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by John Jackson Miller

Comics sales months in the mirror may be smaller than they appear. That’s one of the lessons of the data released today byDiamond Comic Distributors about comics sales in March 2014, as analyzed by Comichron. Click to see the comics sales estimates for March 2014.

March’s sales to comics shops overall only represented a slight cooldown from March a year ago — and as reported here on Friday, the big action was in the graphic novel sector. Walking Dead Vol. 20 led the graphic novel charts — and with Saga Vol. 3 and an expensive Stray Bullets volume in the Top 10, Image posted its highest market share since November 2000, with an 11.38% dollar share. (November 2000‘s mark was 12.54%.) But while March 2013′s numbers posed a difficult comparative to beat — I called it a “blockbuster for this time of year” — going inside the numbers shows that last year’s totals were a bit of a mirage.

The Top 300 graphic novels this March, for example, were actually down 4% versus March 2013—even though the graphic novel category overall last month was up 18.31%. Why such a discrepancy? Because as Comichron noted at the time, March 2013′s graphic novel charts were artificially inflated by Marvel’s deep-discounting of several million dollars’ worth of hardcovers. So March 2013′s Top 300 graphic novels had a total retail value of $8.97 million versus $8.65 million this March —but the publishers and Diamond realized far less money from them.

The overall graphic novel percentage changes that Diamond reports, meanwhile, are calculated based on wholesale value — how much money retailers paid — and there, it’s clear that while more dollars worth of material moved through the system in March 2013, discounts weren’t as deep on what Diamond sold this year, and it and publishers realized more from the sales.

If we take the analysis down to units, we see that this March’s 300th-place graphic novel sold 490 copies, whereas last March’s book in that spot sold only 413. So we’re really looking at a comparison with a March 2013 chart that was seriously distorted by a lot of high-dollar value books sold at very high discounts.

The 300th-place comic book sold 4,940 copies this March versus 4,077 last March — almost exactly ten times the number of graphic novels sold in that spot in each month we’re comparing.

Meanwhile, on the five-year comparison tracks, we’re finally comparing against recessionary months in the Direct Market — the boost lent by the Obama Spider-Man issue in January and February 2009 was no longer in the picture. The market may have sold a million fewer comics in the Top 300 in March 2014 versus March 2013, but it sold a million more than in March 2009.

The aggregate change figures:

March 2014: 6.22 million copies
Versus 1 year ago this month: -14%
Versus 5 years ago this month: +17%
Versus 10 years ago this month: -2%
Versus 15 years ago this month: -4%
YEAR TO DATE: 20.93 million copies, -13% vs. 2013, +10% vs. 2009, +8% vs. 2004, -1% vs. 1999

ALL COMICS UNIT SALES
March 2014 versus one year ago this month: -11.83%
YEAR TO DATE: -11.40%

—

March 2014: $22.98 million
Versus 1 year ago this month: -11%
Versus 5 years ago this month: +29%
Versus 10 years ago this month: +23%
Versus 15 years ago this month: +42%
YEAR TO DATE: $68 million, -10% vs. 2013, +21% vs. 2009, +41% vs. 2004, +44% vs. 1999

ALL COMICS DOLLAR SALES
March 2014 versus one year ago this month: -9.47%
YEAR TO DATE: -6.89%

—

March 2014: $8.65 million
Versus 1 year ago this month: -4%
Versus 5 years ago this month: -26%
Versus 10 years ago this month, just the Top 100 vs. the Top 100: +1
Versus 15 years ago this month, just the Top 25 vs. the Top 25: +51
YEAR TO DATE: $20.63 million, -9% vs. 2013

ALL TRADE PAPERBACK  SALES
March 2014 versus one year ago this month: +18.31%
YEAR TO DATE: +1.39%

—

March 2014: $31.64 million
Versus 1 year ago this month: -9%
Versus 5 years ago this months: +13%
Versus 10 years ago this month, counting just the Top 100 TPBs: +15%
Versus 10 years ago this month, counting just the Top 25 TPBs: +56%
YEAR TO DATE: $88.64 million, -10% vs. 2013

ALL COMICS AND TRADE PAPERBACK  SALES
March 2014 versus one year ago this month: -1.48%
YEAR TO DATE: -4.4%

—

March 2014: approximately $40.73 million (subject to revision)
Versus 1 year ago this month: -1%
Versus 5 years ago this month: +31%
Versus 10 years ago this month: +36%
YEAR TO DATE: $116.59 million, -4% vs. 2013
The average comic book in the Top 300 cost $3.64; the average comic book retailers ordered cost $3.70. The median price for comics offered was $3.99, and the most common price for comics offered was also $3.99. Click to see comics prices across time.

