Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Disney Comics Go Boom! . . . and Fall Down


At the time I noted:





The most common explanation:










Editorial and Marketing Mismanagement


Casper the Friendly Ghost #23
Publication date: August 1954
Retail price: 10¢
Total pages:36
Total pages of content: 25
Average panels per page: 8

Toy Story #7
Publication date: September 2010
Retail price: $2.99
Total Pages: 28
Total pages of content: 22
Average panels per page: 3-5
Content: 1 story

First, let's get some basic premises out of the way:







Take Advantage of Your Large Canon of Characters 

Produce Short, Self-Contained Stories.  Avoid Serialization. 

Trade High Concept Presentation for Value

Think Outside the Direct Comics Market
Go Beyond Comic Book Specialty Stores


A recent Simpsons Comic:

Simpson's Comics and Stories #170
Publication date: 2010
Retail price: $2.99
Total pages: 36
Total pages of content: 25
Average panels per page: 6-8
Content: 1 story





Darkwing Duck #4 (Cover C) - price $9.99





G. Brian Moor said...

You are right on the money here -- particularly with the accessibility of these comics. Kiddie comics have been, and remain still, a great medium for promoting literacy for kids. Disney has always presented great content for this medium. Some of my favorites were Duck Tales and Tale Spin. Super hero comics have their place, but they are too sexually charged and violent for a dad who is trying to introduce his son to the joy of humor-driven comic books.

I have to travel 35 miles to the nearest Barnes & Noble to obtain any of the Boom! titles. The selection is always sporadic and inconsistent, much to my (and my 6-year-old son's) chagrin. So, serial content is a source of great vexation. I have yet to get my hands on a "Darkwing Duck" issue. I suspect these are quickly snatched up by the fanboys before any kid can get a hold of them. Also, I can't afford to pay $9.99 plus just to obtain a back issue -- if you can even find them.

Boom! would do well to take your advice. But it looks like they've adapted to the marketing style that has been characteristic of Disney since the Eisner years. Kid comics are just the latest victim. Sad.

Slowjack said...

Note that by the general inflation rate alone, a 10-cent comic in 1954 would be equivalent to 79 cents today...even $1.50 would be a near doubling in real money terms.

By the way, in my house we have solved this problem by giving my daughter the Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse comics my wife and her brother read as children.

Nic Kramer said...

You do know we're still in the middle of a econemy problem, right? I think that might be why the comic page format is reduce. Plus, Boom-Studios is not as a big company as D.C. and unlike Bongo Comics, they actully had to license the characters. Also, unlike Gemstone, I see these comics pop up more at books store and some are in the children magazine section at Barnes and Noble.

Anonymous said...

Uhhhh...respectfully, you have a lot of opinions but not a lot of facts...as a comic shop manager who follows such things, here you go....

the C covers are incentives and are meant to be collectibles...both kids and adults buy these comics...these covers are aimed at the adult collector...

The hardcovers are for libraries, they prefer them...Duh!

BOOM comics are available in the newstand, Disney theme parks, book stores and comic shops...

Newsprint costs as much as glossy, comic publishers have been public about this for years....there you are....

Jeffrey Pepper said...

To Comic Shop Manager:

I believe I stated my facts rather well. Boom! is very obviously marketing to adult collectors, you say that yourself. That is what I disagree with. Of course I have a lot of opinions, I certainly did not present this piece as anything other than opinion, hence the tag, Thoughts and Commentary.

As a manager of a specialty comics shop, you have a built-in bias in favor of the very things I criticize, variant covers, hardcovers, overblown production values. It is in your best interest to keep the prices of comics artificially high and market comics to your target demographic. As I stated repeatedly, this does not serve young readers very well. Your justifications just serve to reinforce many of the points I'm making.

Boom! produces their hardcover line strictly for libraries? Give me a break. And if they do, why are the prices so inflated? Libraries certainly aren't inclined to drop $25 on a 112-page comic book. And just to note--both Bongo and Archie have produced exceptional hardcover products for that same $25 price point. More content, slipcases, bonus material. Boom! looks pretty lame, and definitely overpriced in comparison.

Boom! comics being available in the multiple locations you list does not even compare to the level of distribution kiddie comics had prior to the direct comics market.

Newsprint is just as expensive as high quality glossy? Sorry, I don't buy it. That's not even reflected in the newsprint products that comics publishers themselves publish such as the Essential and Showcase lines, and especially manga. But I guess if the comic book companies told you it was true . . .

