ISSUES With the Comic Industry!

[@ComicDrake]

So many of y'all are ignoring the obvious pun that the title is and are getting mad at me that I'm not talking about other problems with the comic industry other than single issues. That's like getting mad that a video about apples isn't talking about oranges because they're both fruit. If you want to discuss more problems other than single issues, I already have a video for that which this one is a sequel to so feel free to vent your frustrations there. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZoiXZ4Vmjd5pb6M Throwing a heart on this for visibility.

[@venvon6433]

BUC-EE’S !!!!!!!!!!!!

[@travisatchison8429]

I get it now. I tend to think manga is doing better because of the animes about them than soley comics

[@Heisenberg-mt2lx]

Ahhhhhhhhhhh I see what you did there

[@otastar4887]

@@travisatchison8429 “animes “ 😭😂

[@livootherworld5756]

Such a comic book dad joke.

[@stephend4945]

The shonen jump thing is actually the other way around, newest 3 are free the older stuff requires a subscription. That being said the subscription is only 3$ a month

[@ComicDrake]

Halfway there, haha!

[@geoxaga6507]

It's 2 dollars a month.

[@harryscott2955]

And that $3 is for close to an infinite number of chapters

[@elijahbowers1]

Its sooooo worth it!

[@yggdrasil3]

In the Manga Plus app, the three latest chapter and the three very first chapters are free, which I think is great both for newcomers and loyal readers alike.

[@munjee2]

Thinking biggest issue is that they keep making jumping on points and NEVER make it obvious that they are that

[@conservaduck7298]

Munjee Syed jumping on points put in places that few if any people would go to

[@DogsAreTheBest312]

Or that they still refer to stuff that happened before the jumping on point. Like don’t get me wrong, New 52 is where I started reading comics. But some of the stuff that happens in Batman and Nightwing you wouldn’t really get if you weren’t at least familiar with some of the past stories. Like how in Nightwing Rebirth Damian shows up with the flying Batmobile. If I hadn’t known that was a thing in Grant Morrison’s era, I would’ve been pretty confused. I mean I’d recognize that it was flying, but I wouldn’t know why or when that happened.

[@TevyaSmolka]

Personally I agree the whole single issue thing is basically obsolete also not to mention the constant relaunches by marvel comics over the past decade didn’t help either, and yes the prince increases for a single comic like 10 dollars for amazing Spider-Man comic is completely ridiculous and really stupid in my opinion.

[@aufowithwificoverage3328]

Manga:”I have this story that just requires you to read and buy up coming ones” Comics:”I have this story that requires you to know about this character, but you also need to know about this characters in other separate stories and you won’t catch up on everything”

[@stinkydinky4761]

Coming from a guy who’s read manga and comics - you clearly don’t read comics. They’re nothing like that. If you need to know who a character is, 9/10 it’ll tell you. Manga on the other hand, and least for me, is harder to follow because it’s one long-ass story. Most important comic stories are collected in one book making it easier to read.

[@randombloke165]

@@stinkydinky4761 In what world is manga harder to follow? You start with issue one and continue in numerical order. For comics you usually have to look up guides for good jumping on points.

[@harrylane4]

On one hand: an elaborate, extended universe is a super interesting concept and does an incredible job at creating a world that feels real and lived-in On the other hand: doesn't matter how interesting your world is, if it's prohibitively difficult to get into that world, people won't want to get into it.

[@epolty1994]

I don’t think you need to know everything about a story like most of the time they might reference something from another comic but you don’t really need to read that other comic to understand the one you’re reading if you don’t want to

[@epolty1994]

But manga is definitely objectively easier to get into

[@MFBooks-gy5nz]

Who thought that when he said he had a sponsor, was expecting it to be Raid:Shadow legend

[@black369ace7]

High-key relieved that he wasn’t sponsered by them

[@LemanRussx]

@@black369ace7 lol yeah bro

[@mageside]

I was partially expecting to see that poor girl get eaten by the tutorial dragon... AGAIN!!

[@etexpatriate]

Amusingly, what you propose is pretty much the format comic books had back in the 1940's Golden Age: about 50 pages per issue, multiple stories (usually in different genres), priced to sell to casual buyers rather than afficionados, distributed by mass market rather than specialty shops. Also, the devolution worked the other way around than you seem to think: comic books got smaller, pricier and more exclusive because the audience for them shrank as other media (TV mainly) drew on the same share. Its not just a matter of inexplicable editorial policies that drove comicbooks into their eccentric niche.

[@Codeninja676]

Yeah im pretty sure the modern Manga system which is pretty much what Drake proposed is based on the 1940's Golden Age business model and thanks to this Manga dominates most of the comic market worldwide, i used to buy Weekly Shonen Jump from goddamned Kmart that's how easy they were to find and today you can still get them from non specialty stores easily. In Japan you can find manga in convenience store that's easy availability brings in a bunch of casual readers even more so now that they made an app that allows you to read the latest chapter for free but requires a super low cost subscription to read the backlog which again will attract any casual reader since they can just buy the subscription for a month catch up on the series they like and read them week to week for free. If comics books over here chose to do things like this again they would bring in a massive amount of casuals that only know the characters from movies even if they don't read all the issues they will pick up a magazine of multiple series every once in awhile because it's a bunch of series on top of the one they are interested in.

[@freddier47]

Drake: at least everyone has a wallmart Drake's UK fanbase: Am I a joke to you

[@PeachyBeins]

Nigerian(and Rest of Africa) : are we a joke to you? Yankee

[@TheMaxxAwesome]

The UK has Asda; that's Wal-Mart. You're welcome.

