Cutting Prices Would Stop Comics Piracy

Cutting Prices Would Stop Comics Piracy

This is in response to thwhtknight's editorial "Do you download ... illegally?" Originally I was just commenting, but it was getting so long I decided to make my own editorial. Anyways, I hope this leads to a good discourse.

Editorial Opinion
By midnightexp26 - Jul 06, 2009 10:07 PM EST
Filed Under: Other

Hey I used to read and buy comics all the time before I got in college, but I had to stop because I was so busy, and I could not keep up with all the story lines financially and literally. I would still drop a 20 during breaks to get something in the "graphic novel" section (which usually meant a bunch of comics in one book covering a story line or part of one), but it was never more than once or twice a year. I heard of this DCP in my last year of grad school and have been "investigating" it for a couple of years now. I think it is very convenient for those of us who would like to "catch up" with everything that has taken place in the nonstop comic book universe. Otherwise I would have to depend on Wikipedia to know what is goin on, which is good but not as accurate, in depth or fun. During my "investigation" I was able to catch up on many stories lines I missed out on over the years. In addition, I was able to read comics that were written before I was interested in them as a kid.

Anyways I see the pros and cons of such a program: on one hand you can enjoy every comics you ever wanted to read and you can gain new fans, which is good for the industry because it keeps interests up of comics, but at the same time it hurts it because that means they are not making money. If anything they are losing money, which leads to less comics being made. They seem to be in a dilemma, if you ask me. Comics have become too expensive in a world in which there are more pressing financial needs that need to be met. Which leads me to my point, they need to drastically drop the price of comics and they need to do it fast.

I always like the saying they use in business, "supply and demand" but it is too simple. It should have been, "supply, demand, perceived personal value, and limiting distribution options". If you have a product that people like and they feel that it is priority in their life, but at the same time it can only be supplied from a limited source or experienced in limited geographical areas you’re going to make a lot of money (e.g., apple computers in 80’s, AT & T in the early 90’s and vacations near the beach since the beginning of time). Well that is not the case for music, movies (especially DVD’s) and comics anymore.

With the brilliance of the creation of Napster, they eliminated the whole limiting distributing options. This has been a problem for years, but it took a while for this technology to catch on for comics. B4 CDisplay, they used adobe and the comics where in a pdf format. This was not the most user friendly, but with the creation of CDisplay and more comic book fans using these "file sharing" sites they not only eliminated the limiting distribution aspect of the comic book business, they made it obsolete! Now they had a slight chance of surviving this, but then the economy faded, which has lead to more fans “investigating” like me. Yet, they continue to increase comic book prices, using the argument that is the only way to stay in black or not go out of business.

Why would someone spend the same amount of money on 1 comic that they spend on a gallon of gas, especially those of us who are old enough to remember when comics were a dollar? This goes for CD’s and DVD’s, even worse for CD’s because unlike movies you do not have to wait to get the product at its best quality (i.e. bootleg DVD’s from the theater are not that good, whereas music from “file sharing” site sounds just as good as if you bought the CD on its release date and sometimes b4 the initial release date). Right now that is the only thing saving the movie industry, someone has not found a way to record a movie in a theatre and maintain the quality; mind you they still have this problem once a movie comes out on DVD The music industry and the comic book industry know this but they won’t go against traditional business methods or practice and cut prices on a overall scale. If CD’s were like $3 to $4, I bet more people would more CD’s, would it stop all file sharing, of course not but it is better than nothing. I say the same thing for comics, make them $1 again and see what happens. I know someone with a business degree or knowledge will shut this down and say that is cost prohibited, because of the cost to produce the product, but what they have been doing is not working. It does not even have to be forever, just do it for a limited time and see what happens. Let’s be honest, if it wasn’t for their box office “success”, DC and Marvel would be in worst trouble than they already are, they can do something about this if they stop being greedy.

