Why Comic Book Men is bad for men who retail comics

Here’s exactly why Comic Book Men is so bad for the comics industry…

Nick: Since [Comic Book Men] has received almost universally poor to mediocre reviews, it’s easier to go after it for ideological reasons….

Comic Book Men, a poorly made show about comic retailers is scheduled right after The Walking Dead a comic book adaptation that is the most successful cable show of all time…

…It creates an extremely jarring contrast… [The Walking Dead] represents the possibilities of comics that mainstream audiences had likely never thought of before… [this leads into the pandering Comic Book Men, a show] that confirms every suspicion that same mainstream audience has about the medium.

via Comics Bulletin – Comic Book Men: Geek Enemy No. 1?

Good News and Bad News for Game Developers

The good news…

“2010 seemed to be the best year yet for solo/small-team indies working on what previously would have been considered niche or cult games. As a hobbyist, I’ve found this past year extremely encouraging –– my impression is that it’s never been more possible to make a living from independent games than it is right now. It’s still not easy, but it’s clearly doable! App stores, open digital distribution, gamer disillusionment with AAA titles ––whatever it is that’s changed, it’s led to a fantastic situation where indulging in a passion for games isn’t equivalent to financial suicide. Nice change, that.”

The bad news…

“The game industry is shifting, becoming polarized. Development seems to be shifting away from the middle as companies either invest in cheap, fast mobile games or large, expensive blockbusters. This is creating a greater divide as entry-level positions at smaller companies aren’t preparing developers for the paradigms of larger studios.”

via Ryan Newman, Tenth Annual Salary Survey, 2011 WLNR 6294490

Comics aren’t just for kids anymore!

For about eight months I immersed myself in the world of comic book marketing / self-publishing because I was (and still am) determined to finish a self-published comic project. After reading dozens if not hundreds of pitches for other people’s work, here’s some advice independent comic book publishers of comics.

Anyone who has more than a passing familiarity with comics knows that they aren’t “just for kids” anymore, and even if that were ever true, they haven’t been since the late-80s when Watchmen made it en vogue for superheros to have real world problems like alcoholism and erectile dysfunction. Including the cliche that “comics aren’t for kids anymore” in your promotional materials is a great way to let the person reading them that you don’t know what you’re talking about.

It’s old, played out and is part of the death sentence of the industry. Creators have spent so much time trying to prove that comics can be for adults that they’ve forgotten to build the next generation of fans by only making comics for older fans who are already in comics. Without young readers there is no future in the industry. As a second part of this thought, just because your comic has adult language, nudity and graphic violence doesn’t automatically make the book for adults. Vertigo and “Ultimate” writers take note.

via Comic Book Marketing