{"id":1173,"date":"2017-12-07T16:55:01","date_gmt":"2017-12-07T16:55:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/?p=1173"},"modified":"2017-12-15T14:32:17","modified_gmt":"2017-12-15T14:32:17","slug":"evolve-or-die-an-exploration-of-the-comics-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/?p=1173","title":{"rendered":"Evolve or Die: An Exploration of the Comics Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_tta_tabs style=”modern” shape=”round” color=”juicy-pink” spacing=”4″ gap=”3″ alignment=”center” active_section=”1″ no_fill_content_area=”true”][vc_tta_section title=”History” tab_id=”1512081950703-f4f60f61-18a7″][vc_column_text]\n
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\nW<\/span> e have to stop the collapse of the comic book industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Those were the words uttered by Jim Lee, one of the top executives at DC Comics, this past summer at San Diego Comicon. The panel, which provided insight about DC’s new initiative Rebirth, \u00a0took a surprising transparent view of an industry struggling to find its identity.<\/p>\n

At just over 75 years old its a relatively young industry, one that has survived its fair share of ups and downs. However, whether or not it will flourish in the next 75 more years will depend on the choices made in the coming years.<\/p>\n

At the same time, and perhaps deceptively, the comics market has shown steady growth over the past few years. This is due in large part to more publishers cropping up as well as more books being put out by individual publishers. According to figures compiled by Comichron, North American comic sales have shown steady growth over the past six years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/div>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_progress_bar values=”%5B%7B%22label%22%3A%22(2011)%20-%22%2C%22value%22%3A%22715%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22bar_blue%22%7D%2C%7B%22label%22%3A%22(2012)-%22%2C%22value%22%3A%22805%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22purple%22%7D%2C%7B%22label%22%3A%22(2013)-%22%2C%22value%22%3A%22870%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22bar_black%22%7D%2C%7B%22label%22%3A%22(2014)-%22%2C%22value%22%3A%22935%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22bar_red%22%7D%2C%7B%22label%22%3A%22(2015)-%22%2C%22value%22%3A%221003%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22orange%22%7D%2C%7B%22label%22%3A%22(2016)-%22%2C%22value%22%3A%221085%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22bar_green%22%7D%5D” title=”North American Comic Sales ($ in millions)” units=”$ “][vc_column_text]However individual comic sales are not what they used to be as books are lucky to break 100,000 in sales. In the 90’s books like X-Men and Superman regularly sold millions of copies of every issue and the business of comics was booming. In the following years there was a significant drop and while the bestselling books have been trending upwards lately, the overall market has been slowly treading water.<\/p>\n
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<\/div>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_progress_bar values=”%5B%7B%22label%22%3A%228%20Million%20(1991)%22%2C%22value%22%3A%22800%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22bar_blue%22%7D%2C%7B%22label%22%3A%222%20Million%20(1996)%22%2C%22value%22%3A%22200%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22bar_green%22%7D%2C%7B%22label%22%3A%22200%20Thousand%20(2001)%20%22%2C%22value%22%3A%2220%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22pink%22%7D%2C%7B%22label%22%3A%22340%20Thousand%20(2006)%22%2C%22value%22%3A%2234%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22orange%22%7D%2C%7B%22label%22%3A%22250%20Thousand%20(2011)%20%22%2C%22value%22%3A%2225%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22purple%22%7D%2C%7B%22label%22%3A%22460%20Thousand%20(2016)%20%22%2C%22value%22%3A%2246%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22bar_red%22%7D%5D” bgcolor=”bar_orange” options=”animated” css_animation=”fadeIn” title=”Top Selling Issue By Year (1991-2016) ” css=”.vc_custom_1512670790279{background-color: #ffffff !important;}” el_class=”alexcustomlabel”][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/LGundIc4YVc” title=”The State of The Industry”][vc_column_text]Peter Birkmoe is a comics aficionado and owner of the Beguiling, one of the most well known comic shops in Canada and the world. His fascination with the medium began when he was 13, an age where he briefly dabbled in superhero comics, before leaving the genre behind. However, he certainly didn’t leave comics behind and his passion led him to where he is now.<\/p>\n

His decision to buy the Beguiling in 2014 was much\u00a0more than a business decision, as it was also a matter of preserving what he believed to be an important institution. “I bought the Beguiling largely because I wanted to continue to have a place to buy comics.It quickly became the most important and most interesting shop to me,” he said.<\/p>\n

