National Comic Book Day Celebrates a Favorite Pastime and Lucrative Industry
The Experts at Dallas Fan Days Talk Comics
DALLAS (Sept. 22, 2016) – Every year on Sept. 25, comic book readers, collectors, lovers and fans celebrate National Comic Book Day. Comic books – are they a hobby, a pastime, a casual form of entertainment? Try a billion dollar a year industry and a powerful consumer market. According to the latest estimate by ICV2 and Comichron, total comics and graphic novel sales in North America hit $1.03 billion in 2015, the first year for the industry to ever hit over a billion dollars in sales. Comic books are no longer just a cultural experience; they are an economic powerhouse.
At first thought, comic books may not be considered a largely sought-after product; however, the demand for their colorful pages and fascinating stories continues to climb. Sales in 2014 were up 8 percent from 2013, and 2015 sales were up 10 percent from 2014. As traditional fans of the comic book age and are now adults, the primary purchasers of comic books are adults between the ages of 25 and 44 according to ICV2 – individuals who have more disposable income to spend on a treasured form of entertainment. Their deep-seated love for comics is elevating the industry.
“Comic books have continued to become a cultural unifier,” says Andrew Moyes, show director of Dallas Fan Days™. “People all over the world can connect over their love and passion for comic books, and we see that at our conventions year after year.”
Whether it’s nostalgia or excitement over new superhero movies and TV shows, fans are showing their love for the comic book industry.
“At conventions across the country, we have seen an influx of new faces that have only been exposed to these comic characters through the movies, and the attendance has swelled to record numbers because of it. In stores, we have seen older customers who had stopped collecting or reading coming back in to catch up,” says Andy McMahon, owner of Duncanville Bookstore, a shop that offers a range of comic books, graphic novels, games, toys and action figures. “The DFW area has a large number of people still trying to collect every issue of a series. Because the DFW area is so diverse, our customers are willing to branch out and try new titles, which is nice to see because there are some great non-superhero titles being produced right now.”
Dallas Fan Days – one of the best comics, sci-fi, horror, anime and gaming events in Texas and set to return Oct. 14-16, 2016, at the Irving Convention Center – will host comic guests such as: Neal Adams, Brandon Peterson, Jim Calafiore, Ty Templeton, Joe Eisma, Jeremy Clark, Sam de la Rosa, Ben Dunn, Steve Erwin, Scott Harben, Mike Krome, Andrew Mangum, Danita Mangum, Jason Metcalf, Ande Parks, Lawrence Reynolds, Marlin Snoop, K.T. Smith, Shaun Steven Struble and Jamie Tyndall.
For the full list of appearances and family-friendly activities, tickets and other information, please visit www.dallascomiccon.com. Stay connected with the show for announcements and updates by registering for their newsletter, and following them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For vendor information, please click here. Those interested in volunteering can find more information here. Accredited media can request press passes by applying for accreditation at http://dallascomiccon.com/press/.
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