Arach Knight
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Girl
- Joined
- May 18, 2008
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- 1,828
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Much like other popular entertainment media, comic books are experincing a digital shift. For some, the thrill of a pull list on new comic book Wednesday and gathering in a shop to discuss the latest arcs is the purest way to experience the medium. For others, it simply comes down to a love of collecting and the materiality of a comic. After all, you can't get your favorite artist or writer to sign a digital book that can't be resold later.
Indeed, the material aspect of comic books is very important, from convention signings to business like the CGC. All of these are linked to the material nature of comics and would cease to exist (or restructure to be smaller) if comic books were no longer sold at retail.
Then there is the flip side. Comic shops are not as abundant as they once were, even in the 90s after the market crash. Some people drive thirty minutes just to find a shop. For others, there are no options at all. Digital books a are a remedy for this issue. Others still could care less about collecting or conventions and enjoy the expedient acquisition of their favorite books from the comfort of their home.
The question then, is how do you feel about this shift? Will it ruin the industry by putting so many locals and majors out of business (e.g. the close of Virgin Records amd Tower Records with the advent of iTunes)? Will it imorove the industry by being ale to serve a larger market through digital distribution? O will they co-exist and serve different customer types?
Indeed, the material aspect of comic books is very important, from convention signings to business like the CGC. All of these are linked to the material nature of comics and would cease to exist (or restructure to be smaller) if comic books were no longer sold at retail.
Then there is the flip side. Comic shops are not as abundant as they once were, even in the 90s after the market crash. Some people drive thirty minutes just to find a shop. For others, there are no options at all. Digital books a are a remedy for this issue. Others still could care less about collecting or conventions and enjoy the expedient acquisition of their favorite books from the comfort of their home.
The question then, is how do you feel about this shift? Will it ruin the industry by putting so many locals and majors out of business (e.g. the close of Virgin Records amd Tower Records with the advent of iTunes)? Will it imorove the industry by being ale to serve a larger market through digital distribution? O will they co-exist and serve different customer types?