Fantasy Fads : Faster Than a Speeding Bullet, Comic Book Sales Take Off

It was an overnight sensation 50 years ago--a thin, smallish magazine with cartoon drawings and men of steel. But the zowie and the zap somehow zoomed out of comic books, and they became a business nightmare.

Today, comic books are booming once again, with contemporary stories about real people as well as the engaging innocence of the cartoon animals of the 1930s.

“It’s reminiscent of the Golden Age period, when comic books were really big,” said Robert M. Overstreet, publisher of “The Comic Book Price Guide,” the industry bible. “We have new publishers coming into the market every week now and about 300 different new titles every month.”

And the value of old comic books is steadily rising, averaging 20% a year, he said.

Some books appreciate even more dramatically. In August, a mint condition DC’s Action Comics No. 1, the 1938 premier Superman issue, sold for $30,000 at the comic book convention in San Diego, Calif. Earlier in the year, it had been valued at $18,500.

But what is hot this year may not be hot next year. “It’s like the stock market. It’s real volatile, and prices can jump up and down,” Overstreet said.

For publishers of new comic books, the news is equally upbeat, said Steve Geppi, owner and president of Geppi’s Comics World, a national distributor.

The reason for the new strength in the $120-million-a-year industry can partly be found in the comic book specialty store and a new distribution system that enables publishers to sell their books to retailers on a non-returnable basis.

News carriers and supermarket owners, the original comic book distributors, do not understand the high return comic books offer, Geppi said. Comic books have bigger sales per square foot than the costlier adult magazines because people tend to buy more than one comic book at a time.

“It’s the existence of the comic book shop that saved the comic book market. It opened a new avenue,” Overstreet said.

Nostalgia is another element in the comic book renaissance.

“Baby boomers have finally reached a point in life where they can have nostalgia and also share that experience with their kids,” said Michael Usland, producer of “Swamp Thing” and an upcoming Batman movie.

In addition, adults collect comic books for their value as an art form and introduce the books to their children, who enjoy them for different reasons.

“On a psychological level, it’s all about power, taking off those glasses,” Usland said. “Suddenly, you’re no longer a weakling or a kid who has to do everything your parents tell you to.

“I actually learned to read when I was 3 years old from comic books. . . . Unlike other parents, (mine) let me read them. They didn’t believe they were a communist plot.” Usland was referring to parental concern during the 1950s McCarthy era that led to the creation of a self-censoring comic book board. It marked the beginning of a serious decline in the industry, which had been started in 1933.

But, according to child psychologist Jonathan Kellerman, comics can be good for youngsters. “For kids who don’t like to read, comics provide a good

entree. It is hard to know what will stimulate a child’s creativity,” he said.

According to “The Comic Book Buyers Guide,” the first comic book was issued by Eastern Color Printing Co. as a premium for Procter & Gamble Co. Although it contained no new comics--only Sunday cartoon strip reprints--the 10,000 copies of “Funnies on Parade” were a big hit.

In 1934, the first 10-cent comic book, Famous Funnies, Series 1, was sold in chain stores. Others followed, featuring such characters as Superman, Batman, Casper, Archie and Porky Pig. The first comic book convention was held in 1964, coinciding with a renewed popularity among college students.

Today, the industry issues detective, superhero, horror, romance, political, science fiction and many other types of comic books.

About 130 million comic books are sold annually, according to Maggie Thompson, co-editor of the buyers’ guide. They range in price from 75 cents to $2 and from $4.95 to $14.95 for comic book novels.

Comic book publishers are refining, experimenting and honing their stories and artwork.

At DC, Batman and Superman have been revamped. The “Dark Knight” series looks at Batman as “dark, realistic, violent,” said Peggy May, DC’s publicity manager. Superman has become more vulnerable, she said.

To celebrate its 25th anniversary last year, Marvel introduced “New Universe” titles, featuring “characters who exist in the real world, age in actual time and affect the lives of others.”

Black and White Books

In the last two years, black and white comic books have grabbed 8%to 9%of the business, said Rick Obadiah, president and publisher of First Comics Inc. in Chicago.

“There were (almost)no black and white comics from about 1975 on,” he said.

Then “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” hit the specialty stores two years ago. The Ninja spoof debuted with 3,000 copies at $1.75 a shot. Those early issues now fetch $75. In November, Obadiah’s company reprinted those early editions as a $9.95 color graphic novel.

But the boom period for comic books won’t last forever, many in the industry say.

“With the flood of product that is entering the market today . . . we are going to see a settling out,” Overstreet said. “Some of the publishers will make it and some won’t. I think comic fandom will become jaded, tired of all the black and white comic books coming out.”

But, for now, those in the industry agree, it’s up, up and away.