Do kids even read comics anymore!?

[Eros]

HI everyone i hope i dun sound ignorant or anything. But a few weeks ago i was reading a comment from the writer of civil War. He said that "kids will only see a big superhero brawl when they read civil War". Heres thoughts on that statment. In all my 18 years, i have never seen a little kid in a comic book shop actually buy a comic book. I know some of you may have seen them buy some, but im dead serous here, i don't think kids even read like that anymore. When i was kid, i didn't even collect comics, i learned about Marvel superheros from watching those 90s marvel superhero shows. I started reading comics when i was in middleschool for god sakes! Do any of you guys and gals [if you have kids] remeber seeing kids lining up to pick up this weeks hot comic?

Kids today care about the action packed TV shows, and they care about the CG movies etc. The only books the kids read like religion is Harry potter series, and thats where it stops. I don't get the concept that alot of kids read comics anymore, becasue thats IMo untrue. Kids have moved away from reading comics every week, and i assume in about 20 or 30 years the comic industry will be no more. With i-pods and all the new ways people have for getting stuff, reading 32 page books with pictures is not gonna get kids or anyones interest as todays technology is progressing. Some people don't even buy comics in stores anymore, i hear they download them online now. Kids are leaving [or have left] the comics industry, and they ain't comeing back. Comic book shop after comic book shop is closeing down [especially local ones] as you guys know. Comics rely on big sprawling "gimmicks" now to draw in readers. Now unless your name is Batman, Superman and or spider-man [and the othe Lee/kirby creations] chances are the comic book could get canceled. Why don't kids like to read comics anymore [and books] the same reason we spend hours on a computer or watching Tv everyday. Its the sad truth, as our world falls deeper into a techno revolution, old relics like comic books are fadeing away. Ask yourself this, if one guy buys a comic, an then scans it online and makes it avaluable on his web page, would you still buy that comic in the store?

 

[Vanguard07]

little kids never buy comics cause little kids never buy anything. Parents who read comics buy comics for their kids. Those kids get hooked and grow up reading comics and then eventually buy comics for their own children.

Comic books have a lot more influence on modern culture than you may think. I seriously doubt the industry is going anywhere any time soon.

and in regards to your last point, yes i'd still buy comics.
Pretty much every song, movie and tv show is available on the internet but they're not the same as the real thing. Sure if i want music I could download songs but i'd rather go see the band. You know what i mean?

 

[Spidey Rules 2]

Yes I would still buy it. There's nothing like holding the book in your hand. I rarely see kids buying comic books at the store I go to (parents probably don't want to waste the time and money to get one). I guess I should admit that I was 26 when I bought my first comic book (the Marvel/DC crossover). After that I didn't buy another one until I was 30, now I'm 36 and I'm still collecting them. Maybe today's kids will start collecting them in high school or even afterwards.

 

[The Question]

Little kids still read comics. It's just that now, not all comics are for little kids. My comics book store has a whole section devoted to kids comics.

 

[jim lee's bat]

i've been reading comic books monthly since I was 14 (3 years ago)

 

[War Lord]

They do read comics, but not as often because there are so many alternative entertainment options these days.

 

[Elijya]

yes. My LCS has kids in it all the time.

 

[Brainiac 8]

My local comic store has younger kids in there on a regular basis.

 

[War Lord]

My local comic store has younger kids in there on a regular basis.

Is there a pedophile working the counter?

 

[LibrarianThorne]

HI everyone i hope i dun sound ignorant or anything. But a few weeks ago i was reading a comment from the writer of civil War. He said that "kids will only see a big superhero brawl when they read civil War". Heres thoughts on that statment. In all my 18 years, i have never seen a little kid in a comic book shop actually buy a comic book. I know some of you may have seen them buy some, but im dead serous here, i don't think kids even read like that anymore. When i was kid, i didn't even collect comics, i learned about Marvel superheros from watching those 90s marvel superhero shows. I started reading comics when i was in middleschool for god sakes! Do any of you guys and gals [if you have kids] remeber seeing kids lining up to pick up this weeks hot comic?

Kids today care about the action packed TV shows, and they care about the CG movies etc. The only books the kids read like religion is Harry potter series, and thats where it stops. I don't get the concept that alot of kids read comics anymore, becasue thats IMo untrue. Kids have moved away from reading comics every week, and i assume in about 20 or 30 years the comic industry will be no more. With i-pods and all the new ways people have for getting stuff, reading 32 page books with pictures is not gonna get kids or anyones interest as todays technology is progressing. Some people don't even buy comics in stores anymore, i hear they download them online now. Kids are leaving [or have left] the comics industry, and they ain't comeing back. Comic book shop after comic book shop is closeing down [especially local ones] as you guys know. Comics rely on big sprawling "gimmicks" now to draw in readers. Now unless your name is Batman, Superman and or spider-man [and the othe Lee/kirby creations] chances are the comic book could get canceled. Why don't kids like to read comics anymore [and books] the same reason we spend hours on a computer or watching Tv everyday. Its the sad truth, as our world falls deeper into a techno revolution, old relics like comic books are fadeing away. Ask yourself this, if one guy buys a comic, an then scans it online and makes it avaluable on his web page, would you still buy that comic in the store?

