Sales of graphic novels continue to grow—with kids and YA graphic novels the fastest growing segment—but the entire marketplace for comics is being “disrupted” and transformed by an influx of new readers and consumers looking for new kinds of comics content as well as new retail options. This was the main takeaway from Milton Griepp, who presented his annual white paper on the comics during the first day of New York Comic Con, held October 5-8 at Javits Center.
Griepp, CEO of ICv2, a pop culture trade news site, presented his annual overview of comics and graphic sales and trends at the NYCC Insider Sessions. His presentation was also echoed by NPD BookScan executive director of business development Kristen McLean’s presentation “A Tale of Two Cities.” In her talk, McLean described the comics/graphic novel marketplace as being divided between a flat and struggling comics shop market and a “strong bookstore” channel.
Griepp described a series of market disruptions including “rapid change” in a comics marketplace that is being driven by the declining popularity of traditional periodical comic books and the explosive growth and popularity of book format graphic novels.
“Comics are struggling to accommodate their legacy consumers while appealing to new readers who want different format and shop at different markets,” Griepp told an audience of publishers, retailers and journalists.
more at: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/comics/article/74988-nycc-2017-as-graphic-novels-grow-in-book-trade-comics-shops-struggle.html