Are print comics dead? Is digital distribution the only future of comic strips?

@Shanny8 Shan Nabors
Tue, 05 Jul 2016 11:48:03 +0000

@Shanny8 wrote:

In spite of magazines & newspaper sales going down, printed comics have sold pretty well. In fact the sales of printed comics have risen within the last few years(it seems digital sales may have plateaued for a spell). The fact that comics have expanded into many diff formats & genres have helped print stay alive(not to forget collected editions and graphic novels as well).

I see this as a good thing coz it would possibly be a nightmare if the whole print market crashed and everyone- professional and independent, had to make a living selling digital.

Now for a starting independent artist- digital sales/distribution is a more viable means of getting their work looked at by and sold to an audience, as how print is/can be costly. But if you have the opportunity to get a table at a con then selling printed material helps- especially if you make a printed collection of your digital material. Some fans of your work may enjoy the digital stuff, but also want a printed copy as an investment in you...you may also find new readers who discover your comics through print and continue to follow you via digital.

The door swings both ways...you just have to figure out how to make it work for you.