Today is “Free Comic Book Day” in North America, but how meaningful are comics in today’s world?
The industry remains healthy, with 2015 sales in North America of $579 million (up 7.17% year-over-year), according to Diamond Comic Distributors. Demographics of comic book readers is difficult to find. I came across this “back of the envelope” estimate of how many Millenials regularly read comic books. (Hint: not many)
So who is buying the comic books that launched media powerhouses like The Walking Dead cable show and The Avengers movies?
We do see attempts to draw a more diverse customer, as more women identify as comic book fans.
Comic book writers, artists and publishers also are adding characters that they hope will appeal to a wide range of ethnic and other demographics.
Although the following National Public Radio (NPR) report is a year old, it discusses that trend.
The Free Comic Book Day site provides a link to more information about comic books.
Here are a couple of well-known actors hawking Free Comic Book Day and their individual projects:
