Is it true that the Comics industry is dying? If its true then

I think that'll take a long time but eventually yes

>>79835078
Possibly.
Marvel and DC will always be around since they're owned by Disney and WB, but the other companies may be in big trouble. They'd definitely need to rethink their strategies.

>>79835078
The Direct Market is dying. The comics industry as a whole is doing fine though. Not great, but fine.

>>79835078
If they keep hiring more and more tumblr tier artists and bad writers, then yes the market will die.

>>79835136
>The Direct Market is dying.
The sooner the better. Diamond is the cancer rotting the industry.

The monthly format is shit imo.

17 pages of content every 30 days? Singles are a joke.

>>79835078
Fuck floppies holding everything back.

>>79835372
This. They should just release a trade every 3 months.

>>79835078
not sure.

Floppies as they are now going extinct is inevitable, not sure when though.

maybe some kind of digest/anthology or they'll just do TPBs.

Digital seems like the natural choice but I never see any hard evidence saying digital sales are consistently awesome and companies refusal to release sales numbers diminishes my faith in the digital market.

>>79835412
They should do digital only floppies.

>>79835412
They should hire Chinese (or Malaysian, whoever the cheapest nowadays) artists and release 20 pages every week. Young writers will be able to keep up with this.

>>79835525
>Digital seems like the natural choice but I never see any hard evidence saying digital sales are consistently awesome and companies refusal to release sales numbers diminishes my faith in the digital market.

Man if only there was a reason for people to buy digital over floppies, like say if digital was cheaper and not priced the same.

>>79835584
Yeah I don't see that working out when it comes to US comic companies.

>>79835193
the industry was dying way before then

>>79835372
>>79835412
Most writers out there are just writing for the trade or TV/film pitch, anyway. Before floppies can die, the LCS has to die, which won't be so hard on account of all the shitty business practices they use, like over-ordering for incentive variant garbage. Monthly sales figures can't even be trusted, because they don't account for the floppies that an LCS don't sell, which end up in a dollar bin. To pretend that floppies are selling more than in recent years is dubious, at best.

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>>79835078

God, I wish. Just let it all collapse so that something new can be built from the ashes. Somebody pull the damn plug already.

>>79835718
>Most writers out there are just writing for the trade or TV/film pitch.

I want to know Millar's method because god damn all his comics are just movie pitches.

You created this wall garden, /co/. I can't even begin to read comics because you made it impossible for the casual fan to read anything.

You can't just walk in and buy Spider Man anymore. There's so many fucking spin-offs, alternate universes, it's a mess. This is why TV does so well. Arrow is straight forward - four seasons. That's it. I don't have to worry about bullshit alternate versions of the show that I'm not sure are even canon or not.

>>79835943
>You can't just walk in and buy Spider Man anymore.

Buy trades, hcs and omnis. Problem solved.

>>79835994
Not really. Bought a number one of some shit, but it started out CONTINUING from something else.

It's fucking ridiculous.

>>79835078
>dying
It will never just die and that is the problem.

On the creative side you have stagnation or updating things will silly new themes.

On the industry side you have Diamond, floppies, variants and all the other business practices.

Even if we get more webcomics and what not it won't fix the problems.

>>79835078
Comic books are just meme-farms these days

No, they're doing way, way better than a decade ago. It's not a hugely popular medium, but anyone spelling doomsday words and comparing the industry to it's heyday or other mediums is either stupid or new to the hobby, probably both.

>>79835943
>>79836027
Yeah i hate that too i can't fully enjoy a single comic because of all that bullshit

>>79835525
Why not just do digital floppies and sell trades right when they finish an arc?

Save money printing so many floppies and only print for trades.

