If Attack on Titan sells in the millions, doesn't that prove US comics could too?
If the publishers wanted to, that is. Here's something I'd wanted to address earlier, but almost forgot until now: the manga series called Attack on Titan has sold 50 million copies globally, and a good portion of that was translated into English:
And if a manga book could sell so much, then American comics should be able to as well, if the people in charge really wanted to script and market them right. Unfortunately, as I've noted before, today's dinosaur publishers and editors still stick fast with the dated format of pamphlets now carrying 4 dollar prices, and for superheroes, the crossovers and other ludicrous editorial mandates that make enjoyability impossible. That's why they will not succeed in competing with manga sales for a long time.
Kodansha Comics had revealed last month that the English-language edition of the manga has 2.5 million copies in circulation.Much of which surely was sold in the USA alone. And the key to its success could be that the bulk of manga books sold in the USA and elsewhere are paperback compilations, which makes it a lot more comfortable for everyone to buy.
And if a manga book could sell so much, then American comics should be able to as well, if the people in charge really wanted to script and market them right. Unfortunately, as I've noted before, today's dinosaur publishers and editors still stick fast with the dated format of pamphlets now carrying 4 dollar prices, and for superheroes, the crossovers and other ludicrous editorial mandates that make enjoyability impossible. That's why they will not succeed in competing with manga sales for a long time.
Labels: manga and anime, sales
