Readership of US comics continues to decline, comics that once sold hundreds of thousands of copies struggle to break six figures. A successful independent could be 5000 sales. Sales go down, prices go up. Large companies double down on their popular characters, diluting their entertainment value even more.
While I have primarily always worked for independent companies, I have worked as a freelancer at the larger companies too, both as a creator and packager. I’ve also worked for comic companies whose main markets were the newsstand and mainstream market.
With this in mind, last year I wrote a publishing proposal for both MARVEL and DC Comics to look at to encourage more lapsed and mainstream readers to start reading comics again.
To understand my approach, you have to understand that both Marvel and DC are owned by large corporations who are in competition with each other. Both produce over 70 different titles every month. These are far more titles than the market can really support, but neither company wants to admit that and neither is willing to cut back.
My idea was to keep the same dollar value of books coming out each month but create a Value For Money appeal to them. Instead of doing annuals as throwaway books just to fill a gap in the schedule, put top creators who no longer do monthly books on them and their shelf life will increase. Imagine Walt Simonson doing a Beta Ray Bill annual every year. Keep them all in print. They will continue to make money and Walt will get a nice royalty to keep doing them.
Below are the proposals I sent to Marvel and DC. I got some interesting feedback from them but they seem too firmly set in their plans to implement much of this.
DC Comics Publishing proposal
The idea laid out below is to expand the story pages per issue so a single story can be told in each comic. The equation I have worked out is as follows; 80% of the issue is a single story with the other 20% made up of references and fall-out to previous stories and setting up the future stories.
Every issue should be a substantive read and enjoyable on its own with a tease to make the reader want more.
The problem with comics is that they cannot be read by the mainstream reader because there is no starting point. To understand reaching a wider audience you have to understand that the average person does not consume their media in the same way as comics readers have been trained to. They have to learn it in the same way people have been trained to binge-watch Netflix and HBO series where a large story is broken down into chunks. People don’t expect to see an article or interview to be broken down across six to 12 issues of People magazine or Vanity Fair. Every magazine is a done in one. Premiere magazine might do a series of features where each issue it looks at a different Stanley Kubrick film. It is a series but each article can be read and enjoyed separately.
The idea is to publish fewer titles at a higher cover price with greater perceived value. It also becomes possible to buy all the core universe books at $70 per month. Reading complete stories would encourage people to stop waiting for the trade, while still satisfying the current audience preferring a longer read.
Another possible suggestion to add to these is to start every year with a new number 1 but start numbering the volumes. Each year is one volume.
I’ve broken down the publishing schedule into MONTHLY, MINI-SERIES, QUARTERLY and ANNUALS.
There are 14 monthly titles but a further 10 titles a month because of the mini-series. I’ve assigned titles based on those that have the most long-range popularity while some titles that are currently popular I have pulled back on in an effort to make sure they stay popular and not to over saturate the market.
MONTHLY
Monthly titles are 48 pages, 44 pages of story, $4.99.
CORE TITLES: Titles that make up the must-read center of the DC Universe.
- ACTION COMICS – Superman in cosmic action.
- AQUAMAN
- BATMAN
- BIRDS OF PREY
- DETECTIVE COMICS – Batgirl, Batwoman, Robin and Nightwing, sometimes Batman.
- FLASH
- GREEN ARROW
- GREEN LANTERN
- JUSTICE LEAGUE
- SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS
- SUPERGIRL
- SUPERMAN – The life and times of Superman. Clark Kent, Lois, Daily Planet etc…
- TEEN TITANS
- WONDER WOMAN
REGULAR ANNUAL 4 MINI-SERIES
These titles get one mini-series a year. Not necessary to read to understand the DCU. No MINI-SERIES title can affect the larger DCU. Mini-series titles are 32 pages, 24 pages of story, $3.50.
- AGE OF HEROES (set in the past Viking Prince etc)
- ALL STAR BATMAN
- BATMAN BEYOND
- BATGIRL
- BATWOMAN
- BLUE BEETLE
- CATWOMAN
- CYBORG
- DEATHSTROKE
- DOOM PATROL
- GREEN LANTERN CORPS
- GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW
- GOTHAM ACADEMY
- HARLEY QUINN
- HAWKMAN AND THE ATOM
- HELLBLAZER
- JONAH HEX
- JUSTICE SOCIETY
- LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES
- LOBO
- MOTHER PANIC
- NIGHTWING
- RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS
- ROBIN
- SHADE THE CHANGING GIRL
- SHAZAM
- SUICIDE SQUAD
- SUPER SONS
- SWAMP THING
QUARTERLY
Quarterly titles are 80 pages, 72 pages of story, $7.99.