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Spock
Spock - 7/6/2009, 11:22 PM
Using the technology does make us gulty for downloading etc. especially if you don't want to suied if caught. I don't promote downloading anything, but I personally believe if you use the tech. you need to be carefull and not share the files & put them in a diff file so they can't be scanned like an external hard drive. I have gbs of music on my External hard drive I don't share unless someone really wants it. I would say one good thing about downloading it does save on space literally, but you better make sure you back up your stuff. So iam for it & against it.
midnightexp26
midnightexp26 - 7/7/2009, 5:38 AM
I usually do the same, but what do you think about the comic, music, and movie industry refusing to drop prices drastically?
Spock
Spock - 7/7/2009, 7:47 AM
If u take music for an example, the artist does have right to protect their work & if you look @ what they actually get on the dollar per sale isnt' much. Examples like TLC went bankrupt right after Fan Mail. As far as prices go, everyone has to change with the times as do other forms of enterainment comics included. But I really think if things like advertising didn't cost so dam much I am willing to gurantee that they would be much cheaper---probably close to 1980's prices. If you look @ the advertising $ on the U.S. Politics that is spent is staggering. Even look @ our site here, you see all kinds of advertisements. I think the cost of advertising is ridiculously high. If it wasn't for advertisement I think we all would probably be better off.

Hopefully with lower advertisement cost it would drop prices on entertainment over all. But I do wonder what CBM THINKS WHAT OF IT?
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 7/7/2009, 10:20 AM
COMICS R too much!

Gave up ages ago! They all just RIP us off! For what they cost to make and stuff we may as well throw our $$$ at 'em! Best just buy the TRADES! ; )

They can all (Comics, dvds, music, etc) put down their prices and they'd all make more money, an a lot wouldn't download etc! But it'll never happen...

; )
ThoroughbredSteele0
ThoroughbredSteele0 - 7/7/2009, 10:32 AM
I'n with you on the advertising spock, its gotten to the point where there's an ad every other page in most books now. so we get less content and other things they want us to spend our money on. I dont think we'll ever get to 1980's prices again, but as long as they dont keep raising prices every couple years I'll be ok. I got the first issue of new avengers and it was $2.25, now their up to $4.00. they nearly doubled in price in 4 or 5 years, thats a ridiculous price increase.
TheMyth
TheMyth - 7/7/2009, 1:09 PM
I don't think the price of individual comics is what hurts so much. I think you have made the best case for what effects all this most... limited distribution sites. I live in Western Kentucky. For those that don't know, that isn't the podunk part, but the area of the state that is dotted with urban landscapes. of the 4 larger towns/cities in my immediate vicinity, we only have one comic shop in this entire part of the state, Crash Comics in Paducah. If you don't go there to get your books, you have to order through Westfield or some other mail order comic company. I think that an increase in availability would do more good than simply dropping the prices.
midnightexp26
midnightexp26 - 7/7/2009, 3:49 PM
@ Spock

I never considered that advertising piece of this, that is a really good point. What is most interesting is that if you consider the return advertiser get in actual buying of their product it is a waste of money. Also with CDisplay many people who scan don't scan those pages so the waste in advertisement is worsened by the new technology. My whole point is that, something is better than nothing. I know people who refuse to buy CD's or DVD's b/c they do not think it is worth it, especially CD's in which there are only a couple of good songs and if you are lucky maybe have the CD is worth listening to. Lower the prices so you don't eliminate people's options. If you make a product too expensive and you get the same product with same quality for free, people are going to go the free route every time unless they are really loyal to a particular artist or comic. But even the most loyal fan if they are sane and have their priorities in order will take the free route when a product is overpriced.