[@freddier47]

@@TheMaxxAwesome yeah I know that. First off I was making a joke. Secondly Asda never stocked them. It was just wallmart I think

[@Specsboy1999]

I get my comics at WHSmith, which is kind of like a book-focused Walmart

[@freddier47]

@@Specsboy1999 I know. I'm not in need of advice lol. I was just remarking on how we didn't really se those specific comics all too much in the uk

[@R_eagan]

As much as I love comics, they need to get with the times. The industry could use new fans and better distribution.

[@jamcalx]

The Shonen jump give is 3 laters chapters per series for free, with the rest being a pay per chapter, but a $1.99 per month subscription gives you COMPLETE library access.

[@elijahdavila3684]

That's a freaking steal

[@raspyleafj3778]

Actually it’s almost complete most of the big titles like Naruto dragon ball one piece are in the subscription but hunterxhunter is only available to buy per volume

[@KalenCrux]

100 percent agree with you on this. Part of the reason i prefer trades over single issues is the very fact that they are much Cheaper over all that I don’t mind waiting the extra time it takes to get everything all at once and read it all together

[@ItsTheFizz]

I've long felt that the current editorials at Marvel and DC have a bit of a Tree Fort mentality... They believe the best creative and distributive directions are the ones they grew up with...

[@zakhfair1902]

Hey man, This will be a long one, so if you don't read it, I understand. I will also point out that this seems to be a focus for bigger companies, rather than indies. So it won't work for everyone. First! I love this idea of distributing to places other than comic shops. I also highly recommend libraries if you have spare copies that are in need of some love. Great idea. Second! Your proposed business model is really good and I'd love to distribute my IPs this way, definitely more digestible. But then it comes down to cost. It's not exactly cost effective for a business to run design on multiple books at once, unless you had one letterer and multiple artists and writers (Could probably get away with one writer, if they were fast enough, two at most.) Three! Another reason why people loathe single issues, at least from a business perspective, is print cost. Printing is often quite expensive (Even moreso with the new tariffs, but that's beside the point,) and after sinking so much money into an artist, you feel as thought you should be printing in digital anyway. Jump gets away with it because not only do they print in B&W, but also use recycled paper, so cost is even cheaper. (Also, you can get different colours, so that's cool too.) I'd love to do something like you've suggested (I've got enough ideas to do that, rest assured,) but for an indie guy like me, it's not finanacially plausible unless I did a kickstarter and then I'd have to smash out nearly 100k not only for artists, but for printing, too! I could buy 2 apartments in Australia with that. :P TL;DR Great in theory, but not financially viable for indiefolk (Though if you have ideas for indies that don't involve kickstarter (Something other than single issues, I mean,) I would love to see a video on that, even though I know it's niche.)

[@mattwo7]

Why not just go with the webcomic model? Homestuck didn't need a kickstarter (though the complete trainwreck of making a spin-off game did), El Goonish Shive didn't need a kickstarter, 8 Bit Theater didn't need a kickstarter (ok maybe that one isn't the best example considering the overall lack of original art but I'm sure it still took a considerable amount of effort), Brawl in the Family didn't need a kickstarter, Megatokyo didn't need a kickstarter, all those long-running Sunday paper comic style comics like VG Cats, Awkward Zombie, Brawl in the Family and Penny Arcade didn't need kickstarters either.

[@luisr799]

@@mattwo7 wasn't one punch man a web comic at first? It got super popular

[@mattwo7]

@@luisr799 Oh yea, that one too.

[@leosanalien9904]

I sense someone watching feel he’s being trolled by the thumbnail

[@albertschoise8091]

@@faerora a person!

[@sharilshahed6106]

"Is that a personal attack or something?"

[@QuartzIsAnOxide]

That's the power of vague clickbait

[@danroberson7031]

I think it's a pun... Or I just see puns everywhere... please help...

[@leosanalien9904]

Dan Roberson It’s a pun. And I interpret it as trolling to Carol-haters who get excited anticipating “oh yeah another KZbin video shitting on PC comics represented by this feminazi” and they definitely exist.

[@42PenguinsInATrenchCoat]

In Brazil, a “single issue” actually is a bunch of issues from different series, but thematically similar. Like, a “Titans” issue has Titans, Teen Titans, Outsiders, Robin, etc.

[@GWOutsider]

Here in Italy too, but it doesn't seem like a method particularly popular. In fact Panini (which publish Marvel stuff) since the last reboot/jumping-on point have been publishing floppies made in the original American way

[@42PenguinsInATrenchCoat]

If it is of any help, Panini (who also publishes Marvel and DC here) is also full of criticism recently.

[@tigerbread78]

If this is the "Collectors Edition" then it's been going since 1995 in the UK. It started with X-men, then expanded to Spider-man and so on. 3 actual issues in each reprint. Haven't bought one in years, but it's still the cheaper option even with increases.

[@randomduck8679]

Gabriel Oliveira something similar where I am but they’re a year or two behind.

[@mattwo7]

But not Doom Patrol or Young Justice?

[@unigenius]

Also, manga doesn't stretch on seemingly forever like Marvel/DC stories do.

[@leovanilla6833]

I think the bigger issue is you can have a long-running manga- but it's ONE story. With comics, there are so many crossovers/events between many different titles you can barely keep track of the "singular" storyline. Manga has endings. Comics eother get cancelled and later rebooted, or they end and then immediately get a new team to craft an all new story on how to make Batman suffer more than last time.

[@dantecrottogini529]

do you read much manga? At least shonen series usually strech arcs and fights to be really long. In fact that's a major problem people who don't read manga have when getting into

[@infinityzombi6287]

Yes Dante is right, one piece has almost 1,000 chapters.