So the market ends the quarter about $5 million off the pace of 2013, a not-unexpected place for it to be given the winter weather, the lack of major event titles, and the degree to which 2013′s volume was impacted by heavy discounting.

A reminder: Free Comic Book Day is May 3. And check the Comic Shop Locator Service to find a comic shop near you.   

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Comics sales continued to look anemic in March, with sales down  4.40% in dollars and 9.85% in units over a year ago for year to date. The one positive number was graphic novel sales for the quarter, which were up from last year, although still down from Q4 ’2013. Batman once again led the periodicals, and Walking Dead led GN sales. Marvel held its share of units and dollars, while Image was up to double digits in both, with DC slipping a point or two.

Marvel  had five of the month’s top ten best-selling comics, DC four and Image one — see if you can guess what it was. In GNs, it was more mixed with Image having four titles in the top ten—including the $60 Stray Bullets Uber Alles edition—and Dark Horse and Boom! charting with Avatar: The Last Airbender Volume 7: Rift Part 1  and the third Adventure Time OGN Seeing Red. 

 

 TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

 

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

 

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	BATMAN #29	$4.99	JAN140290-M	DC
2	SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #6	$3.99	OCT130160-M	DC
3	FOREVER EVIL #6	$3.99	DEC130197-M	DC
4	SANDMAN OVERTURE #2 (MR)	$3.99	DEC130330-M	DC
5	SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #29	$3.99	JAN140720-M	MAR
6	DAREDEVIL #1	$3.99	JAN140630-M	MAR
7	SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #30	$3.99	JAN140722	MAR
8	SILVER SURFER #1	$3.99	JAN140650-M	MAR
9	THE WALKING DEAD #124 (MR)	$2.99	JAN140624	IMA
10	UNCANNY X-MEN #19.NOW	$3.99	JAN140665-M	MAR

 

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 20: ALL OUT WAR PART 1 TP (MR)	$14.99	JAN140559	IMA
2	SAGA VOLUME 3 TP (MR)	$14.99	JAN140556	IMA
3	NEMO: ROSES OF BERLIN HC (MR)	$14.95	JAN141334	TOP
4	AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER VOL. 7: RIFT PART 1 TP	$10.99	NOV130064	DAR
5	CHEW VOLUME 8: FAMILY RECIPES TP (MR)	$12.99	JAN140548	IMA
6	JUSTICE LEAGUE: TRINITY WAR HC (N52)	$29.99	NOV130226	DC
7	HARLEY QUINN: WELCOME TO METROPOLIS TP	$19.99	DEC130313	DC
8	ADVENTURE TIME VOL. 3: SEEING RED OGN	$11.99	JAN141027	BOO
9	MARVEL MASTERWORKS: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VOL. 1 TP	$24.99	NOV082434	MAR
10	STRAY BULLETS UBER ALLES EDITION TP (MR)	$59.99	JAN140530	IMA

TOP 10 BOOKS

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	DOCTOR WHO: 11TH DOCTOR SONIC SCREWDRIVER KIT	$12.95	JAN141487	RUN
2	WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S THE EMPIRE STRIKETH BACK HC	$14.95	JAN141522	RAN
3	PAUL POPE’S MONSTERS & TITANS: BATTLING BOY ART ON TOUR SC	$24.99	JAN140554	IMA
4	LEGEND OF ZELDA: HYRULE HISTORIA HC	$34.99	SEP120055	DAR
5	THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 82: SPY RING SC	$14.95	JAN141518	SAN
6	HATSUNE MIKU GRAPHICS VOCALOID VOLUME 1 SC	$34.99	AUG131474	UDO
7	DOC SAVAGE DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 73: LAND OF LONG JUJU SC	$14.95	JAN141517	SAN
8	BATMAN SCIENCE: THE REAL WORLD SCIENCE BEHIND BATMAN’S GEAR SC	$9.95	NOV131374	CAP
9	DRAGON’S DOGMA OFFICIAL DESIGN WORKS SC	$44.99	AUG131471	UDO
10	ADVENTURE TIME: TOTALLY MATH POSTER COLLECTION SC	$19.95	JAN141468	ABR

