IDW is the 4th largest comic publisher after Marvel, DC and Image

[CyberCubed]

https://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/57320/dcs-market-share-continues-decline

This article is about DC sales declining to Marvel, but I thought it was interesting that IDW is the 4th largest publisher behind Marvel, DC and Image.

Dark Horse only has 3% of the comic market yet somehow remains in business, and everything else is far worse. IDW is doing better than most people give it credit for.

[Andrew NDB]

Dark Horse only has 3% of the comic market

They're smarter about things, though. They're not taking big risks, the way they used to.

[TurtleGurkle]

Dark Horse took some big hits after losing the Conan and Star Wars licenses.

[Boco]

Good to hear.

[CyberCubed]

How does DC only have 17% of the comic market :lol:

Did the Snyderverse movies really do more damage than people think? It's not like comic book fans would really be affected by movies, although casuals would be.

[Bahamut810]

I wonder how much My Hero Academia outsells them all?

[IMJ]

They're smarter about things, though. They're not taking big risks, the way they used to.

Are they really? They're strategy seems to depend solely on TMNT, when that cash cow fails, it seems like it'll take the whole company with it. I mean the only other reliable brand they have is Sonic

Andrew was talking about Dark Horse's publishing efforts, not IDW.
IDW has it's market share because it buys licenses for I.P.s with cult-followings. Basically none of this is shocking at all. Valiant Comics certainly isn't going to be #4.

[hypered1]

I mean the only other reliable brand they have is Sonic.


They also have Star Trek and My Little Pony. It's also worth noting that both TMNT and Star Trek are Paramount CBS properties so there's likely larger parts at play with whatever agreements IDW has with them.

[Boco]

You're forgetting Godzilla. Eisner nominated, even.

[IMJ]

You're forgetting Godzilla. Eisner nominated, even.

They also have Star Trek and My Little Pony. It's also worth noting that both TMNT and Star Trek are Paramount CBS properties

Like I said:

IDW has it's market share because it buys licenses for I.P.s with cult-followings

[liugeaux]

These numbers are really cool to know and besides DC's share dropping so much, I'd say nothing is too surprising here.

Maybe that drop has something to do with DC not using Diamond anymore. If it's been trending downward, maybe comic shops simply don't want to order directly from DC when they can get everything else from Diamond.

Also, it should be noted that Market share does not reflect profitability. You can have 7.1% of the market and still be losing boatloads of money.

[CyberCubed]

I wonder what hold IDW has on Paramount, they renewed both the TMNT and Star Trek comic licenses through 2025. Paramount seems happy with them.

[Andrew NDB]

I guess so. And I can't fathom who is buying those Star Trek comics.

[Fenryr]

Half of DC's product is Batman. If they diversified their line and chilled out on resets and reboots and universe-changing events that don't ever actually change the universe, they'd probably earn more. I understand following what sells, but you can't only eat candy and expect your teeth not to rot out of your face, and Batman clearly ain't doing as hot as they'd like.

Moving away from Diamond only benefitted them. Diamond has had a predatory stranglehold on the medium for decades and the advent of Lunar and Penguin has only made Diamond look worse, which is quite the feat.

[Andrew NDB]

It's mostly editorials now. It used to be editors would cultivate and safeguard legacy characters and ensure every new writer wasn't screwing with anything that came before, but rather adding to the tapestry of it. Now they just let writers do whatever they want and nothing before their run matters. It doesn't help that they only hire wannabe TV writers or activists, as well.

[MikeandRaph87]

tNKjOWZF9Yc

Bobby Curnow quit frustrated by woke mandates so how did IDW lure him back to take the top job of a sinking ship?

Get this, IDW TMNT books are the most expensive in the industry with an $8 Revolution book and a $5.71 USD average. This is like the TNA of its industry.

[Andrew NDB]

Bobby Curnow quit frustrated by woke mandates so how did IDW lure him back to take the top job of a sinking ship?



Wait... they lured him back?

[MikeandRaph87]

Wait... they lured him back?

Yes as Editor-in-Chief! Apparently Bleeding cool broke it last Thursday afternoon, but it didn't really start circulating until today. I am shocked as I thought he was burnt out with the company. Perhaps ownership hope for him to turn back the clock a few years and also find more than less than 24k USD improvement between quarters and bleeding money.
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/bobby-curnow-confirmed-as-eic-of-idw-by-magma-comix/

[IMJ]

tNKjOWZF9Yc

Bobby Curnow quit frustrated by woke mandates

Which they lied about and swore was never happening - no "mandates", no "agenda". :roll:

[CyberCubed]

tNKjOWZF9Yc

Bobby Curnow quit frustrated by woke mandates so how did IDW lure him back to take the top job of a sinking ship?

Get this, IDW TMNT books are the most expensive in the industry with an $8 Revolution book and a $5.71 USD average. This is like the TNA of its industry.

This youtuber has been posting about the "death" of IDW for close to a decade now. I wonder how much longer he'll go on unless he's eventually right or goes on for another 10 years

[Andrew NDB]

It kind of gets tiresome, doesn't it? Like all the other stuff about, "Kathleen Kennedy is getting fired THIS WEEK!!!" and so on.

[CyberCubed]

They keep doing it because *eventually* they'll get it right of course, but it's pointless to keep bringing it up because it'll be years or even a decade before they get it right. And then when it does happen they'll act like they "called it first" and pat themselves on the back for it like it isn't something everyone else knew would happen.