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An article on comic shops

Focused in part on the ones in the SF area, but I think a general nice piece on the state of shops and how they're doing.

I'm surprised that they're thriving even with the introduction of digital comics from the publishers....i don't use that thing personally, I prefer the real thing.

I do wonder if this applies to shops in general, but it is nice to see this article. I remember the doomsayer era right when the digital age came into its own. I prefer digital comics myself, but my experience with others is similar to what the article describes: the digital stuff brings people to the shops sooner or later.

^Regular book shops are closing left and right unfortunately.

In the U.S.A maybe, Not here they're not.

Originally posted by krisblaze
^Regular book shops are closing left and right unfortunately.
That's what I've heard, although I've never taken the time to research it.

In my area, the shops are doing well but not growing, at least not visibly. There's 5-6 shops between 10-30 minutes from me, and they've been here a while. One of them opened a second location a few years back but it closed down.

Maybe they're making a profit but not enough to expand? Has anyone looked further into this stuff?

Originally posted by Kazenji
I'm surprised that they're thriving even with the introduction of digital comics from the publishers....i don't use that thing personally, I prefer the real thing.


Apparently, where digital hit text pretty hard*, it's largely been a boon to comics. Seems most people prefer their art on print page, unless they can only get it digitally, or similar reason.


*Ebooks helped put the nail in the coffin for Borders, who didn't make an ebook reader deal until it was too late. I think US bookstores have stabilized again and ebooks leveled out, but the initial shift did hurt them.


Originally posted by StyleTime

Maybe they're making a profit but not enough to expand? Has anyone looked further into this stuff?

Good question. Though I'd think expansion would likely come in the form of comic stores in more areas, better coverage, rather than necessarily more stores in the same areas.

Comic stores often operated on moderate profits. Even a boom doesn't exactly mean they're taking in money hand over fist, just that they're making a more solid profit, can cycle inventory faster, and such.

^Style, I think that's because the comic-book industry has fought tooth and nail to keep it in printed format. Aside from Marvel's very, very brief foray into digital comics they've been trying to keep it back.

Originally posted by Kazenji
In the U.S.A maybe, Not here they're not.

A) Yeah I see Borders are doing great

B) Generally worldwide, but Britain and America took the largest hits. Some places, like my Norway, has large tax exemptions for retailers which keeps paper books cheaper than ebooks.

Originally posted by krisblaze
^Style, I think that's because the comic-book industry has fought tooth and nail to keep it in printed format. Aside from Marvel's very, very brief foray into digital comics they've been trying to keep it back.


Aside from style, it's also practicality.


An ebook reader page is bigger than the page of many a paperback book (and can even easier display the words larger), but smaller than a comic page, especially next to a two-page spread. Visually, physical books trump ebooks. And can compete well with many computer monitors for that matter.

Formating is also trickier, not all the companies are good at making digital copies of comics, and not all ebook readers can even do comic pages for that matter. The color ebook readers certainly are more expensive.

Marvel and DC and indies are certainly doing digital- it's not that they're fighting to 'keep things physical,' they're willingly doing digital too on places like Comixology, even offering things like 'get the digital format as a bonus if you buy the hard copy.' It's just that this has turned out to be a way to expand their reach rather than crowding with what they've already got.

Originally posted by krisblaze
^Regular book shops are closing left and right unfortunately.

Why unfortunately? There's no objective reason why eBooks are any worse than physical books. And they're less wasteful of resources, and thus potentially cheaper and more economical. The authors may suffer some, but it's certainly not driving them out entirely.

I get that people love the feel/smell of books. I do too. But then I moved twice in four years, with a WAY too large book collection. My most recent 10-12 book acquisitions have been electronic, and I doubt I'm looking back.

Q, the digital media far outdates the ebook-reader, though I agree with your assessment there.

Marvel had their own digital comic reader prototype that was quite good.


Originally posted by Digi
Why unfortunately? There's no objective reason why eBooks are any worse than physical books. And they're less wasteful of resources, and thus potentially cheaper and more economical. The authors may suffer some, but it's certainly not driving them out entirely.

I get that people love the feel/smell of books. I do too. But then I moved twice in four years, with a WAY too large book collection. My most recent 10-12 book acquisitions have been electronic, and I doubt I'm looking back.

I agree with all of this, but it's a very sudden and unfortunate transition for a lot of people who work in book-stores.

It's not that unfortunate though I suppose, as most bookstores' wares were overpriced to high heaven and their selection was very low due to a failing business model....

