DC Comics lay-offs

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pathfinderq1
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DC Comics lay-offs

Post by pathfinderq1 »

So I have seen a bunch of articles over the last day or so about massive lay-offs at DC Comics. I'll admit I'm a bit out of the "print comic books" phase- how big a deal is this? (I'm presuming some folks around here are much closer to actual comic books than I am lately)
Jabroniville
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Re: DC Comics lay-offs

Post by Jabroniville »

I only just heard about this- it's hard to say. Jim Lee gave a very "Corporate Speak" interview here: https://boundingintocomics.com/2020/08/ ... l8YkDRzqfY

Coming off like "so 25% of our books aren't breaking even so we killed them, and we're sorry, but we're totes going to continue diversity initiatives!"
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Avorez
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Re: DC Comics lay-offs

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It's a little unfair to say the diversity initiatives are the problem, Jab. Print comics have been on the decline sales-wise across the board, regardless of diversity initiatives. This goes for pretty much every form of print media as of late: Books; Newspapers; Comics; Magazines and so on are all facing the slump.

Obviously, this article is only Marvel but there's so much to be said about the unwillingness of comics companies to move towards a digital medium. In my view, much of the sales slump being experienced is a result of the shift away from having traditional printed books, and rather than adapting to the shift publishers have essentially said "No, u." I think we wouldn't be having this discussion if DC committed to something akin to Marvel Unlimited or doing more with ComiXology.

We're literally in the Golden Age of having superheroes at the forefront of the public image. In my view, if there were a more significant effort to bolster things like Marvel Unlimited or the DC App that they came out with earlier this year, they likely wouldn't have to lay anyone off.
Shock
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Re: DC Comics lay-offs

Post by Shock »

Avorez wrote: Sun Aug 23, 2020 8:25 am It's a little unfair to say the diversity initiatives are the problem, Jab. Print comics have been on the decline sales-wise across the board, regardless of diversity initiatives. This goes for pretty much every form of print media as of late: Books; Newspapers; Comics; Magazines and so on are all facing the slump.

Obviously, this article is only Marvel but there's so much to be said about the unwillingness of comics companies to move towards a digital medium. In my view, much of the sales slump being experienced is a result of the shift away from having traditional printed books, and rather than adapting to the shift publishers have essentially said "No, u." I think we wouldn't be having this discussion if DC committed to something akin to Marvel Unlimited or doing more with ComiXology.

We're literally in the Golden Age of having superheroes at the forefront of the public image. In my view, if there were a more significant effort to bolster things like Marvel Unlimited or the DC App that they came out with earlier this year, they likely wouldn't have to lay anyone off.
DC actually has a handful of digital only series that started around March or April. So they're finally doing something. But they're basically a series of one-shots with simple plots that have little to do with the rest of their universe. For me, that's sort of a bonus but for a lot of people that could make them lesser content.
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Avorez
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Re: DC Comics lay-offs

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Shock wrote: Sun Aug 23, 2020 1:42 pm -snip-
Yeah, in my opinion I think that's always a concern as it relates to digital content.

I think I should preface this next bit by saying: there will always be a section of any fandom that wants something physical. Be it discs for games or films, the actual tankobon volumes for manga, whatever you can think of - and that is okay.

Bearing that in mind, space is always a major concern for everyone, and not everyone is going to want to buy the physical books. Some books are quite literally cost-prohibitive to purchase unless you're lucky enough to find a reprint. I think that if there were a readily accessible means of having comics digitally, there likely wouldn't be this discussion about layoffs. Look to WebToons or any other serialized format for webcomics, or even just run it as a subscription service - Marvel is already doing that, but I think actually advertising Marvel Unlimited as a service would do wonders for it specifically. DC having a similar service would do wonders for it specifically.

It isn't that people don't care about the heroes and villains of DC or Marvel. Or that the diversity initiatives are alienating people en masse. Print media is dying bit by bit, and comics haven't done much to avoid that because their catalog of IPs to use in movies insulates them from total collapse. Modern computer technology in tablets and cellphones can literally make any new comics releases accessible at the speed of a local internet connection, and eliminates the cost of printing. Why not just...do it that way?
Shock
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Re: DC Comics lay-offs

Post by Shock »

Avorez wrote: Sun Aug 23, 2020 2:40 pm I think that if there were a readily accessible means of having comics digitally, there likely wouldn't be this discussion about layoffs
Comixology is about as universal as it gets. I think the biggest hurdle to making digital comics more accessible is the cost of devices. Reading comics on a phone sucks. The cost of a tablet big enough to make a comic look good can be prohibitive, especially if you don't want an Amazon device. And comics aren't any cheaper digitally if you want to get them at the same time as print release.
Jabroniville
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Re: DC Comics lay-offs

Post by Jabroniville »

Avorez wrote: Sun Aug 23, 2020 8:25 am It's a little unfair to say the diversity initiatives are the problem, Jab. Print comics have been on the decline sales-wise across the board, regardless of diversity initiatives. This goes for pretty much every form of print media as of late: Books; Newspapers; Comics; Magazines and so on are all facing the slump.
Oh, I didn’t think it was the problem, either- just that it was part of Lee’s initiative.
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