Wall Street Journal says Donald Duck sells 1 million copies a month in Germany!

[mica]

The key question though is why doesn't Donald Duck sell as well in the US? I have no compelling hypothesis for why American behavior is different from German behavior as described by this key passage from the article:.

Because the American Disney Co. wants to relegate Donald as a sideline character only to be used when they need to pick on someone or get upstaged by Chip N Dale.

[Ogami]

Maybe because Donald Duck is an all-ages cultural icon that doesn't market itself only to aging male fanboys?

 

The key question though is why doesn't Donald Duck sell as well in the US? I have no compelling hypothesis for why American behavior is different from German behavior as described by this key passage from the article:

 

Whereas in the U.S. fans of Donald Duck tend to gravitate to the animated films, duck fandom in Germany centers on the printed comics published in the kids’ weekly “Micky Maus” and the monthly “Donald Duck Special” (with a print run of 40,000 copies), which sells mainly to adult readers.

 

Anyone seen circulation numbers for Disney comics in the US? I always see the kiddie comics (Disney, Archie, etc) in the shops and wonder how well they sell.

 

I think it's what I said above, FF.

 

Disney couldn't possibly give a mess less about their core animated characters. They don't show the old cartoons on the Disney Channel, (the new MTV), they don't make their comics affordable or very accessible.

 

Disney is all about the Tween Market now.

[mica]

Disney couldn't possibly give a mess less about their core animated characters. They don't show the old cartoons on the Disney Channel, (the new MTV), they don't make their comics affordable or very accessible.

 

Disney is all about the Tween Market now.

Bingo

[Ogami]

mica, your new av is killing me.

[underthebigw]

Maybe because Donald Duck is an all-ages cultural icon that doesn't market itself only to aging male fanboys?

 

Not so sure of that. From what I can tell, modern European Disney books are not meant so much for kids. I've read them, found them wordy and tedious, and the plots too convoluted, yet simplistic. My kids can't stand them. I really believe they are made for fanboy, because they sure aren't made for kids. I suspect that fanboys there just have different tastes.

[the blob]

Disney couldn't possibly give a *spoon* less about their core animated characters. They don't show the old cartoons on the Disney Channel, (the new MTV), they don't make their comics affordable or very accessible.

-------------------

 

Not entirely true. My 3 1/2 year old son watches Mickey Mouse Playhouse, which seemingly plays about 9 times a day on the Disney channel (at least when we're on vacation)...and while Mickey is the main character for some reason, Donald and Daisy get plenty of screen time. I haven't seen Duck Tales for a while though.

 

 

[the blob]

But that's a huge number anyway considering Germany is 1/3 the size of the U.S. (granted, 20% of the U.S. population may be reading spanish comics) and one has to figure that in the former east germany it's less of a cultural institution.

 

What I wonder is where they're getting the material or are they simply reprinting (and translating) the old stuff? At some point they can't just keep on reprinting, can they? Is Disney even coming out with new stuff nowadays?

[Ogami]

this is their scheduling guide for just today.

 

http://affiliate.zap2it.com/tvlistings/ZCSGrid.do?sgridType=grid&stnNum=10171&channel=24&fromTimeInMillis=0

 

From 6am to 8pm, hrs that a child would be watching tv, they have 1.5 hrs of what I was discussing, animated, traditional character driven cartoons.

 

in the same block of time, they have 2.5 hrs of newer cartoon programming.

 

the rest of the 14 hr block is all tween programming. (i'm including phineas and pherb, an animated tween targeted show)

 

 

 

 

[joe_collector]

sounds to me like the direct market killed comics.

 

Definitely, and as many other comic experts have stated, we have forever lost that "entry-level" buyer. The children who just want a Donald Duck., Little Lulu or Richie Rich comic to look at.

[joe_collector]

From what I can tell, modern European Disney books are not meant so much for kids. I've read them, found them wordy and tedious, and the plots too convoluted, yet simplistic.

 

That's what you call an All-Ages comic, where no one really gets what they want, but it's wordy enough for adults, has enough cool pics and action for kids, and supplies the hardcores with their Donald fix.

 

And best of all, Europe continues to sell these in regular stores and the environment over there is MUCH more kid friendly.

 

One or more of my immediate family goes to Europe every year, and the stuff for kids over there is unbelievable. Comics, magazines, activity books, tons of it, right on a regular store's shelves. I can't even find that kind of selection in a Chapters, let alone somewhere like Walmart.

 

And the kids just eat it up, and it tells me that European kids like to read far more than North Americans. There is a definite market for it over there.

[Black Lantern]

If old US superhero comics would sell as good as Disneys on conventions in Austria, I would already be a ritch man. But if you now think that the kids buy most of it, you are wrong. Almost only men (up to 60, 70 years old) are buying old Disney comics on these conventions. The come with ther want lists and are searching through long boxes what seems like hours. The pull out book after book, often spending hundreds of Euros only at 1 seller. I can only dream of the sales from these sellers.

[the blob]

hmm, well, if it's on the internet it has to be true, but golly, I feel like for sure I had to drag him away from Pooh and Mickey at like 11 a.m. last time we were on vacation and wanted to leave the hotel room. Could Disney possibly have a second channel more for little kids if you have a Dish and 1500 channels (I'll see when I get home). We DVR the shows for later viewing as we do not let him watch TV in the morning at home. Just a little bit from 6:30-7:30/8:00 when he eats before getting ready for bed. Truth is, we probably lean more toward Noggin and Sprout anyway, though sometimes in the evening I'm bored and will let him watch the Batman/Iron Man or Spiderman cartoons even though they're probably too violent and I shouldn't.

[the blob]

and it tells me that European kids like to read far more than North Americans

______________________________

 

While I would agree (and Europeans probably read more in general -- at least newspapers), it seems like a lot of kids were reading Harry Potter, or maybe it was just that I saw a lot of that in my yuppie neck of the woods.

[Bronty]

 

What I wonder is where they're getting the material or are they simply reprinting (and translating) the old stuff? At some point they can't just keep on reprinting, can they? Is Disney even coming out with new stuff nowadays?

 

typically the weekly european disney digests are a mix of new stories and reprints.

[MR.COMICBOOK]

So final analysis, modern comics are still being read as a form of weekly entertainment by millions of readers around the world, here monthly comics are thought as collectables and are bagged,boarded and hoarded and sold to a specific audience.

I like to see in ten years which way was the most beneficial to the comic industry.

I bet we find the answer most interesting.

[Ogami]

well, with America losing its status as the sole superpower and India, China and South Korea taking more of the limelight and most of Europe remaining financially strong, I no longer suppose I have to worry about selling my collection to an American audience only.

 

win. win.

[the blob]

south korea?

[50 Cent #II (1st)]

Most in the U.S. haven't hear of Asterix, but check sales of that in Europe compared to sales of most U.S. comics and I think we Americans would be ashamed.

 

[Ogami]

south korea?

 

it's true. it was on the internet.

 

 

 

 

edited to add:

 

and because I'm home bored, not because I feel obligated to provide sources:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_South_Korea

 

 

[Bronty]

Most in the U.S. haven't hear of Asterix, but check sales of that in Europe compared to sales of most U.S. comics and I think we Americans would be ashamed.

 

well those asterix books have been around in print since what, the 60s? circulation numbers for those would be kind of like adding up the circulation numbers for barks originals plus the reprints.

 

but YES asterix kicks butt! Those books are so much fun