Due to my background, I'm pretty interested in the business of comics. Not at the retail level, but the bigger, macro level where it is obvious that the industry has significant problems with their current business model.
There are lots of edgy things to say about digital comics and many of those will find their way into future posts. Honestly, I tried to write some of those, but they didn't come out right without first giving some grounding in my basic thoughts about digital comics.
I love digital comics
There are a bajillion reasons to love the things. For one thing, I've taken a lot of glee in eliminating old forms of media from my life: photo albums, music and movies on physical media and (of course) books. I simply don't like wasting space in my house on things that aren't necessary. Like most married guys, I have a limited area of my home that is "mine" and if I want to store new things, I have to get rid of old things. But, these new digital forms of media are better. Streaming a digital movie off the home network without leaving my chair beats the hell out of fumbling around with DVDs and cases.
Portability? I take my iPad with me everywhere and that means that comics are never far away. Waiting for the car to get fixed: read a comic. A few spare minutes at lunchtime: read a comic. You get the idea.
Traveling? I just got back from a recent cruise and probably read 100 comics during the week. Need I explain how much less space my iPad took up than 100 bagged and boarded comics? You can also read digital comics on an iPad near the pool on a cruise ship with water mist in the air, a cigar in one hand and a 30 knot wind blowing around. Try that with paper comics!
Those are just a few of my personal reasons for loving digital comics. I certainly don't have anything against paper comics. There are a few paper comics that I do like to "collect" and will probably always get them in paper form. I simply want choice in how I consume my comics.
But, now let's move on to "deep thoughts". Each of these could be its own post (and probably will be someday).
New Readers
Let's just state a fact: There is no room for long-term growth in the direct market-only system where all comics are sold via specialty retailers. No clever TV commercial is going to fix this. If you doubt me, look at what is happening to newspapers. That is a product that has obvious mass appeal that they deliver to your home every day....and they are going out of business.
Digital comics have the possibility to rope in new readers because they're at least flowing with the macro-trends of digital content delivery rather than swimming against the current.
More diversity
Comics are a little too dependent on superheroes. Superheroes just don't appeal to vast segments of the population. Women read more than men, but they hardly buy any comics because they don't want to read our superhero stories. But they would probably love to read something like Daytripper or American Vampire or Love and Rockets or Strangers in Paradise.
The catch is that they will not enter an LCS full of chubby men in Green Lantern shirts to make those purchases. But, they might buy those comics from the privacy of their own home with their iPad.
And, then we're likely to get more product like Daytripper and wouldn't that we a wonderful thing?
Less crummy superhero product
I buy a LOT of superhero comics. And I buy a LOT of them just because they might be awesome and I fear having to locate them if I miss something cool.
Digital comics will change that because I won't buy all of my comics in one lump. I'll buy them as I want to read them. So, I will buy Avengers because I know that is usually an "important" book with a good creative team. But, if Marvel is also publishing a tie-in to their newest event called Avengers vs. the Dingleberries, I might pause and look at how many stars it has. 2/5 stars? No thanks. But if it has 5/5 stars and I can quickly read an online review (remember I'm holding my iPad in my hands) that says Avengers vs. the Dingleberries #3 was "incredible" then I will buy it (and so will a lot of other people).
Wouldn't it be nice if comics were sold on the quality of their content rather than a trumped up promise of "you don't want to miss this" that simply isn't true 95% of the time?
Digital will kill trade paperbacks
Sticking with my point above, each serialized installment will have to be better....or no one will buy it. That means less "decompressed storytelling" and more Jeff Parker-quality "hold on tight".
Eventually, digital comics will cease to be mere digital copies of a 20/22 page printed pamphlet. But whatever form they settle on, I doubt they'll be able to have boring "transitional" issues in the midst of a 8-part story because they won't sell very well.
Digital should result in better pricing
When a song is priced at 99 cents on iTunes, does anyone worry what the vinyl LP costs at the speciality record store? Right now we are stuck in this vortex where digital comics are scary to LCS owners, but eventually the prices of the two products will become disconnected and that should result in a lower price for the digital product.
Good LCSs may even survive
I know this is scary for folks who are running an LCS, but whereas a few years ago internet forums were full of tales of lousy LCSs, I don't hear those much anymore. It could be that the bad sales of comics have already killed off the lousy LCSs and what we're left with are stores that know how to manage inventory and provide a nice shopping experience and aren't wholly reliant on comic books for revenue.
Paper won't go away
I firmly believe that paper comics will exist for a good long time. And I'll still want a lot of them. I bind my X-Men into custom hardcovers and have no interest in switching to digital for those comics. Over time, we may see fewer series printed, but the mainstays: Avengers, Batman, etc. will always be there.
Paper fans! Stop the hate!
Is there a snippier group of people on internet forums than the paper fans? Sheesh....they act like us digital fans are out to destroy comics. All we want is the choice to buy products in the form-factor that works best for us.
Cheers!
- Dean Stell
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