>>79836115
That's what I think is so funny.
The biggest selling comic last year was the Star Wars #1, which sold just under a million copies according to comichron.
So let's be generous, rounding up to a million issues sold at $5 a piece is $5,000,000. Which to Disney, is FUCKING NOTHING.
At this point, Disney should just be writing this shit off for tax breaks and giving away all comic books for free. They only use these books for character licenses for movies anyways, and even the most mediocre film brings in exponentially more money than even the best selling comics.

What if they adapted the youro standard? Release direct to trade instead of singles every month or more if delays. Allow people to make self-contained stories, so if two guys want to do a Superman story they can without worrying about canon or keeping in check with anoter 30 titles

>>79835827
All of his comic movies at least broke even, so the pitches get easier to approve with producers, it's like a snowball. His style is also very "action movie like", going on a simple A to B, using relatable characters with big widescreen setpieces interspersed with slow, cheap expository talking bits.

>>79836223
Because that'll kill the LCS
:^)

>>79836211
>>79835943
Look, if you hate reading and love cheap CW shows like Supernatural, you can just say it. Why lie through the internet?

While I weep for someone completely oblivious to the industry just barging in a LCS and picking up a random floppy, you guys can get quick, easy recommendations on /co/ anytime on any character, so there's really NO excuse.

>>79835078
>the Comics industry
I guess you mean the AMERICAN comics industry? (sequential art is doing just fine in other parts of the world) Well, it isn't really doing that bad actually. But even if the way we think about the US comics industry changes (marvel/DC publishing mainly super heroes), there's always going to be a market for comics as an art medium. Rememer that, even though movies exist and sell millions, that doesn't mean theater and opera don't exist anymore

>>79836223
Well we'll see how that does for two of DC's digital minis. It's a Supergirl mini and an Arrow mini. There aren't any floppies and it just goes straight to trade after it's done digitally.

Though the normal digital titles do okay, usually 10-15k in print floppies and sometimes the last 4-6 issues don't even get a trade. And if all the issues are in a trade, there's usually not more than 20 issues and 4 trades.
Except for Injustice. That thing is a beast that has TPBs and HCs.

>>79836257
No one keeps checking up with 30 titles, just read what you like.

>>79836348
While true, I'd say the issue is that the average comic book reader isn't on /co/, nor do they really have immediate access to those resources.
Comics are a shitshow for barriers of entry.
If you want to watch a tv show, you just go to Netflix and start at the beginning. If you want to read a book, you find the first one and start reading. Comics just have so many possible jumping on points, that it can be difficult to really figure out where to start.
Just throwing them into the deep end with information is overwhelming, and can easily turn somebody off of the whole experience.

>>79836348
But that doesn't help the industry as a whole. You shouldn't NEED to research anything to find what you're looking for. With other mediums, it's a matter of picking out a movie/book from your favorite genre/author/director/actor. Not so simple with comics. Got a favorite character? Great! You can't just waltz in and grab whatever. You gotta research a "starting point". It's stupid.

This industry has become a walled garden. Period. It's a secret club to enthusiast only that deters "normies". That's why it's dying. There's not enough money being made because this audience is too small.

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This is why the manga industry is superior.

>>79836458
>>79836468
Yes, that's why I was talking to those two specific anons, and not the whole industry, I even weeped for the whole industry.

>>79836468
But you're completely wrong newfriend, you don't need to research shit, just pick up a fresh run on a character you like by a new writer. Do you want any recommendations?

>>79836522
Bingo.

>>79835078
Nah. Marvel and DC are losing an unknown amount of readerbase because their comics have been feeling really cheap in many aspects. We can argue it doesn't even matter if they lose profit at this point.

Personally, while I'd love to see the american industry change, I think the big two will rebound easily from this

At the very worst, they just let Image and we have a big 3, assuming The Walking Dead continues indefinitely.

I have no idea about the future of the physical and floppy market. People here like to claim it's dying but nothing has convinced me so far

>>79836522
Because cheep paper, no colors, and slave labour working hours?

>>79836665
Rebound from what? The big two and the "independents" are doing way better than they were doing a decade ago, even when you just count floppies and ignore the additional market of omnibs, TPBs and digital copies.