“It had material that challenged me, that I was not entirely comfortable with at first but intrigued me. By the time the previous owners came to sell the store, I’d come to realize that this was one of the best shops in the world and that having access to the comics I wanted was not something that I could take for granted.”<\/p>\n

From a business perspective, Birkmoe sees owning a comic book store as a horrible investment, in terms of finances, but one that he treasures. \u00a0“I wouldn’t recommend\u00a0retail to anybody, let alone comic books specifically. I would be happy running this place as a lending library, where I didn’t have to buy and sell stuff.”<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”The Independent Scene” tab_id=”1512081958740-bd07d5d0-29ad”][vc_custom_heading text=”Image Comics”][vc_column_text]I<\/span> mage Comics was founded in February of 1992 by Todd McFarlane, Rob Liefeld, Jim Lee, Erik Larsen, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and Whilce Portacio. Its creation was a direct response to frayed relationships between the major Publishers at the time, Marvel and DC, and many of their top flight writers and artists. Many creators felt that they weren\u2019t getting payed what they deserved and they decided to leave the major publishers and start their own company.<\/p>\n

Today, Image Comics has become a place for top-flight comic writers and artists to tell the stories that they want to tell, while also retaining full rights to the content they create. Image comics has exploded in popularity in the past decade, cementing itself as one of the premier publishers in the history of comics.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/uem7P9ao37s”][vc_column_text]Image makes up 12% of the comics industry, but they put out almost half as many books as the big two (DC and Marvel). A big reason for their seemingly low amount of output is that they aren’t owned by a major corporation with shareholders to answer to. Also, since their titles are creator-owned, \u00a0they possess no real editorial mandate and they can instead focus on the stories that they want to tell in an unburdened setting.<\/p>\n
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<\/div>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_round_chart stroke_width=”2″ values=”%5B%7B%22title%22%3A%22DC%22%2C%22value%22%3A%2226%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22blue%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22Marvel%22%2C%22value%22%3A%2236%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22pink%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22Image%22%2C%22value%22%3A%2212%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22turquoise%22%2C%22custom_color%22%3A%22%23f7f7f7%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22Other%22%2C%22value%22%3A%2227%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22orange%22%2C%22custom_color%22%3A%22%23b97ebb%22%7D%5D” animation=”easeOutBounce” title=”Comic Market Share”][vc_column_text]H<\/span> owever, with Image\u2019s success and the fact that it is mostly a place for celebrated creators to have their work featured, Self-Publishing is very much the future of Indie comics content.<\/p>\n

Since Kickstarter\u2019s launch, back in 2009 it has been the home of 5,773 successfully funded comic book projects and that number has been growing steadily every year. The ability to cut out the publisher completely opens up more avenues for sharing stories and for Shawn Daley, this ease of access is a big reason why he sees Self- Publishing as the future of comics.[\/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/42BC9Lmu2-Q”][vc_column_text]Daley launched a collection of his self-published work in January of 2015 on Kickstarter and reached his goal of $4,700 in twenty-five hours. And by the time the campaign\u00a0finished, he had raised almost $10,000 towards his project.<\/p>\n

“I see self-publishing becoming a powerhouse and I even see a lot of established creators doing some self-publishing work as well, and I know some that already do,” says Daley.<\/p>\n

Creators like Gene Ha and Ben Templesmith, who have worked for Marvel and DC in the past launched Kickstarters that grossed $75,000 and $144,000 respectively. However, self-publishing also opens the door for some perils.<\/p>\n

In Ben Templesmith’s case, the project he launched that received $144,000 in funding, has yet to reach all its backers, even though it was funded on February 10, 2015.<\/p>\n

According to updates posted by Templesmith on the Kickstarter page, there \u00a0have been shipping and printing issues, that have resulted in damaged books and higher than expected costs. There are over 500 comments on the projects page and most of them are angry backers wanting the product they pledged for.<\/p>\n

This issue of distribution and printing is something that self-publishing creators\u00a0have to contend with and is one of the major pitfalls that come with not going through a publisher.<\/p>\n

That being said, even with the pitfalls, Daley views Kickstarter as the next step in the self-publishing landscape, one that is far from the last one.<\/p>\n

“There will always be a platform for people to be publishing their own work and making a living off of it.”<\/p>\n