[@yanndylan2239]

@@infinityzombi6287 but again, it's one continuous story. If you want the full one piece story, all you have to is buy the one piece volumes and you'll have everything. You don't have to also buy a mha volume because of a tied storyline

[@yanndylan2239]

@@infinityzombi6287 also one piece is unique in that case, most manga never get that long

[@samuelkibunda6960]

"Issues with comic books" Drake you mad lad

[@lalaland2107]

I am 24 years old and I don't think I can ever get used to most things turning to digital. Maybe I personally spend too much time looking at my phone and laptop, but it's just harder for me to concentrate on a screen. Reading printed material is so much better for my brain. You have a great idea for the comic industry, by the way. I agree that the comic industry does need to change.

[@joshualara4223]

I'm so relieved to see someone else talk about these issues. Mainstream comics will die if they refuse to change and adapt. There is so much companies could do to make comics better

[@commandersmith2327]

I feel like i can't get into comics because there story lines are so jumbled, manga has a linear story (most of the time) where i know that i need to start at chapter one book one, whereas comics... i have no idea where to start where to stop where the jump in points are etc. Because there are like 50 different chapter one book one issues that are all part of the same story, example one piece goes from chapter one book one to like chapter 500 something book 90 (this part of the comment is up for full correction by the manga readers) whereas comics it's like story run number 5 chapter one book one of the avengers save the universe series except it's actually book 20 chapter whatever. And it gets frustrating having to spend like half an hour trying to find the start of the damn storyline.

[@steveom5479]

Hey there! You’ve probs been told this before but the best advice I can give with comics like Marvel/DC stuff is just to find a character you like and jump in, knowing you’re gonna be lost for a few pages. If you’re really curious about a character/event you can look it up but I honestly found just rolling with the punches good enough until I was in the flow of the story

[@kaitourobin3206]

I specifically hate when they do cross over with other comics that had great influence but never mentioned it. So it comes out the left field when you keep reading the one comic. Or sometimes they get a new writers and change the story whole direction. For example i was reading redhood and the outlaws, part 1 and 2 was great. Story and characters and artwork. But part three they throw out all the other characters, throw out all the character progressions, completely change Redhood personality and character design. I couldn't even finish reading the first issues of it. And i generally have an open mind of new character design. Like i think the new Tim drake design looks cool and i can't wait for his new code name. But its needs to make sense for the character, but there too many writers with too many ideas. They all wants to do it their own way. Im fine adding your own flavor but they need to stick to the core of the character. And comics book writers don't do this. So everything becomes a jumble mess.

[@Dave102693]

@@stayskeptic3923 and yet they get suppressed by AT&T and Disney.

[@group555_]

Commander Smith you should checht out comicstorian. His channel is based on making videos to recap and catch you up to the story so you can start reading the comics.

[@gentlemanjones8469]

Comics also "has a linear story (most of the time)". You are only focusing on DC & Marvel. There are countless stand-alone comic stories available. Also getting into DC & Marvel really isn't as confusing as you make it out to be. Comic Drake made a video about it where to start with DC/Marvel, you should check it out. Basically, just pick a character or team that you are interested in and read a book. If you're really that picky about chronology, there are plenty of reading order guides online. Overall, even if Comics became a hundred times more confusing, I'd still choose it over trash like Manga, ugh.

[@davidalily6]

This is great stuff man, as someone who is planning on breaking into the comic book industry. Your stuff is a real helper and life saver, please keep on making vids like this

[@katethedimensionexplorer273]

Manga has a lot more genres and creators. The series don't get reboots or new writers. The characters feel alive with their own personalities and backstories. Plus, the fan base is massive with millions of fans worldwide, discussing the latest chapters, making theories and new comers streaming multiple episodes. The mangakas put blood, sweat, and tears into their stories and it shows.

[@xplorer2111]

Yeah, although I would argue that the sweat may also be due to the overproductivity at times

[@musikalora]

"The issue with comics is the single issues." Maybe that's why the publishers won't understand or do something about it, they thought it was a joke.

[@Nomenooooo]

My biggest issue is that villains and heroes always come back to life

[@danroberson7031]

Albert Einstein said "The definition of insanity is repeating an action, expecting a different result." He was a smart man; but he also an experimental physics expert, not a psychiatrist or psychologist. People miss use that quote all the time and it drives me...insane... wait....

[@justintoe3005]

I've been reading comics/manga for years now and I've never bought a single issue. I read online, in trades and omnibus. I just can't stand single issues, they're too expensive and look flimsy.

[@ostsarahb7466]

Finally someone who understands the comic book industry! Both your videos on this topic are very insightful and analytical, and they actually make sense! It’s gotta be the first time (or maybe the second at best) I’ve come across someone on the internet who didn’t blame “wokeness” or “PC culture” or “SJWs” for ruining the comics industry.

[@twiseguy2772]

I agree with you completely! I'd like to abolish Single Issues and replace them with Graphic Novels. There are so many good points contained in this video, and I seriously appreciate watching this.

[@ShinbrigTV]

This is exactly why I started trade waiting, sure I'll be 6 months behind on all the stories but it isn't all bad: 1. I get a whole story arc 2. More bang for my buck (6 issues an arc usually would be $24 while the TPB could go for $17 or $18) 3. ZERO ADS As a bonus, collecting TPB looks a lot nicer than single issues in a long box.

