The Spirit of the 90s Is Alive in the Direct Market
A look back at how retailers viewed the industry in 1995, and what it means for today.
Previously…
A look through this industry’s past - as documented by myself and others.
Welcome to what will likely be the regular Friday feature here at The Indirect Market. An exploration of the past, as we look forward to the future.
This week, I had intended to cover something involving event comics, but didn’t give myself enough time to dig through my reference material to find something appropriate. However, I did rediscover a short feature that spurred me to create The Indirect Market in the first place, and I think it fits with this week’s narrative.
This page comes from a publication called Comics (& Games) Retailer that ran from 1992-2007. The magazine focused on exactly what you’d think - the thoughts and affairs of comic retailers. Each and every issue is a fascinating time capsule, and the run itself covers the gradual distributor collapse straight through to the formation of Free Comic Book Day (and just a liiiiiitle bit beyond).
This particular feature ran in the title’s 36th issue (March 1995), and features a bevy of retailers’ concerns for the upcoming year. You could change the “1995” label to “2023”, and you wouldn’t have to remove many of these concerns. In private retailer forums, and in public, many retailers are complaining about the exact same things they were having trouble with in 1995.
“A glut of poor products in an overcrowded market.”
“Attracting regular readers instead of ‘fair weather’ speculators.”
“Comic-book glut. Discount stores. Wal-Mart exclusives” (I know this one works better for a year or so ago, but I plotzed.)
“There are too many titles at high cover prices. Customers only have so much to spend, so they don’t buy as much as they used to.”
“Big money in comics more concerned with moving product than telling good stories with good art.”
“Lack of quality storylines to attract comic readers, not investors.”
“Will the current economic problems in the US once again affect our industry in 1995 2023?”
Comic retailers are complaining about these same things today. Perception and reality aside, these are phrases that are ever cyclical and never changing. So the question is: what does this say about the direct market?
This week, I have been talking about events and the need for the big two superhero comics to exist in a stasis by necessity. A perpetual second act that only ends when there’s been a failure. I’d suggest the same is true for the direct market as well.
While there’s a lot of artful storytelling that comes from the perpetual second act structure, that system is driven by capitalism, first and foremost. Folks need to eat, and it is the system we have, so we give the machine its blood, and we go about our day. What retailers often forget is the fact that we’re in charge of the blood.
The direct market isn’t changing. It will not change. There’s evidence of that in the picture and quotes above. After the market geared up, entered this status quo as its second act, and while things have appeared to evolve over time, we remain in the exact same place. And no one has seemed to notice.
That’s one hell of a trick, right?
On Tuesday, I’m going to be presenting my first column of the year over at The Beat, where I’ll be talking about what 2023 should be like, and what 2023 is going to be like. What I’ve shown you here today is a sample of what I’ll be talking about. We need to break this system, because it isn’t going to change. We need to evolve away from it, or accept that the things we all complain about are a feature of the system, and not a bug. We cannot rebuild, we have to build better.
And to those who say we can’t? It’s been nice knowing you.
Housekeeping
Response to the first full week of content here has been outstanding, and I thank all of you for your comments publicly and privately. Folks seem to be reading and digging what I have to say, and that means a lot.
We’ll be continuing here with the intended posting schedule of three times a week, although once I have a better foothold back at The Beat, articles that run long, and aren’t mostly about me deep in my feelings will run there with a link and bonus thoughts right here.
Talk with you soon,
-B