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<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Talking to Creators” tab_id=”1512081950712-313a57b7-348a”][vc_custom_heading text=”Leonard Kirk”][vc_column_text]L<\/span> eonard Kirk knew at the age of 12 that he wanted to draw comics for a living (Well, either that or become an astronaut). But his fear of heights and passion for drawing made his decision an easy one. Now, more than three decades since he broke into the comics industry, Kirk finds himself living out his childhood dream all the while charting a course to his next endeavor.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/m2gJjsemqr8″][vc_custom_heading text=”Shawn Daley on Movies”][vc_column_text]Lately, Comics have found themselves being adapted into movies and tv shows begging the question of what can be done to spread that success to the comic book source material.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/rFenPaCs4Lo”][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Getting into Comics” tab_id=”1512081953827-e4e6738b-ed13″][vc_custom_heading text=”Great Comics to Start”][vc_column_text]\n
If superheroes aren\u2019t your thing, and you prefer more prose driven literature then Daytripper is the comic for you. The comic tells the story of a writer at different parts of his life as he experiences the hardships and joys that life bring and the twist is that at the end of every issue, he dies. Daytripper is a comic unlike any other and one that warrants careful and slow reading sessions and manages to capture the essence of life as so\nthing precious and easily lost.<\/span>\"Daytripper\"<\/a><\/div><\/figure>
You might recognize him as the least interesting character in the Avengers movie, but fear not, Hawkeye is a character worth exploring and this is a book worth reading.\nWhile also delivering heavy and at times heartbreaking moments, Hawkeye is a superhero book that may lack the powers but has more than enough heart to make up for it.<\/span>\"Archer<\/a><\/div><\/figure>
Tackles the debilitating power of altheizmers while providing and interesting perspective on family and the price of legacy.\n<\/span>\"\"<\/a><\/div><\/figure>
I know it sounds kind of ridiculous but Afterlife takes the wholesome folks from Riverdale and reinvents them in a zombie apocalyptic world. While amped up to eleven the characters are recognizable and this is one of the best horror comics out there right now.<\/span>\"A<\/a><\/div><\/figure>
For anyone who isn\u2019t well versed in the DC comics universe, Legacies takes you through almost all the major happenings in a story that is emotionally charged and centred around a pair of childhood kids dealing with growing up.<\/span>\"\"<\/a><\/div><\/figure>
Think Romeo and Juliet as a planet hopping soap opera but with a much better supporting cast. One of the best comics of the best decade by far and one that will bring you great joy and sadness.<\/span>\"Child<\/a><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
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<\/div>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Comic Shops in the GTA”][vc_gmaps link=”#E-8_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”][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_tabs]
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    Upcoming Events<\/h3>
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    Toronto Fan Days Holiday Show<\/h3>

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    A mini winter comicon featuring vendors and cosplayers. A great place to get some last minute holiday shopping done.<\/p>\n

    When: December 9, 2017<\/p>\n

    Location: Metro Toronto Convention Centre (South Building)<\/p>\n

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    T.C.A.F<\/h3>

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    A yearly festival celebrating\u00a0comic art. Unlike Fan Expo and Comicon TCAF focuses solely on comic writers and artists and best of all, it’s free.<\/p>\n

    When: May 12-13, 2018<\/p>\n

    Location: Toronto Reference Library (Younge Subway Station)<\/p>\n

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    Fan Expo<\/h3>

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    The most attended pop culture show in Canada and one of the largest in the world, Fan Expo Canada is 4 days of Mayhem every Labour day weekend. You can meet celebrities, try the newest video games, meet comic creators and buy lots of cool merchandise.<\/p>\n

    When: August 30- September 2, 2018<\/p>\n

    Where: Metro Toronto Convention Centre<\/p>\n

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    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_tta_tabs style=”modern” shape=”round” color=”juicy-pink” spacing=”4″ gap=”3″ alignment=”center” active_section=”1″ no_fill_content_area=”true”][vc_tta_section title=”History” tab_id=”1512081950703-f4f60f61-18a7″][vc_column_text] W e have to stop the collapse of the comic book industry.\u201d   Those were the words uttered by Jim Lee, one of the top executives at DC Comics, this past summer at San Diego Comicon. The panel, which provided insight about DC’s new […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[263],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1173"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1173"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1173\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}