Jeffrey Pepper said...


Yes, the economy is bad right now. All the more reason to make comics more affordable and a better value, especially for young readers.

As to the reduction in page count, it appears almost all other comics publishers are maintaining the 36-page size. As noted, the Bongo comic I featured ran 36 pages with 25 pages of content. The economy doesn't seem to be affecting them in that regard.

Thomas said...

Amen! What a wonderful, insightful post. I've shared this with lots of friends, with whom I've had very similar conversations. The current distribution structure for all comics, kids and otherwise, is flat out broken. I want to buy comics for my kids. I want them to be able to go to a local grocery or convenient store and be able to pick up comics regularly and reliably, just like I was able to do in the 80s. Instead, I have to risk venturing into dank comic shops which cater to clientele more interested in blood and boobs than enjoyable comic entertainment. My sincere hope is that Disney breaks free of the Diamond monopoly, and distributes comics widely and visibly, outside of the traditional comic shop paradigm.

zapjones said...

Lots of interesting points here. Some I agree with some I don't. I believe Boom is doing pretty much everything they can to get the Disney books in stores other then comic shops. They have distribution deals in place for newstands, they are in wal-marts, they are in the Disney theme parks. They are trying to increase distribution while still going after the collectors market to keep the line profitable. It is not up to Boom where their product is carried but up to buyers at the various companies. Yes it would be fantastic if the entire line was carried regularly at Wal-Mart instead of a few trade collections but that is not Boom's decision to make. All they can do is make sure the products are available to the buyers and encourage them to carry them. So far, they have made better progress then Gladstone, Disney, Marvel or Gemstone did when they had the line. Something that would help is if the Disney Stores carried the line but even that is subject to the whim of a buyer for the Disney Stores.
At Walt Disney World, I occasionally see a Boom trade paperback or two but ever since Disney purchased Marvel there are several places to buy Marvel comics on property.
Boom stopped publishing the Disney hardcovers awhile back.

Jeffrey Pepper said...


I agree that going beyond the direct market is the biggest challenge that Boom! faces. It was my concern two years and I emphasized it again in this post.

You stated:


This is where I totally disagree with you and where much of my argument on this matter remains.

If buyers at these mass merchants and distributors are not receptive to Boom! comics it is because Boom! is not creating and marketing products that are viable in their outlets. That is the fault of Boom!

But Boom! continues to stubbornly create and market within a direct market/specialty shop dynamic. They are not in any way tailoring their output to these mass merchants. Their products are overpriced, slight on content and put too much emphasis on collector incentives such as variant covers and zero issues. There are solid reasons why buyers reject these products, and they are not just whims.

I concede that it has been a number of months since I have seen Boom! list hardcovers in their advertising. I guess the libraries haven't been buying them up like they used to.

But I did notice something else in a recent issue of a Boom! Disney comic. A full page ad for CGC, a very high-end comics grading and preservation service.

Again, just who is Boom! wanting to sell Disney comics to?

Anonymous said...

You do have some valid points here, Mr. Pepper, but I do think you're being a little too rash.

Have you ever considered writing an actual letter or email to Boom! Studios? That's the only way to let them know if you think that something is amiss. That's what I would do if I felt that something was wrong with anything, whether it be at the Disney theme parks or anywhere else. Customer feedback is downright essential to all businesses, after all.

P.S.: G. Brian Moor, I disagree with your last paragraph, since Eisner is now gone from the Walt Disney Company and his ways of thinking have slowly been leaving the company.

Anonymous said...

>Boom! comics being available in the multiple >locations you list does not even compare to the >level of distribution kiddie comics had prior to the >direct comics market.

Yes Mr. Pepper, you are correct. Prior to the direct market of the 80s kiddie comics had wide distribution. But kids have a TON of other things to do with their time now and that is where your argument breaks down. This is the 21st century. It's been like this for 30 years. We have the internet, video games, 500 channels etc. etc. to entertain kids. They don't care about comics. That is until...

...Boom has reinvigorated the kids comics market and has tons of imitators quickly following behind. So what if they sell to kids and adults. When was the last time you saw these Disney comics in the major book chains? Walmart? Hell, when was the last time you saw a Disney comic in the theme parks? Boom has done all of that. And that is because what they are doing is a success. Have you seen non-Marvel or DC comics with this wide of distribution in the last 20 years? Absolutely not. Your whole argument is MOOT!

