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The economics of the modern American comic book market

Author

Listed:
  • Jerry Hionis

    (Widener University)

  • YoungHa Ki

    (Widener University)

Abstract

Since the 1930s, comic books in America have risen to be an important component in the market of entertainment goods and services. This paper presents a holistic economic analysis of the modern American comic book industry in recent years, from the creation of the artwork, to its distribution system and, ultimately, the sale to the consumer. Using distributor data from 2005 to 2017, our analysis shows that while the industry has seen its share of booms-and-busts, the profitability of licensing, advertising, growing market concentration, and a steady readership has caused the industry to consistently grow, albeit at a slow pace, since its decline in the 1990s. Further, it is discovered that publisher “special events” and the recent rise in comic book-based films has had little to no effect on comic book sales within the American market.

Suggested Citation

  • Jerry Hionis & YoungHa Ki, 2019. "The economics of the modern American comic book market," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 43(4), pages 545-578, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jculte:v:43:y:2019:i:4:d:10.1007_s10824-018-9333-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10824-018-9333-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. John Wyburn & Paul Roach, 2012. "An hedonic analysis of American collectable comic-book prices," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 36(4), pages 309-326, November.
    2. Paulo Brito & Carlos Barros, 2005. "Learning-by-Consuming and the Dynamics of the Demand and Prices of Cultural Goods," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 29(2), pages 83-106, May.
    3. John Wyburn & Paul Alun Roach, 2013. "A System Dynamics Model of the American Collectable Comic Book Market," International Journal of System Dynamics Applications (IJSDA), IGI Global, vol. 2(1), pages 37-58, January.
    4. Vogel,Harold L., 2015. "Entertainment Industry Economics," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107075290, February.
    5. Glen Norcliffe & Olivero Rendace, 2003. "New Geographies of Comic Book Production in North America: The New Artisan, Distancing, and the Periodic Social Economy," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 79(3), pages 241-263, July.
    6. Becker, Gary S & Murphy, Kevin M, 1988. "A Theory of Rational Addiction," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 96(4), pages 675-700, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kaiser, Franziska & Cuntz, Alexander & Peukert, Christian, 2023. "Batman forever? The role of trademarks for reuse in the US comics industry," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(8).
    2. Alexander Cuntz & Franziska Kaiser, 2020. "Batman forever? The economics of overlapping rights," WIPO Economic Research Working Papers 61, World Intellectual Property Organization - Economics and Statistics Division.

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