Distribution of Gemstone's comics

[Olaf Solstrand]

> I can see that some people are disappointed with the distribution of
> Gemstone's comics - no wonder as it seems (from my Scandinavian point of
> view) that so far they have done a pretty poor job.
>
> My friendly suggestion is that our friends in Gemstone should learn from
our
> friends in Egmont (like Byron Erickson or David Gerstein) who are very
well
> experienced in effective distribution of Disney comics. In the Nordic
> countries there are no problems what so ever to find a copy of the
weeklies
> as they are even sold in every supermarket and in other grocery stores.

I must confess that I love the concept of comic stores. True, I've always
bought my Donald Duck & Co at supermarkets or kiosks. But I've longed for a
magazine that BELONGS in comic stores.

I think there may be one major difference between American and Scandinavian
Disney publications: The American ones are made for devoted Disney comic
fans, the Scandinavian ones are "buy me"-products. Over time, the magazine
has been shaped and changed to get more and more popular amongst the great
masses. Well, but does this give us a better magazine? In my opinion... no.

I can naturally see that Disney comics have great advantages in a world
where comicbooks are sold in grocery stores. People buy them. But how many
of its readers have devoted to it? How many readers of the Donald Duck & Co
are truly interested in Disney comics, making it a part of their life like
us?

Or, to take an example: Of the two countries Norway and United States of
America - which one has most members on this list? The Norwegian weekly sell
in 150.000 copies EVERY WEEK. In a country with 4,5 million inhabitants.
Still - there's more devoted Disney comic fans in USA. Why is that?

The Scandinavian weeklies are made so that many people will like them enough
to buy them. The American Disney comics are made so that a few people will
love them.

Because American comic readers are readers who care. They can't just pick up
an "Uncle $crooge" with their milk, bread and tomatoes. They have to go to a
special store - where they find a comic made specially for them.

In short: IF the American Disney comics were to be distributed in grocery
stores, that would in my opinion have one of these following results:
a) Nobody would buy them anyway, so the supermarkets would refuse to take
them in.
b) Gemstone would have to make a magazine the general mass would buy, to
make supermarkets sell them. That would effect Disney comics as Americans
know them - in a BAD way.

Nah - if we're to pick a favorite - a magazine made so that fans would enjoy
it or a magazine made so that everybody would buy it - I would pick the
first one. And I guess it wouldn't be profitable to distribute them through
supermarkets. (Besides, how do you spread 10.000 comics across the probably
millions of grocery stores in USA?)

Another discussion is of course whether all serious malls should have a
comic store, which I'm for with practically no doubt in my heart. (let's
face it - that's where the best comics are!)



O l a f   t h e   B l u e
...who hopes to be in a Gemstone publication someday