Time to go missionary

[shaxper]

I've been watching Usagi's sales numbers for a while now over at CBG, and I've been disturbed by the continuing decline in sales. Over the past half year, Usagi dropped from 6000 copies to 5900, which (I suppose) isn't a big deal, but I'd really expected Usagi #100 to bring some new attention to the title. Instead, sales for #101 fell below the 5900 copies mark for the first time. What the heck?

I know Usagi is in no danger of being cancelled, but this trend is upsetting. Usagi has recieved all sort of new promotion over the past two years, especially as Albedo #2s have gone soaring up in price on ebay (and even getting a photo and article in last year's Overstreet Guide). Add to this the TMNT cartoon and previews cover, and I just don't get it.

We need to start spreading the good word in a far more dedicated way. It's time to start cornering customers at our local comic shops and talking the comic up. I know my local comic shop owner won't buy more than three copies of Usagi in any given month because he doesn't think they'll sell. He ordered a bunch of #100s (as a favor to me so I could get the poster) and even read the issue, but was turned off by the fact that it wasn't accessible to a new reader, so he stopped trying after that. Thus, he has not upped his order. I wonder if this is a typical attitude for shop owners.

Anyway, we need to do something. There's absolutely no reason that Usagi should be selling below 6,000 copies. In fact, with a little better exposure, I think he should be selling at least 15,000 copies an issue.

who's with me on this? Let's double our efforts!

[sschroeder]

I've been watching Usagi's sales numbers for a while now over at CBG, and I've been disturbed by the continuing decline in sales. Over the past half year, Usagi dropped from 6000 copies to 5900, which (I suppose) isn't a big deal, but I'd really expected Usagi #100 to bring some new attention to the title. Instead, sales for #101 fell below the 5900 copies mark for the first time. What the heck?

This should not be that surprising because sales for most ongoing titles are slowly sinking.

I know Usagi is in no danger of being cancelled, but this trend is upsetting.

Why are you so confident? The generally stable sales figures?

I always wonder if people who "switch to trades" really follow through and buy them.

Usagi has recieved all sort of new promotion over the past two years, especially as Albedo #2s have gone soaring up in price on ebay (and even getting a photo and article in last year's Overstreet Guide). Add to this the TMNT cartoon and previews cover, and I just don't get it.

I'm not sure how the price of Albedo # 2 is going to do anything for increasing readership of current issues of Usagi.

Unless the TMNT cartoon mentions the existence of the comic that might not help much either. And compared to a cartoon watched on television, a comic takes more effort and expense to acquire and read.

Previews is for existing comics fans who have probably already made up their mind on whether they will ever read Usagi, though I agree that should have helped at least a little more.

None of these things hurt anything, but I just don't see how they help too much.

I know my local comic shop owner won't buy more than three copies of Usagi in any given month because he doesn't think they'll sell. He ordered a bunch of #100s (as a favor to me so I could get the poster) and even read the issue, but was turned off by the fact that it wasn't accessible to a new reader, so he stopped trying after that. Thus, he has not upped his order. I wonder if this is a typical attitude for shop owners.

I think you'd have to agree that # 100 was not a typical issue of this series, so from the perspective to grabbing ongoing readers, it might not help much. If people liked it, they won't get any more of the same. If they didn't, they might not have the patience to return.

Now, selling a bunch more than usual of a higher price point comic would certainly be seen as a success by Dark Horse and the creator himself.

But # 100 comes out, and then no issue the next month. That had to dissipate some buzz as well. I noticed a couple of reviewers did not publish until closer to the release of # 101, which was a lucky break in terms of PR.

Anyway, we need to do something. There's absolutely no reason that Usagi should be selling below 6,000 copies. In fact, with a little better exposure, I think he should be selling at least 15,000 copies an issue.

who's with me on this? Let's double our efforts!

This site could use an easy to find and brief guide for new readers to the series under a link something like "Where to Start With Usagi." I know there is a sticky here on the board, but maybe something up on the main site in case some go there first. It has nearly everything else already!

Usagi can usually be read starting with any issue, but some are intimidated by the 20 trades that exist and don't believe that and are unwilling to just enjoy what you can from starting wherever and thus want to know how to start.

[estee]

If this title no longer appears on the shelf one Wednesday then I'm done with comics. Simple as that.

[Todd Shogun]

I agree, Jeff. I wonder what the print run has been for the UY Trades. I bet a lot of readers prefer buying and reading those over the single issues (recalling that recent poll we had here). I wonder if that's why the single issue print runs are not as high. But I agree, they should be over 10,000!

