I. A Comic Book for a Good Cause
A Hollywood Mainstay
Tyler Mane has done it all. He started as a pro wrestler, teaming with Kevin Nash. He was the first actor to bring Sabretooth to the big screen. Horror fans know him as Michael Myers from Rob Zombie's Halloween I and II. He is typically the guy you hire to play the imposing villain that fans love to root against. Take a minute to talk with Tyler and you realize is unlike the characters he is known in movies and on television.
Sabretooth with a Heart
Tyler entertained fans at this booth from the start of the show to the end. Young fans talked with him for long periods of time and yet not once did he cut them short. He treated each fan as if they were the most important person in the room. It was only when he talked comics that one could truly see how heroic the actor is when compared to his roles.
Tyler is producing a graphic novel about human trafficking, bringing light to a problem many do not know exists.
More than a Graphic Novel
The comic will be produced through his production company, Mane Entertainment and the graphic novel will be titled "The Last Spartan Red Tape", to be written by noted comic book writer Christopher Priest. Tyler revealed his view of the plot with such passion that one could see the potential for this series as a comic and also as a television/movie.
In researching human trafficking for the story, Tyler became aware of the group Deliverfund.org. This group assists law enforcement agencies track human traffickers online to create evidence to convict those offenders. He believes in this group so much that he did something unusual.
The Heroic Villain
Astronomicon is known for their custom sets, made by Karnivorous Creations. Mike Nelson creates movie sets so that cosplayers and celebrities with their fans could bring more realism to their photos. Tyler Mane took this opportunity to bring more attention to human trafficking and support for Deliverfund.org.
Tyler Mane was going to appear in costume as Michael Myers at Astronomicon 6.5. He also was going to have a raffle for a lucky fan to win not only the masks he wore as Michael Myers, but also the jumpsuit he used for the photos with the fans. He is only doing this at three other shows so if you want to take a picture with Tyler Mane while supporting a good cause sign up for updates at his site.
Support a Good Cause
Tyler Mane believes in his project and how it can help people. It is a passion of his that is very contagious. Many times, people buy comics for a good read or to support a favorite artist or writer. This graphic novel is something different. If possible, purchase a copy of the graphic novel to support the fight against human trafficking. Even if it helps just one person, it is worth the price.
Fans' Smiles Says it All
Finally, if you see Tyler Mane at your local convention, go up and talk to him about his project. In that moment, you will realize the actor is truly a man with a good heart and share in a conversation rarely seen on the comic book circuit. Every fan who took a picture with the actor in costume felt like they were part of a movie production. The memories of that type of experience are priceless.
II. Comic Book Buyers Not Impressed
Eager Fans but...
Fans packed Astronomicon with the intention to spend their hard-earned cash. Competition for their dollars was great but comic books had an edge. The Flash movie and the Secret Invasion television show were only recently released, so they were still on the lips of many attendees. That was not a good thing. Comments made at this show and among comic book fans are cause for concern among any person who buys and sells comics.
Troubling Signs for DC Comics
Fans seemed not interested in purchasing comics based on recent television and movie offerings. One attendee said he had seen the Flash movie, but would not be seeing it again. A 70% drop from its first week's box office indicated that this was a thought shared by many.
The fan indicated that he was a comic book collector but he would not be "picking from the crap of that movie". Even though the movie popped, "...the characters were not great." There was also a bloodbath at the CW that put to end not only the Arrowverse, but a nail in the coffin for most DC Comic properties.
Marvel Not Immune
A Marvel fan proclaimed Marvel was dead when asked to give his opinion on the Disney juggernaut. Secret Invasion featured a character that was a great second banana now in a staring role. "Fury is really old," one fan said while another questioned the use of the Kang the Conqueror. Attendees were not concerned with the real-world assault accusations made against Jonathan Majors. They were more concerned with the lack of a threat to the heroes that were present with Thanos.
One fan laughed Kang was "...0-2 against Ant-Man and Loki. Both could not beat Thanos..." One fan listening shouted "... Marvel's Big Bad is just Bad and Sad..."
Savior...But for Whom?
Fans at Astronomicon had nothing but high hopes for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. What fans did not seem excited about was a live-action Miles Morales film that was announced to be in production. One fan believed that the MCU would only "...(expletive) him up!" Another fan agreed, saying that Marvel is not concerned with quality anymore, only the money.
Comics Not on their Radar
Comics were not on many of the attendees' radar. Most said they would buy books, but in other genres. The sad thing was that many admitted to buying books at previous shows. Buyers interviewed at other shows and local comic stores indicated much the same.
