Ilan Strasser of Fat Moose Comics and Games in
I just wanted to respond to Tom Shea and Michael Costello and their seeing online comics as being potentially positive for the industry. No matter how small Marvel's scope is at the beginning, the amount of material will grow exponentially if online subscriptions can net Marvel greater revenues and profits long-term. That is a real possibility given that there are no secondary costs associated with online product once it has been posted. There may eventually be royalty issues for creators whose work is being newly presented in another form, but there won't be any production costs to speak of beyond that. The same cannot be said for published materials and their associated production costs which would be incurred every time Marvel goes back to press with a product.
And if Marvel and DC continuously expand the amount of available online product, that would play perfectly into the mindset of the 'I want it now' generation: a click of a button or two instead of a trip to the local store. The idea of it being important to hold comics in your hand will have less and less meaning in the coming years as well since the older collectors and readers are more connected with that nostalgic notion and hey, we aren't getting any younger.
Online comics will provide extremely quick delivery time with far cheaper cost and the added convenience of being able to stay at home. I'm not saying the sea change will happen overnight. But the online option will have far greater appeal in the future relative to the comic market audience, which will not only be younger, but always thirsting for the newest, fastest, coolest, technological advancements.
The opinions expressed in this Talk Back article are solely those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.