Another factor might be the international editions. But again, no idea what the print runs are overseas. More international editions means less interest in purchasing the US editions, which means less overseas orders. In fact, if you factor in the international editions, who knows, maybe there are over 15,000 issues being published? Not sure...

It is odd though, knowing that the current US issues have lower print runs than Albedo NR 3 and 4 (10,000 and 6,000 respectively). Those weren't even published at the height of the b&w boom (more like the beginning of it). That, combined with your reasoning, it's a mystery as to why the print run is so low. I am not yet convinced it's the trades until I see those print runs. Add to it:

1) There are more comic book fans today than there were in 1985
2) The internet has promoted UY's popularity
3) Stan has won countless awards for excellence and recognition as a creator and artist
4) DHC is not exactly what I would call "small press"
5) CGC (as much as I despise it) has revived the whole comic book speculation craze that plagued us back in the 80s.
6) eBay makes the issues easier to access, and has increased the value of many early issues (not just Albedo NR 2)

There's probably more reasons, but these alone should be reason enough for higher print runs...it's a paradox...

[Cosmo]

I don't worry too much for Usagi's future. Last Saturday, while shopping in my local supermarket, I was strolling around the frozen food department and I remarked a four or five-years-old brat who was reading an Usagi Yojimbo adventure (as published in MK+) and he actually seemed to enjoy it. He'll certainly ask for more.

If Dark Horse ever stops publishing Usagi (of which I doubt), I suppose Mr. Sakai can still emigrate to Europe. There's an incredible potential for comics here.

[sschroeder]

I wonder what the print run has been for the UY Trades.

I looked up the order numbers in the link from the first post.

Vol. 18 (Jun 2004): 2700
Art of... HC (Dec 2004): 1300
Vol. 19 (Jul 2005): 2600
Vol. 20 (Jul 2006): 2500

So these numbers are drifting down too.

Now, that doesn't necessarily tell the whole print run, and reorders would never be high enough to chart top 100 again, probably anyway. The same would go for the monthy comic as far as the top 300 goes.

It does look like the monthly sales did drop below 5900 already in Mar and Aug of 2006. Maybe a few copies shipped the next month and did not chart top 300? The orders for # 94 in June of 2006 seem very low at 4300, but maybe that's a mistake or part of the order shipped in another month and did not chart.

I didn't find the Art of... TPB. I may have missed that or perhaps it did not chart top 100, which would probably require some amount over 1000 copies.

The first issue of UY I bought was # 65 in March of 2003, which is about when the current data presentation started, and the figure for that was 7600, a drop off from 8200 the previous month. As of # 101 we are down to 5836.

The figure for # 100 was 8400, but it is too early to know if it garnered more readers as retailers would have ordered #101 already before getting feedback. We'll have to watch how the next few issues and the trade this summer sell to get a better idea. All the reprinting trades might not chart at all.

Another factor might be the international editions. But again, no idea what the print runs are overseas. More international editions means less interest in purchasing the US editions, which means less overseas orders. In fact, if you factor in the international editions, who knows, maybe there are over 15,000 issues being published? Not sure...

If people are waiting for international editions they are waiting a lot longer to get the story, and that means lower interest in UY. Now, I'm sure many people are reading UY translated for the first time, so that is a strong positive, if true.

1) There are more comic book fans today than there were in 1985

Not sure about that myself. Do you have figures to back that up?

2) The internet has promoted UY's popularity

Among comics fans who read about comics on the internet maybe. Lots of comics fans do not follow comics on the internet, hard as that is to believe at this point.

3) Stan has won countless awards for excellence and recognition as a creator and artist

Well, I'm sure we could count them.

[shaxper]

This site could use an easy to find and brief guide for new readers to the series under a link something like "Where to Start With Usagi." I know there is a sticky here on the board, but maybe something up on the main site in case some go there first. It has nearly everything else already!

Usagi can usually be read starting with any issue, but some are intimidated by the 20 trades that exist and don't believe that and are unwilling to just enjoy what you can from starting wherever and thus want to know how to start.

As much as I like this idea, I wonder if forcing new readers to post their queries to the Dojo (and therefore get to know us) isn't a more valuable experience.


Todd, some great thoughts you're putting out.