There were not many pressing targets that they were looking forward to, based on movies or television offerings. Some expressed burnout based on a lack of quality products. These individuals were buying other licensed merchandise like Funko Pops and action figures, but not comics. This was pattern seen among the vendors.
III. Dealers See the Black Clouds Ahead
Dealers interviewed at Astronomicon 6.5 were asked to provide insight into the GoCollect sales numbers. As always, the vendors were vetted for accuracy and truth-telling. Two different people were used at this show to observe their interactions with customers. The information provided below meshed with the journalistic team's observations.
Brad's Comics and Collectibles
Nice Guys Don't Finish Last
Brad is always a guy who is honest and upfront. In fact, he stated he would have to keep some of his business secrets because he is just too honest. He was observed selling a movie poster with the sweepstakes ticket still attached. His interaction with the buyer was nothing but above board.
A Seismic Shift
Brad stated that price corrections for most books were the problem retailers now face. Gone are the days when investors and flippers dotted the landscape. He stated that collectors and readers were re-emerging as the dominant buyers online and at shows. Prices were going down on many books, but that did not mean all books were cold or in price declines.
Hip Hop Variants were still hot because they had such cross-appeal. Also, he realized that many buyers assume that books such as Wolverine #1, Web of Spider-Man #1, and even Punisher #1 have a higher than anticipated demand because sellers see them every day. That does not mean the same can be said for the buyers.
Cause for Concern
Brand indicated that $300 was about the magic price for books to move. Unless in high grade or a major key, books were not moving as quickly above that range. Investors drove up the price, but the new market meant lower prices. Finally, Brad indicated that the opinions of the attendees were true.
The days of movies driving sales may be gone. Those buyers are not present anymore. Too many had been burned by trying to flip books that had been announced as appearing in the next MCU film. People were now looking to fill runs or read books. Day flippers may have gone the way of the dinosaur.
Morse Comics
A Cunning Businessman
I love talking to the owner of Morse Comics. He provides no-nonsense answers to what he sees. Most in the comic book industry would tell you that the most recent bomb offering was worth its weight in gold, but not this store. They were the first to tell me that things were cooling and that it was not good news. The name of the game would now be quantity and not one big sale.
Kill all Variants
Variants are losers for this store. They indicated that with so many offerings and how many books are needed to be purchased to obtain exclusives, it is just not economically viable to invest in variants. Every week some site has the next big things but they never say where the secondary and tertiary markets are for those books. Many will ultimately be sold at a loss. Instead, people should buy what they like. That may be the reason Hip Hop Variants are in demand.
Fill in the Gaps
DC comic gap buyers are re-emerging from their long hibernation and buying again. The key is that the price must be right. High-grade books are always in demand and sell at a premium, but the same cannot be said for other books. Mid to lower-grade books will not sell unless buyers feel they are getting a deal.
He pointed to his wall books and said he believed they were being offered at a fair price but drew very little interest. Instead, $5-$50 table books and Funko Pops and toys were hotter at the show.
Cosmic Comics
A New Old Source
Cosmic Comics' frontman is also part owner of Morse Comics. That does not mean their views are the same. In fact, after talking with both owners, it became apparent that they both saw things a little differently. That was great because these differences are what I wanted to know.
R.I.P. Investors
The mantra of the missing investor was repeated again at this booth. High-grade books are still a seller's market, but investors propped up other books. Their absence has made other mid to lower-grade books drop drastically in price. These books can languish on the shelf. He brought a nice personal copy of The New Teen Titans #2 (newsstand) in 9.2.
He had a price tag of $350 on it. It was a little higher than GoCollect's FMV of $270, but it still drew no interest at all. He also had a 9.6 Frankenstein #1 which he believed is an undervalued book. Again, it sat on the shelf drawing no looks.
More than Comics
Funko Pops and other pop culture items are what are selling. A wrestling title belt sold at this show because of the presence of various pro wrestlers. The extrapolation though was that vendors could make more money selling merchandise than comics. This is something that has been emerging among stores and at conventions. Movie viewers may love their characters, but that does not translate into comic book sales. Sometimes people who love the movie may not want to drop hundreds on a comic book.
State of Comics
The Horror
The cornerstone and sponsor of Astronomicon had altered their business plan. Instead of bringing a wide selection of comics they instead brought a few wall books. They sold an Amazing Spider-Man #300 at the start of the show and a raw #361 (Roughly 8.0) for $160 during the show but had very little interest in comics. The reason is that they saw a shift among buyers to pop culture toys.
