This isn't about Marvel or DC specifically. This is about comics in general...

This isn't about Marvel or DC specifically. This is about comics in general. How do you get people excited to read comics again? And how do you monetize that? Because atm the current models aren't really working.

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>How do you get people excited to read comics again?
Right good stories and make the art pretty.

Its really not that hard. The Big Two have just gotten so up their own asses with variant covers and cross-title events and bending over backwards to cater to people who will never read comics that they've lost sight of how simple their job really is.

Tell good stories

Draw attractive stuff

You’re overthinking this

>How do you get people excited to read comics again? And how do you monetize that?
Appeal to middle aged men. That's the biggest demographic still buying comics and they are the most willing to pay for stuff they like. And what they like is coomer comics. Make some cheesy cheesecake comic with good art and a sexy busty female lead and you already got a few grand coming your way. Just open a Kickstarter and show as much cleavage upfront as possible.

>You’re overthinking this

I think everyone is. Even the Comicgate thing is going about this the wrong way.

That's the key thing isn't it? Know your audience. As yourself whether they're willing to actually PAY for what you're selling. It's not enough to just appeal to them. Otherwise, you'll end up like Dobbo, where you have people liking your comics but not to actually pay money for it.

>How do you get people excited to read comics again?

People should actually give a shit about reading for that to happen.

I haven’t read one piece in a minute but I always got excited for it each week because it has interesting characters, good story and art. Honestly comics just need the manga model of weekly or bi weekly releases and actually have a beginning to end story with no retcons, reboots, multiverse, or whatever else garbage. The story can be long but people like one continuous story and when it ends the character is forever retires except for making minor cameos or a complete new legacy character run. The casual complaint of “where should I start” is the biggest Barrier because no one wants a list they just want to hear “go read chapter one”. Other than that it needs Better writing, because shit like superboy prime is retarded fan wank garbage no normal person should ever read

needs to be a change in exposure. as is it's a niche medium growing more niche.

I'll probably catch some flack for this, but a big contributor to the popularity of comics in the latter half of the 20th century was Stan Lee being such a zealous public advocate. He was a good writer for his era, but his real talent was as a pitch man. He got people excited to read comics. Granted he was doing it to promote himself and his books, but he did it in such a way that the whole industry got caught up in his wake. The industry needs another Stan Lee, but unfortunately no current creators really have that personality. They're mostly either socially awkward or up their own asses with ego and pretense.

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They need to embrace widespread digital distribution because nearly everybody these days has an electronic device that supplies the majority of the news and entertainment. The floppy collectors will screech and howl about how terrible it is for them, but they've been catered to for decades and the industry is still declining.

Everyone's right, but you should also "sow the seeds" and get kids into comics so that they're still interested in comics as adults. It's strange to me that superhero comics that were made for kids and to attract kids are now so mature and grizzly. This is despite the "kiddy" reputation comics have. So adults won't buy them for themselves because comics are for kids, but won't buy them for their kids because the lead villain is wearing his own torn off face and raping people.

So a greater effort to make comics for kids, and getting it into their hands with better distribution is needed in my opinion. This is a long term strategy compared to the more immediate Good art, Good stories effort everyone else is putting forward, but do you really think the companies aren't at least attempting that? Everyone's trying to make the next "hit".

Well, let's see. I haven't read a floppy comic for ages. For my webcomics that I read:

Achewood. It may be over, but I still go back and maybe re-read and arc or two every once in a while. It's the dialogue and the humor. GOOD WRITING, FUNNY.

Gunnerkrigg Court. Mystery on mystery on mystery. I don't think I like Tom's recent virtue signaling, but I love his writing style - the world is compelling (even if the characters aren't always the best). GOOD WRITING.

Oglaf. It's fucking hilarious. Most of the jokes are really good and the comic is often sexy. GOOD WRITING, SEXY, FUNNY.

Ennui Go. I don't read it for the tits, because I'll be fucked if I pay for my porn. No, I love the absolutely crazy world and the weird things that are happening in it. It reminds me of Unearthed Arcana in a way. GOOD WRITING, FUNNY. Sexy? Maybe.

Whomp!. It's relatable and funny. GOOD WRITING, FUNNY.

Sword Interval: Compelling story, a bit cliche, but w/e. GOOD WRITING.

ZomCom: This shit's hilarious. FUNNY.

All of these have GOOD WRITING and FUNNY in common. So there you go. If your comic is either both or GOOD WRITING odds are I will read it.

They need to cross promote more with established children's entertainment brands so that kids build an association with comics as a form of entertainment. That shit was bread & butter to Marvel in the 80s. Cross promote digital comics with downloadable games as an add-on.

