Overview of the U.S. Comic Book & Graphic Novel Market 2010-2011

Overview of the U.S. Comic Book & Graphic Novel Market 2010-2011

Until the last few years, the comic book market, particularly the graphic novel segment, has been a market largely untapped by traditional book publishers. However, a growing number have come to embrace the industry, with both publishers and retailers realizing this diverse market offers significant and numerous opportunities.

Overview of the U.S. Comic Book and Graphic Novel Market 2010-2011 looks to make breaking into the market for comics and graphic novels far easier, while bringing in-depth, exclusive analysis for those already experiencing what the industry has to offer. Catering to each audience, this report offers publishers and retailers in-depth explorations of each unique sub-segment: comic books, graphic novels and manga. It also contains Simba’s trademark bestseller data that tracks the growth of graphic novels over the past five years.

Companies looking to enter or expand in this market will need a deep understanding of the range of comic industry buying habits and a detailed analysis of the competitive landscape to be successful. This report does both, outlining detailed demographic information on the range of comic readers, comparing their age, gender, income and more to both the general population and book buyers.

Overview of the U.S. Comic Book and Graphic Novel Market 2010-2011 is a guide for:

• Publishers of any size considering entering the comic book market who want to know more about the present opportunities and challenges in this hot segment
• Larger publishers who have begun to penetrate the graphic novel market but require a better sense of consumer purchasing trends and an accurate growth outlook for the next several years
• Retailers who are serving the graphic novel market today—or who are evaluating whether they should enter the market—but who need greater insight into how to properly manage a graphic novel section
• And more

This second edition, which is nearly 75% larger than last year’s, also offers several new additions to bring a more accurate and diverse look into the industry. 

Comic Book & Graphic Novel Market Analysis, Including:

• Breakdown of bestselling publishers and titles by both total dollar and unit sales, with several bestseller breakdowns offering a dynamic view of the industry.
• Detailed listings of the top 10 publishers by revenue for each segment of the comic industry, including comic book, graphic novel and manga.
• In-depth discussions of the industry’s ongoing struggles, including rising prices, distribution troubles and the move to digital platforms.
• Top publisher profiles offering everything needed for a thorough business examination: estimated revenues, key executive listings, bestseller listings, overview of consumer operations and more.
• Industry forecasts, including individual projections for the comic book, graphic novel and manga segments.

All of the information is backed by exclusive interviews with several key publishers in the arena, making Overview of the U.S. Comic Book and Graphic Novel Market 2010-2011 a vital market intelligence tool for publishers, marketers, retailers and distributors charged with developing strategies to succeed in the rapidly growing U.S. comic book and graphic novel market.

One in Four Comic Readers over the Age of 65

Simba Information, publisher of the groundbreaking Trade E-Book Publishing report series, has found that nearly one in four adult comic readers is 65 years of age or older, according to the newly released second edition of its Overview of the U.S. Comic Book and Graphic Novel Market report.

The burgeoning market for comics has been driven recently by a series of successful film adaptations, most notably Warner Bros.’ The Dark Knight, which stands as one of the highest-grossing films of all time. Yet, as Overview of the U.S. Comic Book and Graphic Novel Market 2009-2010 clearly shows, the industry remains misunderstood at best.

“Despite notable efforts from many in the industry, comics and graphic novels continue to be repeatedly mislabeled as just another children’s book category,” said Warren Pawlowski, online publishing manager for Simba Information and an analyst within the company’s Trade Books Group. “With nearly a quarter of the comic reading audience beyond the age of retirement, there is a misconception that needs to be corrected.”

delves deeper into clarifying and personifying the modern-day comic reader, with detailed demographic comparisons to book buyers and the general population. The report also provides bestseller analysis of the three major segments within the comic industry—comic books, graphic novels and manga—featuring multiple listings of the top titles and publishers by both title output and total dollar sales, as well as sales forecasts for the coming year.

Other new additions include a lengthy analysis of publishers’ digital publishing and distribution adoption efforts, an exploration of the effect of price increases and movie adaptations on overall sales. Additionally, the report contains fully-revised profiles of top industry publishers that include a discussion of publishing strategies, estimated publishing revenues, an overview of bestselling titles and more.