Just read this over at
Newsarama, and I will be quick about this and say, this is a DUMB ASS idea. 32 pages for $3.99 (23 of them are actual story the rest are ads) NOT a good comic book price point. I have said this a million times, "How is a mother of 3 kids going to think spending $12 on three comic books is a good thing?" Just plain stupid. Talk to you later...
As a comic book retailer I would have to disagree with your comment about the mother. Kids make up less than 10% of my business, and most other retailers I communicate with say the same thing. The big publishers really make no effort to drive the younger market into our stores. How hard would it to put the comic book locator ad, or even an ad about the comics they are watching as cartoons on tv. I try by reaching out the the libaries and things like that but the vast majority of my customers are mid to late 20s and older. The kids that do come in are coming in b/c of their parents and probably about 50% of those actually buy something for themselves. They are usually in their b/c the parent is getting their weekly fix and the kids would much rather be elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteNow I don't disagree that 3.99 is a terrible price for 32 pages of comic, but the market has spoken and as long as the fans continue to accept that as the average price now then it will remain that way.
The kids are the future of comics, period. A lot of the older guys are living life and leaving comics to deal with family and family issues like retirement. Remember when a book that sold less then 20K would be cancelled, now 20K is a solid seller. Raise the price with out improving the quality is a BAD IDEA long term. Ask the record industry about that. $17 CD were a bad idea and still are. $3.99 are a BAD IDEA for 32 pages for the same reason.
ReplyDeleteThink of how popular manga is with younger readers when compared to 'mainstream' comics. Manga is cheaper by the page.
ReplyDelete@Clockworkjoe -- What makes me laugh is how many people say "kids" will not read black and white comics. Once again proving Japan has perfected what we created.
ReplyDeleteGood point, not to mention that manga doesn't require knowing years worth of back story in order to understand unlike say DC events like Blackest Night or Infinite Crisis.
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