@ themyh

I here you on that but once again the economy comes into play. there are usually reason a town is a small town, there is nothing economically or aesthetically to attract people. I lived in Carbondale, IL for grad school so I kind of know what you are talking literally and figuratively. One I know of Paducah because it was relatively close to Carbondale and they are both small town/cities. One is not going to put a comic book store in place where the population is small and people do not have money to spend, comic book stores struggle even relatively large cities. I live in a city that is in the top 20 in populations in this country and comic book stores close often and I never seem them full.
JoshWilding
JoshWilding - 7/7/2009, 4:37 PM
I really dont find comics that expensive but i guess there is quite a big price difference between the UK and US - i noticed that Captain America: Reborn #1 had a cover price of $3.99 but cost me £2.45 -if i had to pay £4 i would be pissed off as well!
midnightexp26
midnightexp26 - 7/7/2009, 4:49 PM
The price also limits your ability to reach more consumers, more importantly new fans. You have to consider folks in all socioecomic classes. IF you don't have a personal computer or internet access you can't even use CDisplay, you can only buy comics. I am not saying if you can't afford a computer that means you can't afford to have a comic book collection, but I would not be surprised if there is a strong statistical significant correlation that exist. When I was a kid I could get comics with the extra lunch money I had or I would skip lunch to buy comics. You can't do that anymore because the prices are too jacked up. Comics used to be for everyone now they are limited to those who are loyal and/or those who have the extra money to spend.
thwhtGuardian
thwhtGuardian - 7/7/2009, 6:37 PM
I always thought that if there was an i-comics store pirating would go down. I mean I know my music downloading went down with the rise of itunes, .99 or a buck a song isn't bad, especially since I seldom want a whole album. Such a downloading site would be much more convenient and cut down on prices. Marvel's current online selection is not in this vain, I looked into it before it's like 10 bucks a month or 60 for the year and you don't get to keep the comics you just view them. What's the point in such an offer? I don't understand why there isn't an itunes style store for comics? You'd pay like a buck a pop for back issues an maybe two for current stories, they can be cheaper because you no longer need paper or distribution. You'd think someone would have already come up with this idea.
SlurpeeGuy
SlurpeeGuy - 7/7/2009, 6:49 PM
They could drop the prices by dropping the print quality. We don't need hologram covers, glossy paper and such.
midnightexp26
midnightexp26 - 7/7/2009, 8:18 PM
@Slurpee

I think that would be a start, but the consumers would not like that and I doubt all comics companies would agree to do that.

@thwhtknight

Thanks for giving me the ideal for this article man, I could not stop writing. You have a point though and it further supports my point about limitation in distribution options. Why would you even set up such a poor distribution option when in does not benefit the reader any way except for space, while at the same time you can only have the comic on their time table?
thwhtGuardian
thwhtGuardian - 7/7/2009, 9:02 PM
No problem man,I like your article alot, I figured it would be an interesting topic of conversation. The set up for Marvel's online content is just counter-intuitive which is why I think pirating is such widespread. I, and I assume most readers as well, want to have access to the material when ever we want, the same way we could as if we physically had it in our hands.
I think their reasoning is somewhere along the lines of allowing down loads would increase piracy. With multiple high quality copies there would possibly be more sharing, however in my experience my music when the individual tracks are at a reasonable price you don't have any thoughts to buying songs rather than looking for them on various sharing networks. If more comics are available and at a reasonable price the need for dcp would be eliminated entirely. Right now it is convenient to download .rar files of comics because the alternatives are hunting down issues at hard to find comic shops, or marvel's strange online source, both are bothersome so pirating is abundant.
Boekelaar
Boekelaar - 7/8/2009, 4:58 AM
great article and really good points.

where i come from the nearest comic book shop is over an hour away, in the city, and where i live is technically considered a country area so there's no hope of a comic book shop being opened close to me. all i have to go on is newsagency's which have comics about a year behind or ebay (which actually isnt too bad) or i save up my money and just buy graphic novels. but i really wish that i could just go down the street and buy a cheap comic because the last time i checked the prices they were like $6.95 AUS a comic and others can cos even more(The aussie dollar is buying about 80 cents US and i cant be bothered doing the math).

It's all really quite ridiculous I think they could easily decrease the price but it seems the lust for the almighty dollar has one again.
JoshWilding
JoshWilding - 7/8/2009, 9:52 AM
i guess im just lucky that here in the UK comic books are pretty cheap - the problem here however is that you cant find them anywhere!! Its only the major cities that have comic book stores and as I dont live near any of these im forced to buy off eBay or through a subscription company i use which is great but it means waiting up to a week after the issue comes out by the time it arrives in the post etc
midnightexp26
midnightexp26 - 7/8/2009, 11:53 PM
@ boekelaar

Thanks man. Greed or the almighty dollar as you put it, is the problem with human existence as hole. Unfortunately someone has yet come up with a system that beats capitalism or at least one that isn't shut down by zealots. I have to admit I got a little socialism in me.

