Ilan Strasser of Fat Moose Comics and Games in Whippany, New Jersey saw the column by Steve Bennett on comics content (see 'Confessions of a Comic Book Guy -- Giving the People What They Don't Want') and the numerous Talk Back comments in response, and decides to jump on the bandwagon:

 

I am ecstatic to be jumping on the bandwagon calling 'for the good old days.'  I've been saying that for years in my store and have been called a dinosaur and an old fogey for that viewpoint more times than I care to say.  I think a portion of the reading public has become either enamored or negatively fixated on the dark side of comics and doesn't know how to appreciate anything else.

 

Having said that, I would love a Calvin & Hobbes comic.  Speaking of which, whatever happened to Mike Kunkel's Herobear & The Kid?  I've reordered the trade five times over the last year and never gotten any copies, and the second series never appeared at all.  What gives, Mr. Kunkel?  Furthermore, why hasn't anyone published Harry Potter comics? -- not adaptations of the movies, but new and interesting stories of the Hogwarts crew?  How about comics based on Lost or House, two of last year's biggest TV successes?  Comics need to diversify and become fun reading again, with clearly demarcated lines between good and evil characters.

 

Last, I don't believe that a significantly large percentage of our customers will increase the amount of comics they purchase each week if the price drops to $1.50, or even $1.00.  They may try new series as they come out and stick with them, but they will not pick up books they already have made an aesthetic choice in not buying each month.  However, the lower price will keep them from canceling books or their reserve boxes entirely -- and more importantly, there will be an increase in new people willing to try the format.

 

However, we won't see a price reduction ever, let alone any time soon.  Why not?  Because Marvel and DC have proven repeatedly over the years that they are not willing to absorb any kind of downside in their gross revenues, even if it means a tenfold increase or greater in those revenues down the road.  I wonder -- have any providers of product in any industry been so consistently shortsighted as those in the comics industry have been the last 20 years?  I doubt it.
 
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.