Funko Pops were a big draw for them. Fans would drop more for a Funko Pop than they typically would do for a comic book. That did not mean comic book buyers were gone. It just meant it made more economic sense to focus on the biggest bang for their investment to attend the show.
Wise Words
Employee Jimmy Glick had some very insightful things to say about the overall state of the comic book market. He said, "Dealers must be dealers and not collectors." He stated that because prices were correcting themselves in this new market that dealers have a tendency to exist in a bubble. They keep their books artificially high in the hopes that they will sell at those old prices.
Instead of worrying about making sales they wanted to maximize their sales or just keep the item for a potential later sale. Items were meant to be sold and dealers who do not realize this would not make money. Instead, these retailers would be stuck with non-moving inventory that takes up space and costs the seller in the long term. A new wave is coming and people must realize it.
Final Analysis
Be Wary of the Movie Hype
The MCU and DC Comics film output is not an investing model anymore for many buyers. Poor quality has made investing on a hunch not wise. How many people who purchased Devil Dinosaur #1 believed that a cartoon would be in the cards? The GoCollect data shows that a 9.8 that regularly sold for around $350 now struggles to make $250.
Investors do not like those types of risks. As an estate planning attorney, I talk with peers whose clients invest in comics as an alternative investment. They are now getting out of these types of investments. The decline in the MCU and reboot of the DCEU is not a good sign to invest in comics based upon these properties.
Miles Not Even Safe
The short-term outlook also impacted Ultimate Fallout #4. Even after the live-action movie was announced as being in development, the price did not spike from the news. This book has long been praised as the next big thing. Miles Morales has been proclaimed as the Spider-Man for the next generation.
The problem is, no one told fans that buying the comic book would be important to that next generation. Older investors have long waited to dump all those books in hopes of receiving a big payday. That may not happen if there is not a large pool of buyers. Younger fans do not seem to want to buy this book for the price sellers want.
Disposable Income Choices
The problem for investors is that the younger generation may not be just into comics. There are many things younger consumers want to spend their money on. Many of these potential buyers are instead dropping hundreds and thousands of dollars on Funko Pops and other pop collectibles. Sellers cannot assume that a movie about Miles will translate into an interest in his comic books. Comic book buyers and sellers must realize that this is 2023 and things have changed.
Follow the Money
Do not buy the hype without doing the research. Wise hobbyists should start to look more closely at the sales data because things are changing. Buyers and their views are adapting to the new economic environment. High-end investors that once were seen at every event now rarely appear.
When they do appear they spend a lot less than they did in previous years. Collectors who once paid a premium for books to complete a run are now seeing deals. Think that is false?
Putting it to the Test
Experiments are fun. They let one test a hypothesis to see if what is believed is true. Bids were thus placed at an end-of-the-month June live auction. These bids were reduced vastly from what the going prices were just a few months ago. The targets were the first appearance of Deathstroke and of another minor Marvel character that usually sells at a premium. Insulting bids (what the bidder thought were way too low) were placed and not monitored at an auction house that regularly brings in good numbers for sellers.
The winning bids did not even maximize the amount of the insulting bid the person placed for the items. This journalist acted as a straw bidder to verify the data. When he informed the actual buyer that they won, they were shocked. They won every lot they placed an insulting bid on. Furthermore, they tracked other auctions that they placed an initial bid and what they would have submitted in a secondary insulting bid. These bids would have won almost all the auctions as well.
Conclusion
Comics are still selling. The reason prices may be dropping is that there may be lesser demand by investors. Missing-in-action flippers and short-term investors have left a void that is causing a decrease in price. Their absence has not been filled in by anyone, so deals are the result for some books.
Some books are still selling at a premium; others are drawing interest as the next hot thing. In the field, these appear to be Bronze Age horror titles. Silver and Gold Age horror books sell well, but these Bronze Age books are slowly gaining steam. They may be a value now but for how long is the question.
Thanks
I want to thank the staff of Astronomicon 6.5. Everyone there makes it a great event to attend for both attendees and the press. A special shout-out goes to Mike, who provides access to the event so that stories can emerge organically. He is always busy but still finds time to make the event a memorable one.
It should also be noted that many celebrities cancel for various reasons. They quickly announced that they would make it up to the attendees. Kevin Smith and the Astronomicon staff took it to the next level by putting on another show to make up for his prior absence. The hosts did a great job in a short span of time. If you can make it to Astronomicon 7.0 please do so. A few who read this column made the journey and were glad they did.
