Learn about marvel comicss characters and prominent writers and artists. Selling through bookstores, book fairs, mainstream retailers. This was followed by a superhero boom that lasted until the end of world war ii. Still, with a pinch of toad, a wing of bat, and some legitimate research into the trends and data, lets see if we cant project a few scenarios about the future of the comic industry. Marvel superheroes arent just for white men true diversity. Target audience definition will be the foundation of your marketing efforts. How to define a target audience for your marketing plans. The overall target audience is anyond who watches pg movies, from age 6 to 96. When the comics went onto the big screen their target audience was teenagers. A big wave of imported japanese culture is finding a hungry and growing reading audience.
To ensure a healthy comic book industry in the future, we need to know who. I dont agree with everything in this article about the publishing industry. Mar 28, 2020 by the mid90s, diamond gained such a stranglehold on the comic book industry, the federal government couldnt deny something seemed fishy about their business practices. Image comics publisher eric stephenson talks direct market at. Posted in comic book marketing and tagged audience, comic, comic book, ego, goals, idw comics, promotion, target audience, target market, touchy feely leave a comment. Comics is a market in transition publishers weekly. Marvel superheroes arent just for white men true diversity could boost sales. I can similarly promise you that people of colour are not entering comicbook shops and turning their noses. Most of my content applies to fictionwriting in general, but i also provide articles specifically about superhero stories i dont agree with everything in this article about the publishing industry, which compares the average professional publisher to an abusive husband, but it might be really interesting. A prophecy says that in the comic book industrys darkest days, a hero will come to lead the people through a plague of overpriced floppies. Marketing to your audience every year hundreds of thousands of comic book fans come out in droves to attend comic con. The annual gathering of comic book and scifi aficionados and cognoscenti.
Superman deadly legacy became the first of several comic books designed to address the hazards of landmine remnants found in. Youll learn how comic book superheroes are created and the deeper meanings they represent. What you need right now is a simple straight forward marketing plan which outlines what your comic is about, what your demographic and target market is, and how you plan on marketing your comic book to that target. It wasnt until the mid80s that the us industry which dominates the international english language. Jul 11, 2016 is marvels diversity strategy paying off. I believe that comics are targeting a young adult to new adult demo. What age group of viewers is the target audience for the.
Young kids love superheroes and older viewers grew up with these characters. Mat nastos has been a filmtv artist, director and writer since the early 1990s. Aug 25, 2017 a target audience is a group identified as the focus for communications, media, entertainment, information or advertising. Comic book sales up 6% in bookstore market in past 12. Image comics publisher eric stephenson talks direct market at comicspro. Yes, most comics, even ones that are not targeting an adult demo are a big more mature. The comic book industry is on fire business insider. The industry has its bestselling month in nearly two decades. I provide advice about how to write novels, comic books and graphic novels. While the geographic distribution of comics and graphic novel sales via. Brett schenker did some fancy facebook fooling and compiled a few statistics about the people who selfidentify as comic book readers. The definition of comic strip as essentially containing text inscribed within balloons inside the picture frame aspires to a certain orthodoxy in the united states, but it is unworkable and would exclude most strips created before about 1900 and. Wave 2 is defined by a niche approach narrowly focusing on a target audience of committed fans and collectors.
Competition is fiercemany talents, many books, small audience. Sep 29, 2014 what a cmo can learn from a comic book. Thats tricky because, frankly, our target audience is anyone who reads the english language. Viewership of marvel superhero movies by age group in the u.
If comic book sales are down, theyre the ones who can change that. Its primary audience was both male and female children. Joe scarnicigetty images one obvious reason for comic book gains. Yet the maturing of comic book customers and the direct market that targets only them is also a concern for the future of the industry. Well also explore techniques you can use to discover who your target customer is. As a label, the american comic book industry conceals a great deal of. An american comic book is a thin periodical originating in the united states, on average 32 pages, containing comics. The survey results are not a reflection of all comic book readers or the broader audience for graphic novels. A well defined target audience can be used to tailor messages to your audience and to find avenues where they can be reached.
However, even as someone firmly in the target audience, i wasnt. First, lets examine the present state of the industry, particularly among the big 3 players. For instance, lets say that my new comic book is about a psychic vampire hunter. Like i said, you can write one of these plans for your comic if you like, but its more than you will need for this endeavor. May, 2016 competition is fiercemany talents, many books, small audience. A slightly older audience can actually afford to buy the comics and then maintain an interest in coming back a month or two later for a new issue. Dont you feel like your book could be a massive hit, if only the right people knew about it. Comic book franchise impact on the decision to see a superhero movie by age u. How to do social media for comic book stores giraffe social media. By the mid90s, diamond gained such a stranglehold on the comic book industry, the federal government couldnt deny something seemed fishy about their business practices. Almost everyone at this convention has heard of warner bros, but that doesnt stop them from utilizing the opportunity to create more brand awareness and maintain their wellknown brand identity. Graphic novels are sold in the direct market and also to trade book stores, with consumer sales tracked through the book industry standard. This post will lay out a method on how to identify a target audience. Comics and graphic novels one of highest growth categories in.