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>>79836668

Yes.

That, and a given story and its characters are all written by the same person instead of being passed around between people with very different writing styles and accompanied by very different art, where the same character might act wildly differently depending on who is at the reins and whether they like or hate that character, or if they even know jack shit about the character they're writing to begin with. Look up a genre, find something that seems interesting, start off at volume 1.

I still enjoy Western comics, but it's not hard to see why so many people seem to have latched onto manga as an alternative; it's much easier to break into.

>>79836665
>Marvel and DC are losing an unknown amount of readerbase
The people who are mad about Marvel and DC are being replaced by complacent people who don't care. Comic sales are up and to the right. Bottom line.
The only worthwhile discussion is whether or not this is legitimate growth, or just a bubble ready to pop once super heroes are no longer vogue.

>>79836745
"Marvel and DC are losing an unknown amount of readerbase because their comics have been feeling really cheap in many aspects. We can argue it doesn't even matter if they lose profit at this point."

We don't know how much, it might be 1% or 10%, but they are losing something. If you ask me, it's not really hurting them

>>79836533

He's not wrong at all. Also

>just pick up a fresh run on a character you like by a new writer.

Is a fantastic way to encounter a shit run that may or may not have been building on previous runs.

>>79836861
It's the whole breadth and depth of genres that impress me about manga/anime.
I'm surprised Marvel and DC aren't trying to tap into these markets.

>implying people actually read more digital books/comics than physical
no. fuck what everybody else said. the first world has the means to do it this instant, if it was going to happen it would already be done

>>79836962
This. Theres just so much you can do with the super hero genre and it dominating the medium created the myth that comics are for kids/teen nerds. In japan people of every age can find a comic for them.

>>79837122
>and it dominating the medium created the myth that comics are for kids/teen nerds
You need to do more research on the CCA

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>>79836962

I don't think they really understand why people are drawn to anime and manga over western comics and cartoons to begin with. To them it's likely more of a superficial thing, where they think people are attracted to the stereotypical style of it, rather than the fact that you can find stories about god damn near everything.

>>79836861
>>79836962
>>79837122
Just like eurocomics.

>>79837171

Yeah, pretty much.

>>79837203
Then I'm in luck because I don't care much for manga but I'm quite interested in eurocomics nowadays. Yay!

>>79837231

I think the problem I've noticed, living in America, is that it's far easier to get one's hands on either stuff from the Big Two or from Japan than it is to get a lot of the currently running Eurocomics. That's just my experience though, it might be different in other parts of the country.

>>79837161
well if that happened and created such an stigma on an art form is because america's own stupidity.

>>79835078

Basically, DC and Marvel now are holding chambers for IP's, so they will publish stuff as long as those IP's are still worth it.

Comic stores will die as less and less people go to floppies.

Indie creators will be out in the cold without the direct market and probably go to make hipster webcomics or FUND MY PATREON .

>>79837231
>I don't care much for manga
I was just like you. I used to think all manga was shonen/shoujo shit. There so much cool stuff though, I'm really glad i tried it.

>>79837289
Yeah, it sucks. There are publishers like Cinebook and scanlators, but they're either very famous series or creators (Smurfs, Moebius and such), or comics that are easier to sell to the US crowd (western, thriller, space operas etc.).

>>79837289
It absolutely is for me as well, but I'm in an area of California that has a very high asian population so I figured that was the reason

>>79836292
>Because that'll kill the LCS
Marvel would go bankrupt without all those overordered #1s and variant covers.

>>79835078
probably a jump in classic issues.
reprints in novel form. and probably a raid on different sites that have comics 'stored'

>>79837357
The Japanese order of pages and the decompression kill my interest, mostly. That, and the impression that the style is always the same.

>>79837393

I'm on the exact opposite side of the country from you, so it's definitely not just a case of proximity.

