Beauology 101: Diversify Or Die
Beau Smith. “I’m not angry. Come, hug me!”
by Beau Smith
They say that everybody deserves a second chance. My question is, “How about comic books?”
In the case of comic books we’re actually talking about multiple chances, but that’s okay; in entertainment, it applies.
Being a writer and a comic book marketing director, there’s not a week that goes by when this question isn’t asked:
“Why aren’t there more/any western, war, romance, crime, science fiction, humor, adventure, or fill-in-the-blank-here comic books?”
Some try to give the answer: “Well, they don’t sell.”
As a 25 year marketing director I can tell you, that answer doesn’t cut it. That’s the answer someone looking at the short-term picture gives you. They are not looking at the long haul.
For our industry to truly grow we need to diversify our product. Yes, we do have some of the above mentioned genres, but we don’t have enough. We have more than enough superhero books, which I enjoy, but as I enjoy a good cheeseburger, I don’t eat them every day. Publishers will chime in that they aren’t in the business to lose money and that they aren’t a charity. That’s very true, but they’re also here to make money and expand their ability to make even more money with the very best product they can produce. That’s not a bad thing.
Deep Sea — Dark Horse Comics
To expand their business they need to have something for everybody, or at least come as close to that as possible. If you are a niche publisher, then fine, be the best at supplying that small part of the market that you’re producing for. But if you are a large publisher, then get in for the long haul. Don’t just promote for the direct market only, try and hit every household that you can, drive those people to the direct market comic stores, use the internet to enhance your books of different genres. If I had unlimited space and time I could go on for thousands and thousands of words to explain this route and long haul journey, but I don’t, so I won’t. (Besides, that would cost. I’m not a charity either.)
Colonized #1 IDW Publishing
If I had to pick what publishers I thought were doing an excellent job on a smaller scale of what I talking about, IDW Publishing, BOOM! Studios and Dark Horse Comics head the list. By smaller, I mean they don’t have the massive corporate backing of Marvel and DC Comics. These publishers are willing to do what they need to do to make sure there are not only licensed properties, but creator owned, historical, and as many genres as possible for the public to buy. They are willing to try new ideas and venues to get the word out and haul money and readers into the direct market as well as the mass market.
Suicide Risk BOOM! Studios
Technology and the way we consume entertainment changes not just every day, but every hour. Right now there are no limits to what can be attempted to get comics, all kinds of comics, out there and into the hands of people and their devices. Shame on any publisher that doesn’t have enough red meat aggression to get out there and take a large, bloody bite out of expansion and revenue.
“Same heroes, same expression, month after month after month.”
My free and personal suggestion to Marvel and DC Comics about superhero comics: if this genre is your flagship, great, just don’t make it your anchor. Every superhero story and character doesn’t have to be sour and depressing. Your characters can be likable, because that’s what’s gonna bring new readers in and keep old readers. If you don’t have likable characters that readers can relate to a little, then every galactic, Earth breaking situation that you put them in isn’t going to matter. If readers don’t like fictional characters, then they don’t care if they die. If that happens, then your story is dead. If it happens over and over, then your business is dead. You don’t want that. None of us do. It’s dark in here, turn on some lights.
“Hulk Happy.” Art by Evan Shaner
If your superheroes aren’t cracking a smile, laughing, having a day off, then you’ve got nothing but super fiction, and I don’t mean that in a good way. Take a page from what the movies did with The Avengers and Iron Man, make these characters likable.
Things are changing. Your readers aren’t dopes. Entertain them for the long haul.
Diversify or die in the panel gutters…Your choice.
Beau Smith
The Flying Fist Ranch
March 15th, 2013 at 11:14 am
Spot on, Beau!
March 15th, 2013 at 11:49 am
Thank you, Mike. That means a lot to me coming from a man that has inspired others in comics.
Beau
March 15th, 2013 at 2:46 pm
Good points all, Beau! Without humor, these characters are lifeless. As to marketing, why limit your target audience? There are many millions of people out there, and potential comic readers. But many are put off by the grittiness of the stuff. If we still had those avenues like we did with the newsstands, to reach outside the direct market, then publishers would see that there is interest in something other than anti-heroes. I’m no prude, but why does all ages stuff have to look like a cartoon? I think they should do all ages stuff in a classic style, and pay whatever extra they need to, to get them into Walgreens. They’ve given up on bringing in new younger readers, with the exceptions being the publishers you mentioned at the top of your essay. I’m glad to see them prosper with all ages stuff, after Marvel and DC gave up. Archie, too is still out there fighting the fight:)
March 16th, 2013 at 12:26 am
Beau , you should really offer comic companies the chance to pay you to come in house and give seminars to their staff . Your ideas and thoughts are so very true and you are a great motivator .
March 16th, 2013 at 11:28 am
Good points, Beau. Just a few years ago, who would’ve thought a comic about zombies could be a top seller and the #1 drama on TV?
March 17th, 2013 at 3:15 pm
Beau-tifully expressed, Beau. I especially liked your “Same heroes, same expression, month after month after month,” panel. And, it’s SO true.
It’s tougher to be invested in the characters we love without the ‘characterization’ you describe. Some of the most talked-about moments in comics are those in which our heroes are relating to others during their saving-the-universe down-time. I’ve grown weary of the ever-present gritty-ness, too.
In addition to what you suggest above, a fiftysomething friend and I have always thought that more new titles should be specifically-marketed to older fans who’d enjoy reading stories that hearken back to the Silver Age sensibilities. There’re a LOT of us out there!
March 18th, 2013 at 9:54 am
Hey guys, Thank you so much for posting up.
Jerry: You are so right, there are MILLIONS of potential comic book readers out there, some that have never picked one up, but would if they saw something that had a flicker of interesting them. A lot of publishers are cheating themselves out of a potential market that is and has always been out there. As you mentioned, so many publishers think that All Ages means to put things into a cartoon style or become slapstick, how wrong can they be? An example is Stan Lee & Jack Kirby’s run on The Fantastic Four or the Lee/Ditko Spider-Man run, those are All Ages stories. A part of the problem is that so many adult fans turned pro want to make their childhood characters “adult”, that’s fine for a certain amount of books, but not ALL characters. Diversity and likability has been almost forgotten. Readers of the last 20 years have been raised on nothing but these anti-hero books and it’s all they know. The sales show for it. Thank you, Jerry for adding your wisdom.
Gorb: Thank you, amigo. That offer has always been out there. I appreciate it.
Ed: You’re right….zombies have been in comics since the 40′s , but it finally took someone to stop and find a way to use them with characters that readers have an emotional investment to make it stand out. Good point!
Jim: Your word ring true. All readers want is the ability to like and care about the fictional characters they read about. If you give them characters they care about, then the situation the writers put them will matter. Focus on the characters, not the shock value. Thank you!
Beau
March 22nd, 2013 at 11:02 pm
You speak with a straight tongue, Beau. I’ve been reading superhero comics since I was 13. After a cross-country move, I took a couple years off. And when I tried to get back in I found that I couldn’t make heads or tails of books I had been reading since 1988. So I quit.
Now, I’m trying on new books that have just been recommended to me, like Bryan k. Vaughan’s Saga, Vol. 1 by Image Comics, and catching up with high-quality creator owned books like Hellboy. And honestly, anything that’s easy to step into, like MACGYVER: FUGITIVE GAUNTLET.
If a life-long comics reader has to start back up with MacGyver, there’s a problem in the industry.