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NEWS: Top Selling Direct Market Graphic Novels




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hikura



Joined: 21 Nov 2004
Posts: 565
PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 8:25 pm Reply with quote
Well considering that the majority of acutal comics that are sold here in america and canada are created by american and canadian companies do they expect that manga will constantly rule the top 10?Not likely.Well yes there is great amount manga otu there it will not always control the top ten.
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Pepperidge



Joined: 13 Sep 2003
Posts: 1104
Location: British Columbia, Canada
PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 8:37 pm Reply with quote
The reason that manga isn't ruling the top ten in comic stores is because nobody buys manga in comic stores anymore. Manga fans shop at bookstores now, where they sell better than US comics do in comic stores.

Still, impressive to see a title like Fruits Basket top the list of manga where titles like "Lone Wolf and Cub" usually dominate.
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Tempest
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Joined: 29 Dec 2001
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 8:53 pm Reply with quote
hikura wrote:
Well considering that the majority of acutal comics that are sold here in america and canada are created by american and canadian companies do they expect that manga will constantly rule the top 10?Not likely.


Not that you're wrong. But you're reasoning is wrong.

If you look at the same chart, Graphic Novel Sales, at bookstores (via Bookscan) you'll see that manga always rules the top 20.

But of course, a single copy of Spiderman sells more than the most popular manga. But then, Shonen Jump USA sells twice as many copies than the most popular comic book.

-t
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Kagemusha



Joined: 20 Feb 2004
Posts: 2783
Location: Boston
PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 11:08 pm Reply with quote
This really isn't a suprise, though it is a slow month. Dh's manga titles (Trigun, Samurai Executioner) are almost always at the top of the charts.
And PLENTY of people buy manga at comic stores. Of course, certain comicbook stores have more manga than others (usually the ones that don't focus just on mainstream comics). I usually shop at the Comicopia in my city because, in addition to also buying comics there, they have the largest manga selection of any store in the city and are much more helpful and informed about manga than bookstore employees. Plus it's always good to support a small buisness that actually cares about what they're selling (and has cared about it before manga got big) rather than a corperate machine.
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hikura



Joined: 21 Nov 2004
Posts: 565
PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 11:37 pm Reply with quote
tempest wrote:
hikura wrote:
Well considering that the majority of acutal comics that are sold here in america and canada are created by american and canadian companies do they expect that manga will constantly rule the top 10?Not likely.


Not that you're wrong. But you're reasoning is wrong.

If you look at the same chart, Graphic Novel Sales, at bookstores (via Bookscan) you'll see that manga always rules the top 20.

But of course, a single copy of Spiderman sells more than the most popular manga. But then, Shonen Jump USA sells twice as many copies than the most popular comic book.

-t

As we both know that graphic novels and comics are two different aspects.Manga mostly is now sold as graphic novels and american(canadian) comics are single issue releases.While they could count as the same they are still different.Plus i am not saying manga is bad just saying the popularity of american comics is still very present.
Edit:Let me add this.Graphic novels are usually several issues or parts put together of material that has been already released.Single issue comics are comics are usually x amount of pages released on a regulary basis(monthly,bi-weekly,or weekly basis).Plus graphic novel sales of manga will be always good since alot of the manga has not been seen here in america.That is what the differnce is for my above statement.
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Tempest
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 12:48 am Reply with quote
hikura wrote:
Plus graphic novel sales of manga will be always good since alot of the manga has not been seen here in america.That is what the differnce is for my above statement.


True, I hadn't thought of that before, thanks for pointing it out.

What I'd really like to do, is compare the details bookscan list, to the detailed Diamond list, say top 50 graphic novels vs. top 50 comics, and see the total....

but alas, Bookscan is very stingy with their info.

-t
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CCSYueh



Joined: 03 Jul 2004
Posts: 2707
Location: San Diego, CA
PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 2:58 am Reply with quote
I just know it's easier to get manga at bookstores or online.
My local comic shop was consolidated/downsized/closed while the owner kept 2 other stores open. I was going to abandon them, but I went ahead & decided to try keeping my box going, though drastically reduced. All I wanted was Saiyuki, GetBackers, Gravitation, & Hellsing. I added Rebirth & then decided to keep Tsubasa & XXXholic also. All were in my box in the closed store & I was assured they were covered for March.

Just dropped by tonight--no Saiyuki. No Gravitation. The store they closed had a much larger manga presence. The clerks knew manga titles. I had to spell the titles to the other store & name their publisher just to request them held for me & they obviously aren't being held. This store orders little manga--it's more the traditional comic shop.

And this would be why the direct market shops have fewer manga titles in their sales. The other comic shop I frequent also has a fairly small manga section, although he'll order anything for one. They know American titles & order what they know.
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michelle



Joined: 28 Feb 2004
Posts: 29
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 4:58 pm Reply with quote
I sympathize with the last poster. This is what annoys me about far too many comicbook stores: they just carry a small selection of the latest, most common products and expect you to order in anything you don't see. That's silly. Any store can do that. But that puts the onus on the customer, to research online what's available, figure out if they might like it, and then take the chance of ordering it (and you're stuck with it if you do, in my experience). So essentially it's a catalog shopping experience, but with the added nuisance of going down to the store to order and pick up!

Weird as it may seem to owners of this type of comicbook store, a lot of people like going to a bookstore to physically *see* what books are available and what they're like! (surprise!) Any store with bigger, better selection is going to lure away your customers. The comicbook stores in my city have just not kept up with the customer demand by *keeping physical stock*. There's one comicbook store in town which stocked manga long before anyone else and had the best selection for quite a while. I bought my manga there because I couldn't get it anywhere else, but as soon as the big chain bookstore started carrying manga in a decent size, I stopped going. Even though the comicbook store still had a bigger manga section than the bookstore (probably not anymore, I haven't been in over a year), I stayed away because I just didn't enjoy going in there.

I'm not a bit surprised that, on the whole, manga sales are not happening in comicbook stores.
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Treeloot



Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 140
PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 9:26 pm Reply with quote
Why is Megatokyo considered manga? It's not manga at all, it's a crummy web comic drawn manga style.
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Cowpunk



Joined: 03 Nov 2004
Posts: 168
Location: Oakland - near the Newtype Lab
PostPosted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 4:47 pm Reply with quote
Linguistic inflation.

I really like Megatokyo but do not call it manga.

With the popularity of manga some companies are calling items manga that are not Japanese to increase sales.
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