Comics Rx: Eric Davis’s entry

Here’s Eric Davis’s prescription for the comics industry:

“I have no experience with the business side of comics, and I’m pretty clueless when it comes to business stuff generally, but the most encouraging sign I’ve seen for the comics industry is the recent increase (in Ontario, anyway) of clean and friendly comic book shops that stock beyond the Big Two. Our local shop in Kingston (4Colour8Bit!) runs weekly D&D, video game, and Magic game nights, as well as other special community events, and generally fosters an exciting, inclusive and not-at-all-boys-club atmosphere. So long as the industry supports and encourages stores like that, I think there will be plenty of fools like me happy to spend more money than we should on comics.”

That’s the last of the prescriptions. To look at the whole lot of them, click on the Comics Rx category, and thanks to everyone who entered!

Comics Rx: Rob McMonigal’s entry

Here’s Rob McMonigal’s prescription for the comics industry:

“I think the biggest problem right now is that the industry is using the trade-and-singles system all wrong. Rather than increasing the singles price more and more for titles people are going to read in trade anyway, just trade a Batman or JLA or Spider-Man arc every 3 months or so, priced at $9.99 or $14.99 or even $19.99, depending on size. Use anthology comics for the smaller characters and if they do well, give them trades as well going forward. Then use single issues to try and bring readers to the trades. A Spider-Man one-shots only monthly, for instance. Same for Bats, Supes, and the rest. And get that thing everywhere–book stores, toy stores, convenience stores, and–and this one’s huge–drug stores. With a limited product ala ‘real’ magazines and Shojo Beat style anthologies, they just might get the reader base going back up again.

“Then use the trades for people once they’re hooked or for long-time readers like us. Putting out material meant for a trade in single issues just doesn’t make sense anymore.”