Future of Comics Is No Laughing Matter

The latest industry to be termed "in flux" due to emergent technologies, namely Apple's iPad, is the publishing industry. A subset of that industry that will likely feel it more so than others is one that has a loyal following that sometimes goes beyond belief—the comic-book industry.

Scanning the agenda of the Comic-Con International in San Diego, aside from a general idea of "make a comic book that can get made into a movie," the idea of technology shaping the future of the industry is top of mind.

But as a previous Apple innovation—the iTunes Music Store—took down record stores big and small, the Los Angeles Times examines a cornerstone of the industry and its potentially shaky future in the wake of a digital revolution—the comic-book store.

In many respects, the comic-book sector is a mirror image of the music sector:

• Both have passionate fans.
• The shops that cater to the hardcore collector are locally owned.
• The struggles of the local shop owner have been well-chronicled in entertainment, be it John Cusack's Rob Gordon in High Fidelity or "Comic Book Guy" Jeff Albertson on The Simpsons.
• The most, ahem, snobbish adhere to a supposedly dying medium—be it vinyl or the printed page.

It is that last item that seems to be the tipping point of the comic debate. A high premium, both figuratively and literally, is placed on the limited availability of some comics. In other words, while digital distribution might allow the casual reader to actually view Action Comics No. 1, the book itself is far more valuable due to its rarity as well as the impact on the industry as a whole.

There is seemingly little debate on the draw of the digital comic in regards to bringing in a newer audience, as the Times points out. But the ultimate question that has yet to be answered will be if those new digital readers will turn in to collectors of the printed edition.