SALES IS NEITHER THE SOLE NOR PRIMARY METRIC OF SUCCESS IN COMICS: HERE'S WHY! 

More than sixty years ago, a bunch of people, most of whom did not read comics, decided what should and should not be permitted in comics. There was some concern about crime and to a lesser extent violence. There was outsize worry about horror and absolute terror over anything adult. To be frank, you had to really stretch your imagination to find anything adult in comics, but in the mid to late fifties paradigm, some material was arguably more suggestive than others. In some cases, dots were connected that clearly never existed. Consider Fredric Wertham's claims about Batman. 

Never mind, you could see a brand new set of licensed horror films called the Shock package on late night TV. Paperbacks were never trashier or more overt in terms of content. Of the limited primetime slots on ABC, CBS and NBC, close to fifty were cowboy shows with plenty of violence. Crime dramas followed closely. And sweaty fat men "wrestling" was a major "sport." No concern over those things and kids had ample access to them all. 

Only comic books were limited to and by these geniuses and their guardian of morals, the Comics Code Authority, had more holes than swiss cheese. Eerie Publications and James Warren renamed their comic books magazines, slapped a slightly higher price tag on them, and got away with everything that titillated and thrilled readers in the late forties and early fifties although both would add dollops of blood, violence, sex, and not a little kink. What they didn't provide, underground comix did. It was the wild west of free expression and hypocrisy. 

Unfortunately, mainstream comics were either going to collapse and fold as an industry or survive by publishing the only economically and "morally" viable material left, kiddie books like Casper and superhero comics that to be frank entered the age of embarrassing domesticity. Lois Lane was always getting married to somebody and Superman was frequently seen overwhelmed in a kitchen because funny and campy were acceptable. Batman '66 didn't occur in a vacuum. 

Being a kid, I thought this was normal. What did I know? Superman and Spider-Man were OK. Batman was fun. I loved Casper and related titles. I got by because I was little and apparently I was the target audience, but what about anyone with more than a first grade education? There's a reason Gomer Pyle's catchphrase was "Shazam!" and Goober was overly concerned about the exploits of certain superheroes. It was society's not-so-subtle way of saying that comics were either for kids or the functionally illiterate. There was no room for comics for adolescents or grownups. 

The average comic rose from a dime to twelve cents and shortly thereafter to fifteen. Aforementioned magazines averaged thirty-five cents which while still pocket change was strategically less affordable for the pre-teen audience. It was all neat, clean and wholesome. I really came to detest the last of those three words, because it meant dull and boring. 

Even by comparison with TV cartoon humor, which was incredibly tame, comic book jokes fell flat. Donald Duck and his nephews had some fun adventures and Hot Stuff could be a bit of a stinker. Casper was sweet and relatable and Roadrunner was like visiting with an old friend, but none of it was exciting, laugh out loud, or enlightening. It was safe. It also wasn't to last. 

Within a few years, even comic book producers began pushing boundaries. The Comics Code Authority, once the terror of the industry, had less and less control. They had, however, condemned the industry in one inexorable way. Superheroes would continue to rule the industry. There would be several complications along the way. Things were about to change. 

1986: THE 1939 OF COMIC BOOKS

Movie fans will recognize 1939 as one of its best years: Gone with the Wind, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Wizard of Oz, Son of Frankenstein and countless others emerged. 1986 was the year a deep-voiced Alan Moore published Watchmen and Frank Miller began his run of Batman: the Dark Knight. Comics may have been stuck with superheroes, but the target audience had changed from children to discerning adults. 

It was a time when content creators wanted fairer compensation. Some broke away from the big two to form their own companies. Underground comix were joined by Outlaw titles. Prices began skyrocketing. By the early nineties, someone got the bright idea that comics were also highly-prized collectible items. A very loud boom was followed by an equally industry-altering bust. Things would never be the same. 

Distribution transitioned from newsstands and candy stores to comic shops and distributors held greater power and sway than in the past. In intervening years, prices would soar per title from fifteen cents to $3.99 and more. Graphic novels, manga, omnibus editions and online comics would be added to the mix. Somehow, in spite of great advances in technology, sales would wax and wane. Companies would be sold; and while comic book sales became tepid, comic-based characters in films would skyrocket. From Michael Keaton's Batman to Avengers: Endgame, comic book characters would have greater social impact than at any time in the past. 

ENTER THE CULTURE WARS

Arguably, one of the most dangerous periods in American history arose with various manifestations of the far right. From Gamergate and Comicsgate to militias, mass shootings and seditionists storming the Capitol in a failed attempt to overthrow the results of a general election, something unsavory has been released into our society. 

In spite of superheroes having been created by Jewish content creators and often fighting for the oppressed including Superman's famous battle with the KKK on radio, the right felt (and feels) that comics are rightfully the province of WASP culture and heritage. Commentators literally go insane in condemning inclusivity and diversity in comics. One of their cutest and most disingenuous tricks is to judge comics by sales.

As the entertainment industry has known forever is that wading into politics, religion and/or sensitive cultural issues is a way of driving down sales. Of course, if a product is safe and sanitary by those standards, it rarely stands for anything. It's just so much meaningless mush fit for the Gomer and Goober analogs of the modern era. 

For those with more than a grade school education, the trend is for comics to mean something. Inclusivity and diversity can, if left alone long enough to sprout, expand upon readership, but when a new title fails to catch the public's imagination immediately, the right is ready to declare it and everything it represents unmarketable, i.e., better to cater to the demands of perpetually adolescent good ole boys. 

As a result, the industry is more or less frozen in this cultural standoff and the future isn't looking good. While manga and the other variants mentioned above (and comic-related movies) are selling well enough, the monthly comic is languishing and may soon become economically unviable to publish. This will unquestionably mean the end of comic shops which have already suffered with Covid restrictions and online sales that can be handled in the comfort of your own home from the safety of your computer - deliveries being brought to your front door without so much as requiring your getting dressed and having to look through a new stack of comics. 

WHAT COULD SAVE IT

What could save the industry is ignoring the whining right and accepting that our world is changing. Be more inclusive and diverse in development of characters and break free from the bonds of superhero comics. Adults now buying titles are more than sufficient well-adjusted to handle a little nudity and sex, a bit of crime and an occasional ghost tale or two. In fact, since comics are simply a medium of communication, they can become means by which to struggle with everything from quantum theory and time travel to general psychology and alternative spirituality. 

Some titles have already burst through those limitations: Harrow County, Locke & Key, Tarot Witch of the Black Rose, the ageless Vampirella...even Archie comics, the formerly most overly wholesome of the wholesome, has more than dipped its toes into the waters of change. Things can only get better unless those in charge of the industry permit a bunch of men suffering arrested development destroy their opportunities to enlighten, entertain and make a very good profit. That choice is still on the table.