Comments on: Long Box Truths

By: InkTank

InkTank — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 21:55:27 +0000

I must say, I predict a day (perhaps no too far off) when monthly titles are available digitally only. And collected TPBs are the only paper “comics” sold in retail stores.

By: Adam

Adam — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:03:09 +0000

I don’t buy individual issues just TPB (then I don’t read that many comics). In the UK comics are still sold in most places where magazines and newspapers are sold, even small convenience stores or petrol stations; just don’t expect a wide selection. Luckily there are a few comic book stores not too far from where I live (20-30min in a car) so I can go get some if I want. And May 1st is “Free Comics Day”!

By: Theala Sildorian

Theala Sildorian — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:59:33 +0000

I’ve had that experience, too, Lynn. In fact, I don’t go to the comic book store where I live now, because the owner and his employees are elitist asshats. It’s a shame; the store I used to go to in California was run by a great husband and wife team who loved comics, but most importantly loved their customers. Wednesday became a ritual for me. not anymore :(

By: wdwillis

wdwillis — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:11:45 +0000

i worked in a store which was really awesome about being cool with newbies.
unfortunately, thats not the majority of stores i have been in. a lot of them sort of almost require you to pass a test before they decide you are worth actually trying to sell to, and develop a decent buyer/seller relationship with.
half the reason i go to b+n or borders, or just shop amazon for trades is because of that attitude. i haven’t found a store here in omaha that doesn’t have it, and frankly, not being 12 anymore, i don’t feel like dealing with it.
it’s why i mostly just get the official dvd’s of pdf’s now.

but something i did fail to acknowlege earlier, reading a comic on the computer will NEVER compare to a stack of real comics by your bed ona sick day… or comic store day. i really miss comic store day.

By: krishna

krishna — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 20:48:55 +0000

Danielle Corsetto is an awesome person, and I dig her comics. I was hoping that folks would notice the McPedro reference :)

By: AA

AA — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 20:05:07 +0000

I’m one of the people @Inktank mentions … I really like comics, but the fiscally responsible side of me can’t justify the cost when I can get a Trade (usually with bonus material and with a more durable cover) at a lower cost. My interest is to read them not to collect, so this works for me.

I will buy a floppy here or there to sample a comic that looks appealing. But, I’ve found fewer comics in print that I really enjoy. I will like the art or the storyline/writing, but rarely both. I find webcomics much more frequently that have an aesthetic I like as well as a good storyline.

Making the effort to go to a comic shop deters me as well. By the time I return to a shop, the floppy I was interested in reading has moved on and there are issues missing, so I don’t bother to collect. Or, I’ve forgotten which ones I even liked (sad state of my mind, but true) A friend of mine owns a shop in a different state so he’ll recommend comics here or there for me .. but even as a shop owner he sometimes has trouble getting the issues I want .. so, I go back to waiting for the trade and just purchasing that instead. (:

By: Angelo

Angelo — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:59:06 +0000

I’m hoping that the introduction of Digital Comics on platforms like the Ipad and Iphone will help stimulate floppy book sales.
Comic stores have their core, loyal fans and the people who’ll be downloading issues will most likely be new comers who aren’t heading to the stores anyway. So I think the impact of digital comics will be a positive one, hopefully bringing accessibility and sparking interest in those that never gave comics a try.
Now if only comic shop owners were better at getting people into comics rather than being elitists. We wouldn’t get situations like the one that Lynn experienced. (It’s stupid to think that if you’re running a business that you’d talk people out of buying a book that they’re interested in.)
I know I’ve successfully converted several people into comic readers. It’s simply a matter of spreading the word. People simply don’t know about comics.
With the comic movies coming out (by the thousands it seems), and the big deal being made about comic reader apps, comics are being more widespread again. Hopefully it will garner enough interest to get people to check out their local comic shops. Such as (shameless plug) READ MORE COMICS…
115 East Brandon Boulevard
Brandon, FL 33511-5255
(813) 655-7838

Anyways, I’m cautiously-optimistic for the floppy book future.

By: Daveed V.

Daveed V. — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:36:51 +0000

Belgium (where Tintin is from) still has a thriving comics culture. You’ll find dozens of different series in medium-size grocery stores, and hundreds of them in larger supermarkets or bookstores. (Asterix’ author — Uderzo — is French, but also uses the ligne clair style and worked a lot with Belgian magazines, including Bravo and Spirou.)

I’ve long wished I could find the Belgian (and French, and Dutch) comics in the U.S.

By: wdwillis

wdwillis — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:52:40 +0000

i’ve been a marvelite since the early 80′s. i’ve always loved the fantastic four, the xmen, the avengers, spiderman, and plenty of other titles they have come out with over the years. in the mid 90′s, i stopped buying comics.
this coincided with having sold off most of my collection to pay for things like a car, school, and rent… along with having a less disposable income due to becoming an adult.
right around 2000 i started discovering web comics, and they sustained me for several years. right up untill the marvel civil war.
a friend from work was relating some of the storyline of the MCW, and i decided it was time to go back.
i picked up several tpb’s, and found a couple dvds (40 years of xmen, 40 years of FF) which tied together HUGE chunks of storyline into pdf’s i could read on the pc.
i am happy to say, i have amassed a good deal of my former collection in tpb’s, and digital editions. but i see where these are indeed killing the market place for monthly titles.
as a collector, i would never have bought a tpb, but as a reader/consumer they make lots of sense.
i think there will still be a place for monthly’s for some time, due mostly to collectors, but i think in time, marvel as well as many others i am sure, will phase out monthly’s, and focus on quarterly editions to save money on distribution/printing.
as a consumer though, i have to take a stand. spiderman currently has some 5 titles out a month. some of these are published 2-3 times a month.
alltogether, there are about 12 spiderman comics to grab in a given month, at about $3 each. thats nearly $40 a month, on just spiderman. that used to cover my whole marvel monthly pull. thats just too much to try and keep up with for the average reader i think, and part of the decline in readership.
i think marvel is selling roughly the same number of comics a month as always, it’s just they have so very many more in print at a time, that they can not sell as many each per title as previously.

By: krishna

krishna — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:10:46 +0000

Amar Chitra Katha’s and Tinkles – I remember reading those on my visits to Chennai many years ago. I still have all my Amar Chitra Katha’s somewhere. Asterix and Tintin are some of my favorites.

American comics are good too – there are a lot of fantastic independent comics you should check out – including BONE, by Jeff Smith and anything by Wally Wood or Will Eisner.