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Joe Nicklo and his distinctive venture, Surviving Comics: The Documentary, explores an necessary query: Can the comedian e-book business survive one other 100 years?
The Beat caught up with Nicklo to study extra concerning the documentary and the work that went into the venture, who they visited, what impressed him to take action, and most significantly how he plans to showcase the resilience of comedian e-book retail!
DIEGO HIGUERA: What impressed you to embark on the journey of making Surviving Comics The Documentary?
JOE NICKLO: In 2023, a variety of manufacturing corporations, massive and small, appeared to endure. I don’t perceive why, however a variety of corporations have been struggling getting work. We have been a kind of. Our gross sales, our income was greater than lower in half, we took an enormous hit.
So as a substitute of simply sitting there and doing nothing and crying about it, we wished to make one thing. We, my buddy Matt and I, he’s a director, and we’ve labored on a variety of initiatives collectively. We have been like, “Let’s do a documentary. let’s fund ourselves, we’ll begin off small and simply see the place it goes.” We initially have been simply going to do, like, a few comedian e-book outlets in Florida.
From there, it simply began to show into one thing greater and greater and greater. I bear in mind being on a flight to Lengthy Seashore, to movie a venture on the market, and I bear in mind being on the flight and I used to be watching another comedian e-book documentaries. I stated to myself, we will positively carry a extra cinematic really feel to it, proper? As a result of if folks appear to understand all of the MCU motion pictures and the standard that they’ve, I feel that we might sort of carry perhaps that type of degree of manufacturing, some extra cinematic really feel, extra cinematic look to a comic book e-book documentary. You’ve seen one million comedian e-book documentaries the place they use Comedian Sans and wham, bam, bam, like Nineteen Sixties Batman, so we simply wish to you already know, initially we simply wished to carry, like, a special vibe in direction of that, you already know, a comic book e-book doc.
However then, the extra we begin speaking to comedian store homeowners, the extra we understand that the business is definitely not as steady as we thought it was, from an outsider, proper? I’ve by no means owned a comic book store, proper? I’ve gone to so a lot of them to purchase all my books, you already know, from an area store, however I’ve by no means understood that, you understand how a lot really went into retaining a comic book e-book store alive. That’s simply the story, simply saved rising and rising and rising from there.
Then we realized that we acquired to exit of state. We went to Atlanta, we went to New York. And we sort of stopped there. We filmed a number of outlets, a number of outlets in Florida, a number of outlets in New York, and one in Atlanta. Then the extra we began posting it on social media, we began getting folks saying, it’s best to come to this store in Massachusetts, Las Vegas, it’s best to go right here, it’s best to go there. Everybody’s saying, we should always go to all these totally different locations. That’s after we realized that this might be one thing a lot greater.
HIGUERA: May you present extra perception into the central theme that this documentary goals to discover in regards to the resilience of comedian e-book outlets?
NICKLO: I wished to indicate that comedian e-book outlets are a significant a part of not simply American tradition, however all over the world actually. However, the comedian e-book store is extra of an American-born factor, proper? I simply wish to present how necessary it’s to our tradition.
It’s a spot of excellent, proper? There’s so many good issues that come from comedian e-book outlets, particularly in a time the place everyone seems to be on their telephones. There have been a variety of outlets we went to the place persons are taking part in card video games collectively. They’re taking part in Magic and Pokémon, they’re doing e-book golf equipment, they’re studying books, they’re hanging out, they’re speaking. The persons are socializing! Persons are speaking face-to-face and never on their telephones, you already know? It’s only a actually enormous half.
If comedian e-book outlets go away, the place are these folks gonna go? They’re gonna return, you already know, on-line. It’s like a giant ecosystem. Think about this ecosystem disappearing as a result of the outlets can’t keep in enterprise. Hire is uncontrollable, however one other factor too is that we preserve listening to time and again, is that Marvel and DC usually are not listening. They’re not speaking in any respect.
Virtually like a sense of abandonment from Marvel and DC, which is unhappy contemplating that the comedian books, comedian outlets helped them be what they’re at the moment. Like there could be none of those motion pictures with out these outlets, proper?
HIGUERA: What challenges do comedian e-book store homeowners face in at the moment’s market, and the way do these challenges evaluate to these of the previous?
NICKLO: There’s principally a lot, however there’s a variety of competitors with on-line, whether or not it’s Amazon, different retailers, and even Marvel and DC promoting their comedian books on-line. So there’s the digital factor, then there’s third-party sellers which can be promoting on eBay however one other factor too, is that Marvel and DC simply aren’t listening. They’re not placing out tales which can be resonating with the broader viewers.
HIGUERA: May you share some insights or anecdotes out of your interviews with comedian e-book store homeowners thus far? What are some widespread themes or tales which have emerged?
NICKLO: Widespread themes – “Marvel & DC aren’t speaking with us (the store proprietor).” One other widespread theme is that outlets must be open-minded to outlive. Which means being prepared to promote different merchandise like TCG’s, Pops, and so on. to get folks within the door. One different is that almost all (however not all) of the store homeowners don’t assume brick & mortar outlets will absolutely disappear anytime quickly. For essentially the most half, they’re very optimistic of their possibilities at survival.
One ultimate widespread theme is that customer support and making private connections is paramount to a store doing properly. This is smart, and may seem to be a no brainer however some store homeowners could not perceive this.
HIGUERA: What function do comedian e-book outlets play in preserving the comedian e-book medium and its cultural significance?
NICKLO: I feel, let’s face it, if comedian e-book outlets did disappear, folks would nonetheless purchase comedian books, however a giant a part of the tradition is principally sharing what you take pleasure in with another person.
You possibly can nonetheless get that on-line, however you possibly can’t get it on a private degree. I really feel like there’s nonetheless a disconnect. Like, you possibly can discuss it however I really feel like comedian books, comedian outlets, they simply supply a spot for folks to assemble and be collectively to share this medium.
I imply, I feel there’s one thing concerning the pleasure of going and selecting up a e-book in particular person. To not point out searching by books, the hunt everybody retains speaking about! Collectors at all times speak concerning the hunt. I feel it simply provides that private contact that you wouldn’t get on-line.
HIGUERA: How do you propose to showcase the resilience of comedian e-book retail all through the a long time in your documentary?
NICKLO: By telling the tales of profitable outlets that aren’t solely thriving however even rising. We’re interviewing the proprietor of Coliseum of Comics who simply opened one other retailer. He has over a dozen in Florida!
We interviewed one other store proprietor, Rick Shea of Well-known Faces & Funnies who not too long ago purchased a second retailer and it’s doing rather well. One other retailer we featured is contemplating opening one other retailer.
One factor I wished to say, as we proceed manufacturing, we may also be talking to comedian followers/collectors to get their insights and we’re TRYING to line up some creators and former publishers.
Mainly, we would like this to be essentially the most complete documentary on comedian e-book outlets ever.
Lastly, I wished to notice that despite the fact that our first wave of promoting has been focused solely at comedian e-book followers, we hope to inform this story to basic audiences…non-fans/readers to allow them to perhaps turn out to be followers of the style, go to their native store.
The identical approach Netflix had “Drive To Survive” introduce Formulation 1 to a horde of latest followers, we hope to do the identical for comics by getting this doc on one of many main streaming platforms.
Study extra about Surviving Comics: The Documentary and the Indiegogo marketing campaign right here!
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