>>79835943
>>79836027
Marvel and DC are basically greedy and retarded.
>more memes and characters using social media, the kids love memes and twitter
>moar spinoffs, moar sales!
>relauch books every year 420, #1s get more sales!!!1
>more epic events, they get sales!
>more events that continue in a different book every week, people will buy more comics!

>>79835078

I could see a future where instead of single issues, we just get trades in like 5-10 chapters wherein each chapter is the length of your standard issue

People are still buying trades

It would take longer for them to come out, and they might have to have more artists on board to do it, but I wouldn't mind this

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>>79837501
>>more memes and characters using social media, the kids love memes and twitter

this is real

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>>79837543

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What is this "comic industry" everyone keeps talking about?

I hope you're not referring to just two specific companies can't be claimed to make up the whole comic industry even in a single country like the US.

>>79837562

Spider-Man is literally me right now.

>>79837562
>>79837543
>>79837501
Also, Nu52 Teen Titans using Chirper.

>>79837564

Because Image and Dark Horse make up 70 percent of the market, am I right?

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>>79835078
>Is it true that the Comics industry is dying?
The North-American industry is
>If its true then what is going to happen?
Indiefags will say that the industry will be freed of the capeshit monopoly, but I honestly think a manga takeover is much more likely
full Webcomics or what?
Nah, completly unsustainable and too relaying on the good grace of your audience.

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>>79837599
>>79837599


Epic Fail!

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>>79837639

>>79837639
>>79837599
I just facepalmed.

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>>79837610

Faux social networking sites are a honored tradition, though.

Young Avengers mentioning Game of Thrones was a meme.

Even if the industry crashes, Marvel and DC will never go away. So look at all the smaller companies to fold, and for much scrambling by the remaining companies.

>>79835943
You can read comics fine, just avoid big 2 capes.

>>79837656
In some years no one will know what that is I never knew what it was, in fact

>>79837694
The more you know.

>>79836861
Again, creator-owned comics don't have that problem.

>>79837619

Is the manga industry that much better? I imagine the online piracy actually hurts quite a bit.

>>79837501
>>more events that continue in a different book every week, people will buy more comics!

i hate this shit if i want to read superman i shouldn't have to read action comics and superman/wonder woman to fond out what happens in the current arc

>>79837784
No because manga is so cheap, they don't care. The ease of purchase is just too good.
Most people just throw their books away when they're done reading them.

>>79837719

How many of these do you remember after five years?

https://youtu.be/mghhLqu31cQ

The bad thing about faux Tweets/tumblrs is that no teen uses Twitter anymore. It's all old people.

>>79837697
The distinction is that the major publishing companies will just eventually phase out comics in favor of alternative media forms while the rest of the industry will prosper offshore (read, not NA) or without publishers at all.

I imagine after a decade or so of no publishers someone will show up start a publishing company for all the indie comic makers who are bleeding money and we'll repeat the cycle again.
>>79837784
For the consumer it is.

>>79837821

Also, mangaka work to death, for pennies. And there's no artist or inker or letterer to pay.

It's totally different system.

>>79837857
Marvel and DC need comics to keep their character rights in place until they can make a movie out of them and make a couple hundred million from them. I don't think Marvel and DC will ever go away at this point.

We just had this thread yesterday.

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>>79837784
>>79837821
Online piracy is really only a problem in the American market, but not even that bad of a problem, mostly due to the low production cost and the strong fanbases some series have in the USA (there is a strong spirit of wanting to "support the localization")

In Japan, things are a little different, there people will activily try to stop bigger specialized piracy sites like they do in the US. If the japanese companies just decided to also try going after the bigger sites like they do in Japan, they would increase sells, but get a lot of negative blacklash, but the localization companies have already kind of started going after certain sites like Mangafox and Batoto, usually to a lighter effect so as to not piss off fans, they know that most manga fandom comes from fan-translation culture.