[@blakebrown668]

I was browsing a Barns and Noble and there's sections with graphic novels and Manga and with the comics are all trades which is how I got into comics I mean come on that can help selling at places most people go to buy books

[@gennarocavainolo8488]

Barnes and Noble sold single issue comics not too many years ago as well. They had a completely different business model..the traditional periodic distribution whereby they sold the comics on consignment and could return what didn't sell. They made less per issue sold back then but they also didn't get stuck with stacks of unsold books like the direct market.

[@mediawatcher9225]

I never buy issues, I always buy volumes as they are more affordable and easier to organize

[@waterking74]

For some reason I saw those dc comics at Walmart at cash register... considering they have a magazine/book section I agree intensely that the comic industry is truly up its own ass never learning from their past biggest mistakes

[@singletona082]

ANOTHER positive of having multi-story books. you can have like the heroes doing their thing and the ass end of it being a normal comic sized thing of the villains doing aftermath and spinning for the next thing. Or as Steven Boyette once said: You have enough room to swing a cat around.

[@xxdantheman1681]

As soon as you said I’ve been wanting to make this video for a long time, I thought I’ve been waiting for this video for a long time, considering how much you mention the issues with the industry so often

[@truespectros]

Having comic books only in comic stores are the only problem that is stopping me from getting comics. I have no comic book stores ANYWHERE near me! And comic book shipping seems to be very expensive, especially that I haven’t found any stores in my state (online and RL).

[@NiohArcadia]

Mines is 300 miles away from where I live... yeah i not bothering with that

[@Nico-hm2mk]

This is why I’m subscribed! You know so much more about this stuff than I do and you care so much about the industry. Keep speaking your mind, Drake!

[@benlambe3168]

Great video I totally agree. Medium is great but this industry is going down the shitter

[@elsasimpson9444]

I remember I asked my grand aunt to buy me a comic book and she came back with this "X-Man" magazine, and I had to stop myself from saying, "The fuck is this?" It wasn't what I was thinking when I heard comic book especially since I got manga that was soooo much bigger with an entire storyline. That was it for me, I wasn't going to pay money for thing booklets like that.

[@antifuzzball5281]

The only way I can get comics is through my local library. They have singles and books. I get all my favorite characters like Deadpool and Spiderman for free....

[@ajr0413]

Comics now need to follow manga and other mixed type of method to save it and grow stronger.

[@gentlemanjones8469]

Lol. Manga was the one that copied American Comics. Comics are still linear.

[@Anubis-xk4ht]

@@gentlemanjones8469 original manga existed before marvel and dc manga has always been better in terms of consistencies in writing and development and depth and growth

[@gentlemanjones8469]

@@Anubis-xk4ht Yeah. Sure kid, sure.

[@Anubis-xk4ht]

@@gentlemanjones8469 the difference between both these two Manga = MCU Marvel and dc = fox x men Manga is consistent while marvel and dc are bloated so many remakes and reboots and retcons the MCU has been a very consistent franchise and fox x men was bloated af this is an example

[@gentlemanjones8469]

@@Anubis-xk4ht Sure kid, sure.

[@alonsosandoval2249]

If an indie comic book company were to release comic books purely digitally and for free, relying on ads for revenue, would that be better than releasing and charging for individual issues?

[@Codeninja676]

That's pretty much what web comic artist have done for years and while thanks to the advent of adblock their revenue has lowered considerably it's still a viable business for small companies and solo comic book authors especially since once you have a decent fanbase you can sell merch and physical compilations of the comic books with extra stuff like author commentary pages, extra lore and stuff like that to incentivise buying them. Add to this a low price monthly subscription service for finished pages available as soon as they are done instead of waiting for the whole issue to drop and extra content like character breakdown with concept art and you got yourself something that fans will be more willing to pay for. I don't mean to say this is easy hell even if you limit yourself to 15-20 pages issues that will very likely take at least 2 weeks of work to complete unless you have the whole story planned out from the beginning which means best case scenario you might be able to drop 2 issues a month.

[@alonsosandoval2249]

Brian Rodriguez thanks for the reply! Maybe something like the website not allowing content to be viewed unless Adblock is turned off like how some news websites do could counter that first issue?

[@Codeninja676]

@@alonsosandoval2249 If you do that you will definitely spook people away thanks to the massive amount of predatory full page ads that plague other sites, people would rather not read your comic than turn off adblock. It's better to let them read regardless and in many cases you will catch the interest of people who will use adblock but will glady subscribe to support you instead or buy your merch. Also most users on phones don't have adblock so you can still get some ad revenue and so long as you protect your site from predatory ads that open popups and redirect constantly people will gladly turn adblock off on your site just make a small message show up in the corner if adblock is detected saying: "If you're able to, please turn off adblock or subscribe for *insert price here* a month for ad free viewing and extra goodies" don't try to force them to do things just ask nicely and politely.

[@eramferguson1701]

There are a good amount people reading web comic series on Webtoon. That is where most of the talented comic book artist are located. Marvel and DC Comics are not looking there for young upcoming artist to work on their comics. Webtoon has become very popular over 2 to 7 years due to well known web comic called Un-Ordinary. Plus, on that website, all web comics are all free to read.

[@ABCodeX]

Webcomics and indie comics seem to be the future of comics, they’re cheaper and have more coherent plots.

[@zoo8985]

My expat self has to wait to go to libraries in back home in Canada to read physical comics 💀💀💀

[@voltairinekropotkin5581]

Adopting a Manga-style distribution model sounds great. Release multiple series in one big monthly book printed on low-quality paper, then put everything but the most recent issues online for free as advertising - though maybe with a subscription.

[@Codeninja676]

Put them online free with ads or maybe better for them do it the Shonen Jump way and make only the latest 2-3 chapters free for everyone while the backlog is kept behind a low cost subscription 3-4 bucks a month is very reasonable for a bunch of comics new and old but if people want to own them give them the ability to buy them as well so they always have it even if they stop paying the subscription.

