Are we experiencing a comic book renaissance? 1 1

[Mr bla bla]

And could You give us some examples of this socalled renaisance?

[reddog4063]

I was shocked when I sold NYX #3 for $325 raw and NYX #4 for $60 raw within the first day of listing them....def a bunch of flippers and speculators out there right now.....

[Unca Ben]

 

On 2/24/2017 at 9:14 AM, Ken Aldred said:

 

On 2/24/2017 at 6:06 AM, FineCollector said:

Had Stan Lee not said Fantastic Four 51 was his favorite comic of all time, would that still be considered a great story, or would that get discarded with the rest?

I think it would be.  Regarded by so many FF fans as one of the true highlights of the Lee / Kirby run. A great SA comic book.

 

+1000.  Yep, FF 51 has long been regarded as one of Kirby & Lee's greatest single issue stories.  My friends and I felt that way back when these stories first came out.

[crassus]

On ‎3‎/‎6‎/‎2017 at 2:27 PM, Mr bla bla said:

And could You give us some examples of this socalled renaisance?

Renaissance is usually associated with a rebirth or new creative vitality in some endeavor, and why I think it is appropriate for comics as a medium is that it has in recent decades taken a firm and central place in popular culture and is now a main wellspring for TV and Movies, so it has come to influence and shape other media and other subcultures. There is also just numerically more of everything comic related, more creators, more and varied artists, more aspiring to be comic creators, and some genuine innovations in the art and writing and subject matter. Whether one likes it all, or thinks its good or worth anything in the long run, is yes a separate question, but to me there is no doubt that the place of comics in culture now is far more significant across a broader spectrum of creative media than it has been in any time in the past.

[STORMSHADOW_80]

5 hours ago, crassus said:

Renaissance is usually associated with a rebirth or new creative vitality in some endeavor, and why I think it is appropriate for comics as a medium is that it has in recent decades taken a firm and central place in popular culture and is now a main wellspring for TV and Movies, so it has come to influence and shape other media and other subcultures. There is also just numerically more of everything comic related, more creators, more and varied artists, more aspiring to be comic creators, and some genuine innovations in the art and writing and subject matter. Whether one likes it all, or thinks its good or worth anything in the long run, is yes a separate question, but to me there is no doubt that the place of comics in culture now is far more significant across a broader spectrum of creative media than it has been in any time in the past.

Weird though. Comics are more popular in pop culture with TV, Movies, Toys, Clothes. Almost anywhere you go you'll see something comic related except for actual comics

[1Cool]

6 minutes ago, STORMSHADOW_80 said:

Weird though. Comics are more popular in pop culture with TV, Movies, Toys, Clothes. Almost anywhere you go you'll see something comic related except for actual comics

Comics are cool except not to read, collect or own.

[Unca Ben]

I think folks love the concepts, but not the books, so much.

I wouldn't doubt if reading for pleasure is not the popular pastime it used to be, generally speaking.
Are magazine sales, paperbacks and newspapers down, per capita, from the past?

[crassus]

26 minutes ago, Unca Ben said:

I think folks love the concepts, but not the books, so much.

I wouldn't doubt if reading for pleasure is not the popular pastime it used to be, generally speaking.
Are magazine sales, paperbacks and newspapers down, per capita, from the past?

Hard to say, but it is clear that as each generation advances reading goes down. The frightening thing is that it is not really increasing on other media, ie. they are not reading on the internet instead, they are just not reading. It has been said for a while now that newspapers are in trouble, as apparently more and more people gain their news from the internet or alternate sources (I make no further comment on this).

The paradox is that I hear all the time from actual comic shops that the one thing that sells is trades...trades, trades, trades. So even if the sales of comics in the traditional sense is dominated more by speculation, it does not explain the steady and strong sales of trades, which can only be purchased to read, as nobody speculates on trades. So somebody is reading comics, despite the odds, and it is enough to sustain the publishing.

[Unca Ben]

6 minutes ago, crassus said:

 

42 minutes ago, Unca Ben said:

I think folks love the concepts, but not the books, so much.

I wouldn't doubt if reading for pleasure is not the popular pastime it used to be, generally speaking.
Are magazine sales, paperbacks and newspapers down, per capita, from the past?

Hard to say, but it is clear that as each generation advances reading goes down. The frightening thing is that it is not really increasing on other media, ie. they are not reading on the internet instead, they are just not reading. It has been said for a while now that newspapers are in trouble, as apparently more and more people gain their news from the internet or alternate sources (I make no further comment on this).

The paradox is that I hear all the time from actual comic shops that the one thing that sells is trades...trades, trades, trades. So even if the sales of comics in the traditional sense is dominated more by speculation, it does not explain the steady and strong sales of trades, which can only be purchased to read, as nobody speculates on trades. So somebody is reading comics, despite the odds, and it is enough to sustain the publishing.

 

-Going from my own personal experience, I'm sure I'm reading less now than I did in my first 25-30 years of life.
If I just factor in the VCR/DVD/Blu-ray/streaming device in my home, I spend much more leisure time watching movies and cable series than I ever did when I was younger.  Those hours binge watching Breaking Bad, House of Cards, the Sopranos, and the hours and hours of movies at my disposal is orders of magnitude above what I used to have.

A good percentage of that time used to be spent reading.  'Course I still pleasure read, just not nearly as much as I used to.  I should change that.  

[Unca Ben]

...and the hours I spend noodling around on my home computer.  Like right now  

[ComicConnoisseur]

15 hours ago, Unca Ben said:

I think folks love the concepts, but not the books, so much.