>>79836358
I don't think the people seeing a typical movie give a rats ass about theater and opera.

>>79837562
>the game

calling it now the guy behind these covers is a 4channer

>>79837784
It's a completely different system. The artists work insane deadlines just for pennies. Most manga are originally published in cheap huge weekly magazines that carry a lot of advertising. Finally, since it's a creator owned centred industry, if a series does good, the creators could make a decent living out of the merchandising, TPBs and anime/movie adaptations.

>>79838025
Yes, but there is still people that care about those art forms, that's why they still exist. Even if comics stop being a massive medium (which I doubt) there will be people interested in reading sequential art.

>>79836358
>there's always going to be a market for comics as an art medium
There really isn't even much of a market for that NOW though. Sure, it's there, but it isn't really thriving.
And comparing theater/opera to movies and cape books to comics is retarded. You can't just jump mediums like that.

Comics will die when books die.

>>79838133
>4channer knowingly uses outdated memes to troll everyone

>>79838297
Books are dying.
Newspapers are dying.
Print is dying.

>>79838186
What's retarded is OP saying that because cape comics are "doing bad (they aren't), the whole comics industry is gonna die, that's just not gonna happen.
>>79838297
Not happening either. If books were to die, they would have died already.

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>>79838161

The actual money is coming from ronery nerds buying lots of figures and body pillows in a lot of cases.

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>>79838322

DANKE MEMES LIVE ON

>>79838348

isn't that the same motherfucker from /sp/ who got arrested for bomb threats?

>>79835584
>Young writers will be able to keep up with this.
They also burn out and kill themselves at an alarming rate.

>>79838328
Yes, sales are up. Only time will tell if those sales will keep though. I don't have much faith in the kinds of consumers that Marvel/DC are courting to be long time investors.
>If books were to die, they would have died already.
I disagree. More and more people are just buying digital books now. Library attendance has been declining for years. It only takes time for the technology to spread out to enough people.

>>79838315
I don't remember the game being popular outside 4chan

He also did dubs

>>79838461
>I disagree. More and more people are just buying digital books now.
Digital books are still books, dude.

>>79837438
You must be retarded.

>>79838467

I vaguely remember it showing up in Facebook in 2008-2009 when I started posting here. So yeah, it is reasonably mainstream

>>79838467
>>79838609
My entire grade was saying it all the time during my freshman year of high school.

>>79835078
That's right, it's dying and the crash is right around the corner. Right alongside video games. Yeah it didn't happen the last time we said it would. Or the time before that, or the time before that or the time before that or the time before that, or the time before that, or the time before that, or the time before that or the time before that.

But this time for sure.

>>79835193
this

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>>79836962
They did. Like most things, bad business killed it.

>>79838805
My grad year ceremony slideshow had a slide saying everyone was in the game now and how to play. Also there was a bunch of obnoxious drama class faggots who'd constantly spout off about it like it was the best thing. They'd always say "oh but you have to be playing the game! You can't just not play it" No fuck you. Your game is for faggots

>>79841679
Except Romita was on Daredevil. This guy is retarded.

>>79835319

This is right. They should have gone bi weekly with rotating artists decades ago. Flooding the Market with 70 titles, 5o of which will be selling around 20,000 by issue 3 is lunacy when you could release 35 at higher consistent sales

>>79842289
Yeah, just do the ones that really sell, squeeze more characters into every title (kinda like movies and cartoons do) and if a side character gets popular, maybe give them a one shot side story in the same book. Also fucking let the creators give the character closure... maybe years later do new stories only if somebody has a realy good idea for a sequel or a remake.

>>79837917
>>79838161

Where do you guys get the idea that manga artists get paid like shit? Low level animators get paid like shit, anime isn't manga and I think many people confuse the two.

Manga artist get paid per page and even more for color pages.

it's dying in the USA but it's growing everywhere else. capeshit is literally a lethal cancer.