tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11225940.post7176619498456079912..comments2024-03-28T04:12:10.323-04:00Comments on Draw!: Undreroos in a BunchMike Manleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00345070847409367151noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11225940.post-46866041424815568682008-04-14T13:50:00.000-04:002008-04-14T13:50:00.000-04:00Excellent insights.Excellent insights.K.B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01089630751930937295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11225940.post-40939737926020714102008-04-14T08:21:00.000-04:002008-04-14T08:21:00.000-04:00It's not surprising so many people think comics ar...It's not surprising so many people think comics aren't made anymore, given how hard it is to find them. The days of "impulse buys" in the corner drug or grocery store are long gone. Now comics only sell to people who already (1) know what they are, (2) know they like them and (3) have the ability to get themselves to a store that sells them (and little else).<BR/><BR/>The media exposure can hurt as well as help, too. I still run into people who remember hearing on CNN that Superman "died," and thus assume no Superman comics have been published since 1993. Oops.<BR/><BR/>I'm very excited you're doing B&B because it sounds like the kind of thing that'll expose more kids to Batman (the kind of Batman a parent would WANT them exposed to), regardless of whether they read comics or not. Frankly I don't care any more if comics succeed. If publishers gave me a reason to support them, I would, but as it stands I owe them nothing.<BR/><BR/>Also, I want to say I think the Reign of the Babymen will end in our lifetime. It's already clear that the money is not in monthly floppies, but rather in the hardbacks and trades sold at Borders and B&N. And many of those books are "serialized" in the sense that it takes two or three to tell a story. So really, monthlies could go away and no one would care except the hard-core comic fans (well, and the direct sales shop owners, who'd be in a world of hurt).<BR/><BR/>Point is, I don't think we're far off from a time when "comics" morph entirely into graphic novels sold through bookstores. And when that day comes, DC and Marvel will be competing not with each other, but with the latest Grisham, King and Grafton novels. They'll have to appeal to casual buyers who thumb through the books wondering what Superman or Spider-Man is up to these days. And what THEY want will not be what the "babymen" want. When that group becomes a tiny subgroup of all customers, instead of the ONLY customers as they are now, they'll be justifiably ignored.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13840878272493564209noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11225940.post-67886880586608916862008-04-12T19:04:00.000-04:002008-04-12T19:04:00.000-04:00Part of my profession is on-site caricaturing. I w...Part of my profession is on-site caricaturing. I was at an all women house party a couple of weeks ago and one subject noticed my Superman symbol tie bar. She commented on it saying, "Do they still make those things? Comics?" I told her "Yes, but they primarily exist to provide material for movies and toys these days."Paul McCallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00725050365857405546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11225940.post-86474192896398649682008-04-12T14:19:00.000-04:002008-04-12T14:19:00.000-04:00Mike,Thanks for saying what must be said. I am 48 ...Mike,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for saying what must be said. I am 48 and still hit the comic shop every Wednesday. I have read comics since the 60's and my son and I share the same enthusiasm for the art form. I hope the business side of things doesn't continue to kill the hobby. I buy 'em to read and admires the art not bag 'em and hope they'll pay the kids tuition some day. Although that is what I tell me wife so I can keep the long boxes in the basement.<BR/><BR/>Keep up the good work. I love following your art school adventures. I wanted to study art myself but no parental support. I became an unhappy accountant instead.Dougl2https://www.blogger.com/profile/01331827254198936117noreply@blogger.com