[@themadtitan7603]

Yeah this actually sounds great.

[@ShadowWingTronix]

WARNING: BIG OL' RANT INCOMING! This is a problem I think about as well. I think you're tackling the wrong end when it comes to the single issues. The problem is that they're writing for a trade rather than taking advantage of what single issues offers as a layout. Comics used to be one, maybe two-part stories as the norm, with maybe a running subplot in the same way real life does. Now we're getting four issue epic stories because writers want to write big stories without the breathing room offered by smaller stories as the norm and big stories as the exception. Everybody wants to be epic and everything has to be epic, which makes it harder to connect with the characters as people. Publishers saw how collections of longer stories were doing and got the wrong idea of why people wanted those tales collected. It doesn't help that the comics now have more expensive paper, when the "newsprint" I grew up with is still holding up, especially now that we have ways to store and protect comics, while newsprint is better than the old days. They want to look cool even if the stories aren't and that's priced comics out of kids' allowances. Kids and casual adult readers, two groups abandoned by comic publishers these days, are what made comic books popular and they're pushed to the side now by continuity that was messed up by people who don't understand continuity, prices that are way too high for casual purchasing, stories that are too dark for kids compared to, say, the Bronze Age and even some 90s comics, and not being able to find them outside of comic stores and trades on bookshelves. The problem isn't the single issues but that nobody is writing for single issues anymore or using what they do best.

[@glennross85]

I agree with the newsprint thing. Comics were everywhere back in the day because they were a 5c throwaway item like the daily newspaper. These days they try to push anything as a "collectors item" ,but no matter how many gate fold, foil, variant cover, glossy page comics they make, these modern titles will never be as valuable as the old 5c throwaway newsprint comics that probably got used to line cat litter boxes.

[@SamGuthrie1977]

Well said, I totally agree. Writing for the trade has killed comics because fans no longer get any value per issue because most stories are padded out and unnecessarily decompressed. Rising costs per issue coupled with less entertainment value per issue has fleeced the monthly buyer and ran many of them away. Trades and collected editions are fine, but for better or worse, monthly issue buyers are still lion's share of comic sales. Once the monthly customers feel fleeced and milked, they'll start leaving which is what we're seeing now. Another thing about old school monthly issues that younger fans may not understand is that they also had editorial pages and letters columns which extended the reading experience, gave you more value per issue, and fostered a friendly and open relationship between creators and readers. Marvel was really good about this, going back to the Stan Lee days, but DC did it too. There was a lot of value per single issue in the 60's - 90's that admittedly isn't in modern monthlies or even modern trades. I also agree about the paper stock. The expensive paper stock and digital coloring can't make up for low quality and lazily written stories. Frankly, once comics left the newsstand, became pretentious, and forgot about aiming themselves at young readers, that was slowly the beginning of the end.

[@DCMarvelMultiverse]

Agree entirely.

[@AngelMageKnight]

True they aren't taking advantage of the single issue and the constant four part story is confining to the overall story that can be told. Also I think they need to back off the epic stories constantly because back to back stories that are epic cause problems for readers over time. Simple multi part stories could have worked where they are dealing with a every day issue and not some world ending disaster. However it all ends with the target audience and the fact these comics are missing what attracts the casual person is it greatest issue.

[@josephsokolowski271]

ShadowWing Tronix Totally agree with what you’re saying my friend. Also let me throw this out there. Trades would never exist without people buying, reading and establishing a character or brand that people want to read. You can’t make people read about characters that no one has ever heard of without getting buzz or recommendations first from people who have read the stories. New characters need to be built up first and get a following. That’s were us older readers come in, we let people know what’s good to give a try. Perfect example for me is my 20 year old daughter. She loves reading and wanted to give comics a try but she wanted a finite, “great” story as well. She didn’t want to commit to a monthly title that she didn’t know where the story would lead. So I got her the 1st TPB for Y:The Last Man. It was just what she was looking for. It wouldn’t have been possible for her to read like that if we didn’t buy those single issue comics back then. We need them to make TPB’s possible. There are a ying and yang situation in my humble opinion. Ok rant over now lol.

[@Jason_Belmont]

This man needs more attention, he needs more views, he needs more likes, he needs more subscribers, he is a life saver when it comes to comics and explaining them. I only just recently found out about him, and I don't regret watching any of the over 40 videos of his I've seen so far. LISTEN TO THIS GUY IF WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT COMICS AND THE INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE. If you're new, like myself, you won't regret watching his content either.

[@cassandrabeard505]

As an aspiring comic-book writer, I found this video very insightful. Though I`ll admit I`m a bit overwhelmed with all that has been going on in the industry.

[@glitchygear9453]

Nobody can make sense of it, and everyone desires to yell at each other and play the blame game. It's sad really

[@jmpw005]

Marvel used to offer bundled stories. I used to purchase them in the early 2000's. They were offered at newsstands/bookstores. The major storyline I remember from it was the X-MEN Vulcan storyline. There was also the marvel comics presents comic book (pre 2000's). It offered 4 different character storylines in 1 book. 1 storyline was usually wolverine based.

