Kryptonite in the Room: Declining Sales in the Comic Industry and a Proposed Solution

With dwindling sales, the lateness of titles, and the arrival of digital distribution, the comic book industry is in a state of change and a scary state of illness. Conditions do not seem to be getting better even with new ownership at both Marvel and DC comics.

The industry has been solidly under the control of creators for the last ten years. This began with the creation of Image and has flourished under the reign of Joe Quesada, who was a creator known for his late work when he got the position as editor-in-chief. The creators are the voice that control the industry, and publishers seem more than willing to let them do what they want. We, as retailers, are out of that decision-making loop and have to take whatever is given to us. We'll still sell their stuff when it comes out; no retailer will order less than we think we can sell.

How do we bring the pendulum back to the middle where decisions are made by both sales and creative people?

• A strong editorial vision that can unplug and plug in creators.
• Firing of creators for lateness (We still appreciate late creators. Just have these late types do OGNs or mini-series).

The solution does not seem that difficult to figure out, but the desire to implement it does not seem to be there. The publishers act as if it is impossible to implement such a simple solution. We, retailers, are unsympathetic to it because we have all fired employees for lateness. But what we currently have going on in the creative side of this industry, as sales numbers show, is not working. It is time to try something new.

We all know there is a problem, but we are operating under some false assumptions that prevent us from changing things.

1. Creators are more important than the characters. This is only true with ten creators. The rest might be great people, fun to be around, and do a good job, but they are interchangeable. And the truth is that we have hundreds lined up to take their place if given the opportunity. Some of that new blood wanting to break in will be better than the old blood in the system. A creator can just take his abilities to another avenue and bypass publishers, but the characters are in the fold to stay.
   
2. Lateness does not matter, it will sell in the trade. There are a few exceptions, and we have let those few exceptions dictate publishing policy rather than the harsh reality that is the norm. If it does not sell well as a monthly, it will not sell well as a trade. Monthlies are like a grass roots marketing machine. Put enjoyable books out on a monthly schedule and hype builds.
3. Lateness does not impact sales. This misconception is the result of the success of a few of those ten creators who can actually get away with late sales. Lateness kills sales and any positive momentum.
4. We cannot lose creators or we will lose sales. The industry is already losing sales by the truckload. We can afford to lose creators who work unprofessionally in an attempt to turn this tide around. It's a long haul solution rather than a short trip.
5. These books are literature. Most of the books being published today will never be literature; they're pulp entertainment. Let's not think more highly of ourselves than we ought. This is mostly a throwaway medium. We get some pearls once in a while. But as a whole, these books need to be quality enough, out on time, and create a sense of being an essential part of the grander storyline of the universe.
6. Retailers are the problem. This tendency to blame retailers and look at another avenue of selling as the place where the grass is greener has always permeated the publishing/creative side of this industry. It is easier to blame the retailers for a book not selling rather than looking in the mirror. But using that scapegoat will not help the publisher/creator improve themselves. It is a crutch that they will get dependent on rather than a solution to their problem. If a book is not succeeding in today's marketplace with the chain bookstores, Amazon, self-distribution, and the brick-and-mortar comic book retailers, then it is not the retailer's fault.
   

In the current corporate publishing structure, there is a hesitancy to think about anything rather than quarterly numbers over the prior year. This has led to manipulating publishing schedules that utilize lateness in order to meet quarterly numbers and the proliferation of titles and characters rather than a sustainable model of publishing. It has caused decisions that might have been quarterly-profit wise while being "five years from now" foolish.

I have nothing wrong with a creator pursuing a personal vision, whether that be his stamp on these corporate universes or through creator-owned work. However, the monthly books need to churn out monthly. If a creator cannot handle the monthly workload, find mini-series or OGNs for him or her to do and have his work in the can before publication. If he is not willing to meet deadlines without them looming, let him make less money. Because if you don't make him make less money, he will make all of the rest of the industry less money with his lateness.