Will comics survive the next 50 years?

[Doctor Amadeus]

No, probably not, but if there is anything to be said for nostalgia there will be probably a market for it, the problem is like records or Vinyl it's not going to be cheap.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

That's the point... Red Skull is absolute villain in this comic and all others, he fought for Nazis, he is always on the "bad" side.

So, whenever Red Skull explains his motivations, we are supposed to be disgusted by them. That's what authors always try to do. And yet... in this case, a "normal" person would agree with what Red Skull says while, in author's mind, it appearently is something disgusting.

It shows the detachment of "elites" from how ordinary people view the world.

Yes, any sane person should be disgusted by the Red Skull's motivations. He's a racist megalomaniac.

But he's not explaining his motivations here.

Here's the thing though....you can agree with everything the Red Skull says on that page...and still be disgusted by it.

[Draco-Onis]

That's the point... Red Skull is absolute villain in this comic and all others, he fought for Nazis, he is always on the "bad" side.

So, whenever Red Skull explains his motivations, we are supposed to be disgusted by them. That's what authors always try to do. And yet... in this case, a "normal" person would agree with what Red Skull says while, in author's mind, it appearently is something disgusting.

It shows the detachment of "elites" from how ordinary people view the world.

Comic books are supposed to be nuanced not straight good vs evil that is what makes a good story. The reason Magneto and Loki are good is because you can understand and somewhat agree with their motivation, the days of straight villains and good guys died in the 60-70's I think. You obviously don't read comics or haven't in a long time.

[Flintston]

I was a big Disney comic collctor until a few months ago, but I'm really out of space now. Same goes with CDs and other physical stuff - I love collecting them, but the space is not endless, sadly...

[Deleted]

I rather hope it evolves from the crap it is right now. Comics and it's adaptations are kinda like manga and anime...only with anime 90% of it is complete garbage with 10% being rare gems and very diverse genres for good content and comics are 99% garbage.

I still don't get how people take comics as serious as they do as they hardly have any depth...that said, it's a hobby as any other so whatever people makes happy is alright with me.

I think it won't change until the Marvel universe dies down a little bit.

[belfpala]

This one is near my house, there are a few others around here. Not in a major city either.
http://www.localbattles.com/

I did some googling, there are three in my current city, but they just put themselves out as having free wifi. That's something every coffee shop has these days. Even McDonald's.

I guess the difference is they expect you to bring your laptop and sit there all day?

Anyway, when I think of "internet cafe" I would imagine they have a number of computers you pay to use. I found those all over in Europe which was great because it was my only way to check email at the time. Here, if I was otherwise without internet and equipment, I'd have to go to the public library.

[Deleted]

They've already moved to digital media effectively via services like comicology. DC doing alright comics wise and when marvels comics do enough damage to the brand Disney will fire them all. I think they'll survive like newspapers have survived by moving online. Marvels comic arm can only run rampant for so long before enough damage and financial loss has been made

[breadisfunny]

Print is a dying medium. If comic shops want to stay shops, they need to expand to more things.

It doesn't help that Marvel comics is actively trying to kill itself. Which in turn kills shops. Hopefully the new head guy at Marvel will step up and kick out the terrible writers that are dragging the company down.

digital does not beat the experience of having a physical copy of a book in your hands. plus theirs the fact that a coronal mass ejection will wipe out all your precious digital books in an instant.

[Deleted]

They will go digital, as currently being done not on a large scale but still being done e.g. the comics being released for Overwatch. However, the physical copy has its own significance and it brings you an exciting feeling to get that new copy but as I said earlier they will go digital, very soon. Also, few newspapers are already planning for going digital, merely looking out for their future survival, and are currently working on it.

[phalk]

So I'm a comic book fan and I know we have alot of other comic fans here as well. But I'm curious if comic books will survive the next 50 years or if comic book stores will phase out of business for digital media. I'm in a couple of groups on the facebook and notice that a number of people are reporting that their local comic shops have closed or are currently closing.

Do you guys have a local comic shop still? Do you still buy the physical books?

