I admit it. I read comic books. I love them, I always have loved them, and I always will love them. The day comic books are no longer for sale will be the day my heart breaks. Today, something happened at work that sent me thinking about the history and the state of the industry.
I remember (vaguely) back to when comics cost only $.15, then $.25, and then $.30. It's not as long ago as you might think. Comic collecting wasn't "collecting" as it is in today's terms. Back then, you bought a comic and you read it. Only after you enjoyed your story did you consider holding on to it. Where I grew up, there were no such thing as comic boxes and bags & boards to preserve the condition of your precious item. If they existed, our town had none for sale. We didn't even have a comic book shop. Just a bookstore that carried a few comics, and the odd-items store down the street, with a soda fountain, candy shop, and a comic rack.
As I grew, so did the story lines. When I was a kid, comic books were suitable for my age. The violence was very cartoon, and obviously not real. Heroes and villains rarely died, and it was rarely permanent. The plots were all about the conflict between good and bad, and it was very "plain vanilla" or black and white. There were no shades of gray. But as I became a teenager, things began to change. Plots became charged with modern social tension. I remember the first time I read Batman title dealing with disappearing homeless people and there was a hint of outrage of how Gotham City's PD handled (or didn't handle) the problem. I remember the original Terra of Teen Titans showing up in her hooker makeup and high heels as she consulted with Wilson Slade about the best way to take down the Titans from the inside (wonderful story that totally floored me). I remember when death became real, superheroes learned about consequences, choices between right & wrong became choices between the lesser of two evils, and villains actually started to win permanent victories.
I look at today's comic lines, DC's new 52 revamp (loving it), and Marvel's superhero registration act / Civil War / and upcoming Avengers vs X-Men story lines, and find myself reading about gay characters, HIV & AIDS, suicide and sexual crime themes, and violence upon children themes. These are good, strong story lines. Comics have evolved over the years, inciting discussions about modern social issues and injustices in their pages. It is no longer a mark of shame be an adult caught in a comic book store. Or to post about your favorite issue on social media. Even President Obama has mentioned that he likes Spiderman (did you see the issue dedicated to him over that?). If he likes comics, then there's no shame in any of us liking them.
And yet, every time I walk into my local shop, the people browsing the shelves are my age or older. Like Star Trek, comic book fandom is aging and not passing down their passion to the younger generations. Admittedly, there are some kids who read comics, despite the fact that there aren't a lot of comics suitable for their age.
Three weeks after the new 52 debuted, I was paying for my books when a parent (who loves comics himself) asked my local "fixer" what 52 lines were suitable for his pre-teen children. The question stopped me in my tracks. I'd been reading most of the new titles, and found myself surprised when I could only name three possible titles. The rest I couldn't even began to recommend for a young child. Where did all the kid stories go?
Oh, sure. We have the Disney titles, and the Archie comics. But those don't sell very well in U.S. stores. Notice you will only ever see about 3 or 4 issues on the rack (if any) of your local shop. Compared to Superman or Wolverine, of which you will see about 20 issues (before the subscriptions are filled).
The comic industry is dying a slow death. Part of this can be blamed on rising prices. Let's be fair, though. Paper and ink quality are improving, and page count has increased since the days of the twenty-five cent comic. As the current fanbase ages, few children replenish the ranks. Social media and video games (digital product) holds their attention. Let's be fair, though. There aren't a lot of current titles that speak to the pre-teen and teenage fan group without patronizing them. Comics are generally geared towards adults and just-out-of-toddlerhood kids. So when the industry dies, who will be to blame?
It's hard to tell. Right now, the industry gears its stories to those who are buying, which makes it hard to garner new fans. On an up note, DC has started including digital download codes in pre-bagged comics, attempting a push towards eComics. I've watched over the years as DC and Marvel have gone head-to-head on digital product, trying to compete with the new technology. They put out CDs and DVDs, with comics saved on them, tried interactive or moving comics, and finally gave away free digital teasers online, packaged with other products. None of their previous attempts worked very well. It will be interesting to see if the eComic / digit download code works for them. In the meantime, I'm going to patronize my local comic & game shop, spend my hard earned cash on my addictive little habit, and wish for the opportunity to play in this little sandbox like so many of my media tie-in author friends do.
And hope I can pass on my addiction to the younger generation before comics disappear for good.
