Kids today and the future of comics

[Bronty]

But... it goes both ways! I collect video games now more than I collect comics

 

Nina... I think that guys like James and I that are in their late 20s are some of the few people that can really appreciate both mediums because we were around while comics were still really popular and for the birth of the modern video game, as well. I don't see anyone younger than 25 or so really being drawn to comics from video games.. IMHO.

 

I have video game collector friends... and while they might be interested in an NES superman, they're not going to buy Action #1 because of it..

 

Dan

[fantastic_four]

So, you were a kid who used to play video games and now collects comics.

 

Not "used" to, I never stopped playing video games. Even if you play them an average of 2-4 hours a day, you've still got time free for other stuff, and there isn't that much fantasy-action stuff on TV.

 

 

I don't see anyone younger than 25 or so really being drawn to comics from video games.. IMHO.

 

I doubt many are drawn "from" anywhere. Not many people play video games in every leisure hour they have free, so they've gotta do something!

[Mushroom]

My take on the issue is that you have to get them young. Iconography is very powerful in children prior to reading age. I have read through all these posts and then I tried to tie it back to my 4 year old. I have spoken about my son Mark on this board a number of times but I will say it again. He is a superhero junkie. He cannot get enough of it: As a result of his rabid interest my 7 year old son has now caught the bug.

 

Why is it so? (Professor Julius Sumner Miller). Is he a one off? I don't think so.

 

The first book I ever bought him was one of those press the button on queue and it makes the appropriate sound. Green Goblin, Spidey, Jonah etc etc. He would sit there for hours and look at the pictures and then press the button on queue (to this day spidey is his favourite character). Then I bought him PJ's and then it was superhero figures (he has about 50 spidey's and about 30 Bats, plus all the relevant villians etc etc). He watches the cartoons and the movies.

 

When he was almost 4 he started to ask endless questions about who could beat who, what villian is that etc, so I introduced him to comic books. He would stare at the covers and then page through the panels. He also loves WIZARD..because of the colourful drawings and the multiplicity of characters

 

He has his own little stack of comics now.

 

The interesting thing is that kids are very curious and they want to know why? why? why?. I spend a lot of times explaining the history of characters, storylines, creators etc.

 

He does not go anywhere without something related to a superhero.

 

Because of his interest his brother now knows much more and he even has started taking superhero characters to his school which creates an even wider interest among other boys (for Halloween (which we do not celebrate in OZ, but do in my home because the boys are half American) we sent cupcakes and comic books for each boy in his class).

 

I would agree with making comic books more accessible (cost) and I would be packaging them with each figure, video, game etc that was sold. You would be surprised at how relevant paper medium still is. (I can remember when paperless office's were first touted as being possible in the early 80's and now we have more paper than ever).

 

The history of the characters is what will keep the back issue market alive. Comics are like reference books, they are much more accessible for info then cartoons or other mediums. I would also advocate a return to a more compact story approach where it is easier to grab the interest with complete stories per book.

 

Our passion and hobby isn't dead until the last comic manufacturer ceases operation and god forbid that that ever happens.

 

[Kevin Boyd]

Kids are still interested in super-heroes - the videogames, the DVDs, the cartoons and the merchandise all indicate that kids are still interested in the brand name heroes like Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men and the like.

 

However, are kids interested in comics? I've said this before, because kid's don't have access to comics, they are not interested in comics. Most of the older fans remember fondly the days of reading comics as children because comics were widely available, extremely disposable and very visible. For many reasons, comics are no longer any of those things - neither available, visible, and especially not disposable.

 

I watched a father and son in the store yesterday (I've been in to answer questions about the show) and the son was begging the father to buy him a Batman comic (the father was in to buy comics for himself) and the father said that he would not get him one because he didn't take care of his comics. Unbelievable, but some time in the 1980's that's EXACTLY what changed the nature of comics - they were no longer meant to be read as disposable entertainment - they were items to be covetted and preserved as collector's items for possible resale. What do those things mean to a kid?

 

The same thing happened when I started giving my nephew comics. He started to tear them apart and my brother (his dad) got upset with him for not taking care of them. My reaction was the opposite, they are HIS to do with as he wants. Rip them apart, tape them to the walls, glue panels in books, doodle on them, whatever... all things that would normally make me wince, and I didn't care... I wanted him to enjoy his comics and to have fun with them however he wanted.

 

Subsequently I started giving him the Essential volumes - which are very durable and he has loved the heck out of the Spider-Man volumes and they are still in decent shape, despite the fact he's lugged them all over his neighbourhood. He keeps asking when the next Spider-Man one will be out.

 

So back to the point. Current comics are not really designed for kids, written for kids, or affordable for kids. And the nature of the business is such that they cannot go back and make any of them more kid-friendly because the economics of the industry are driven by the purchasing needs of 20-40 year old males.

 

The only thing I would advocate is what I've been saying all along, more self-contained tpb style books like the Essential volumes and regular tpbs. Make them a little more durable and less collector-oriented and get the kids interested. What I would push for now are more durable manga-sized tpbs (slightly larger than a mass market fiction paperback - but preferrably in color and on cheap paperstock).