TOP 10 TOYS

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	THE WALKING DEAD TV SERIES 5 ACTION FIGURES	JUL138243	TMP
2	BATMAN HUSH: BATMAN & CATWOMAN KISS STATUE	SEP130322	DC
3	ARROW: OLIVER QUEEN/DEATHSTROKE ACTION FIGURE 2-PACK	NOV130293	DC
4	DC COMICS COVER GIRLS HUNTRESS STATUE	OCT130308	DC
5	BATMAN ARKHAM CITY: TWO-FACE ACTION FIGURE	NOV130290	DC
6	BATMAN BLACK & WHITE STATUE BY GARY FRANK	OCT130310	DC
7	WONDER WOMAN ART OF WAR STATUE BY JIM LEE	SEP130317	DC
8	SUPERMAN: MAN OF STEEL STATUE BY ROCAFORT	OCT130309	DC
9	DC COMICS SUPER VILLAINS: OWLMAN ACTION FIGURE	OCT130307	DC
10	DC COMICS SUPERGIRL “NEW 52″ ARTFX+ STATUE	SEP132026	KOT

TOP 10 GAMES

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	MONOPOLY: THE WALKING DEAD SURVIVAL EDITION	OCT128266	USA
2	MARVEL HEROCLIX: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER	DEC132341	NEC
3	DC HEROCLIX: LEGION OF SUPERHEROES BOOSTER BRICK	OCT132418	NEC
4	RISK LEGACY	JUN118204	HAS
5	MARVEL HEROCLIX: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER STARTER SET	DEC132343	NEC
6	DC HEROCLIX: LEGION OF DOOM FAST FORCES 6-PACK	OCT132416	NEC
7	MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: BORN OF THE GODS BOOSTER PACK	DEC132337	WZK
8	RISK: THE WALKING DEAD SURVIVAL EDITION	OCT128267	USA
9	MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: BORN OF THE GODS FAT PACK	DEC132339	WZK
10	MAGIC THE GATHERING CCG: DUEL DECKS JACE VS. VRASKA	JAN148058	WZK

 

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It’s hard to remember those timid days when digital comics were a threat to civilization as we know it and not a solid revenue stream, but one of the artifacts of that era, Diamond Digital, has been laid to rest. This was a program whereby retailers, instead of licking ‘em could join ‘em by setting up their own digital storefronts via Diamond. It never really worked out, for various reasons including a long, protracted roll-out, and at one point Brian Hibbs reported he had made a grand total, net, of $22.89 in a year from the program.

Brigid Alverson has a thorough post mortem that can’t really be improved upon, so I’ll just send you there:

There are a lot of reasons why Diamond Digital didn’t work, but I think chief among them is the initial concept was flawed. The idea wasn’t to provide readers with a simple, easy-to-use digital comics service; it was to protect brick-and-mortar retailers by providing them with a digital comics service that wouldn’t compete with them. That drive to avoid competition resulted in a clunky and almost-unusable platform. Meanwhile, comiXology took a different tack and expanded the comics market, bringing in new readers — who then found their way to comics shops and bought print comics.

So yeah, the protectionist era has been laid to rest. I think the idea itself was well intentioned, but in practice it never took hold.

It’s also a moment to reflect on the digital storefronts that have come and gone—graphic.ly and Panelfly—or never even come—remember Longbox? Iverse and Dark Horse are still in there kicking, and Sequential is a more recent and selective app. (Of course there are also iBooks and Kindle.) While you must give Comixology major props for staying the course that they believed in all along, now that this channel is so well established, I wouldn’t be surprised to see other specialized vendors set up. But to be successful you need to believe in what you’re selling, not fear it.

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Diamond, the the world's largest distributor of English-language comic books, is making a few more tinkers with the top exec structure. Former Lone Star Comics/mycomicshop.com retailer Chris Powell, who joined Diamond last year, has been promoted from Executive Director of Business Development to the new position of Vice President of Retailer Services. Powell will report to COO Chuck Parker and oversee Diamond’s Customer Service and Technical Support, which were formerly under VP Sales & Marketing Roger Fletcher. He'll also continued his role in setting up programs to get new stores started.

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A big change at Diamond executive team as VP of Purchasing Bill Schanes is stepping down after 27 years. He'll be replaced by Jon Wurzer, who as Executive Director of Purchasing has been responsible for day to day purchasing decisions for the last 12 years. Schanes will remain in an advisory capacity through 2013.

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Realizing that getting new stores out there is crucial to growing the comics business. Diamond has announced a couple of new programs to help get new stores up and running by softening the financial blow of assembling opening inventory. New business director Chris Powell announced these at todays Diamond retailer lunch. One program is allows stores to order two month’s worth of books and make returns before being charged. The other is a bigger deeper discount.

Details via pr:

As part of its ongoing efforts to grow the comic book specialty market, Diamond Comic Distributors today announced a new initiative with leading suppliers to encourage existing retailers to open new locations and/or relocate their current stores to larger, higher traffic locations.

BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse Comics, DC Entertainment, Diamond Select Toys, Dynamite Entertainment, IDW Publishing, Image Comics and Marvel Comics have all signed on to provide incentives to qualifying retailers.
“Promising retail sales for comic book stores in 2011 and 2012 have encouraged a growing number of retailers to expand into larger stores or to open new ones,” said Diamond Executive Director of Business Development Chris Powell. “Together with our leading publishers and suppliers, we’re excited to announce a program that will allow these retailers to expand with confidence and, by doing so, continue to strengthen the entire comic book industry.”

Programs initially offered to qualifying retailers vary by supplier, but will include:

•​Increased discounts of up to 69% off orders of backlist products from Diamond and participating publishers and manufacturers;
•​Backlist consignment programs, allowing retailers to fully stock their stores with graphic novels, trade paperbacks and other pop-culture merchandise with extended payment terms and the ability to adjust stock levels after 6 months;
•​Increased discounts and/or consignment billing on a new store’s initial orders of comics for its first two months of operation, with consignment billing deferred until retailers have the opportunity to return overstocked product after keeping it on sale for a period of 6-12 weeks; and
•​Store Starter Kits, offering selections of free trade paperbacks and graphic novels from participating publishers that showcase the vast breadth and depth of comic stories that retailers can use to attract any audience into their stores.

Under the new programs, Diamond will continue to provide professional advice and in-depth instruction on Diamond’s systems from Powell and a team of Diamond personnel.

Expressing views held by many in the industry, DC Entertainment SVP-Sales & Marketing Bob Wayne said: “The weekly experience that the comic book specialty market provides for our fans is extremely important to all of DC Entertainment. We’re excited about this opportunity to work with our retail partners to expand the size of the market, in cooperation with Diamond and our fellow publishers.”

According to Powell, most retailers opening new locations of existing businesses must invest a significant portion of their cash-flow to fleshing out their backlist inventory and preordering monthly comics based on projected sales.

“With this new initiative,” he said, “we will work with retailers to minimize these risks and outlays. This allows the retailer to stock the hottest graphic novels, trade paperbacks and other bestselling merchandise from day one, which lets them make a great first impression on new customers. It also gives them more flexibility in their budgets for marketing their new store so that they can continue attracting customers and generating sales.”

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Realizing that getting new stores out there is crucial to growing the comics business. Diamond has announced a couple of new programs to help get new stores up and running by softening the financial blow of assembling opening inventory. New business director Chris Powell announced these at todays Diamond retailer lunch. One program is allows stores to order two month’s worth of books and make returns before being charged. The other is a bigger deeper discount.

Details via pr:

As part of its ongoing efforts to grow the comic book specialty market, Diamond Comic Distributors today announced a new initiative with leading suppliers to encourage existing retailers to open new locations and/or relocate their current stores to larger, higher traffic locations.

BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse Comics, DC Entertainment, Diamond Select Toys, Dynamite Entertainment, IDW Publishing, Image Comics and Marvel Comics have all signed on to provide incentives to qualifying retailers.
“Promising retail sales for comic book stores in 2011 and 2012 have encouraged a growing number of retailers to expand into larger stores or to open new ones,” said Diamond Executive Director of Business Development Chris Powell. “Together with our leading publishers and suppliers, we’re excited to announce a program that will allow these retailers to expand with confidence and, by doing so, continue to strengthen the entire comic book industry.”

Programs initially offered to qualifying retailers vary by supplier, but will include:

•​Increased discounts of up to 69% off orders of backlist products from Diamond and participating publishers and manufacturers;
•​Backlist consignment programs, allowing retailers to fully stock their stores with graphic novels, trade paperbacks and other pop-culture merchandise with extended payment terms and the ability to adjust stock levels after 6 months;
•​Increased discounts and/or consignment billing on a new store’s initial orders of comics for its first two months of operation, with consignment billing deferred until retailers have the opportunity to return overstocked product after keeping it on sale for a period of 6-12 weeks; and
•​Store Starter Kits, offering selections of free trade paperbacks and graphic novels from participating publishers that showcase the vast breadth and depth of comic stories that retailers can use to attract any audience into their stores.

Under the new programs, Diamond will continue to provide professional advice and in-depth instruction on Diamond’s systems from Powell and a team of Diamond personnel.

Expressing views held by many in the industry, DC Entertainment SVP-Sales & Marketing Bob Wayne said: “The weekly experience that the comic book specialty market provides for our fans is extremely important to all of DC Entertainment. We’re excited about this opportunity to work with our retail partners to expand the size of the market, in cooperation with Diamond and our fellow publishers.”