It'll probably move to digital only, like others have said.
Probably backed by subscriptions or patreon-like websites.

- - - Updated - - -

digital does not beat the experience of having a physical copy of a book in your hands. plus theirs the fact that a coronal mass ejection will wipe out all your precious digital books in an instant.

Hahahahah, a coronal mass ejection would wipe way more than just our precious digital books in an instant.

[Deleted]

Comic book stores are almost none existent in the UK.... The closest is book stores with a graphic novel corner

[Berndorf]

They will go digital, as currently being done not on a large scale but still being done e.g. the comics being released for Overwatch. However, the physical copy has its own significance and it brings you an exciting feeling to get that new copy but as I said earlier they will go digital, very soon. Also, few newspapers are already planning for going digital, merely looking out for their future survival, and are currently working on it.

They already are largely digital. The physical ones will just become less and less mass produced if sales go down as a result. A lot of people do prefer physical comics to digital ones though so I think it just works itself out according to supply/demand.

[urasim]

digital does not beat the experience of having a physical copy of a book in your hands.

This is a biased example. What it feels like in your hands is different than what it feels like in someone else hands. My wife HATES paper back/hardcover books and LOVE digital. The newer generation is growing up with everything being digital. They don't typically like the feeling of physical copies.

plus theirs the fact that a coronal mass ejection will wipe out all your precious digital books in an instant.

I don't even know what you mean here...

Like I said. This is an argument from emotion and not an objective look at reality.

ALL print is a dying medium. I say this as someone who LOVES the feel of printed books, cards and such.

[Ivanstone]

As someone who owns a comic shop, I'm not blind to the prospect of comic books going away. It could happen next year or 20 years from now. Unlike a lot of shops the majority of my sales come from new comics and graphic novels. I do sell games and other collectibles but its most as a service to people who buy new comics from me. I usually give solid deals on new stuff so people are willing to order stuff from me.

Comics themselves are both an entertainment medium and a collectible. My top customer is a DC fanatic who reads every single new DC universe title but also collects every variant that I can reasonably get him and sometimes even gets comics he already owns in trade paperback.

I do think that when print finally implodes, comics will mostly go away but it will be the last form of print to die. Till then some people want a physical object, they prefer to touch what they read and don't care for reading things digitally. It helps that tablets aren't cheep enough yet to fully replace paper.

PS The Red Skull is explaining the pessimistic view of America to Cap. America in part matches his statement but its only a part. Captain America fights for the optimistic view of what America could be and sometimes is. This isn't hard to grasp. Also don't take the word of a fucking Nazi.

[Acelius]

Anything in paper is slowly becoming redundant, including comics. Everything will go digital.

[Ivanstone]

The villain is always vegan it seems...

He might not like beef. Dude likes his chicken.

[Sky High]

It can't die soon enough, it's too obsessed with pandering to the "progressive" crowd than actually writing decent stories. Am I actually supposed to be AGAINST what Red Skull is saying here?

yah dawg, comics have only ever been "super hero" comics... and not just one genre in an entire medium. and no, the means to how comics are bought or consumed will change (looking at online comics) but as I said it's an entire medium of artistic expression and story telling, you're sooner to make a compelling argument that "film" will die out in the next 50 years or so.

[BuckSparkles]

Not if they keep going SJW.

[zenkai]

So I'm a comic book fan and I know we have alot of other comic fans here as well. But I'm curious if comic books will survive the next 50 years or if comic book stores will phase out of business for digital media. I'm in a couple of groups on the facebook and notice that a number of people are reporting that their local comic shops have closed or are currently closing.

Do you guys have a local comic shop still? Do you still buy the physical books?

50 years ago they said we would have flying cars. 50 years ago, they didn't think most people would spend their free time with a device that gives you a wealth of information at the finger tips using their time to watch cat videos and worshiping a girl who released a homemade porn tape. So with that in mind, I have no idea what comics will be like in 50 years.

[Draco-Onis]

Not if they keep going SJW.

You've hit it right on the nose it's not technology killing print media it's SJWs