Comic Books

What if we lived an illustrated life? What if everyone had thought bubbles over their head? Or if being saved by a super hero was part of the daily grind? The universe as we know it is a boring place if you are used to living in the Marvel or DC universes. Marvel and DC are the two major comic book distributors in the U.S. and both have created worlds where "normal" people can escape, combat villains and team up with superheroes. To the untrained eye, a comic book reader may not seem any different than a typical human being, but just like the heroes in the comics they read, looks can be deceiving. "Usually, a man will carry pictures of his wife and family in his wallet," said Peter Marshall, manager of Utah Books and Magazine. "I knew a man that had pictures of Superman in his wallet. I really think he believes there is a Dr. Strange. I get some odd characters." Marshall has been in the comic book business for 43 years and has seen many different comic book fans over his lifetime. By the time Marshall was 16 years old, he had a personal collection of 300,000 comic books. Now he has a modest collection of 40,000. Marshall said he realizes that readers have a certain reputation of being "comic geeks." When asked why this is, he had a simple response: "I don't know." With releases of blockbuster movies like "X-Men," "Spiderman" and "Superman," it seems comic book characters are becoming popular with the general public. One must wonder how this is affecting the industry that gave birth to these characters who have become a significant part of American culture. Although many people might think comics are not for them, Mike Justice said he believes otherwise. He is the assistant manager at Night Flight, a comic book store in Salt Lake, and spends 15 to 20 hours a week reading comics. "If you think the movies are cool," Justice said, "read the comics and see why they made a movie out of him [Superman]." Comic books are an American icon. Since the mid 1930s, comic books and characters have been the source of ideas for TV cartoons, video games, movies, even the print on your little brother's pajamas. During the 40s and 50s, they were a significant part of many American children's pastimes. But just like any industry, comic books have had their ups and downs. Patricio Ortega is the manager of The Bookshelf in Ogden. He said that in 1982 there were about 52 comic book titles available, and now there are more than 1,000. "Before 1994, I used to sell about 10,000 a month," Ortega said. "Then comic book collecting collapsed, and we sold about 2,500 a month." Ortega said that from 1994 to 2000 there was a slow decline in comic book sales all over the nation. According to Ortega, one major competitor of comic books was, and is, video games. They generally attract the same audience. With hundreds of different titles emerging all the time, all with different story lines, the industry itself seemed to be it's own challenge. Peter Marshall from Utah Books and Magazine said he believes that when so many independent companies emerged, it drove the industry down. Weber State University student Seth Magers used to read comics when he was a kid. Just like many comic book fans, he lost interest during the 90s. Now, he said he has a renewed interest. "My favorite artist is Todd McFarland," Magers said. "He is from Tooele." Part of his renewed interest in comics has to do with the new series "Civil War," where superheroes in the Marvel Universe, such as Spiderman, X-Men and Fantastic Four, are all involved in a civil war against each other. "Civil War" is the best seller at Night Flight, selling 240,000 copies an issue. There will be seven issues for the series, and with typically 30 pages per issue, it's the equivalent of reading a kid's chapter book. Comic books are on the rise again and attempting to expand their audiences, at least in the U.S. According to Ortega, in countries like Japan, they have been kept alive and characters are "superstars." The Japanese comics have evolved into a different style called "Manga" that has become very popular in its element. Graphic novels are becoming a more popular format for comics. Instead of buying each separate issue they are compiled into larger books with several issues in one. According to Justice, "Blankets" by Craig Thompson is a true graphic novel. It is a coming of age story released all in one edition, about 100 pages with chapters. And, of course, where would a business be if it didn't join the world online? Howard Tayler is the maker of Schlock Mercenary, an online comic. It was started June 2000 and now has 20,000 to 40,000 readers every day. In an interview, Tayler said that the biggest challenge is your audience is limited to those who only read online. In terms of competition, there are about 5,000 Web site comics. Whether you enjoy reading illustrated stories of fantastic battles or would rather stick to conquering your own challenges in reality, one should find a comic suited to them. "I believe there is a comic book for everybody," said Mike Justice, "even if you don't generally like comics." A recent Archie comic centers on a trip to Salt Lake City and features the Salt Lake City Library and even the Night Flight store with Justice as a character. This issue, along with a release of a "Golden Plates" comic of The Book of Mormon, seems to attempt to reach the Utah audience. Mike Justice said that one thing that bugs him most is when customers tell their kids not to touch anything in the store. "Comic books are meant to be enjoyed, they are not just collectors items," said Justice, "they should be rolled up in your back pocket and read."

To contact reporter Molly Bennett call 626-7105.