- BRAVE AND BOLD
- WORLDS FINEST
ANNUALS
These are stand alone. Annual titles are 64 pages, 60 pages of story, $6.50.
- ALL STAR WESTERN
- GOTHAM SIRENS
- LOIS LANE
- METAL ME
- OMAC
- PHANTOM STRANGER
- PLASTIC MAN
- SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS
- SGT. ROCK
- SHAZAM FAMILY
- TRINITY
- ZATANNA
MARVEL Publishing proposal
The idea laid out below is to expand the story pages per issue so a single story can be told in each comic. The equation I have worked out is as follows; 80% of the issue is a single story with the other 20% made up of references and fall-out to previous stories and setting up the future stories.
Every issue should be a substantive read and enjoyable on its own with a tease to make the reader want more.
The problem with comics is that they cannot be read by the mainstream reader because there is no starting point. To understand reaching a wider audience you have to understand that the average person does not consume their media in the same way as comics readers have been trained to. They have to learn it in the same way people have been trained to binge-watch Netflix and HBO series where a large story is broken down into chunks. People don’t expect to see an article or interview to be broken down across 6 to 12 issues of People magazine or Vanity Fair. Every magazine is a done in one. Premiere magazine might do a series of features where each issue it looks at a different Stanley Kubrick film. It is a series but each article can be read and enjoyed separately.
The idea is to publish fewer titles at a higher cover price with greater perceived value. It also becomes possible to buy all the core universe books at $70 per month. Reading complete stories would encourage people to stop waiting for the trade, while still satisfying the current audience preferring a longer read.
Another possible suggestion to add to these is to start every year with a new number 1 but start numbering the volumes. Each year is one volume.
I’ve broken down the publishing schedule into MONTHLY, MINI-SERIES, QUARTERLY and ANNUALS.
There are 14 monthly titles but a further 10 titles a month because of the mini-series. I’ve assigned titles based on those that have the most long-range popularity while some titles that are currently popular I have pulled back on in an effort to make sure they stay popular and not to over saturate the market.
MONTHLY
Monthly titles are 48 pages, 44 pages of story, $4.99.
CORE TITLES: Titles that make up the must-read center of the MARVEL Universe.
- AVENGERS
- BLACK PANTHER
- CAPTAIN AMERICA
- CAPTAIN MARVEL
- DAREDEVIL
- DOCTOR STRANGE
- FANTASTIC FOUR
- GUARDIANS OF GALAXY
- HULK
- INHUMANS
- IRON MAN
- MS MARVEL
- NEW MUTANTS
- SPIDER-MAN
- THOR
- X-MEN
REGULAR ANNUAL 4 ISSUE MINI-SERIES
These titles get one mini-series a year. Not necessary to read to understand the MU. No MINI-SERIES title can affect the larger MU. Mini-series titles are 32 pages, 24 pages of story, $3.50.
- ANT-MAN
- BLACK PANTHER CREW
- BLACK WIDOW
- BROTHERHOOD (OF MUTANTS)
- BULLSEYE
- CABLE
- CLOAK & DAGGER
- DEADPOOL
- DEFENDERS
- DR DOOM
- ELEKTRA
- FALCON
- GHOST RIDER
- HAWKEYE
- IRON FIST
- KINGPIN
- LUKE CAGE
- JESSICA JONES
- MAN-THING
- MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR
- NICK FURY
- NOVA
- PUNISHER
- ROCKET AND GROOT
- SECRET WARRIORS
- SILVER SURFER
- SPIDER-GWEN
- SUBMARINER
- TALES OF ASGARD
- UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL
- VENOM
- WARLOCK
- WOLVERINE
QUARTERLY
Quarterly titles are 80 pages, 72 pages of story, $7.99.
- BRING ON THE BAD GUYS
- MARVEL TEAM UP
- MONSTERS UNLEASHED
- TALES OF THE WATCHER
ANNUALS
These are stand alone. Annual titles are 64 pages, 60 pages of story, $6.50.
- BETA RAY BILL
- GHOST RIDER
- HOWARD THE DUCK
- KAZAR/SHANNA
- MAGNETO
- MAN-THING
- NEW MUTANTS
- POWER PACK
- SHE-HULK
- X-MEN
The opinions expressed in this Talk Back are solely those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.
