Despite comic book industry pundits and professionals (as well as wannabes) fiercely debating comics bloggers and YouTubers about the state of the industry, the decline of the industry has just become too damn obvious to ignore.
A recent article in Forbes talking about the Oni Press and Lion Forge merger bluntly states that the comic book direct market is declining and that comic shops are dying.
“Industry representatives will be quick to note that 2018 was the biggest year on record for the business, and that publishers brought in nearly $1.1 billion in sales,” says Kidman. “But that number hasn’t changed a great deal in the last four years, and most of the growth was in children’s graphic novels (sales at Scholastic book fairs are way up), not in issues of superhero comics from Marvel or DC. Sales at comic book shops have been declining.”
Well, that took them long enough.
At best, comic shop sales are flatlining. At worst, they’re far more dire than we’re led to believe due to some new categories being counted (such as crowdfunding and Amazon) for the very first time in 2018.
Hey, comic shops don’t close almost monthly and publishers don’t merge in desperation in a healthy direct market. I’m just saying.
The article also goes on to state that the end goal of most comic book publishers is a Hollywood deal. Meanwhile crowdfunding is exploding, such in the case of the Earthworm Jim IndieGoGo.
Comics YouTubers have been calling this for YEARS — all the while being heckled by comics pros on Twitter, on comics blogs and elsewhere.
Check out the video below for more of our thoughts!
[Source: Forbes]
