The Evolution of the American Comic Book Industry: Are We Entering the Third Wave?

Authors

  • David Palmer University of Nebraska at Kearney

Keywords:

Comic book industry, Entertainment, business development, industry study

Abstract

Since its origins in the 1930s, the comic book industry has been a part of American popular culture. The industry itself can be thought of as having existed in three distinct waves. Wave one describes the industry from its beginnings, with a focus on mass distribution supporting high volume sales of an inexpensively priced product. Wave two is defined by a niche approach narrowly focusing on a target audience of committee fans and collectors. A nascent wave three drien by technological forces (e.g. internet) may augur further changes for the industry.

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Published

2010-12-14

Issue

Section

ABR Journal Articles