Also, the overall us comic book market has grown in recent years. Shes spoken at events like geek girl con, new york comic con, and comic book city con, wants to get a batwoman tattoo and write a graphic novel, and one of her canine teeth is in backwards. Angry white men are trying to shut down diverse comics female thor and muslim ms. Marvel destroying comic book industry says walking dead. Oct 12, 2017 comic book sales up 6% in bookstore market in past 12 months, and 37% women. If there were only some way of finding your target audience, youd be able to reach out and get your novel into their hands or ereaders. Comics and graphic novels one of highest growth categories.
Its parent company, marvel entertainment, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the disney company. This week i wanted to get more specific and identify discrete problems and the possible opportunities therein that were facing. Viewership of marvel superhero movies by age group in the. Comic book sales up 6% in bookstore market in past 12 months. Refine your target audience and start marketing your book in all the right places. Is the average age of comic book readers increasing. Youll follow the development of sequential art storytelling from caveman wall. Comic book sales up 6% in bookstore market in past 12 months, and 37% women. The beat delivers comics and entertainment news for fans, creators, and pros in comics, graphic novels, books, movies, television, games, and more. With comic con, marketers seek out geeks as trendsetters.
It wasnt until the mid80s that the us industry which dominates the international english. What many marketing experts recommend is to put the selling on hold and start instead with engagement being visible, connecting with people in the industry, participating in conve. A target audience is a group identified as the focus for communications, media, entertainment, information or advertising. The comic book industry is on fire, and its about more than just the movies. Marvel comics, american media and entertainment company that was widely regarded as one of the big two publishers in the comic industry. What she is seeing is a young marketbut only in certain sectors. The future of the comic book industry nerds on earth.
This is the comic book industry, not the superhero industry, and if we want to stick around for the long haul, we need to recognize that and capitalize on that, because as much as i fond as i am of the superhero comics i read when i was younger, the full scope. May 02, 2016 the comics industry has one of the most loyal fan demographics, and printing another deadpool variant for the sake of selling it feels like theyre taking advantage of that loyalty. It allows businesses to not only market to their specific target audience, but to actually engage with them. What are the best ways to market my self published comic book. Different types of comics and their target audience. The new wave of graphic novels after ignoring half the market, publishers are targeting women readers with the next generation of booklength comics. The contents of comics we already discussed that the target for most comics appears to be ya and why its a good demo, but its important because of the contents of the actual comics as well. There are over 41 comic book industry careers waiting for you to apply. Image comics publisher eric stephenson talks direct market. A twitter search can easily pinpoint folks in your target audience. We show you a simple 3step system to find your core readership. Each film or tv show has a different genre slightly that tries to make the mcu accessi. However, in comic book stores, that rises to 72% male, and an older audience. Diamond comics distributors, the company that acts as middleman on sales of almost all comic books in the current industry, released its 20 list of the topselling 1,000 comics of 20.
Understanding demographics allows you to better market your. Mar, 2016 still, with a pinch of toad, a wing of bat, and some legitimate research into the trends and data, lets see if we cant project a few scenarios about the future of the comic industry. Feb 04, 2014 a slightly older audience can actually afford to buy the comics and then maintain an interest in coming back a month or two later for a new issue. Surprising new data shows comic readers are leaving. Youll follow the development of sequential art storytelling from caveman wall paintings to modern manga and cinematic techniques. While the form originated in 1933, american comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of action comics, which included the debut of the superhero superman. The idea isnt to be negative about the industry, but to take the first step toward addressing the issues by exposing the problems. Last week i wrote about how we can build a better comic book industry. What are the best ways to market my self published comic. They are reaching a group that is old enough to not be babied, yet not always so old as to be fully adult. The national comic book store industry saw a percent drop in 2010 with comic sales down about 5. Jan 16, 2014 diamond comics distributors, the company that acts as middleman on sales of almost all comic books in the current industry, released its 20 list of the topselling 1,000 comics of 20. The comics industry should be focused on writing good stories, and this practice feels like a thinly veiled moneygrabbing tactic.
You will find the right people for your book, learn to see things from their. Ive enjoyed superhero stories from both major players in the comic book industry, but, in all honesty, i prefer dc to marvel. Archive for the target audience category superhero nation. Marvels diversity strategy targets new audiences south china. The comics industry has one of the most loyal fan demographics, and printing another deadpool variant for the sake of selling it feels like theyre taking advantage of that loyalty. The evolution of the american comic book industry sfu. Although comics and graphic novel sales didnt drop off as sharply in. This book is an insiders guide to how the comic book industry works. After the previous successes, eastern employee harold moore proposed a monthly comic book series. Theyre still largely considered the domain of kids.
This is the comic book industry, not the superhero industry, and if we want to. This is the second month of my independent publishing professional. Yet the maturing of comic book customers and the direct market that. Target age of comics yes, there are comics that are designed for adult audience. Im sure no comic book editor not sure that profession as practiced by stan lee, archie goodwin, or julie schwartz even exists any more. Marvel are saving the comic book industry, and the misogynist. Studies reveal that the comic book medium can be an effective teaching tool, but its use requires incorporating research about the target audience during the development phase of the. There is a whole new audience emerging for comics and graphic novels. How to identify a target audience for your book in 3 steps. New comic book industry careers are added daily on. Dc comics nielsen survey results are in, they are interesting. If there were only some way of finding your target audience, youd be able to reach out and get your novel into their hands or ereaders this post will lay out a method on how to identify a target audience.
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