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Terry Hooper-Scharf

Tuesday 6 March 2018

WHY Do European Comic Fans Buy ALL Types Of Comics But Not The UK or USA?

As promised, and I continue to keep to that promise every month, here are the Black Tower sales for Feb. - March, 2018.

Putting this into perspective here are today's stats up to 13:00 hrs (UK time).

Page views by Countries

Graph of most popular countries among blog viewers
EntryPageviews
United Kingdom
7708
France
4981
United States
4489
Ukraine
1125
Turkey
688
Canada
310
Russia
221
Spain
104
Brazil
81
South Korea
74

Now, the up-dated, final views for February are:

Page views by Countries

Graph of most popular countries among blog viewers
EntryPageviews
France
33625
United Kingdom
13855
United States
7290
Russia
4341
Ukraine
2858
Turkey
2335
Italy
1454
Canada
611
Germany
360
Brazil
313

Just one post looking at Black Tower Comics and Books in February received 3,234 views -and that is not the highest number of views but the "in the middle" one.  And all of this interest results in....


Depressing (for a publisher) ain't it?  A £25.00 book will get me £2.64 (depending on the rate of exchange on the day I get paid that...and I'll need to sell enough books to make my revenue up £6.00 before I get that.

Really, after all of these years of pushing and promoting what can I say or write to encourage people to check the online store and buy?  I've already deleted books to make the store less 'crowded' (I have my copies so they are now rarities) and I have halted publication of nine books and suspended work on two others because stock-piling books that do not sell seems pointless.

I have talked to Independent comic publishers (Image and Dark Horse are not Independents! They make up the US "Big Four") who have admitted to breaking down and worse because they have worked 20 hours a day and 7 days a week and they do have very good quality publications but no one will buy.  But time and again they -and I- hear the same thing: "We support Independent Comics and buy Image and Dark Horse!"

Look at the money involved with Dark Horse and Image -it does not make them "Independents".

Look around at US conventions -conventions in Europe- and you will see those Indie publishers. Can't you really give them a chance and try one of their books?  Comic fans used to buy Small Press, Independents and mainstream up until the 1990s and then the new generation of Blinkered 'comic fans' emerged who could really not understand a comic if it did not come from what they were media brain washed into believing were hip and cool comics like DC, Marvel, Image and Dark Horse. And if it was not in full colour......

This seems to be a UK and US problem because fans in Europe seem to buy an eclectic mix. Why? Because they understand and love comics of all types?  Because it was the French who labelled comics "the 9th Art"?

If you are a serious comic fan you know buying those "hot" comics are not going to make you rich.  You buy and read comics because of the art form. Look around and support real Independent publishers and show you are not just one amongst a flock of sheep.

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