[@KangarooCourt-n8i]

Hey, cool vid. Wanted to add my two cents about how Manga is produced and distributed. Manga series are usually bundled together in a collection and distributed in either monthly/bi-monthly or monthly magazines, each magazine will contain at least 1 or more chapter of a given series. There can multiple types of magazines catering to different demographics, the main 5 being Kodomo (children), Shounen (young boys), Shoujo (young girls), Seinen (adult men), and Josei (adult women). Having multiple series in one magazine isn't really exclusive to shounen Jump as a bunch of other magazines are doing it too like Young Animal and Hana to Yume. These Magazines are also made using cheap paper because they're meant to be disposable, kinda like newspapers, the real collectibles are the Tankobons. After a number of chapters of a series have been published they release a Tankobon of around 9-11 chapters (usually 200 pages. Some books tend to pact more pages than others like Akira. There are also the 3 in one volume such as Dragon Ball and One Piece.) There are also examples of Manga being published online, Made in Abyss is serialized in Web Comic Gamma.

[@kwertchayolo2911]

6:10 this is exactly what happens in Italy. We get 3-in-1 issues collecting series with characters that frequently cross over. The problems arise when license holders start to shuffle in other series to try and milk events such as movie releases, and some series fall behind 1 month or 2 because the pool has grown from 3 to 5 series to accomodate new tie-in(ish) books (like the new Black Lightning and Shazam series)

[@bilalsadain]

Comic book stores should start a subscription model

[@barbiermathieu]

This is also the model in France. It was working for a long time, but since one or two year there are a only few magazine and trades or hardcover is preferred by the publisher. Thanks for your video

[@TheChuckers123]

I 100% agree with you. I’ve always been a trade guy, even as a kid. Also, most stories read better when collected and read as a complete collection. The only comic series that I’ve seen that you get more from issues is Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips’ CRIMINAL series. They go out of their way to add extras at the end to justify the price. And honestly...it’s worth it. There’s interviews, essays, film reviews, extra art, and it’s really fun. And most of this stuff can’t be collected in a trade because of copyright issues and page constraints.

[@altlover85]

I totally agree! Anytime I've started to get into a certain run, I've decided to wait until it was released as a graphic novel and sometimes just passed entirely. Great video!

[@eternateen4eva323]

Barn's & Noble still has a Giant section of it's store devoted to Magazines, trades are the way to go except when the companies edit the trades after they published the single issues. Walmart also to this day, places it's comics at the registers on a very hard to find shelf. Shonen jumps app is now free, yes. The Japanese are very good at selling to it's comic books audience.

[@maxschrader3884]

Oh my god I’ve been waiting for this!!!!!

[@silversonic1]

As a Walmart employee, I know the reason is because the books are handled by a vendor. The vendor is only allowed certain spots, as I'm sure you're aware. Sadly, collectable merchandise gets the short end of the stick because they aren't big sellers. My store even moved regular books twice into obscure sections of the building. As for Shonen Jump, it's actually the reverse. The chapters from the latest three weeks are free, but it's $2 a month to get access to just about everything. They haven't prepared everything just yet, but more is added all of the time. It's the kind of plan there you don't really care you are spending $2 a month, even if you only read a couple series every now and then.

[@DeviDoesNothing]

This has been living rent-free in my head for almost 2 years at this point and I've gotta agree... for the most part. While the idea of big, themed books is definitely a cool concept, I'm probably one of the few people who's not a fan of Batman, but is a fan of Nightwing, Red Hood... basically just the Robins. The problem with the "trades only" mentality is that I've recently been picking up single issues of Infinite Frontier to see if I like them, and while I have enjoyed most of then, I realized I wasn't a fan of the new Superman/Action Comics stuff because of that mentality. Doing trades only would have me spend a lot more money on things I'm not that interested in, and thus probably discourage checking out new things. I definitely see where you're coming from, though.

[@almoni9782]

In Spain, Action Comics and Superman come in the same floppy

[@depreseo]

When i heard about DC doing the 100 page wallmart books i thought "yes, that's a great idea. get out of the comic store and back into places that people actually go daily". Now i do love my single issues, but as you said unless your already into comics there isn't that much of an appeal for single issues, especially at the price that they are retailing for now. Honestly i think american comic companies should (to increase their market share) go down what manga is doing both in Japan and abroad i.e. (using DC as an example) - all of DC's on-goings being released that week get collected into one magazine sized book which can shipped off to any retailer for a much cheaper price than any single issue (under the title DC Action Comics, with "Detective comics" covering their mini series and other imprints) - so readers get a good mix of different books and characters that week. They also go full digital, using a similar method to what JUMP is doing by making several of the most recent issus free to read online, but requiring a subscription to read older issues. Then, through the use of a reader feedback system on their website, the stories for those weeks get ranked (as with no single issues another method to determine which series continues to be published and which one gets cancelled/a sevear creative team shake-up must be determined). The end result is people end up buying the trades for the storeis/series they liked (so that they can read it without subscription or having to keep multiple different issues at hand) and comics become easier to access as they are easily available online and can be found, physcially, in multiple retail outlets and not just specific comic shops.

[@raelynn2773]

We lost our comic store in the mid 80's. I started reading again when I discovered manga in 2002. I didn't start reading Marvel again until 2012 when I rediscovered Trade Paperbacks on Amazon. Though admittedly I deliberately went looking after I fell in love with the Avengers again seeing them on screen. So yeah, the comic industry lost nearly 30 years of me buying comics. And even now I only buy Trades because of availability.

[@SilverDOMO192837]

I got into comic books a few months ago after watching your video, and I still stick to only getting trade paperbacks it's just easier and cheaper

[@ViccVegaa023]

To be fair, DC's new 52 actually tried to address at least some of the problems you mentioned. During that promotion the print copy was released on digital at the same time for a dollar less than the print version. So a 3.99 copy of Justice League would be 2.99 on Comixology at the same time. DC also tried to advertise the digital copies on major media outlets (at least they CLAIM to have done this. I don't remember ever seeing a single TV ad) Comics Store Owners pretty much threw a fit. A big one. The backlash caused DC to change the digital policy to discounting the books after a month. And since neither DC or Marvel own Comixology they...see no reason to promote sales there...if you can believe that. The Comics Industry is VERY bound up with the well being of Retail Comics Stores. Monthly floppies drive regular customers buying books regularly. That's why it's still done.

