Comicsgate Epilogue Part 2: Influence on the Direct Market and General Effects

Comicsgate Epilogue Part 2:
Effects on the Direct Market and General Effects

Two years in it's difficult to gauge what direct impact Comicsgate had on the direct market (Specialty Comic Stores) and the large publishers (Marvel, DC, & Image).

From Comichron.com
Through June 2019
Single copy sales: -5.03%
Single copies bought by Comic Shops: 39.95 Million Copies
Value of Single copy sales: +0.21%
Overall sales to shops:  $250.19 million (-0.49%)

Direct Sales in general are still declining but revenue has dropped only slightly compared to last year, based on high cover price issues that sold very well.

Very little appears to have changed at Marvel Comics, there has some been some minor chair shifting and promotions. None of the books marketed at younger audiences thus far has been a breakout success. The mainstays at Marvel continue to be the Spider-Man & Venom franchise.

DC Comics has dramatically reduced it's number of unique monthly offerings, and the relaunch of it's Vertigo line failed so dramatically - that it has been retired.

To date the large publishers, do not appear to have made any direct appeal or overture to the Comicsgate-segment of the audience.

Changes to the industry in general are perhaps more significant.

1. Richard Meyer's lawsuit against Mark Waid, will likely lead some professionals to be more careful with their communications.
2. The demonstrated success of crowdfunding makes it significantly harder to "blackball" or coerce high level working professionals, creators willing to engage with and cultivate an audience can create their own "direct" market.
3. The number of website and YouTube channels covering comic books has increased significantly (please do visit https://www.indiecron.com/ and https://incitermag.com/ )

Comicsgate itself is an interesting phenomena - in it's first year of existence it was primarily an idea. In 2018 Comicsgate began to function as an informal group rather than a set of principles - and some divergence occurred between it's original participants and more recent adopters. Indie and Crowdfunded comic books appear to be on the upswing in general. Limiting choice to a very narrow range of comic books from a few select creators (Comicsgate) is only going to appeal to a very small number of fans.

Comicsgate itself may soon reach an inflection point where it has minimal significance (as an informal group). It's long term effects on the industry as a whole are still being manifested, and the communities formed by CG (or in opposition to it), will continue if in different forms and variations for years.