@ josh

The only reason it is cheaper for you is because the £ is stronger than the dollar, the bound is equal to $1.60 roughly. If the pound gets weaker you will experience what we are all experiencing.
JoshWilding
JoshWilding - 7/9/2009, 4:26 PM
midnightexp26: believeme, i feel sorry for you guys! £4/$4 for a comic book is ridiculous!!
loganoneil
loganoneil - 7/9/2009, 6:17 PM
Hey here's a thought, how about cutting back on the number of damn titles too?! For example, anyone old enough to remember when there was just plain ole' "X-Men"? In order to follow a story-line, you only had to subscribe to ONE title. How many 'X' titles are there now? And it's not a Marvel thing either, DC's got their greedy little fingers in the pie too! Hey guys, quit over-pimping your product! You look terrible in fur coats and pimp canes!
ThoroughbredSteele0
ThoroughbredSteele0 - 7/10/2009, 9:46 AM
yeah loganoneil, I remember those days. and miss the hell out of them.I got one for you, remember when cross over events where self-contained? there wasn't a one-shot lead-in and conclusion, and half a dozen tie-ins that seem kind of unnecessary.

I'm in the same boat as you boekelaar, it takes me at least 45 mins to an hour to get to my nearest shop.
loganoneil
loganoneil - 7/10/2009, 11:43 AM
[sigh] Oh how I long for the good ole' days....
midnightexp26
midnightexp26 - 7/10/2009, 12:54 PM
I agree with you logan, they over do it. I do not understand their logic, because it does not make sense. I would think it is an attempt to get folks interested with other characters, especially those that are not well known or these characters sells are struggling. Most likely though, they are just trying to sell more comics. Yet, they are doing the opposite because they potentially losing old fans and new fans, especially young fans who most likely have limited finances.

A new fan may get excited and be able to stay interested for a while but they would not be able to take on the financial burden. Let's take for example the civil war arc in marvel, I did a quick search and there were roughly 100+ comics in this arc. I think arc took over a year to complete and it spanned from captain America to like Moon light to some other comics that were only made particularly for this arc. If you bought every comic at $3.00 you would be spending over $300!! That is only $25 a month but if you are like twelve or younger that is a lot, especially if you are interested in other comics outside of marvel. Also every comic book store or book story does not carry every comic book that is published.

So you miss some issues either because you can't afford it, you can't get some comics, or you just have other ish to do and you forget about it. Even for us loyal fans it get to be too much. But fortunately you got options, that don't cost you anything and you can get the whole arc, laid out for you, and in order. The people running the comic industry are not considering their consumers and they think if they do more of the same or do some over elaborate media blitz on their new arc that people will buy comics, WRONG!!!!!!

You need to talk to the common person who can't afford to go to comi-con. Talk to normal folks and ask what can we do to increase sales and truly listen to their ideas. If they are not careful they are going to be going the same route as the newspaper industry. They are living kush right now because of the money coming in from the movies, but people are going to like them forever, there are always cycles in life.
Spock
Spock - 7/10/2009, 2:31 PM
Limit titles would be a good start, as for as Comic Con goes, if u volunteer u get in free. But I also have family in San Diego. So all I paid for was basically my plane ticket. I just lucked out.
loganoneil
loganoneil - 7/10/2009, 5:58 PM
Preach on Brother Midnight, PREACH ON!

...I hate you Spock - you pointy-eared, green-blooded hobgoblin! (You KNOW I'm kidding, right?) ;)
JoshWilding
JoshWilding - 7/11/2009, 6:17 PM
guess i spoke too soon-just had an email from thesubscription company i use for comic books and they're now gonna cost me £2.65 instead of £2.10 because of the US rise to $3.99! Damn...
midnightexp26
midnightexp26 - 7/13/2009, 7:06 PM
I told you josh, just you wait. Prices never go down on original releases unless it is based on technological advances (i.e. VHS got cheaper as CD's blew up). The comic industry is livin off the movie scene for now and they don't care about the cost hurting their sales. In the long run they will suffer though, because Hollywood sux and it is hard to keep a story pure of their BS (i.e. wolverine and x-men 3) Until then we comic book fans are going to continue seeking alternative methods to keep up with the countless tie in story lines.
Spock
Spock - 7/16/2009, 3:14 AM
its all good logaoneil
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