is flawed - if we all do that forever, then monthly comics will cease to exist, but at the same time, I don't want a monthly first issue filled with "talking heads" and which is part of a six-issue arc.
Edited by Robbie Parry on 15 August 2017 at 7:34am
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
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| Posted: 15 August 2017 at 7:44am | IP Logged | 9
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How likely and practical is a TPB-only industry?•• How many artists and writers would be able to do it?
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Robbie Parry
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| Posted: 15 August 2017 at 7:49am | IP Logged | 10
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Yeah, good point. It'd take "growing roses" to a whole, new level for some, I guess.
"Sorry, but the TPB that was due in 2018 should arrive in 2020..."
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Eric Jansen
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| Posted: 15 August 2017 at 8:16am | IP Logged | 11
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If Disney stops publishing Marvel Comics, then DC (and Warners) "wins" after a battle of over 50 years, and vice versa. If nothing else, it would look bad for either parent company. (Can you imagine the horrible publicity if SUPERMAN or BATMAN ever got cancelled?)
If either or both of the Big Two stop publishing, then the Indies take over. It could tip the scales and the next billion dollar movie could be based on some book selling 10,000 copies. It's all about the buzz. Do you think SUICIDE SQUAD or GOTHAM CITY SIRENS would ever get a movie if the comics didn't grab someone's attention?
People complain about the movie studios always remaking some classic movie or TV show (that some exec had a lunch box of). That's cause the movie biz is notoriously impressionable. They will always need something to "steal."
That's not to say that neither of the Big Two will stop publishing, just that it would be stupid to do so. Once Harvey went out of business, did any studio ever care about making another CASPER or RICHIE RICH movie?
It could actually be interesting if the Big Two DID stop publishing though. People like Image, Dark Horse, Dynamite, and IDW might grow exponentially to fill the void. Dynamite might be able to hire the top talent and suddenly things like DOC SAVAGE, THE SHADOW, and GREEN HORNET might be big deals again...and then the billion dollar movies might be about them.
Edited by Eric Jansen on 15 August 2017 at 8:17am
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Joe Zhang
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| Posted: 15 August 2017 at 9:48am | IP Logged | 12
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I doubt Disney would shut down Marvel's publishing altogether. To do so would turn a hundred thousand placid, merchandise-gobbling fans into Disney-hating maniacs. Curiously, Marvel themselves jettisoning their few remaining readers, having deemed their current product too good for mass consumption. Glancing at Comichron, the average sales for their titles is probably around 20,000 ... cancellation territory. Which actually gives Disney a lot of latitude to shake up Marvel, because there won't be any fans left to be upset with changes.
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