I'm going, once again, to say some things most people in the industry would prefer weren't said. The title alone indicates that I'm something of a "purist" - or so I've been told - but I don't think that's completely true; I'm not the only one who has said this, I'm just one of the few who is still saying it - loudly, clearly, and definitely.
But not defiantly; I love comic books and I'm saying these things in defense of the form and medium. I know there are real people in the industry and those people need to make money to survive. I'm not against creators being paid for their work - I'm 100% for it! Hell, that's my dream: To be paid a living wage to write and draw and create. Why would I shit where I'd like to eat?
But I digress...
Comic books were never meant to be mainstream entertainment - at least not the medium itself. Print comic books were always a cheap form of entertainment. That's what they were created to be, and that's what they should be. That's not to say there can't be higher art in the medium, just that the medium itself does not always have to be higher art.
The comics we get these days are what were once called "prestige." If comic books were still newsprint, they would be cheaper, and more kids could afford them. That would bring in more younger readers, which is one of the biggest complaints creators in the industry have these days. I don't have kids, so I don't know from nothing, but I would imagine a weekly allowance is probably around $10-20.00 these days. Kids are going to save that for video games, spend it on things they like online, and so forth. If comics were cheaper, they'd be in that pool.
Kids are attracted to superheroes and comic books, period. They simply can't afford comic books these days. Period.
The comic book companies can't argue that they are making money hand over fist through movies and video games, not to mention licensing deals in other arenas. Comic books do not need to compete with TV and feature films, video games and the Internet; they are their own thing and should go back to being exactly that.
Comic Con physically illustrates everything that has happened to the comic book industry itself, and I don't think I'm a purist - nor the only one - when I say that Comic Con has become too mainstream, too acceptable to the masses. Again, I don't begrudge the organizers, whom I sincerely hope are making good money on the events; I am simply saying that it has morphed into something it never was and was never meant to support.
Not every panel needs to be about The Next BIG THING; not every issue needs to be the FINAL ISSUE or a #1. The way to sell comics is to tell a serialized story about characters readers care for and price it accordingly. Comic books are an alternative to video games and TV and movies; if people want to see the movie or play the video game, they can; comic book readers enjoy the medium.
So drop the gimmicks and drop the price, and for goodness' sake drop the pretense! Make good stories with solid characters and sell them at an affordable price and people will buy them. Stop fighting the Internet and worrying about piracy and put your collective head into your work!
I buy about $50.00 worth of comic books every month, and will continue to do so as long as I can afford to do so, but I'm dropping titles left and right because I'm tired of the bullshit. The stories simply aren't there; the characters simply aren't relatable or believable; and I've got three or four #1 issues of the same titles from the last five years. None of them are worth more than their cover price, nor do I think any of them ever will be. And that isn't just because they go through so many printings, it's because there is no demand.
Gimmicks may move units, but they don't create fans, and if you're worried about reaching-out to women, children, and new readers, then you should give us what we want: Good product. Not just gimmicks.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
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