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Tilting at Windmills

By , Staff Writer |

Tilting at Windmills

RECENT COLUMNS

In Search of Greener Grass Thu, December 15th, 2011

Brian Hibbs examines the idea that comics can turn the corner and find a greater audience, as well as the problem of "waiting for the trade" from the perspective of retailers and publishers.

Is Digital the "Ultimate" Future? Thu, November 17th, 2011

Brian Hibbs examines Month 3 of DC Comics' New 52 titles, day-and-date digital release snafus and Marvel's decision to add "free" digital copies to its "Ultimate Comics" lineup.

Examining DC's New 52: Month 2 Thu, October 20th, 2011

Brian examines the second month of DC's New 52, the impact of digital exclusivity on brick and mortar retailers, and some potentially underhanded tactics by a major publisher.

If You Print It, They Will Come Thu, September 22nd, 2011

Brian Hibbs examines the DC relaunch now that the first 3 weeks of New 52 titles have arrived, focusing on reigniting reader interest and problems with the current business model.

DC Comics, comiXology & Comic Stores Thu, August 25th, 2011

Brian Hibbs takes a close look at the details in DC Comics and comiXology's digital storefront FAQ and is not at all pleased by what he discovers.

Thu, July 14th, 2011

Selling trade paperbacks is like printing money for comic stores, right? Brian Hibbs explains why that's not really the case and why publishers should probably be cutting back on the collections.

#1 Could be the Loneliest Number Thu, June 9th, 2011

Is 52 the magic number? Brian Hibbs is back with an in-depth look at DC Comics' September relaunch and how it all fits in to the modern-day realities of the Direct Market.

The Self-Strangulation of the Direct Market Fri, May 20th, 2011

Brian Hibbs looks at how the combination of an economic depression combined with publishers' over-production and poor scheduling is slowly strangling the life from the Direct Market.

Lessons From Comic Relief & Borders Thu, March 24th, 2011

Brian Hibbs looks at the lessons to be learned from what happened to Comic Relief in the wake of Rory Root's passing, plus what the current Borders crisis illustrates about the benefits of buying locally.

Wed, February 9th, 2011

The time has arrived for the annual TILTING AT WINDMILLS analysis of the sales numbers for graphic novels in the bookstore market, and the 201 numbers hold a number of surprises as Brian goes more in depth than ever.

Thu, January 20th, 2011

This month, Brian Hibbs discusses Patton Oswalt's recent Geek Culture rant/dissertation, deciding the actor didn't go far enough, especially with regards to the role of today's day comics industry in pop culture.

Thu, December 16th, 2010

Brian Hibbs is at it again this month with a look at 2010 sales figures, an examination of "deconstructed" storytelling, the effect of event comics and rising prices on periodical sales and more.

Fri, November 12th, 2010

Brian Hibbs returns this month with a look at the sales of "Superman Earth One," JMS' announced move to OGN and self-contained, shorter stories, predictions of the death of the monthly periodical and more.

Thu, October 14th, 2010

Brian Hibbs weighs in on the recent price rollbacks announced by Marvel and DC Comics while also delving deep into the issue of shipping schedules, accurate solicitation information and more.

Thu, September 9th, 2010

Brian Hibbs is back this month with some potentially dire observations regarding comic book sales numbers based on data culled from his San Francisco-based store, years of experience and his personal observations.

Thu, July 15th, 2010

Brian Hibbs returns this month with news about a meeting DC Comics held for retailers in the wake of their digital comics announcement, leaving Hibbs feeling cautiously optimistic about the publisher's plans.

Thu, June 17th, 2010

Brian Hibbs is back with more on digital comics, this time focusing on the current debate over Day-and-Date releases, what they would mean to the comic book industry as a whole and why slow and cautious is the way to go.

Thu, May 13th, 2010

Brian Hibbs takes a look at the emerging digital comics market, likening it to the newsstands of old and explaining how - if done properly - sales of digital comics can help boost the bottom line of comic book stores.

Wed, March 31st, 2010

TILTING AT WINDMILLS arrives a few weeks early due to Brian Hibbs' excitement at a great weekend-long ComicsPRO event that saw a Robert Kirkman keynote address, DC Comics dialoguing with retailers and much more!

Fri, March 19th, 2010

In the latest edition of TILTING AT WINDMILLS, Brian Hibbs poses the question "Are publishers trying to kill the periodical comic?" and offers up examples of why it's worth asking in light of modern market realities.

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