Indie Month-to-Month Sales: September 2011
Buffy returns in the top spot, although with sales far down on the beginning of the last Season, with Angel in third place. Sandwiched in between is Game of Thrones' debut issue, while TMNT drops to fourth place after being last month's best-selling indie. Further down the charts IDW's other new licensed ongoing titles seem to be benefiting from the increased awareness the new DC books seem to be bringing, while many of Dynamite's licenses seem to be tanking, the aforementioned Game of Thrones apart.
There were 127 indie books in the chart this month, well up on last month's 103. The 103 book this month sold almost exactly what the 103 book last month sold, so this was certainly due to less Marvel and DC books released this month rather than stronger Indie sales. In fact those 103 books sold almost 35,000 less copies than last month, although top 300 indie sales are 1,053,116, almost 55,000 up on August. The bottom book sold 3,341 compared to last month's 4,514. As usual, UK and European sales from Diamond UK are not reported in this chart.
This month Dark Horse were the number three publisher, with 4.76% dollar share and a 3.51 market share, followed by IDW with 4.13% dollar share and 3.10% market share, Image with a 4.08% dollar share and a 3.29% market share, Dynamite with a 3.07% dollar share and a 3.02% market share, and Boom with 1.39% dollar and 0.94% market share. That's the same order as last month, although all but Dynamite have reduced figures.
More details of Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival
More details of the last big indie show of 2011 have been announced, including related festivities, which include events at Union Pool, the Scot Eder Gallery, the Spectacle Theater and the Brick Theater, and an expanded guest list which, in addition to previously announced legends, also includes Adrian Tomine, Jordan Crane, Michael Deforge, Gabrielle Bell, Dash Shaw, Gary Panter, Frank Santoro, and Leslie Stein.
Weekend con report: MIX! in Minnesota
The final Minneapolis Indie Xpo wrapped up this weekend, and it sounds like it was fun. The CBLDF's Charles Brownstein tweeted:
Must read: Local Comics Scenes across the US
While news of great corporate conglomerates headlines the comics world news of late, it must always be remembered this is an industry of people and art, and the vibrancy of the the two coming together. Frank Santoro has been running an awesome series of "Local comics scene" reports at TCJ, and they are welcome reminders that the indie spirit of like-minded souls sitting in diners and sketching and talking over coffee and Strathmore is alive and well. We'd love to visit each and every one of these scenes. It's also of note that in these economic hard times, sometimes creativity thrives where money is scarce.
Nice Art: Rugg covers POOD
Let me translate that headline: POOD #4, the latest issue of the indie comics anthology is on sale this week, with a cover by Jim Rugg. Also inside: work by Eisner-winner Nick Abadzis, 2011 “Best American Comics” pick Kevin Mutch, “Dick Tracy” icon Joe Staton, and many more.
WW3 takes on Tahrir
Long before OWS there was World War 3, the long running counterculture comics anthology put together by a rotating cast of politically aware cartoonists who lived on the LES back when it was Alphabet City and not a trustfund preserve. The next issue is out next month and takes on the spirit of protest being seen around the world, from Tahrir Square to Madison, WI.
Indie Month-to-Month Comics Sales: August 2011
By Paul Mellerick
The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles book supplants Walking Dead this month, while Kirkman also takes number three spot with his & Rob Liefeld’s Infinite. Further down the charts Kevin Smith’s Bionic...
Sparkplug Books will continue
The comics industry lost an amazing man with the death of Dylan Williams, but it isn't losing Sparkplug Books. Williams's widow, Emily Nilsson, has announced that she, Virginia Paine, and Tom Neely will be keeping the publisher going for as long as they can:
Must Read: Michel Fiffe on comics fusion
Michel Fiffe's interviewing and archiving skills cannot be doubted -- nor, after his dynamic ZEGAS debut can his cartooning skills -- but this time out he offers a compelling survey of the often uneasy, sometimes brilliant crossover between indy and superhero esthetics:
Have your CAKE in Chicago next June
While there have been occasional attempts at establishing a Chicago alt.comix show to equal those in Toronto, New York, Portland and so on, none of them have really gained significant purchase -- despite Chicago being one of the original stops** on the Spirits of Independence tour that launched the entire indie comics show experience. The Printers Row Lit Fair has served as a high-end event to spotlight some great cartoonists; and the recent Windy City Con was another attempt from a slightly more middle ground. CHicago has a great legacy of underground/alt/indie cartoonists, so it's a fertile territory to till.
And now there's CAKE -- the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo, to be held next June 16-17 at Columbia College’s Ludington Building. The festival plans to feature over 100 exhibitors along with a two-day program of signings, panels, workshops and lectures.
Show Report: Rainy Sunday fails to dampen comics at PACC
by Brady Russell
-- For the Philadelphia Alternative Comic-Con this past Sunday in The Rotunda, it rained. It rained like it wanted to wash the show away. Sometimes it was a hammering downpour. The kind of rain where, even if you got a lift there in a taxi, you'd still get soaked running from the curb to the door. Still, the rain wasn't all bad. Last year's PACC was scorching hot. I can't imagine what it must have been like to stay in that room for 7 hours in 2010. This year, it wasn't nearly so hot, but everyone came in the door saying they couldn't touch anything until they dried off.
SPX debuts by Dawson, Thurber, Murakami, etc.
Good to see so many indie shows putting up sites wher eyou can easily see the books debuting -- the list for this year's SPX is here, and it includes a pretty impressive bunch of books. Explore!