[@ATroknya]

Another great upload, always glad to see another ComicDrake video in my sub box.

[@ComicDrake]

You haven't seen the video yet. You don't know that it was great.

[@salmonsalem6159]

Shout out to the first time I went into an actual comic book store instead of my local library and being very confused at the single issues and wondering where the trades were. I legitimately thought comic books were just trades and omnibus’ that comic book store is closed now. Love your stuff, keep it up

[@Dynamode8]

Hey the compilation of various issues/ stories is a great idea. That can definitely work!

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Completely agree. I love that you always offer solutions in your critiques. 👏🏽another fantastic video.

[@ComicDrake]

Getting mad with nothing to offer is a waste of everyone's time. Glad you enjoyed the video. :)

[@barthomero721]

Don't forget that digital issues are also the same price as the printed ones

[@jennifergriel861]

The problem with bulk books is that then you also get a bunch of stuff you don’t want. I would rather just pay for singles and only get what I want.

[@GoldLight73]

I haven’t been able to properly get into a comic storyline since Blackest Night. There’s just so many different jumping in points, reboots, retcons, etc. that I can’t keep up. My friend recently gave me his spare copy of House of X book one, and while I thought it was interesting, I was lacking so much context for what was happening that I genuinely don’t know if I should bother continuing.

[@clamus68]

I never got the sub notification. But the first thing I noticed was the Buc'ees shirt. Loved it. Your content always is worth the view.

[@vulpixsmi]

Your idea of putting 3 or 4 Comics in One Issue is something that is done here in The UK. The Marvel and DC Comics that they sell in British Newsagents contain 3 Comics usually (I.E: There's Marvel Legends which features Captain America, Iron Man and Thor).

[@ciprianolopez7559]

This is so true Now that I’m in my 30s I only by graphing novels of old stuff from the 90s

[@TyranusRex721]

Finally! Someone is making sense! All I hear is that comics just need to be cheaper (which they do) and be put in multiple locations (which is also true). But not one person I have talked to has mentioned that single issues are very popular anymore. People like to read whole stories or get things bundled together. This is why trades have been so successful and why the manga industry is staying afloat (despite having their own severe issues). Bundle some shit together and make it a deal for the consumer and put it out at multiple locations!

[@xthelegend89]

Yes! This is why I hated a certain “movement” that I shall not name who blamed social agendas and failed to address any of the practical problems facing the medium. The claim that they were trying to save the comic book industry while ignoring how consumption of media has changed was ridiculous.

[@TyranusRex721]

@@xthelegend89 Comicsgate had good intentions just like Gamergate did. They wanted to shine a light on issues within the industry. However, shit derailed really fast. Most of the major players either wanted to do their own thing, or make click bait videos to further their KZbin career. Not to mention they really did not do anything to actually help the industry.

[@jablodg]

The only problem is when single issues aren’t collected into trades

[@VXMasterson]

Singles are really an archaic way of collecting comics. Collected Editions FTW Speaking of distribution, I'm surprised you didn't mention the monopoly by Diamond. I didn't know TKO did straight trades, I gotta look into them. The popularity of superheroes is great but I guess people don't want to read. And of course, cost. I'm grateful that Into the Spider-Verse has gotten a handful of my friends to come to me and say "I want to read Miles Morales." I wish more people could be positively affected like that.

[@spacesapphic637]

I agree! I'd also like to add that webcomics on sites like webtoon are pretty popular as well. Mind you, it's not quite the same as an industry as each artist has their own schedule, storyline, and controlled continuity, but a similar business model to webtoon could also be an option. I HATE buying issues, i would so much rather just binge the books. Great video as always!

[@Joshua_Shadow_Manriguez]

I was thinking about this actually. Like why couldn't comics be sold like manga volumes, where multiple chapters (issues) are in one book, released monthly. I'm actually glad I'm not the only one.

[@morganyoung3557]

I agree, the comic industry continuing to focus more on the single issue is really shooting itself in the foot. I prefer the trade paperback because it is a much better investment in the long run. Also as someone who grew up in the area it started, I loved seeing you wear a Buc-ee’s shirt.

[@HappyBirthdayRoboto]

Drake, the method of presenting issues you suggested (your example of a DC magic book) is exactly what they do in France with Marvel (and I think DC) material. There's a company called Semic that reprints Marvel comics under the title Strange, in each digest they print something like one or two five part stories and a few stand alone issues, usually starring characters like Iron-Man and also have some bonus pages of character bios. Basically you buy it for the character on the cover and get samples of a whole lot more. Marvel UK used to do something similar but only for Spider-Man stories.

[@Jeddostotle7]

I still like single issues in concept, because I like smaller bits of story fairly frequently, but it's really not feasible for actually printed comics, especially at that price. I really enjoy the idea you mentioned of returning kind of to the "magazine" model, where it's a number of single issues of different series in one themed book at a more reasonable price, so you still get the regular frequent smaller bits of story but with way more value.

[@rebeccaschade3987]

And imagine what comic books cost, when they are exported from the US to other countries, and the importers want to make some money, and the distributors want to make money...and the only distributors are specialized comic book stores that have developed a "fanbase" of customers, that have become willing to pay a bit extra to support their favourite "geek store". This is the main reason I stay away from comic books. Here in Norway, it's damned expensive to buy comic books.

