IDW Comics - Meta Discussion

August’s comic sales numbers are out.  
MLP #69 (Pinkie Pie and the Golden Apple, drawn by Pencils) sold 8,608 copies. (Bummer, but at least one of those sales was mine.)  
Ponyville Mysteries #4 sold 6,453 copies.
 
Also, I’ll leave this here.  

At this point I’m convinced that IDW mostly survives on its digital and trade paperback sales (since those aren’t usually accounted for when talking about comic sales for reasons I don’t understand).

@Jarkes  
Isn’t that how most comics companies survive now, unless they’re producing movies?

@Ardashir
 
I guess.

@Jarkes  
I’ve been hearing for a few years now that comics just don’t seem to sell any more.

September’s comic sales are out.
 
MLP: FiM #70 (X-treme Bingo) sold 8,232 copies.  
Ponyville Mysteries #5 sold 6,237 copies.  
MLP: Art is Magic #2 sold 591 copies. (Ouch!)
 
So that’s that.

@Ardashir
 
Yeah, it’s not just IDW. Even the bigger comic companies are struggling.

@Jarkes  
True though at this point Marvel and DC can afford to take a bath on their comics, and let them be badly written; their real money is in the films and the merchandising. Sometimes I think they just keep the comics going for the sake of holding on to copyright.

@Ardashir
 
Most comic companies also get way more money from trade editions and digital sales these days, but those are never actually counted in sales statistics.

@Jarkes  
Why not? It seems odd of them to do that.

@Ardashir
 
Fuck if I know.

@Jarkes  
Even Marvel.
 
Their movies might be very successful but not for the comics.

@Anonycat  

 
Didn’t even know that existed.

Comic publishers are doing fine actually. Sales list only count Diamond sales not digital or international. And even without that sales are up from 4% from this time last year.
 
Also kids books survive more on trade paperback sales via book stores these days.
 
The only problem facing comics now are hate groups like Comicsgate/Dnc.
 
 
But yes obviously big publishers like DC & Marvel make more $$$ off of Movies & TV cause those are more mainstream businesses.

@Background Pony #3F17
 
Yeah, as I understand it, the Diamond sales have kind of a monopoly on this stuff.

@Jarkes  

 
Pretty much. They stick to an outdated model that just makes it a pain for everyone and really keeps the industry from reaching it’s full potential in terms of sales/distribution.

October’s sales are out.
 
MLP: FiM #71 (“Happy Haunts”, with the Student 6) sold 8,296 copies.  
MLP: Nightmare Knights #1 (Luna assembling an anti-hero squad to save dream Celestia because I DON’T KNOW!) sold 8,242 copies.
 
At least it hasn’t fallen lower than that.

@Background Pony #3F17  
… DNC?
 
And seriously, why are we talking about Comicsgate?

So apparently a comic is coming out that comes out and says all of the Mane 6 are in their 20’s since it’s taking place 20 years in the past when they’re kids.
 
https://www.equestriadaily.com/2018/10/new-my-little-pony-idw-2020-one-shot.html

@MadVillain  
Good for them.

@PonyPon  
It feels weird to finally get an approximation of their ages like 8+ years after the series starts. Also this means Spike would be at least in the late teens… and I really don’t know how I feel about that.

November’s comic sales are out.
 
MLP: FiM #72 (Applejack trying to recreate her Mom’s secret pie recipe) sold 8,410 comics.  
Nightmare Knights #2 sold 6,903 comics.

@Anonycat  
Nightmare Knights deserves so much more attention than it gets.

@Itsthinking  
Let’s be honest: a nonsensic plot and Tony Fleecs’ art are major turn offs for some paying readers.  
Yes, I know that some people immediately will come running to claim they have no problems and in fact, adore the story & Tony Fleecs’ art, but a 1,639 drop isn’t something that can be ignored or rationalized anymore.
 
I would have liked to see Price or Hickey’s art used here, by the way. The story still would have been nonsensic but at least the illustrations wouldn’t look like paper cutouts as it’s the usual with Fleecs’ art.

@Anonycat  
Quick question, how many of these comics have you bought yourself?