I
have just been in W. H. Smith and then a large Tesco and stopped to
look at what some would call the “comic section.” Nearly every
cellophane bagged ‘comic’ contained a toy of very dubious “Made in
Chine” crap plastic toys. Most seem to be guns firing foad “darts” or
discs or some form of excremental trash.It is the most depressing sight you can see if you love comics. In fact, as pointed out to me by staff, they do not stock comics but do stock “kids magazines.” Yes, the UK does not “do” comics any more only kids magazines.
I noticed the stack of Thundercats magazines were gone. Apparently, no, they had not sold but were moved to make way for…TV guides.
During recessions comics are one of the only forms of entertainment that tend to do well. They have through the past few recessions. Comic shops doing badly are operating badly. If they just sell Marvel and DC with a few Independents thrown in then of course they will be doing badly. Marvel and DC sales are not great -apparently Marvel Comics was holding its breath for The Avengers movie. Why? Apparently Disney is looking to “get rid of dead wood” according to some insiders and there is even a rumour that Disney were behind the dumping of Marvel’s much lauded “Heroic Age” in favour of the basically “repeated” Dark Reign storyline that just fizzled out in the most ludicrous and insulting manner.
Norman Osborne (ex Green Goblin -how many times has he died?) has resurrected his evil HAMMER-Hydra empire, reformed his Dark Avengers and set the public against the Avengers again. So here we are ready for a long drawn out lose readers again scenario when what happens? They (I just don’t give a feck who anymore as it’ll never have happened by next Summer) use the Super-Adaptoid (and android) process to..make..Norman Osborne…a super adaptoid…but not an android. Though if Marvel never thought of that cop-out for later they soon will.
Anyway, he tries absorbing too much power from the Avengers and starts decaying/disintegrating…but he’s alive apparently (I’m not going to argue). Oh and all his Hammer and Hydra cohorts -I’m sure AIM is in there somewhere- “have been rounded up. They won’t trouble us again.”
Cue to huge hangar-like complex where Madame Hydra is leading this Marvel version of a modern Nurnburg Rally in its fist-held up chanting of “Hail The Mighty Dollar! Buy You Suckers Buy!!”
I think that’s what they said.
And at 0300 this morning I’m sat up reading the “All Ages” Marvel Adventures Mighty Avengers“. Good, solid stories that are interesting by Jeff Parker and some lovely art from Manuel Garcia on pencils and inks by Scott Koblish and incredible colour work by Val Staples. It is not the Avengers of old (even the Avengers of old are not the Avengers of old) but it shows WHAT “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” really need. If Marvel do not get Kurt Busiek and George Perez or even John Byrne back on the title then they are just watching a once good thing dying. No Busiek, Perez or Byrne then make it Parker-Garcia-Koblish-Staples.
But I’m digressing. There are fan boys out there who will only buy EVERY (and I do mean every) DC or Marvel book. And if a shop wants to just care for them…well, expect what you get. And when you go out of business please don’t blame “the recession.”
Shops need to start adapting. It is what businesses have always done. Cinebook-the 9th Art are doing well. European comics are doing well (and, yes, those shops do sell Marvel and DC ) and look how many books France is publishing! Check out BD Gest on the blog roll.
Even in North America European albums are doing well.
But, of course, Diamond do not offer those as they are too heavily invested in Marvel and DC -other distributors reap the rewards. And shop owners “if I go to another distributor for those books Diamond will mess up my deliveries.” If any distributor does that then you can take legal action against them for affecting your business. But as I’ve found, some shop owners will lie outright to customers asking for Independents and Euro books…and they’ll then say “It’s diamond’s fault.”
Adapt or get out of the business. I supported Independent comic shops and I got all of the above including the add on of “If you just bought Marvel or DC it wouldn’t be a problem!” I am the customer and I used my consumer discretion and went to another, major, store. Not missed a book since. To me that is sad as I love the smaller comic shops with back issue sections (though most tell me they will not stock back issues from around 1984 on “as they are pretty valueless”).
Also, today, I received word that a certain Hibernian company have lost even more readers on one of its main comics. I don’t care. That company wants to kill its comic business.
Nothing will ever change in the UK. Fewer comic shops, yes. More people buying in from Europe, yes. UK comics…oh, give me a break.
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