And FWIW, if you are not printing tons of 300 page black and white Essential and Showcase trades, then YES newsprint prices are totally negligible to glossy on under 50,000 print run comics. Not knowing this belies a lack of understanding of the business you think you know so well, Mr. Pepper.

Have a good day!

Jeffrey Pepper said...

To Most Recent Anonymous (and possibly comic shop manager from earlier comment?):

You said:


Then how do you explain Disney Adventures magazine, the 17-year success of which lasted from 1990 until 2007? Much of its success has been attributed to its comics content. Upon its abrupt cancellation by Disney corporate in 2007, it had a circulation of well over 1 million readers.

Why was this publication so successful in reaching its target audience? Because it existed outside the confines of the direct comics market and specialty comics shops. It targeted kids, was content heavy,reasonably priced and didn't worry about adult collectors. It demonstrated that you can reach a much broader juvenile market if you are willing to step out of the fanboy box.

Its cancellation by Disney still has many in the industry scratching their heads. Supposedly, ad revenue was on the decline but it was still reportedly viable and profitable.

You asked:


Gladstone, Disney Comics and Gemstone all penetrated those same outlets (including theme parks) to some degree or another, primarily through wholesale distributors. Boom! is not achieving anything new in this regard and they certainly aren't "reinvigorating" anything.

You ask:


Absolutely yes. Bongo Comics. I believe I went on at some length about that in my post. Archie Comics. Which has long been successful outside of the direct comics market and is aggressively pursuing other non-direct market ventures such as digital and the recently launched Life with Archie magazine (which appears to be modeled very strongly after the aforementioned Disney Adventures.)

(Continued in next comment due to length)

Jeffrey Pepper said...

(Continued from previous comment)

You state:

. . . then YES newsprint prices are totally negligible to glossy on under 50,000 print run comics.

Still not buying that completely, but even if I choose to--you quite transparently betray your direct market loyalties. Why settle for print runs under 50,000? Oh, I guess because that is based on direct market-supported parameters that you use to define "success." My whole point in all of this is to shoot for greater levels of distribution that would support the larger prints runs that you now acknowledge would reduce costs.
If a Disney comic could even achieve one tenth the circulation of Disney Adventures cool million, you argument, by you own admission, falls apart.

What makes you so completely certain of Boom!'s success? Are you basing it on direct market sales statistics that only reflect what specialty shops are ordering (non-returnable) and not actual customer sales. Just because you may see them on the shelves at various mass merchants, does that mean they are actually selling? As I stated above, Gladstone, Disney Comics and Gemstone all had penetration into these outlets and all experienced unhappy endings. Disney Comics was claiming similar successes in the early 1990s shortly before its now famous implosion. In fact, the direct comics market and specialty comics stores have had a distinct track record over the past two decades of screaming success and then suddenly facing disaster and adversity without warning. In my market alone, I've seen close to a half dozen comic shops come and go in the last 20 years.

Finally, you say:


Considering that you have no idea what my history and background is in regard to retail, wholesale distribution and the comic book industry, statements such as this are just pompous and hollow. Splitting hairs over the costs of print vs. glossy. If your are indeed a comic shop manager or other industry professional, that somehow doesn't bequeath upon you infinite wisdom and superior knowledge as a matter of course in this discussion. You have provided little more than broad and unsupported generalizations to make your points.

The length of this comment alone demonstrates that I have offered up substantially more to support my assertions.

Anonymous said...

The fact of the matter is that boom undoubtedly saw Disney books as a money grab, something that could just be put out and would sell based on the license alone. Now that is hasn't borne fruit, they're scrambling to do more to appeal to the direct market, which is the problem in the first place.

Anyone notice the Muppet and Pixar books are gone from January previews? Looks like Boom has lost that part of the license and is canceling books mid-storyline. That's bad business, and not a good sign for this "2.0" spin they're trying to give the failing line...

Anonymous said...

I have a friend who works at Boom! And he says Mark Waid was never in the office, that his position there was just a figurehead to give Boom! Market credibility. He says all Mark Waid does is write a few books for them, and is not involved in any of the decision-making. So I'm not sure you can blame Mark Waid for Boom's inability to market these books properly.

Josh said...

