It isn’t the first time that I’ve said this, but this month’s “Tilting at Windmills” column by retailer Brian Hibbs is a must-read for everyone interested in the comics industry, as he looks at the ways in which product oversaturation is slowly killing the direct market:
It kills me, it literally kills me as I watch publisher after publisher, time and time again, walk up to their customers and say to their face, “Please stop buying my comics!”. Whether that’s feast-or-famine shipping, completely blowing the scheduling on new lines, not balancing a production schedule over the month, whatever. Behavior that we tolerate in the DM would never ever fly in any other medium. Can you imagine a TV show succeeding with the kind of stop-and-start, constant change-in-scheduling kind of production that we have in comics? No, the mass audience wouldn’t be interested in those kinds of shenanigans.
Again, it would be one thing if we were dealing with a market of big hits, in a healthy economy, where the losses from the dumb stuff could be ameliorated. But we’re not in a market of big hits any longer. We’ve lost most of our buffer.
So, so much more at the link. Seriously: This is something that everyone should read. Even if you don’t agree with what he’s saying – although, really, I’d be surprised if that was the case and curious to hear why – these are issues that need to be addressed, and sooner rather than later.
May 20th, 2011 at 12:34 pm
We’re doomed! Doomed, I say you!
May 20th, 2011 at 3:04 pm
Brian Hibbs: Resurrection Man
May 20th, 2011 at 3:47 pm
There’s a lot of truth in what he’s saying. Every comic shop owner in my area has the same complaint about late books. There are a few loyal people who will pick it up no matter what, but if you want a regular fan base, you have to put the books out consistently.
May 20th, 2011 at 4:19 pm
Late books is one of big problems. Which is why joked about Flashpoint #5 being only book out on august 31. Really egg in the face of DC if that is late.
Don’t even forget how they treat characters or there fans by doing the stuff they do to the characters.
May 20th, 2011 at 4:40 pm
He’s right. An unfortunately both companies, though Marvel more than DC, make it more about the creators than the characters. I want to read good stories about Batman and Wonder Woman and Avengers and JLA. As long as they’re well written and entertaining with good art, I don’t care who did it. There are very few creators who cause me to pause and take note (George Perez being the biggest exception for me) but even then I don’t buy everything he does. I’m more likely to check out a Batman product or Wonder Woman appearance because I like them. It boarders on arrogant sometimes when I skip an ad about “young guns” or Grant Morrison does this that and everything else with the DCU. Big whup. I want a good story and too many of these creators don’t deliver that. Late books and missed schedules and sub-par producs drive me away in an instant, and judging by the crowd at my store, there are no new readers lining up to take my spot.
MZ
May 20th, 2011 at 5:58 pm
Great article, as usual from Mr Hibbs. Just could’ve done without the misuse of “literally kills me” which unfortunately has been even more called out by using it in this article’s title! Arggh. If it was literally killing Brian, he’d be dead by now. It’s figuratively killing him, sure, fine. But there’s no literal death that I know of here.
May 21st, 2011 at 11:50 am
My spirit, man, not my life.
-B
January 9th, 2012 at 12:24 am
u got one x men online not game !
January 9th, 2012 at 12:25 am
ready to help