I just want to respond to that last point: Of course, I do that now. Scans_Daily got me hooked on Morrison's JLA, and I'm picking up Young Avengers vol.1 the next time I'm in the store for the same reason. It also got me reading Exiles and Runaways, and aided me greatly in hunting down individual issues of various series.

Honestly, I think piracy hurts comics less than other industries because holding a comic in your hand and reading it gives the story a different pacing than reading the scans online. I can get a sense of what a story is like from reading scans, but picking up the trades/issues of the series is always preferable.

 

[SonOfCthulhu]

The most important point is that most comics are not marketed to little kids, but are instead written, packaged and sold to a much older market. Comics have been increasingly been marketed to the older teen/college age market which is a market that has more discretionary income. It's not really that surprising nor is it a sign that comics are going away.

 

[Flame on!]

A couple of kids recognised my FF shirt. This was before the film, by the way. When liking the FF was kinda cool.

 

[War Lord]

The most important point is that most comics are not marketed to little kids, but are instead written, packaged and sold to a much older market. Comics have been increasingly been marketed to the older teen/college age market which is a market that has more discretionary income. It's not really that surprising nor is it a sign that comics are going away.

However, I think that, long-term, the comic publishers are going to have to start reproducing comics that have appeal to the younger ages again.

If they don't, than comics are going to end up being thought of as "old-people's" entertainment and that could be the end of comics, period.

 

[mathhater]

I've worried about this too. I don't usually see kids in the comic store I go to. But they regularly have these massive sidewalk sales, and on those days I usually see whole families there, and those are usually the only days I see kids rummaging through comics.

But at $3.00 a comic, you have to realize that kids today, unless they're raking in a massive allowance, just won't be able to afford that many comics. If kids are gonna end up with them, you'd think they'd have to get the books from their parents...the ones who can actually afford them.

 

[The Question]

A couple of kids recognised my FF shirt. This was before the film, by the way. When liking the FF was kinda cool.

Man, I miss those days.

 

[Fading]

Comics like most things just goes in circles. I do think more adults read than kids, and kids probably used to read them far more than they do now, but I don't think the industry is ending because of that.

Watched an interesting comic history thing on the history channel (wasn't going to but it was that or the news lol). Anyway it was about how comics got blamed for America's youth's coruption and blah blah blah, comics got turned dull. Couldn't mention monsters, violence, drugs, cops and so on. Comics because of that became dull and I think it set up future generations thinking comics = for boring dorks.

Lately that trends changed a bit with the movies, and Marvel went from bankrupt to success again. Actually if anything I don't think comics sales are going down because of less kids, but more because of distribution. Sure in bigger cities you might find a comic shop every several blocks or so, here the closest is 30 miles. With gas prices, I don't feel like driving 60 miles total to pick up the newest comic anymore, so if I don't have a subscription to it I rarely get to many anymore. If there was a comic book store within 10-15 miles tho I'd pick up far more issues.

Plus like you said kids read Potter and nothing else it seems, and they can look up and read comics online. Which like said above does get ppl interested enough to possibly pick a book up. I think tho that the comic book industry, or atleast part of it are seeing online comics as a potential future tho and their just testing a few books now to see where it goes.

 

[Elijya]

Is there a pedophile working the counter?

what?

 

[War Lord]

what?

I'm just wondering why young kids would be going in there on a regular basis?

 

[Elijya]

because they like comics, maybe?

 

[SonOfCthulhu]

However, I think that, long-term, the comic publishers are going to have to start reproducing comics that have appeal to the younger ages again.

If they don't, than comics are going to end up being thought of as "old-people's" entertainment and that could be the end of comics, period.

No. The comics industry will aways aim for the same market segment. Look at how Young Avengers and Runaways are written. They aren't written for a 30-40 year old. They are aimed at a young market.

When today's toddlers become teenagers and develop their own set of trends then comics will be produced that mirror those trends.

 

[boywonder13]

i've been reading since I was 8 years old and I BOUGHT my own comics (I'm 14 right now, so thats like 7 years)

 

[Darthphere]

I buy comics for a mentally challenged kid that lives next door and we read them together.

 

[Elijya]

No. The comics industry will aways aim for the same market segment. Look at how Young Avengers and Runaways are written. They aren't written for a 30-40 year old. They are aimed at a young market.

When today's toddlers become teenagers and develop their own set of trends then comics will be produced that mirror those trends.

but that's not "the comics industry", that's two titles

there's dozens and dozens of comics marked as being for "mature readers", ten times what there 20 years ago.

yesterday's toddlers have ALREADY grown up and developed a new trend

 

[roach]

I buy comics for a mentally challenged kid that lives next door and we read them together.

and you get the Official Roach's Insectartarian of the Year award.....good job

 

[Darthphere]

and you get the Official Roach's Insectartarian of the Year award.....good job

I hate having a soul.