[@QuartzIsAnOxide]

DC releasing Walmart exclusives? I'm having Magic The Gathering flashbacks...

[@nolastname]

I agree with you, US market should take cue from the European comic market (Mainly France). I hate all those ads in comics. I stopped buying single issues and only focus on the collected edition that I really like. I test some .title on digital platforms. Also Diamond distribution has to go.

[@fairytalejediftj7041]

I love how Valiant sold every TPB that contained a #1 for $9.99 to make it appealing to get into a series through TPBs.

[@Used__Napkin]

The Jump model would be cool to see adapted, weather it be collections of a character or story, or maybe even a streamlined way of keeping up with the latest releases.

[@edward2962]

Don't forget, a large reason that the direct sales/comic shop model keeps hanging on is the non-returnable set up. The comic book companies make money on the shop orders regardless of whether or not the stores are able to sell the physical copies. Throw in things like variant "incentives", it's a sweat deal for Marvel/DC. If they were forced to sell more directly to the public or take back unsold copies, things might be different.

[@DrCrazyEvil]

The one thing that really grinds my gears is having to read everything else that either dc or marvel have published to understand what's going on instead of an actual explanation when something happens

[@cavespider1074]

Agreed! I don't buy many comics (and the only single-issue I've bought is Action Comics 1000) but DC Universe got me hooked on Mark Waid's Flash, Rebirth Aquaman, and Superman: Birthright.

[@namnams1495]

Thank you so much for this video, I loved it, and I hope comic books industry does get better

[@IronicCliche]

2nd comment, changing a business model is insanely difficult in a large business, both from a practical and business politics standpoint.

[@gennarocavainolo8488]

And all those old businesses that do not adapt die. IF a railroad can do it so can the comic book industry LOL. Its just going to take someone other than Marvel or DC to innovate apparently.

[@IronicCliche]

@@gennarocavainolo8488 I agree that you shouldn't support them just because there's a reason. You can manage to innovated as a bigger business, but it requires a lot tighter control of your org and leaders.

[@TheMonghy]

One of my favorite formats that Marvel have done over the past few years is the Epic Collection, I’ve actually gotten two friends into comics by just telling them to look up an Epic Collection of their favorite character(s) and that was enough to get them interested. Can you imagine if Marvel promoted those books on a grander scale? Those things usually contain anywhere from 17 to 21 issues of a series, the only problem would be the price point, they’re 44.99 and that would be a big barrier to entry for a larger market. You can get them cheaper on places like Amazon if you look hard enough, but that sort of defeats the purpose of using them to reach a wider market. I would still love to see them at least TRY to promote those a little bit more.

[@faellee360]

There's a thing here in Brazil called "mix" wich is a magazine compiling some stories just as said in the video. The problem with this format here has been that many people rather waiting for the TPBs publishing in order to avoid stories that they wouldn't be interested in reading on the "mixes", so, in the end, many "mixes" fail hard on sales and the public ends up never seeing the TPBs. I get what you're saying and that the market here is not even compareble with the USA's, but I still think there's something here to look for and learn... Guess people just wanna more fun for less money

[@a.dennis4835]

In France, they don't even bother with individual issues. They just release them in a graphic novel format called "albums".

[@BThings]

I understand your point, and tend to agree that what we have now is imperfect. The other options do have their drawbacks, though: - Doing 100% trades/graphic novels will not encourage publishers like the Big Two to take chances on new, quirkier characters that may or may not pan out, because the level of investment is higher. - The big anthologies you mentioned could solve that problem. However, it could lead to a problem where publishers don’t have concrete data about how specific stories within the book are being received. While you could turn to social media, it’s worth remembering that social media isn’t always a reliable sampling of a population. - Another potential issue with the anthologies is that you could get a lot of grumbles about having to pay for Constantine and Swamp Thing when all you want is Wonder Woman. I agree that there are issues that need addressing, and your proposed options are good and reasonable ones. However, it is worth being aware of potential drawbacks before leaping in and claiming it’s a superior option. Overall, I think the industry (especially DC and indie publishers) IS exploring possible alternatives. It just takes time, especially when existing infrastructure is already in place.

[@randyripoff]

The 100 page Super-Spectaculars were huge for me back in the 1970s. It was a great way to experience current stories along with reprints of older stories plus reprints of characters I'd never heard of at the time. It's nice to see they're doing it again, but I think it's too little too late. What I would like to see is single issues going digital only for a cheaper price (they should be cheaper if there are no printing costs), then selling physical trades after the story is complete.

[@mockernick4745]

Totally agree with you drake. I remember as a kid going to like flea markets with my granddad and finding these plastic bags filled with comics for like 7 dollars. I kinda wish real comics were like that

[@TheMelMan]

Why sell a graphic novel when you can sell floppies for months and still sell a trade at the end of the run? Like theatrical runs and DVDs at the end. They are not likely to drop the double dip formula.

[@geoxaga6507]

I think another big problem is a lack of marketing. When I was little I didn't even know that Spiderman was a comic book character and only knew him from the cartoons and movies. I didn't even know about super hero comics until I was 14. I don't have any wall mart in my area or any near comic shops within a walking distance. They could easily market the comics since the big two are owned my giant conglomerates that have their own kids channel, but they never do. What more they could even put an ad for comics in the movie theater right before the superhero movie starts, talking about if you want more of their adventures to read comics that can be found in stores. I only naturally saw ads for comics related stuff 2 times in KZbin ads in all the years I've use the internet. And that was for comixology and an anime trailer for a webtoon comic called God of Highschool.