Hi, John.
JR> We have to be in the right on this topic..even if there was the
JR> remote chance that a paper comic was to disappear from present
JR> production, there will always be an appreciation for an
JR> antique..which would then drive up prices and demand for the
JR> copies remaining on the market. And who hasn't dipped back into
JR> their collection to read an issue that was read years ago and
JR> forgotten?  Virtual comics will be just another medium to print
JR> them and nothing more.
     I agree that the appreciation for the old paper comics would
continue.  However... whether there'd be a place to buy those old
paper comics is what concerns me.
     I can remember (not too long ago) people in this conference
talking about the prospect of Marvel going out of business (something
thankfully, which seems to have been averted)...  and how damaging it
would be for the comic industry as a whole if something like that
happened.  A lot of the discussion centred on the new comic market and
the impact Marvel Comics going out of business would have on comic
stores (where most folks tend to get their comics).  If most comic
stores would be unable to survive one comic company (albeit, the
biggest comic company around) going out of business...  how many would
still be around after the comic industry completely abandoned paper
editions completely?  With cyber-comics, who needs to go to a comic
store... when all you need is to download the latest issues/files
directly from the publisher's web-site?  I doubt sales on paper back-
issues would be enough to sustain stores.  And the increase in
demand for... and consequently the prices on the remaining paper
comics could put them out of the buying range for a lot of folks...
which, IMO, would further erode the fan-base (those who either didn't
have NET access... or who didn't like the idea of cyber-comics might
get right out of comics altogether).  I don't mean this to sound like
a doomsday scenario for the comic industry... but I honestly don't
believe it can continue without paper editions.  I could see cyber-
comics co-existing with their physical-world, paper cousins... but not
on their own.
JR> Sure the prices are going up (which Jansen expressed in his reply)
JR> but that just means that one becomes more selective in what he/she
JR> buys.  Prices will reflect demand anyway.  If an issue is being
JR> priced at 5 dollars an issue and not selling, obviously the seller
JR> is going to drop the price to sell or not be in business.
     Exactly.  Should comics reach the point where the very price of
them is what's keeping fans from buying them... steps will have to be
taken by the publishers to reduce their costs... and therefore the
price of those books.  If that means that things like "prestige
format", "baxter paper" and "deluxe format" go the way of the Dodo in
favour of a return to newsprint... heck, I have no problem with that
at all.  I guess I just feel we're a long, long way away from the days
when comic companies will think cyber-comics is the only way to keep
their books affordable.
Talk to you later.
David
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