Comic Properties in Various Media: Is There a Trickle Down Effect?
It seems as though now more than ever, there are comic related products in just about every shape and size. There are videogames, card based role playing games, movies, and undoubtedly, an assortment of other items that have escaped my notice. I'm sure the release of Blade in theaters everywhere didn't escape anyone's notice, and a lot of you probably heard that the movie did extremely well. The question, in respect to Blade and all the other comic related merchandise is, is there, or should there be, a trickle down effect? That is, should the success of these products equate to a boost in comic readership? Let's examine this question in detail, shall we?
I bet this isn't news to any of you, but the comic readership is dwindling with each passing day. It's a sad fact, but we live in a society that isn't very big on reading. Sure, there are many people out there who love to read comics, and to read in general, but the majority of the population would much rather see a movie, play a videogame, or watch TV. This is the age of short attention spans and a yearning for instant gratification. Great titles like Astro City, Usagi Yojimbo, Transmetropolitan, and Hitman either languish at the bottom end of the Top 100, or they don't make the list at all. What sells today are T&A ridden titles like Fathom, or stale superhero comics like X-Men. This says to me that among the shrinking comic readership, the vast preponderance of people are interested in T&A, variant covers, or in other words, books built on gimmicks.
That being said, we finally come back to the original question. Should the byproduct of the prominence of comic related products be an increased readership? I think the answer is yes, and it all begins with those of us who love comics and aren't interested in seeing more and more worthless speculator targeted glut permeate the market. If you love comics, and you have children, or you have friends who have children, I think you should give them a comic and show them how much fun they can be. Many of you have probably already done this or something comparable, but whatever effort is being made obviously isn't enough. Some folks have donated graphic novels to their local public and or school library, which is a marvelous. However, still more needs to be done. The only way comic books are going to survive long term is if we can dissuade people, and children especially, of their dislike of reading. That dislike is offsetting any gain that might be had in the comic readership base due to comic related products. People see movies like Blade in droves, yet they still don't bother picking up a Blade comic book or any comic, for that matter. I find it hard to believe that they don't realize that what they've just seen is based on a comic, but I have to conclude that that's exactly the case. Either that or they just don't have the inclination to go to a comic shop and try a comic out. There are also a series of Marvel related video games which have been extremely popular, but still, no noticeable increase in the readership base. I don't propose to have an answer to this problem, although I wish I did. I love reading comics, and I want to do whatever it takes to ensure that they're around for a long time to come. If something isn't done soon, the comics we know and love may vanish altogether, which would be a real pity. For now, I think all we can do is try and encourage our kids, our friends kids, and other people we know to pick up a good comic and experience the fun that can only be experienced by reading a good comic. Perhaps the effort will pay off eventually. For the sake of the industry, it had better.
