A little while ago, I quit collecting comic books after a lifetime of being a loyal Marvel Comics reader, collector, and fan. Don't get me wrong: I still love the comic book medium and even the Marvel characters. I just had to made the decision to walk away. This decision wasn't made lightly and much thought was put into it before it before I quit. After all, this was a 30+ year habit I walked away from. At the height of my collecting I was spending over $300 a month. Here are the reasons I walked away:1) The cost. I'm sorry - $3.99 for a new Marvel comic is ridiculous. Combine this with the sheer number of appearances most characters make in a month (I believe Spider-Man is averaging somewhere around 15-18 appearances a month). Marvel goes from one massive crossover to the next that, of course, involve ALL of the main characters. This equals dozens of additional titles. I think somebody should be able to read Spider-Man - ALL of the Spider-Man appearances in a month for WAY less than $60, say, perhaps $20. Aftter awhile, you start to think what else you could be spending that money on. That's a lot of novels or DVDs or... whatever. It's clear to me that where story and characters once were primary, Marvel now just puts out comics and mega-events just to make as much money as humanly possible. Sorry, Marvel. I'm not your ATM anymore.| The shame! |
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| Every boy, sooner or later, must put away his toys and become a man. Wise words, Pete! |
Marvel, you may have lost me for good. After spending some time away from comics, strangely, I don't miss them nearly as much as I thought I would. But if you ever hope to get me back you need to do two things:
1) Make the hobby affordable again. I don't carry what quality paper the comic is printed on. Cut costs, stuff every issue full of ads, and sell new comics for $1.50.
2) Respect your fans. Only put out high quality comics and only do crossovers on occassion as warranted by the story, not when you want to goose sales.
3) Treat the characters with respect, starting with restoring Spider-Man's marriage and 30 years of Spider-Man continuity.
Do those things and I MAY give you a second chance. MAYBE.
Signed,
Scott
18-35. That is basically what it comes down to. No matter the medium, the entertainment companies target that 18-35 year old market. I have never been as passionate about comic books as you, but I can relate to your pain.
ReplyDeleteFor me, it was professional wrestling. Larger than life characters like Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Jake the Snake, the Undertaker, the Ultimate Warrior. These were my superheroes. I've seen the industry evolve over the years from the "golden age" to the New Generation, to the Attitude Era, etc. So I am certainly not opposed to change.
I'll be 39 soon, and I can honestly say that the WWE (practically the only game in town) has been unwatchable for the last 5-6 years. I don't get it. John Cena, Randy Orton, Dolf Ziggler, The Miz. They all seem so 1-dimensional. Nothing about them is unique, enthralling or captivating. Yet WWE continues on. Kids are buying their shirts, arenas are still packed 24,000 strong a week. Wrestlemania's are still PPV juggernauts. So what's going on?
The simple fact is the WWE is targeting that 18-35 year old demograph, much in the same way that Marvel seems to be targeting a demograph that you are either outside of, or close to it.
Wrestling, comic books, our song remains the same. We feel betrayed, even cheated. We hold ourselves up to them claiming to be lifelong fans and supporters and what not, and expect to be compensated for our years of faithfulness. As much as we wish they would "do things like before", the harsh reality is they won't. They're looking for a new fanbase, not wanting to cater to a fanbase who continues to age and eventually die. No, we're disregarded. We are the First Wives Club of our respected entertainment companies. Sadly, they owe us nothing. Sure, we're allowed to come along for the ride, if we're willing to tolerate the directions their going. But we can't make them go home again.