 

As for the current market, I think that it isn't going anywhere at the moment. The new issue market has shown some growth over the last few years. Back issue sales are variable.

 

Kev

[COI]

am hoping there gonna need this "fix" when they get older. First they are gonna have to grow out of the cartoon faze and then the video game faze.

 

Are you kidding? Many video games out there right now are not even intended for children. I love my Playstation 2. I don't get a chance to play as much as I like, but I still love it. Take Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for example; This is a game that takes place in the 80's, with a great nostalgic 80's soundtrack, and many celebrity voices. The voice of the character you play is Ray Liotta, sounding very much like his "Goodfellas" character. And there's a porn star in the game called "Candy Sux", and the voice for that character is done by Jenna Jameson. Not to mention the complex game play and insane violence. Are there kids playing this game? Of course! But it's the adults that get a real kick out of it seeing as how there are so many references to pop culture that children wouldn't get.

 

Bottom line: I'm going to be following video game developments, buying new systems and the latest games, for years to come. With technology advancing the way it is, video games are here to stay. If you think it's a "faze", you're kidding yourself.

[Aman619]

I dont play as much as I did back in DOOM time, but oh yeah, video games are a booming growing bizness. It will probably become so big and all-encompassing media and society wise that collectibles will be generated by it: unopend game boxes for one. The games themselves may not, since they seem cruder as and lamer technology marches on... but who knows??

[Mister_Comics]

Many video games out there right now are not even intended for children. I love my Playstation 2. I don't get a chance to play as much as I like, but I still love it. Take Grand Theft Auto:

Why is it kids love the games with the old TV/Movie references? They seem to love playing games of old shows that they couldn't possibably remember. Starsky and Hutch, Dukes, or Grand Theft for example. I would guess none of the kids playing the games ever seen those shows. But they are the majority playing them. The games are made more so for the adult, but the kids are dominating the rentals and sales of these games. The answer is... for fun. Thats why.

So why not comics? They love the cartoons/movies. Dress as superheroes at Halloween. Play with action figures. But when it comes to the comics they seem to have no interest.

The answer is the comic industry has lost its vision. Its not fun reading serious stories for kids. They have gotten too serious with the product. Its no longer aimed at kids; but the collector. Like others have said on this thread, kids are afraid to damage a book. Comic buying is now known as a collectors hobby. If you buy comics you must be a collector. Thats what kids today think. And kids today are not gonna spend $$$ when they can play a game or see a movie. For the most part the superheroes are no longer like they were originally protrayed in comics. They been changed so much over the last few years. Which makes it even harder to jump in and get into a heroes character. Very hard for a kid to follow.

The comic industry really needs to rethink what they are doing if they want to last.

Sure collectors are a improtant part of this hobby. But without new blood it wont last.

[COI]

The future collectibility of video games will definetly not be about the games themselves, which are crude by today's standards(as you mentioned). Guys like me, FF and Bronty grew up with this game evolution much the same way many of you grew up with S.A comics. Now, I collect S.A because of the history and collectibility, even though the stuff that hits the stands when I was a kid is worthless right now. I suspect it will be the same with Games down the road. Since video games are becomming more and more encompasing(video games sales beat out the box office last year) even kids who were too young, or not even born at the time of NES or Atari, might grow to become collectors of those games, much for the same reason I'm interested in collecting S.A comics. Not for nostalgia, but for history. Lord knows, I can barely stomach reading most S.A books, much in the same way that future collectors probably wouldn't be able to stomach playing these vintage games.

[ninanina]

If you think it's a "faze", you're kidding yourself.

 

It's only a faze for SOME kids. Not all.

[Aman619]

thats an interesting point about you and SA comics. Im a SA/boomer guy. I read them growing up and liked them. And I laugh at the silly GA comics stories - - unreadable. Same as you feel about SA.

 

Todays comics, the goood ones at least, are very literate and readable. But I wonder what the subject matter will be in 20 years and if THESE comics which seem to have growed up so much and resemble TV and movies in style, I wonder if these too will look silly by then?

[Smokinghawk]

I think if enough kids saw a price guide, they'd be astounded...and hooked.

 

Worked for me. That, and getting addicted to Buscema/Chan Conans.

 

[duncan36]

The problem with comics isnt money, those Yu-Gi-Oh cards cost $3.25 a pack and kids literally have thousands of them. The problem with comics is that they no longer grab your attention, I remember as a kid reading a Captain Marvel story there was very little narration, but the art grabbed me and pulled me into the story. It was like watching television my brain turned off and I became immersed.

Most new comic especially Marvel books have these pretentious writers who act like they're writing a novel and have no respect for the visual style of comics.

Comics have to improve, thats as plain as day, for their $2.50-$3 price they offer poor value for money.

Beyond that emphasising that comics have value is a good thing, thats one of the big selling points of Yu-Gi-Oh cards that they have value.

