But Doug Chase, graphic novel buyer at Powell’s, captured the overall mood of the bookstores: “We had a very good 2018 and one of our best holiday seasons ever, but we are approaching 2019 with a bit of caution.” Traditional comics shops reported little or negative sales growth in January when compared to January 2018 and were also wary about projecting better sales in the coming year.īestselling graphic novel lists for bookstores and comics shops were dominated by volumes one, eight, and nine of Saga, Brian K. Two of the general bookstores reported an uptick in sales last year: Powell’s and the Strand. And a relatively flat start in January, on top of a political climate that continues to create economic uncertainty, are all contributing to a wait-and-see attitude among the retailers contacted by PW. Combined sales of comics and graphic novels in comics shops in 2018 declined about 1% from 2017, according to ICv2. The sharp sales decline of 2017 that precipitated many heartbreaking comics store closings still stings. and University Bookstore in Seattle.Ĭomics retailers head into 2019 as uncertain about the market as they were at the start of 2018. The survey also included three general trade bookstores that maintain large graphic novel sections: Powell’s City of Books in Portland, Ore. These stores sell a mix of traditional periodical comic books (generally, superhero comics), as well as prose books and graphic novels. that buy mostly nonreturnable product at wholesale prices from Diamond Comics Distributors, the largest North American comics distributor. There are about 2,000 direct market comics shops in the U.S. Forbidden Planet in New York City Phantom of the Attic Comics in Pittsburgh and Secret Headquarters in Los Angeles. This year we touched base with four comic book stores that rely on the direct market for at least 20%–60% of their stock: Earth 2 in Sherman Oaks, Calif. PW’s comics retailer survey is an informal and anecdotal report on sales during the past holiday season as well as an examination of likely business trends in the comics marketplace in the coming year. Some say that they’re in the midst of a transitional period-a sea change in the way comics are sold and distributed-and that, though general bookstores with robust graphic novel sections are faring well, traditional comic book shops must be increasingly vigilant to stay in the black. Although comics and graphic novel sales didn’t drop off as sharply in 2018 as they did in 2017, according to pop culture trade news site ICv2, the past year presented challenges to comics retailers.
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