According to Powell, most retailers opening new locations of existing businesses must invest a significant portion of their cash-flow to fleshing out their backlist inventory and preordering monthly comics based on projected sales.

“With this new initiative,” he said, “we will work with retailers to minimize these risks and outlays. This allows the retailer to stock the hottest graphic novels, trade paperbacks and other bestselling merchandise from day one, which lets them make a great first impression on new customers. It also gives them more flexibility in their budgets for marketing their new store so that they can continue attracting customers and generating sales.”

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"It's our diamond birthday," my oldest friend Jean announced to me earlier this year. So me and the Queen - we arrived at the same point together somehow. There was no escaping it. On May 31st 2012 I would join the ranks of old codgers, senior citizens, OAPs, and the worse thing? I won't even get my freedom pass until July 2014.
The only way to cope was to plan a zillion celebrations - just like the Queen. I invited some of my writer friends over for what I called, 'A writer's brunch' in the garden. They loved it! We drank Prosecco and talked about books and I even thought of making a speech. Fortunately I abandoned that idea quickly and read a poem instead. No, I didn't take photos and plaster them all over Facebook. We just relaxed and enjoyed each other's company.
Although I didn't get any diamonds ( because I became one??) I got some great presents. This one could have been from the Queen I suppose. Actually it was from another friend, Liz, who went diamond the month before me. "Its got your dates on it," she quipped.

My lovely husband ( who gave me far too many presents) has discovered that you can get pictures onto mugs. So here is one of his presents ( the patriotic teapot is from my daughter.)


We all went out for lunch and suddenly, after the meals, my daughter says, "Turn round mum." And there was the cake. I was speechless ( unusual for me!)


The waitress was giving me such strange looks so I said, "Don't worry, its my book cover." She smiled with relief.
So if you are about to go diamond here are three tips :
1. Ignore the friends who gasp in horror - they don't mean anything, its just such a big number and everyone wants to be 40 something these days ( yeah, even the 20 somethings - don't ask me!)
2. Have lots of little parties and celebrations, it helps you to absorb the impact coming up to meet you.
3. And make sure you get your book cover on a cake - its utterly amazing!

I'm happy for you to comment, but don't feel you ALL have to wish me happy birthday - there was loads on Facebook and we don't want to clog ABBA up.

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[Yesterday Diamond announced their plan to team with iVerse to offer digital comics downloads for sale in comics shops. Gievn the hot button nature of this discussion, and the big picture nature of the announcement, Dave Bowen, Diamond's Director of Digital Distribution, was eager to talk to us to explain more about it. This is a long interview, but Bowen goes into welcome detail on the thinking behind and motivation for this plan. Short version: retailers deserve to be brought into the process.]

THE BEAT: Let’s start out, suppose I am looking to buy the new issue of…let’s say Transformers. I walk into my comics shop. What’s going to happen?

BOWEN: If the comic shop has it on the rack, obviously you’ll probably buy it that way. If they don’t have it on the rack and it is one of the books that IDW has chosen to be part of its program – publishers don’t have to put heir entire line in this program. If IDW wants to put Transformers on the Playstation first, they can do that. We’re going to imprint Plexiglas document stands and give them to retailers. They’ll have a sell sheet for the new week’s books inside and in fact the one I’m looking at on right now has Transformers ongoing #16 as an example. That POP display is one of the ways that the conversation might get started about a digital sale. We’ll also do shelf talkers and header cards for books that are available digitally as well.

One of the things that we really want to see happen out of this is to break down what we think is a barrier to discussion of digital comics in physical comics shops. Print comics are not going anywhere anytime soon. I think that’s fairly obvious. But digital comics are becoming an important part of the landscape and the idea that a customer might be uncomfortable disusing their digital buying or reading habits with their comics shop is, I think, commonsense. It would be rude. I think some customers do it and some retailers are comfortable talking about it. But from talking to retailer we don’t get the impression that it’s common. However, we do get the impression from some very smart retailers that maybe between 15 to 20% of their customers are already consuming digital comics in some fashion. That’s not scientific; it’s just kind of gut. That said, we’d love to see that discussion come out in the open and we’d love to stimulate that. The way we do that is to incentivize the retailers appropriately to participate in the sales process, to give them a direct sales incentive that broadens their shelf and have them handle things like stock outages. Ultimately, what we really envision is infinite inventory availability as a backstop for retail shops.

We’re very interested in long format material. The example that I’m bringing to ComicsPRO has a digital graphic novel on the sell sheet. It’s from NBM, The Library of 20th Century Murders: The Terrible Axe Man of New Orleans.

THE BEAT: Ironically I was just thinking about Rick Geary this morning as one of my all time favorite cartoonists. So I’m there with that!