Comics will never reach their old heights but theres no reason they shouldnt vastly improve.

[DaethWalker]

Todays kids can more easily afford to buy comics than kids 20-40 years ago. The problem is the publishers don't cater to that market.

 

Why? I haven't a clue. You would think the more different age-groups they could reach, the more comics they could sale.

 

They have tried with a few titles and a few different formats. But, they haven't really put any effort into it.

 

I would think if they based more titles on the best selling games or most popular cartoons, then they would see more kids get into comics.

 

The problem a lot of times though, seems to be they want to also target adult audiences with the same titles.

 

You can't publish a title that would be popular to, say 5-10 year olds and also try to target teens and adults. Same as you can't publish very many teen and adult titles and expect to win over the pre-teen audience.

 

But, most publishers seem to totaly ignore those pre-teens. Which will eventually come back to haunt them.

[ninanina]

But, most publishers seem to totaly ignore those pre-teens. Which will eventually come back to haunt them.

 

I'm just not convinced kids won't read comics when they get older. Where is there any kind of law that states the only way a person will become interested in collecting/reading comics is if he did so as a kid. So, maybe the publishers aren't worried about targeting the younger generation 'cause they feel they'll start buying/reading comics when they get older.

[THE_BEYONDER]

So, maybe the publishers aren't worried about targeting the younger generation 'cause they feel they'll start buying/reading comics when they get older.

 

When I was young......kids grew out of collecting comics.

 

Nowadays......kids have to grow into them?

[ninanina]

So, maybe the publishers aren't worried about targeting the younger generation 'cause they feel they'll start buying/reading comics when they get older.

 

When I was young......kids grew out of collecting comics.

 

Nowadays......kids have to grow into them?

 

Blame it on the publishers.

[DaethWalker]

But, most publishers seem to totaly ignore those pre-teens. Which will eventually come back to haunt them.

 

I'm just not convinced kids won't read comics when they get older. Where is there any kind of law that states the only way a person will become interested in collecting/reading comics is if he did so as a kid. So, maybe the publishers aren't worried about targeting the younger generation 'cause they feel they'll start buying/reading comics when they get older.

 

Well, the problem is the volume and variety of different mediums. Today, most kids and adults have a much larger choice in their search for entertainment.

 

Back in the 60s and earlier, it was basically 2-4 channels on TV, radio, movies and comics. These were the main choices of entertainment for your average kid. Obviously, there were other venues. But, these were probably the top 4. And of those 4, very little was directed towards kids, so for them, comics were just about the only choice.

 

Now, a kid has computers, the internet, a variety of consoles, 500+ channels on TV(many of which are strictly targeted towards kids), radio, movies, etc...

 

By the time a kid hits his teens, he's basically already established his wants and needs for entertainment. He's made his choices and picked his medium(s).

 

Sure, many do migrate to comics after hitting their teens. But, it's seems to be based on random chance and not anything the publishers have done.

 

It's all based on marketing. And direct marketing towards kids does work. Just look at the tobacco companies and the "Joe Camel" fiasco.

 

 

 

 

[Mephisto]

Today when I was walking down the hall at my college I noticed something that looked familiar in someone's art book. I stopped and stared at it and realized it was the cover to Batman 614 sketched out and colored in the book. It really suprissed me. I don't come across to many people around my age (20 which is still fairly young) in my area that collect. I stopped and talked to the kid for a minute. I asked him if he collected comics and said he did. He had a couple of Hush books with him. He said he only reads the new issues becuase he couldn't really afford back issues. I told him I have a bunch of Batman TPB's if he ever wants borrow them.

[lyriacomicexchange-migrati]

As for the value of comics, we know that they will go down until they're worthless. Just look at Leonardo's and Picasso's. The art medium is dead and therefore these people art is worthless. No one paints pictures these days. Why paint when you can play video games and watch tv and surf the internet? So therefore the art collectors hobby is dying out and all the paintings thought to be classics will soon be worthless. But, as a friend, I'll buy your Picasso's for mere dollars so that you can at least get something for them before they hit rock bottom.

 

See how ridiculous this sounds? Comics are a medium and a culture. Therefore, I'm sure hundreds of years from now those comics are be hanging on someone's wall priced at a few million a piece. Just think about that.

 

whoops, sorry. Carry on with the "industry is dying soon to be dead" topic I interrupted.

[Foolkiller]

See how ridiculous this sounds? Comics are a medium and a culture. Therefore, I'm sure hundreds of years from now those comics are be hanging on someone's wall priced at a few million a piece. Just think about that

 

yes, I see how rediculous you sound. Yeah, comics will be hanging on someone's wall for millions a piece. Here, I have some 80s and 90s books that are basically worthless... pay me thousands today, because they'll be on someone's wall worth millions.

 

Comics will always have a place in americana... but let's not over exaggerate their influence. Amazing Spider Man 1 won't be worth 10 cents or anything but I think the death of the industry people are talking about in this thread is more of how we can revitalize the industry so that people are still interested in this medium years from now.