Prices

[Mark Baker-Wright]

On 11/5/05, dcml-request at stp.lingfil.uu.se <dcml-request at stp.lingfil.uu.se>
wrote:
>
> From: Gary Leach <bangfish at cableone.net>
> Subject: Prices
> To: dcml at stp.lingfil.uu.se
> Message-ID: <31DD15CB-5EE5-4735-9688-0A111705C21D at cableone.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
>
> > The average comic book these days is about $3.00-$3.50.
>
> And the average comic book is what? 32 pages in color? 64-page
> squarebounds? 80-page "giants"? 144-page graphic novels? 200-page
> pocket books? $80-million cinema spectaculars?
>
> Fact is, the "average" in the US comics market disappeared years ago.


I disagree, and I don't think anybody thinks most of the categories you
mention are "an average comic book." The mainstream comic book market is
still 32 pages. Most of the other formats you mention are different
categories entirely. 64-page squarebounds that come out every month are
relatively uncommon (trade paperbacks sometimes use this format, but are
hardly monthlies). "Giants" are not regular, but are just what they claim:
"giants," and also tend not to be every month. Graphic novels and "cinema
spectaulars"? Again, totally different categories that aren't monthly (or,
even if it can be said that a publisher puts books under these descriptions
out every month, they do not expect the same buyers to follow from
month-to-month). Pocket books actually are often monthly or near-monthly,
but again, are generally understood as a different classification. When most
people say "comic book," they mean the 32-page variety that comes out once a
month with recurring themes and/or characters. These are almost all
$3.00-$3.50.

And frankly, Mark, I'm not just digging at you - how could I, since
> this subject has been raked over the coals here time and time and
> time again, and it hasn't gotten anybody anywhere?


That's because Gemstone is STILL putting out more-expensive-than-average
books, and hasn't responded to the concerns except to insult folks like me
for having assumptions about what a "regular" comic book should look like.

I don't think it has to be like that. It is clearly a subject that is
> of concern to most everyone, and it certainly won't go away. Still,
> can we see if we can gather a consensus of some sort on just what
> we're comparing to what? Perhaps Gemstone will still come out looking
> pricey, but wouldn't a better understanding of the real situation -
> whatever that may be discovered to be - prove a worthy goal for a
> forum like this?
>
> Gary
>

I think I've been pretty clear on this in my last letter (which seems NOT to
have been quoted here). Gemstone is not charging more per page than the
average 32-page comic. It's simply that, by doing double-sized books every
month, a greater investment is required to keep up, especially with
multiple-issue stories. I actually used to subscribe to "Uncle Scrooge" back
in the day of 32-page issues, because I felt that was a fair price to pay
compared to what I could afford in a given month. (Of course, those issues
were only about $2 each at the time, and I do think Gemstone deserves SOME
credit for maintaining the current $6.95 price for the same size for so long
now. About 6 years running by my reckoning. Of course, I'm not considering
the fact that there WERE no Disney comics for a lot of that time...) The
current price forces me to be more choosy, and I've generally chosen only to
follow Rosa stories (with occasional exceptions). However, it angers me to
have to pick up 3 issues in a row, totalling $21, just to get ONE Rosa
story. That's when I start to complain again. I'm being forced to pick up
stuff I don't want just to read the stuff I do. I'm willing to do that once
in a blue moon for $7, but $21 is too much.

I do apologize for the hostile tone my letters of late have taken, but I
really do feel that the responses so far have been intentionally missing my
point, which I do not feel is as obscure as you want to make it seem.
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