More US Disney comics news

[deanmary]

    Steve Geppi gives more information about the upcoming US Disney
comics at this link:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=1750

    Overall, I think what he has to say is great news.  I think the best
and most important piece of news is that they are going to aggressively
go after the youth market with "digest" sized comics in such stores as
Wal-Mart, Target, etc.  The key to the long term health of Disney comics
is North America is to get the kids reading them.  Will having such
digests in such mainstream stores work?  Who knows, but I am hopeful.
The most important thing is that they will actually be given a chance.

    Through the years we have heard that Disney comics for kids can't
make it in the US because kids aren't into comics anymore and that
Disney characters are considered corny and too juvenile.  I think there
is a lot of truth in that, but there is one hole in that argument.  That
is that Archie comics and comic digests are still being produced here.
No offense to anyone who likes Archie comics, but I can't see them as
being any "cooler" or "in" than Disney comics.  I have always thought if
they could make it, why couldn't Disney digests?  It looks like Disney
digests will finally be given a chance.

    I agree that Carl Barks stories need to be reprinted.  However I
think there is one place they should be reprinted the least in: the
prestige comics.  My thinking on this is that very few children are
going to pay $6.95 or more for a standard comic.  The people who are
most likely to buy the prestige format comics are dedicated Disney comic
fans.  These fans are the very people most likely to already have copies
of the Barks stories.  Where would the Barks reprints work?  Two
places.  One, the digests I have just mentioned.  A digest that mixed in
reprints of Barks stories plus some European stories would show a new
generation of young readers Barks' great stories along with some newer
ones.  These young readers are the readers least likely to have read
Barks' stories before.

    The second place I think that would be great for Barks reprints
would be trade paperbacks (TPB).  I have the whole Carl Barks library in
album format, but I will willingly and gladly buy the Carl Barks library
in  trade paperback format.  In the last few years TPBs have become more
and more popular both in comic books stores and regular book stores.
Plus, why stop with just Carl Barks? Wouldn't it be great to have TPB
libraries dedicated to the works of Rosa, Van Horn, etc.?  The only
thing in the Geppi article that concerned me at all is the lack of
comment on TPBs.  Perhaps Gary could tell us if digests have taken the
place of TPBs in Gemstone's plans, or if TPBs are still a big part of
this new wave of Disney comics in the US?

    These are just the opinions of one Disney fan, namely me.  I know
next to nothing about the comic book industry so if I have made some
huge mistakes in what is possible, preferable, etc., I apologize.  I am
just very excited about the return of Disney comics in North America and
wanted to share my opinions.  I think it would be great if other list
members share their views also.  So hopefully we will soon have a lively
discourse on the mailing list about this subject.

Dean Rekich