Previous Post You cannot really look at history to judge what's happening now. The reason these things are failing is because there are better sources for news. And it's impossible to compete with free. Newspapers cannot afford to drop their price that much. As for comics, they cannot really go back to cheaper paper. Their creators cannot really work cheaper. Etc.

First off there is no logical reason they can't use cheaper paper. But it is salaries, always salaries. This is why there isn't ever much difference in price between physical and digital copies.

As for artists being paid less, well most of the increase in payment happened under Jim Shooter's watch. Prices did go up because of that. However, once accounted for inflation, Marvel comics are two times what they should be from 1989, after all the aid top creators.


There was actually a discussion about the price of comics on J.M. Dematteis website not too long ago, where even he the veteran of 40 years almost, was shocked at that and pointed out how ridiculous it was.

The truly disturbing thing is that Marvel and DC overlook .25 or .50 increases, while indie books like Image and Dark Horse who have much thinner profit margins still use them.

By the end of next year most Marvel comics will likely be $5.00. And the industry very well might not make into the next decade in any form. I don't hope for either of these things mind you, I'm just following the patterns which admittedly can change.