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In France, Comic Books Are Serious Business (nytimes.com)
It's a big year for comic book anniversaries. Batman's 80th is this year, and Asterix is turning 60. But at the Angouleme International Comics Festival in France, which finished on Sunday, there was a sense that the form's best days may be yet to come -- in the French-speaking world, at least. From a report: "It's a kind of golden age," said Jean-Luc Fromental, a comic book author who also runs a graphic-novel imprint for the publisher Denoel. "There has never been so much talent. There have never been so many interesting books published."
There are now more comic books published annually in France and Belgium than ever before, according to the festival's artistic director, Stephane Beaujean. "The market has risen from 700 books per year in the 1990s to 5,000 this year," he said in an interview. "I don't know any cultural industry which has had that kind of increase." Research by the market research company GfK, released to coincide with the festival, showed that turnover in the comic book industry in those two countries alone reached 510 million euros, or around $580 million, in 2018.
The bumper year in France and Belgium contrasts with a mixed situation worldwide. Comichron, a website that reports on comic book sales in the United States, where the market is worth around $1 billion, says that sales there are declining. But in terms of respect and recognition, comics are on the way up.
There are now more comic books published annually in France and Belgium than ever before, according to the festival's artistic director, Stephane Beaujean. "The market has risen from 700 books per year in the 1990s to 5,000 this year," he said in an interview. "I don't know any cultural industry which has had that kind of increase." Research by the market research company GfK, released to coincide with the festival, showed that turnover in the comic book industry in those two countries alone reached 510 million euros, or around $580 million, in 2018.
The bumper year in France and Belgium contrasts with a mixed situation worldwide. Comichron, a website that reports on comic book sales in the United States, where the market is worth around $1 billion, says that sales there are declining. But in terms of respect and recognition, comics are on the way up.
"I don't know any cultural industry which has had that kind of increase."
Video games. You're welcome.
The wrong comic can be deadly serious these days.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
I've been raised on Franco-Belgian comics (Belgium is a comics powerhouse, too — that’s where Tintin comes from, after all), and I can trace back the inspiration of many movies to those Franco-Belgian comics; Star Wars being the best known example (and the Star Wars designers admit having the whole Valérian comics collection)
French/Belgian comics "feel" different from American ones, and it's a whole different cultural thing. Manga for example is still growing in the US, even if traditional superhero comics are not, and I'd argue French/Belgian ones are more similar to manga. It's just a medium to communicate a story, whereas in the US "comics" are traditionally all about superheros (at least that's my knowledge of US comics).
I see a movement in using other styles, asking different pencillers and scenarists for classics like Spike and Suzy, Jethro, the Red Knight, Kiekeboe, and probably others I don't buy. It's a movement I have also seen with US Comics. I have almost everything from the X-Men between 1963 and 2003, and in the nineties there was a movement to break out of the classical drawing styles. I see the same here. Also, more dark and alternative scenarios. It is something that I welcome, and which indeed made me buy new comics.
We live in a time of abundance of inspiration. People are able to discover interests that 30 years ago you'd have to have been lucky to stumble upon randomly. Thanks to the internet and, dare I say it, even memes, people get first contact encounters with so many possible hobbies these days.
So there are many more artists and considering publishing has gotten way easier even in print, the times are good for comics above and beyond mainstream.
The challenge for the consumer is to find the right artist/genre/story. I have never gotten into Marvel and fallen out of anime and manga because at some point because I got used to the cliches and tropes and it didn't hold any interest for me. I have similar issues with literature.
Even in today's society, where everything can be found in a database, we still lhaven't evolved beyond tags and with tags it's important that other people tag something the way you would.
And there lies my issue. Goodreads has yet to pique my interest in a book that then proves to be to my taste. All these "You've liked that so you might also like these" have yet to prove effective.
I just don't know where to find more of what I loved. Even going into the fan communities seems pointless because people usually just don't think like me.
What's this nerd subject doing on this serious, political website! >:-(
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
"US comic fan utterly amazed at the concept of a comic without superheroes."
"Are US marvel and DC fans finally discovering how shitty, bland, boring, overpriced and repetitive their favorite comics are?"
"DC comic readers head explodes from overload after catching glimpse of Franco-Belgian hardcover by Vance & van Hamme"
"Marvel enthusiast dies of heart attack and endorphine overdose after repeatedly masturbating to French Milo Manara album."
"US Superhero fan sells all belongings, moves to southern Europe after enchanting read of Coseys "A trip to Italy" comic"
"Euro comic shipment arrives at US borders. Marvel & DC stock plummets."
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
Oh, yes, which is why Marvel went from being rich back in 1996 to being bankrupt now... No wait, I have that backwards.
Not every business has to cater to *you*. If there are enough people like you, then businesses will find you. There are comic publishers who cater to libertarian, right-wing, even white supremacist tastes. Patronize the comic artists and publishers who produce what you want to see.
As Thoreau noted, a man more right than his neighbors is a majority of one. If Marvel and DC think it's profitable to cater to a gay feminist agenda, then wash your hands of them and stick with Vox Day.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
Transgender furry narratives are my escapism ...
you Insensitive Clod!
Captcha: [S]wallowed
Sorry - to make my furry repentance I shall offer up a Beowulf Cluster-Fuck.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.