>Know your audience.
And how you can get money from them. For example, there's a lot of streamers with kids as their main audience and while they don't thousands in donations, they get it through ads and sheer number of young viewers tuning in on devices that don't have adblock. So there's always options in generating revenue as long as you know what works and for who.

>go to app store and search "manga"
>literally dozens of reader apps and related games
>search "comics"
>handful of proprietary company apps

I was always more into manga, having sparse experience reading non-japanese comics. Only in the past few 5 or so years have I been making an effort to read western stuff. This is something I don't understand about western (well, mostly DC and Marvel standard stuff, since I know other places don't really replicate this) comics - why not just pick a creative team you put a modicum of faith in and give them a moderately long run, with a clear beginning and end?

One thing I keep thinking about is that 6-issue Moon Knight run by Ellis and Shalvey. That run is what urged me to try and get a better look at this side of the medium, and it's absurd to me that it lasted for only 6 issues. I'm not saying every good run should last for 1000+ issues like One Piece, but 6? Some series are better off being short and sweet, but if the creators are up to it and the work is good, why not extend it to 20, 50, 100?

Why is this part of the industry like this? Is it something about work contracts (because if we're being honest, some/most mangaka have shitty working conditions)? Is it the nature of how the medium see superheroes, less as characters but more as guidelines that writers need to follow to create their story? Is it something that just happened and it stayed as the norm because it's the way things are done and the end?

Manga is dealing with piracy issues that western comics never had as bad. When something is licensed then it's distributed by that one company and their app. I doubt many of those other apps are legally able to do so or even have permission from the rights holder.

IDW's Marvel Action is exactly that.

The market cares not for laws. I imagine a lot of the Zig Forums industry makes the real money from merch.

You know, if such a thing doesn't already exist there needs to be something akin to spotify for independent webcomics. Like you build a digital "funny page" of your favorite webcomics that automatically update and provide back links to the artist's home site and then the platform also recommends new strips based on your preferences. You could have an ad based free version where you get X amount of comics/recommendations and then paid tiers above that where you can expand your custom page and get more recommendations.

Most industries make the real money from merch, from my experience.

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Merch is the most profitable aspect of comics. For every one comic/graphic novel/OAN you sell you can shift multiple units of merchandise that has a much better profit margin. Much of Dark Horse's success as a company is because they essentially a full-service franchising consultant for independent creators. They'll set you up with everything from key chains to movie adaptations all under one contract.

Get a popular youtuber talk about one. One with a twich account if possible.

Well yea, you ever seen tiger and bunny? Westerner comic hero’s are just brands no stories so as they are now there can’t be just one run of x character, and run are canceled or ended early because brands run hot or cold because of sales numbers, that’s really it sadly

I think I didn't emphasise the distribution enough. The more mature comics are everywhere (well, as well as comics are generally distributed), but you don't really see the children's comics anywhere. They should be in toy shops and kids sections in stores, cheap enough for kids to buy with their lollies, they should be giving them by the truck load to school libraries.

This guys comics suck lol

>Manga is dealing with piracy issues that western comics never had as bad
user, 95+% of western floppies that come in digital gets ripped on day0. Trades and more pricey stuff gets ripped when it goes on sale.

Eh, they're decent. I binge them every once in a while to catch up. I tend to make a little game out of spotting clues as to wether or not we were in the same threads here, since the guy obviously lurks for inspiration.

It's as simple as writing a good story with decnet visuals not just waifus and cheesecake, and capeshit.

If that were true things like Vampirella and Lady Death would be doing much better.

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>the guy obviously lurks for inspiration
We shall see with the whole DC giving Diamond the boot.
Lot's of conversation here about it that you don't see anywhere else.

I think one of the things we're missing when we talk about creating products aimed at new demographics, is that the comics neither have advertising aimed at nor sell at places where these demographics shop. The phrase "Make it, and they shall come" only works if they know it exists in the first place.

This is it. There are evergreen stories that are ALWAYS in bookstores and sell year after year after year because they're that damn good. Watchmen, Batman: Year One, All-Star Superman, Saga of the Swamp Thing, Miller's Daredevil, just tell good stories damnit.

But that's the entire reason we have an outrage based publicity process. Zig Forums knows more about "New Warriors" tha it does about whatever they claim to want in comics.

He's got a side character that's the personification of Diamond distribution. I'd be very surprised if it's not covered.

Who cares than already established comic consumers? If it's supposed to expand their demographics, it seems like a massive misstep in my opinion.