In the past few years there has been an astounding uprise in superhero-related media. The sale of comic books and graphic novels has almost doubled since the mid '90s and the massive upwelling in sales and popularity can be linked to the recent boom in comic-based Hollywood films.
Movies such as The Dark Knight, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk have certainly caused a spike in Hollywood sales. Not only has Hollywood discovered the fortune in superheroes, but the video game industry has as well.
According to Emil J. Novak, owner of Queen City Book Store on Main Street, both of these major rises in sales set off the re-discovery of graphic novels and comic books.
"Our comic book collection has grown, and we've been handling a lot more back issues, getting in more and more new issues and new types of comics," Novak said. "We've also been getting a lot more graphic novels."
Although sales are up, the overall market hasn't grown tremendously for comics and novels; but the entire field has grown as a whole, Novak said.
"Kids aren't rushing to the store to buy new comic books anymore, but old collectors who may have stopped have started up again," Novak said. "We have seen plenty of new faces and we're selling lots of material."
Merchandise sales, such as toys for kids and video games are being sold in place of the traditional comic book, according to Novak.
"I think this growth is definitely going to continue. Technology is getting better and better all the time," Novak said.
The possibilities are endless as Hollywood can keep re-releasing old movies. For example- Spider-Man will die out and years down the line, new technology will give the franchise new life. The demand will almost certainly be there for a re-make, Novak said.
"I think the new movies are pretty sweet," said Marc Hosey, a sophomore communication major. "With all the advances in Hollywood's technology, the stuff they can do sometimes amazes me, I really look forward to new releases every year."
According to Hosey, another huge seller is within the video game industry. For every major superhero movie a corresponding video game is released to add to the hype of the new movie.
"I've noticed a pretty big rise in comics and superhero stuff, there seems to be tons of video games and movies coming out and I would imagine the sale of comics and novels is up too," Hosey said.
The movie-licensed video games are pretty realistic and put gamers right in the action. Comic books for the most part can't do that, and that's why most people these days look to the movies and games, according to Hosey.
The prices for individual comics are up due to somewhat of a supply shortage due to a lack of demand. The regular price of comic books used to be about $3 or $4, but now some comics cost triple that at around $12 or $14 per comic, according to Joe DeMarko, a senior international business major.
For those still interested in the paper medium, Lockwood Library has its very own collection of graphic novels. The collection started this summer and sits on a shelf in the main lobby of Lockwood, containing a variety of different novels and genres.
"I've had the idea for a graphic novel collection for a couple years now," said Mike Lavin, coordinator of electronic collections at Lockwood library. "We have just begun, and our selection could be huge, we could add a few hundred books a year easily. But we have to stay within our budget, which limits us."
Lockwood has embraced the immense popularity of the comic and graphic novel genres. The collection is extensive and only time will tell how large it can get.
"The collection has a wide array of novel selections, not just Superman, Batman, Spider-Man and comics everybody knows." Lavin said. "As a library we try to be all things to all people, which is the main reason for the collection."
With comics and novels mounting popularity in recent years, Lockwood is sure to gain more material.
"We try to represent all of the different styles, genres, cultures and age groups that graphic novels have to offer," Lavin said.
The superhero genre is undeniably on the up rise. The future is the only thing that will tell us the limit of where comics and graphic novels can go. Although it is unlikely they will ever be as popular as movies and video games are today, comics do hold their place in history.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