Sorry to come to the discussion late, but I haven't checked out 2719 Hyperion in a little while, and I'm just now getting caught up.

As a comic book store owner, I can see both sides of several of these arguments.

Comics distribution has dropped dramatically since those heady days of the 1940s (when half the population of the United States, both child and adult read comics). At its peak resurgence in the early '90s, some of the top-selling books had print runs of up to one million copies, but those weren't common, and the whole collector market that developed and propagated that resurgence wasn't sustainable.

Today's market doesn't see - across the board - print runs that push more than a couple hundred thousand copies, and that's generally only for the really big pushes given to new titles by Marvel and DC with an anticipated degree of popularity.

Comics geared toward and marketed for kids are hard to carry, at least for us, because we just don't get a lot of younger kids in the door. And it's not for lack of trying to market to them. We do maintain a small section in our store that is just for kid-friendly comics. That includes the Boom Studios books, Archie books, and some of the Marvel and DC fare aimed at younger readers (Tiny Titans is a popular title).

Where we have the most success on kid-oriented titles is through our relationship with our local library. Their children's programs are extremely popular, and their Youth Services Librarian carries a lot of comics titles. The Boom Studios books, particularly the HC trades, are among the highest circulating comics they carry. But they cater to crowds aged 1-yr to 18-yrs, so even their focus isn't strictly on the younger set, and Frank Miller's Batman books are also very popular in that department.

I'm a Disney nut - always have been - and, like you, I thought Boom Studios had a lot of promise when they first started with the Disney and Pixar titles. Also, like you, I'm very disappointed with the quality of the products they put out. It's hard for me, in good conscience, to recommend many of their titles to people who come through the store.

There is so much potential to be mined in the pages of books like Toy Story, The Incredibles, and Finding Nemo, but the writers at Boom Studios have really come up short on good ideas. The most popular Boom Studios titles at my store are The Muppets, Darkwing Duck, and Wizards of Mickey. And those are purchased by a fairly even split of kids and adults.

The recently solicited Chip an' Dale Rescue Rangers title is already picking up much of the same readership as Darkwing Duck, which tells me that kids who grew up with the Disney Afternoon TV shows are enjoying a bit of nostalgia. Only a handful of younger kids even know who Chip an' Dale are anymore, and none of them seem to know what the Rescue Rangers show was all about; so only a couple of them are showing any interest in that comic.

To keep this at less than essay length, I'd say that there may be some truth to your claim that Boom Studios books should be written differenly and marketed differently, perhaps based on the model from previous generations. The writing shortcomings should be easy to correct, and I wish they would.

Such a dramatic marketing and distribution overhaul may just not be feasible, but I really don't know. I'd like to see a rack of kid-friendly comics down by the register at my local grocery store instead of candy bars, but I don't know how likely that is to happen. Those stores have DVDs and Blu-Rays set up right there, and they net significantly more dollars per unit for those than they ever could for a comic. I just don't know that their volume of comics sales could justify (to their accountants) the effort required to carry comics and keep them stocked.

That's my two cents. Thanks for trying to maintain a civil discourse here; that is much appreciated.

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with this post. Just look at how popular Disney comics still are in some European countries and you see that all these arguments are valid ones.

Weekly Topolino (Mickey Mouse) in Italy has an average circulation of 300,000+ and each issue has 164 pages and costs only about $3.25. It has much flimsier paper and it has many self-contained stories as well as lots of articles and editorials targeted at kids.

Do the many weekly and monthly Italian Disney comics have to compete with television, video games and the internet? Of course they do! Circulation has gone down since last decade, but it's still going strong thanks to the excellent marketing and distribution of the books.

Donald Duck in the Netherlands has a print-run of 314,000 issues every week. Each issue costs about $2.80 and is available everywhere where magazines are sold.

Another example: Aku Ankka (Donald Duck) in Finland, also a weekly magazine, has a circulation of 317,500 in a country of 5.5 million. That's an issue for every 17 people in Finland! The same holds true for other Scandinavian countries, and internet penetration in these countries is among the highest in the world.

With so many people reading Disney comics in Europe, there are also many titles targeted at collectors. There are hardcover books and special collector editions. But the classic weeklies that started in the late 1940s / early 1950s have stayed true to their original format: multiple shorter stories in each issue, with 6 to 8 panels per page, flimsy paper to keep the cost down and articles targeted at kids. Boom! should take an example from this.