Originally posted by krisblaze
I agree with all of this, but it's a very sudden and unfortunate transition for a lot of people who work in book-stores.

It's not that unfortunate though I suppose, as most bookstores' wares were overpriced to high heaven and their selection was very low due to a failing business model....



I mean, I guess if you owned a book store. But even working in one...there are other comparable jobs out there. While any transition will help some and hurt others, I have a hard time feeling too sympathetic over what amounts to a natural market shift.

But yeah, bookstore chains actually pushed out indie publishers and self-published authors. Online retailers - Amazon being the biggest - will still favor those with more money/reach, but it also creates a more level playing field for alternative distribution models. I've even backed a couple books on Kickstarter. So I see it as a good thing.

I also think amazon is the phucking devil btw, but that's a discussion for another day.

Originally posted by krisblaze
I also think amazon is the phucking devil btw, but that's a discussion for another day.

At the risk of taking us too off-topic, I'd actually be curious as to why. They're a revelation when it comes to shipping options for small businesses. They handle international fulfillment and storage if needed. I haven't worked with them personally, but I've talked with others who have.

And, for me personally, they eliminate all kinds of irl shopping that would take more time, have less options, and usually cost more money. That I'm supporting a large company instead of local businesses usually doesn't matter to me, as the places around me are all chains anyway, and we're in a global economy, so the odd xenophobia people seem to have about impersonal shopping doesn't affect me as much.

Originally posted by Q99
Good question. Though I'd think expansion would likely come in the form of comic stores in more areas, better coverage, rather than necessarily more stores in the same areas.

Comic stores often operated on moderate profits. Even a boom doesn't exactly mean they're taking in money hand over fist, just that they're making a more solid profit, can cycle inventory faster, and such.
That is true. My definition of "expand" needs to expand.

Have you seen anything about shops on a national level?
Originally posted by Q99
Aside from style, it's also practicality.

Marvel and DC and indies are certainly doing digital- it's not that they're fighting to 'keep things physical,' they're willingly doing digital too on places like Comixology, even offering things like 'get the digital format as a bonus if you buy the hard copy.' It's just that this has turned out to be a way to expand their reach rather than crowding with what they've already got.
He meant my name when he said "style".

I wish DC would make a "Marvel Unlimited" service for their past stuff though.
Originally posted by Digi
Why unfortunately? There's no objective reason why eBooks are any worse than physical books. And they're less wasteful of resources, and thus potentially cheaper and more economical. The authors may suffer some, but it's certainly not driving them out entirely.

I get that people love the feel/smell of books. I do too. But then I moved twice in four years, with a WAY too large book collection. My most recent 10-12 book acquisitions have been electronic, and I doubt I'm looking back.


I am a fellow digital fan, and I can't see myself ever going back to hard copies. The clutter just...got to me, and I can access all my comics/books/etc with one device no matter where I am now.

I'm glad the stores are around for these damn luddites (I kid, I kid) though.

Originally posted by StyleTime
That is true. My definition of "expand" needs to expand.

Have you seen anything about shops on a national level?

Yep! article

Peak was apparently 8k-ish, low point due to the crash below 2k, and steadily building since, with a nice +4% in 2013 getting things up to 2,638.

This article attributes it partially to the market getting more diverse.




Conversely, I like switching around while reading books, carrying them while doing other stuff, and similar habits that favor physical. Plus very significantly, actually looking through books before buying, which especially with manga and comics is often the deciding factor.

And similarly, I'm glad there's digital to reach people who don't want/need all that stuff.

Originally posted by Digi
At the risk of taking us too off-topic, I'd actually be curious as to why.

The reason is that they are phuckers.

*Gains points from imparting knowledge*

Originally posted by Q99
Yep! article

Peak was apparently 8k-ish, low point due to the crash below 2k, and steadily building since, with a nice +4% in 2013 getting things up to 2,638.

This article attributes it partially to the market getting more diverse.
I am pretty clueless about the ins and outs of managing a shop, so this is pretty interesting to me. I always attributed possible growth to increased public acceptance(movies/games/etc), but I had no idea about the point of sale software revolution. The returnability thing makes sense too. It's easier to make a profit if you get refunds on the duds. Pretty cool stuff you pulled up there.

I always wondered how effective the community events were, and this article indicates they help. All the shops near me do regular celebratory events now that I think of it.
Originally posted by Q99
Conversely, I like switching around while reading books, carrying them while doing other stuff, and similar habits that favor physical. Plus very significantly, actually looking through books before buying, which especially with manga and comics is often the deciding factor.