I was toying with these ideas all of last night and began to wonder if the drop off (which has been happening gradually for the better part of a decade now), is the fans that came in for Grasscutter and Grasscutter II. Perhaps they're not able to appreciate the subtle developments happening in Usagi's world if they aren't portrayed in one major story arc. Though I have absolutely no complaints with Usagi's current direction (I actually think it gets better with almost every issue), Usagi is overdue for another major story arc. The Treasure of the Mother of Mountains wasn't quite on the level of Grasscutter, Grasscutter II, Circles, or the Dragonbellows Conspiracy. Perhaps the cursory fans need to see more of these stories to keep Usagi's world fresh and interesting for them.

Then again, I'm grasping at straws here.

[Trevis Woods]

I personally got started a couple years ago by purchasing a trade with some extra Christmas money. I had seen a little article or ad in Wizard probably and decided to start with the Grasscutter TPB. I was not confused with anything in fact I was amazed at the amount of detail and history that Stan included in the trade to help support the story. By next Christmas I had all 19 trades and had to start buying the single issues because I couldn't wait for anymore trades to catch up.

I tell my friends each month that they should pick it up and just leave it at that. I do let them know about the dojo and how fantastic it is that Stan actually interacts with his fans. He has answered every question I had and even blessed me with a sweet birthday present this year.

The truth is that society is so brainwashed into all the popular or big name stuff that they will always miss the great things out there on the edge. Such as Usagi, Bone, TMNT, Mouse Guard, Samurai Jack, and even TV shows like Buffy/Angel, Alias, or Veronica Mars. The fact that some of these things are not big time helps preserve their uniqueness and makes them more special. Not that Usagi would change if he hit the big time but a bigger audience would bring with it more criticism and more of a desire to be wowed on a monthly basis. LOST is a good example of this. It started out small and as it got bigger people have just trashed it because they expect it to be like other brainless big name stuff on TV. They want to be spoon fed their entertainment. Even comic book movies fall in this catagory because Hollywood is not happy with leaving them as is, they have to make them "appeal" to a mass market to make more money.

Future readers will eventually seek it out because they are looking for something "better" and more satisfying. That is what happened to me.

[Ben]

Though I have absolutely no complaints with Usagi's current direction (I actually think it gets better with almost every issue), Usagi is overdue for another major story arc. The Treasure of the Mother of Mountains wasn't quite on the level of Grasscutter, Grasscutter II, Circles, or the Dragonbellows Conspiracy.

The upcoming Jei saga (beginning this month) could well be the next "Grasscutter". We'll see.

Hopefully, we can expect some major shake-ups in the UY universe with Jei's return to the spotlight.

[Cosmo]

As much as I like this idea, I wonder if forcing new readers to post their queries to the Dojo (and therefore get to know us) isn't a more valuable experience.

Well, joining the Dojo is certainly a valuable experience, but it's a leap most new readers won't do so easily. Especially when the forum is entirely devoted to one comic book, when 95% of the members are long-time initiated people.

Forcing them to post queries on the Dojo simply won't work. People who look for basic information on UY will almost never consult the official site. They will rather search on Wikipedia, or on comics-specialized sites.

Then, if what they've found about UY convinces them, they'll buy (or not) one issue, then another, then the TPBs.

And if they really enjoy these readings and wish to share their thoughts and experiences with other fans, then they'll enter the Dojo.

Believe me, the last step is the hardest one. I'm sure there are lots of great Usagi fans who never, ever come here. Only because they don't feel like they need to.

[sschroeder]

Recent sales estimates:
UY 102: 5,944
UY 103: 5,991
UY 104: 6,047
Vol. 21: 2,789

Source:
http://www.cbgxtra.com/Default.aspx?tabid=2289
http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/ ... i?id=11752


So, it looks like a slight uptick to me.

[Ben]

My theory: The average buyer casually spots the cover for an issue of USAGI YOJIMBO on the shelves and thinks to himself, "Oh, a comic book about a samurai bunny. Looks great for the kids," and promptly picks up his issue of SPAWN instead.

Ironic, no?

[ethanextravaganza]

It seems that this title spreads espiecaly well by word of mouth. I never noticed it until my science teacher reccomended it.

[morna-san]

over at CBR there's been a vote for the top 50 cartoonists and Stan just showed up at #14

http://forums.comicbookresources.com/sh ... p?t=188993

woo hoo!

discussion is on a separate thread:

http://forums.comicbookresources.com/sh ... p?t=187121

[MikeM]

My theory: The average buyer casually spots the cover for an issue of USAGI YOJIMBO on the shelves and thinks to himself, "Oh, a comic book about a samurai bunny. Looks great for the kids," and promptly picks up his issue of SPAWN instead.

Ironic, no?

Does anybody really pick up Spawn anymore?

I have gotten a couple of people at my local comic shop picking up Usagi.

MikeM