Are Independent Comics Worth Making If Marvel Stops Publishing?

by Gamal Hennessy

An aspiring creator sent me this direct message on LinkedIn in the wake of the Marvel SXSW panel:

Q: I just read that DC and Marvel might be shutting down their comic book lines and cease all publications. In your opinion, what does that mean for the indie folks? Is it worth doing comics?

The rumor wasn't surprising. Variations on the same story pop up on the internet from time to time as part of the persistent “comics are doomed” rumor.

The denial from Joe Quesada isn't surprising. Neither is the refusal of some websites to accept that denial. Websites need traffic, after all.

The creator's first question also made sense to me. When Waldenbooks disappeared, authors wonder how the book market would change. The same thing happened to people in the music industry when major record stores like Tower and Virgin shut down.

The analogy between Marvel and independent creators isn’t the same as the relationship of authors and musicians to their former distribution outlets, but the broad idea is similar. Seismic changes in any entertainment industry will have a ripple effect on everyone from the biggest players to the struggling artist.

But it was the second question that threw me off. It’s grounded in the idea that The Big Two are synonymous with the comic book industry. So if one of them (or both of them) stop publishing comics, then independent comics aren’t worth publishing. As if the creativity, inspiration and passion of thousands of creators might become irrelevant if new issues of Spider-Man and X-Men stopped coming out.

Yes, the Big Two account for the vast majority of monthly sales in America. Outside of the comic book business, their characters and stories define what a comic book is. If they stopped publishing, distributors like Diamond and retailers in the direct market would have to rapidly adjust if they were going to survive.

But that has nothing to do with independent comics as a worthwhile endeavor.

This was my response to the young man. Please let me know if you agree:

A: I highly doubt Marvel is shutting down it's publishing business, but if you want to publish your own comics, then it doesn't matter if Marvel shuts down or not.

You'll still have stories to tell. There will still be people who want to read the type of story you're telling. There will still be ways to get your story to your readers and get paid for it.

If Marvel stops publishing, the industry will go through a major change, but you should keep publishing your comics either way.

Have fun

Gamal

If you have questions about the business or legal aspects of your comic book publishing and you'd like a free consultation, please contact me and we can set something up that fits in with your schedule.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS BLOG POST IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL ADVICE. IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH YOUR COMIC PROPERTY, DISCUSS IT WITH YOUR ATTORNEY OR CONTACT C3 AT gamalhennessy@gmail.com FOR A FREE CONSULTATION.

The Politics of Making Comics

Comics, like other forms of popular art, have always been influenced by the political climate of the period they are created in. From the mythical stories of Kirby ready to face down nazi sympathizers who threatened him for his work in Captain America, to Seduction of the Innocent and the subsequent congressional hearings, to Comicsgate, politics have always been a part of making comics.

            Against that backdrop, the termination of Chuck Wendig last week is disturbing, but not surprising. I’ve written about the contractual tools parties can use to dictate the private activities of their business partners in earlier posts (See Avoiding the Trump Effect in Your Creative Contracts) and even a company like Marvel, who has been the target of Comicsgate because of their diversity efforts (See Is Diversity Killing Marvel Comics) can feel the reactionary pressure to pull away from an artist they see as too controversial for their IP. The deeper question is what kind of impact this move will have on comic book artists in the future.

            Will this create a chilling effect on emerging artists who rely on the Big Two as their main source of income?  Will it push away established artist who cherish their right to be vocal about their beliefs outside of their professional work? Will fans of fired artists drift away from publishers? Will aggressive elements on any side of a political issue see this as a signal to force more creators to be harassed, censored, or fired?

            What do you think the Wendig fallout will be, and how will it affect the way you make and read comics?

Have fun.

Gamal

PLEASE NOTE: THIS BLOG POST IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL ADVICE. IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH YOUR COMIC PROPERTY, DISCUSS IT WITH YOUR LEGAL ADVISOR OR CONTACT C3 AT gamalhennessy@gmail.com FOR A FREE CONSULTATION.   

Is Diversity Killing Marvel Comics?

(c) Marvel

By Gamal Hennessy

Why are the sales of Marvel Comics declining?

• Is it because of crossover fatigue?

• Is it because there are too many titles coming out every month?

• Is it the price tag?

• Is it because talent is migrating to more creator driven deals?

• Or is it because there are too many women and minority characters with their own books?

There might be several different reasons Marvel is struggling right now, but from the outside looking in, diversity is probably the least of their worries. But even if comic book readers didn’t want their icons replaced, the company could have become more inclusive without being heavy handed.

As a comic book reader, a lawyer who specializes in the comic book industry, and a member of a minority group, I see the current push for more inclusive characters as a good idea poorly executed. Instead of focusing on unused characters they already had, Marvel tried to capitalize on the transmedia success of established characters by giving them a diversity makeover.

• Instead of building up Valkyrie or Sif, they made Thor a woman.

• Captain America becomes a black instead of just focusing more attention on Falcon or giving Black Panther more time to shine.

• Iron Man becomes a black woman instead of pushing War Machine.

• Hulk becomes Asian instead of just giving more time to characters like Sunfire or Silver Samurai.

• The female version of Wolverine replaces the original instead of just building up someone like Lady Deathstrike.

• Instead of using Dust or another Muslim character, Ms. Marvel is co-opted.

• Spider-Gwen, Gwen Pool both come off as derivative of established characters when stronger characters like White Tiger and Domino could have been given a chance to shine.

I’m sure you get the point by now.

The corporate page of Marvel states that the company has over 8,000 characters. A lot of them are women and minorities, so why not use them? There’s nothing wrong with trying to expand your market by bringing in new readers who want to see themselves reflected in their mythology. The demographics of the market are changing, the characters can change to reflect the world we live in. But diversity, like anything else, can be done wrong. Trying to ride the coattails of your established properties instead of building a fan base for new characters is an exercise in self sabotage. There might be a lot of factors impacting Marvel’s sales, but building an audience for any character takes time, whether you are an independent or one of the biggest publishers in the world. Short cuts and quick fixes may not be the answer, no matter how big you are.

What do you think?

PLEASE NOTE: NEITHER THIS BLOG NOR FOUR CAREERS IN COMICS ARE A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL ADVICE. IF YOU HAVE A LICENSING OR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ISSUE, DISCUSS IT WITH YOUR LEGAL ADVISOR OR CONTACT C3 AT gamalhennessy@gmail.com FOR A FREE CONSULTATION.