And similarly, I'm glad there's digital to reach people who don't want/need all that stuff.
All those things are possible with digital, and 3 trillion times more convenient.

Originally posted by StyleTime
I am pretty clueless about the ins and outs of managing a shop, so this is pretty interesting to me. I always attributed possible growth to increased public acceptance(movies/games/etc), but I had no idea about the point of sale software revolution. The returnability thing makes sense too. It's easier to make a profit if you get refunds on the duds. Pretty cool stuff you pulled up there.

Better information and other advantages that come with tech do have a fascinating effect on things, yes.





I gather Free Comicbook Day is generally considered a major success for bringing in new readers. One store I go to had lines way out the door on FCBD.

There's a reason it's become so normal to give out quantities of free stuff.




I can switch between two bookmarked books way faster than I can two files Carrying while doing other stuff, a TPB is easier to handled one-handed, and way less valuable than an e-reader, etc..

Originally posted by Q99
Better information and other advantages that come with tech do have a fascinating effect on things, yes.

I gather Free Comicbook Day is generally considered a major success for bringing in new readers. One store I go to had lines way out the door on FCBD.

There's a reason it's become so normal to give out quantities of free stuff.
Yeah, I still drop in to the stores every once in a while. I remember seeing a lot of new readers at those types of things. Brought a few with me before.
Originally posted by Q99
I can switch between two bookmarked books way faster than I can two files Carrying while doing other stuff, a TPB is easier to handled one-handed, and way less valuable than an e-reader, etc..
I doubt it. I hit shift + L or shift + K and voila. Even if you want something specific(or aren't on a pc), you can bookmark in many comic reading apps, and store an even larger amount of "bookmarks."

I'm not talking just about Kindles here(I don't even own a dedicated e-reader. Seems like a waste since phones do the same thing plus fifty billion other things). Reading on phone is still much easier than one handing a TPB, and you have the benefit of keeping a large collection of files on it. And you can do it anywhere. And it's a device most probably already have.

(I'm glossing over class issues with that last statement, but you get the point. Convenience yadda yadda.)

Originally posted by StyleTime
Yeah, I still drop in to the stores every once in a while. I remember seeing a lot of new readers at those types of things. Brought a few with me before.

I find I don't get a lot on FCBD, most of 'em are just samples of stuff I either already have if I follow the title, or don't care much about anyway if I don't, but *some* companies do cool special stories for it, like Atomic Robo's story with Doctor Dinosaur. And that's me, who keeps an eye on most books anyway.

It's fun to see all the new people check stuff out.





I'll mention my one-hand skills are *extremely* good from a combination of a lifetime of reading and some months with a hand in a cast some time back. Shift + L requires two hands, one to hold, one to do two buttons. I can one-hand a TPB while carrying grocery bags.

As for phones, well, their screen is much smaller, requires zooming, etc.. Page flipping is fast for me too.

Originally posted by Q99
I find I don't get a lot on FCBD, most of 'em are just samples of stuff I either already have if I follow the title, or don't care much about anyway if I don't, but *some* companies do cool special stories for it, like Atomic Robo's story with Doctor Dinosaur. And that's me, who keeps an eye on most books anyway.

It's fun to see all the new people check stuff out.

I was really into 8-bit theater back in the day. You saying Atomic Robo made me think of that.
Originally posted by Q99
I'll mention my one-hand skills are *extremely* good
Giggity. (Couldn't resist)

Originally posted by Q99
from a combination of a lifetime of reading and some months with a hand in a cast some time back. Shift + L requires two hands, one to hold, one to do two buttons. I can one-hand a TPB while carrying grocery bags.

As for phones, well, their screen is much smaller, requires zooming, etc.. Page flipping is fast for me too.
I have two shift keys, one is two buttons from the L. My hand is large enough to do it the other way too.

Depends on the app. Comixology has a smartreader which does panel by panel zoom on its own. I prefer it since I won't accidently spoil any same page reveals.

But yeah, I can understand if someone doesn't like the small screen or zooming on dled/torrented comics. I'm just saying it's more convenient. If you like holding books in your hand, well I can't argue against that.

Originally posted by StyleTime
I was really into 8-bit theater back in the day. You saying Atomic Robo made me think of that.

Btw, Atomic Robo has just announced it's going to the same model Girl Genius uses- comics on the web, collections in the stores.