75 Years Of DC Comics

[ComicConnoisseur]

Random thoughts about the new DC Explosion or maybe new DC implosion.

They are looking for new readers or returning readers who lost interest do to the mass confusion,sorta like me.I will be buying more DC Comics in the month of September than I have in the last 4 years. Last time I tried DC I was one confused puppy. Identity this and identity that.

That George Perez Superman has got my eye and looks interesting. Too bad that DC can`t seem to lose it`s love affair with Grant Morrisson though.

I will also be downloading a few just to have an alternative than driving a few miles to the LCS or internet. Saves on gas or shipping.

 

[Flash105]

If they are looking to gain new young readership there is only one way to do that and that is through cheap digital distribution. If I was DC here is what I would do. I would continue printed distribution as is with the new launch just as most schools are starting. I would then distribute the same comics one week later digitally for 50 cents. The main issue with getting new readers is that comics are sold in comic book stores instead of gas stations, drug stores, and grocery stores. No one just happens to walk by a comic and says that looks cool. So to get those new readers I would pick my five best #1 stories and give them away free, allow friends to share these five copies with friends and have it spread like a virus.

 

Example Superman #710 sold around 39,000 copies for retail revenue of 116000.

 

At .50 you would need to sell 232,000 copies to equal retail revenue but of course it would be a lot fewer copies needed than that once you take out Diamond, the LCS, printing, and distribution costs. So how do you get 232000 downloads. There are 33.7 million high school and college students in the US. So you only need to get .006% to buy in. The great thing is at .50 a book, I bet their overall spend would be greater than most of us spend on the printed material, plus you could do discounted subscription discounts which give them rights to all the new stuff and possibly selected old material. The potential is almost unlimited. Connect the stories with the video games and movies and you have the potential to build a new dedicated audience. The key to me is that an individual copy has to be cheap which considering the profit margins of digital vs print and the extremely low volumes they need to beat print makes it all worthwhile and worth the risk.

 

Magazines and newpapers are faced with the same economics but have much higher subscription bases which makes it harder for them to cut and run on the hard print. I think the risk is also lowered by the fact that the high school and college crowd are not even customers at this point. So what do they have to lose. I think they are much better off starting cheap, creating buzz, giving enough content away to draw kids in, and delivering good stories and art.

[bigfiver69]

If they are looking to gain new young readership there is only one way to do that and that is through cheap digital distribution. If I was DC here is what I would do. I would continue printed distribution as is with the new launch just as most schools are starting. I would then distribute the same comics one week later digitally for 50 cents. The main issue with getting new readers is that comics are sold in comic book stores instead of gas stations, drug stores, and grocery stores. No one just happens to walk by a comic and says that looks cool. So to get those new readers I would pick my five best #1 stories and give them away free, allow friends to share these five copies with friends and have it spread like a virus.

 

Example Superman #710 sold around 39,000 copies for retail revenue of 116000.

 

At .50 you would need to sell 232,000 copies to equal retail revenue but of course it would be a lot fewer copies needed than that once you take out Diamond, the LCS, printing, and distribution costs. So how do you get 232000 downloads. There are 33.7 million high school and college students in the US. So you only need to get .006% to buy in. The great thing is at .50 a book, I bet their overall spend would be greater than most of us spend on the printed material, plus you could do discounted subscription discounts which give them rights to all the new stuff and possibly selected old material. The potential is almost unlimited. Connect the stories with the video games and movies and you have the potential to build a new dedicated audience. The key to me is that an individual copy has to be cheap which considering the profit margins of digital vs print and the extremely low volumes they need to beat print makes it all worthwhile and worth the risk.

 

Magazines and newpapers are faced with the same economics but have much higher subscription bases which makes it harder for them to cut and run on the hard print. I think the risk is also lowered by the fact that the high school and college crowd are not even customers at this point. So what do they have to lose. I think they are much better off starting cheap, creating buzz, giving enough content away to draw kids in, and delivering good stories and art.

 

Rock solid reasoning and good business to boot.

 

 

[Brian48]

Not familiar with the history that's taken this conversation in different places

 

Just wanted to say that this post got my curiosity and I picked up a copy myself. Alas, the 2nd printing, but that's OK. Not a bad book at all. I'm enjoying it.

[Ian_Levine]

Thanks, I appreciate it...it just frustrates me a little when I perceive the comic companies moving away from some of the things I enjoyed so much about comics growing up. They've been doing the reboot, reimagine, renumber game for 25 years, and how's it been working out for them?

 

Bloody well said !!!!!!!

[Norrin_Radd]

CBS story on Taschen this morning. 75 Years of DC Comics featured.

 

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7360194n

[aardvark88]

Finished watching the History of DC Comics on dvd. It was a bit dull towards the end from the Neal Adams late 60s era to rights of DC creators, impact of DC publisher Jeanette Kahn, Frank Miller's Dark Knight, explosion of marketing with all the Tim Burton to current Batman/Dark Knight movies, and Alan Moore's Swampthing, Vertigo, Watchmen comic/movie, as it is more recent history that I lived through. Best part for me was early history of National Comics with Mort Weisinger, interviews with Julius Schwartz, Joe Kubert, etc.

[DrWatson]

Thanks, I appreciate it...it just frustrates me a little when I perceive the comic companies moving away from some of the things I enjoyed so much about comics growing up. They've been doing the reboot, reimagine, renumber game for 25 years, and how's it been working out for them?

 

Bloody well said !!!!!!!

If you already own every DC comic published, then what difference does it make which number they put on the front cover. It's not like you've been selective in the past.

[Speedy-D]

Thanks, I appreciate it...it just frustrates me a little when I perceive the comic companies moving away from some of the things I enjoyed so much about comics growing up. They've been doing the reboot, reimagine, renumber game for 25 years, and how's it been working out for them?

 

Bloody well said !!!!!!!

If you already own every DC comic published, then what difference does it make which number they put on the front cover. It's not like you've been selective in the past.

He selected DC didn't he?

[DrWatson]

Thanks, I appreciate it...it just frustrates me a little when I perceive the comic companies moving away from some of the things I enjoyed so much about comics growing up. They've been doing the reboot, reimagine, renumber game for 25 years, and how's it been working out for them?

 

Bloody well said !!!!!!!

If you already own every DC comic published, then what difference does it make which number they put on the front cover. It's not like you've been selective in the past.

He selected DC didn't he?

Money can't buy taste... unless it's someone else's.

[Speedy-D]

Thanks, I appreciate it...it just frustrates me a little when I perceive the comic companies moving away from some of the things I enjoyed so much about comics growing up. They've been doing the reboot, reimagine, renumber game for 25 years, and how's it been working out for them?

 

Bloody well said !!!!!!!

If you already own every DC comic published, then what difference does it make which number they put on the front cover. It's not like you've been selective in the past.

He selected DC didn't he?

Money can't buy taste... unless it's someone else's.

Even then it's a crapshoot.