I wouldn't doubt if reading for pleasure is not the popular pastime it used to be, generally speaking.
Are magazine sales, paperbacks and newspapers down, per capita, from the past?

I think people are reading more than ever. It is just they are reading stuff on the internet instead of magazines,paperbacks and newspapers. 

[1Cool]

16 hours ago, crassus said:

Hard to say, but it is clear that as each generation advances reading goes down. The frightening thing is that it is not really increasing on other media, ie. they are not reading on the internet instead, they are just not reading. It has been said for a while now that newspapers are in trouble, as apparently more and more people gain their news from the internet or alternate sources (I make no further comment on this).

The paradox is that I hear all the time from actual comic shops that the one thing that sells is trades...trades, trades, trades. So even if the sales of comics in the traditional sense is dominated more by speculation, it does not explain the steady and strong sales of trades, which can only be purchased to read, as nobody speculates on trades. So somebody is reading comics, despite the odds, and it is enough to sustain the publishing.

I've not seen numbers but I'd be shocked if the total number of any specific TPB being sold is not still pretty small.  The fact that there is thousands and thousands of TPBs in the market which seem to be available for $5 does seem to be attracting readers (based on what I see at Cons).  But I don't think this points to a renaissance in the comic book medium in terms of books being sold or product being produced.  There is definitely some good new innovative books being published but as a whole most books seem unexceptional which are being met with lack luster response from buyers (based on # of books being sold).

I will say there is a clear renaissance in the number of people trying to sell books.  A vast majority of the younger generation may not have a care for collecting comics they still need to make a buck and there seems to be no shortage of people selling books.  And since older Silver-Age /Golden Age books are tough to come by then the younger sellers seem to be concentrating on SS series and hot new variants since those are the available to anyone with a bit of luck and access to a well stocked LCS.

Edited March 9, 2017 by 1Cool

[JAM_NYC]

On 3/6/2017 at 1:27 PM, STORMSHADOW_80 said:

I started the #IGComicFamily a few years ago and is almost up to 170,000 hits so far. Amazing!

That was you? Good job. I haven't been active on IG for the last few years, but the ability to jump right to comic stuff by searching a hashtag is great.

All the raffles and shenanigans turned me off to that place, though. It seems like all the comic posts are people selling stuff, instead of showing off their latest haul.

[STORMSHADOW_80]

24 minutes ago, JAM_NYC said:

That was you? Good job. I haven't been active on IG for the last few years, but the ability to jump right to comic stuff by searching a hashtag is great.

All the raffles and shenanigans turned me off to that place, though. It seems like all the comic posts are people selling stuff, instead of showing off their latest haul.

Thanks Man. Yeah I agree. Too much selling going on. There's a few accounts I don't even follow anymore. My feed was constantly being bombarded with over priced books. I just mainly like to show my hauls and talk comics. I've met a few really cool people on IG.

[Aweandlorder]

I think that at this point, eBay is the center for comic book pricing. Definitely with books from 70s-current. Anything that goes anywhere else, for the most part, will draw value from eBay.

When I go on IG, FB groups, yard-sales, cons, LCS or craigslist to look for finds, I always compare prices to eBay recently sold (if Im not aware of a book's value)

The only exception would be Amazon with TPB/HCs

[Aweandlorder]

This is definitely an unprecedented time for comics when it comes to creativity. Even more so when considering that printed matter is a dying format

But lets not just look at comic book properties as a surging stock in popular culture. Lets also look at avenues like kickstarter, Patreon.

I think that readership is at an all time high when you factor in modern mainstream top 100+ digital + TPB + kickstarter. Certainly more diversified than ever.

Also, I think that comic book covers are some of the best produced in a long while. Not since the 50s have we seen so many painted covers. DEFINITELY not that are associated with super heroes.

I remember in the 80s there were only a handful of artists producing painted covers and they were always a hit or miss. I think that Dave Dorman was the first successful cover artist that brought back painted art to mainstream comics. Nowadays painted covers are the norm and without taking away from the shine of such 50s classic cover legends, modern comics can take pride in some amazing masterpieces that will surely be indicted in comic book history in years to come  

[crassus]

I agree completely about the significance of painted art in the modern era. If we limited the term "renaissance" to only the subject of visual art, it would be applicable imo based on the quality and quantity of painted works, covers and also interiors. When you consider also the increasing prevalence of mixed media productions, mixtures of conventional media married with computer graphics it is also a renaissance in the additional sense of experimentation with genuinely new techniques and new media.

Edited March 9, 2017 by crassus

[1950's war comics]

Comics have increased in value so much that historically famous 19th century key coins (like the 1901-S Barber Quarter) are looking mighty cheap these days.....

[ComicConnoisseur]

1 hour ago, 1950's war comics said:

Comics have increased in value so much that historically famous 19th century key coins (like the 1901-S Barber Quarter) are looking mighty cheap these days.....

+1

I think because the comic book characters keep getting re-invented and re-introduced to new audiences. That really is not going to happen with coins.

I say going forward the two best hobbies with the most growth for new fans and higher blue- chip prices are comics and video-games.

With emphasis on Marvel and Nintendo characters.

 

 

 

[Designer Toast]

I'm not sure how other stores are doing, but I spoke to someone who lives on the east coast and was told a lot of comic shops are not doing well.  Someone who owns a shop told me sales of new comic books are down 25% and his bread and butter is the sale of back issues and graphic novels.  Local sales of new comics also appear to be down.  Anyone hear anything in their area?

I remember placing Craigslist ads asking to buy comics and I got some pretty good responses.  Now, there are ads all over the place.