Short 2000 AD questionnaire - opinions wanted!

MacabreMagpie · 29 April, 2009, 06:23:38 PM

Hello fellow earthlets,

I'm currently writing a case study about 2000 AD, based around the question of "how has it maintained its popularity?" I'm looking for long-term fans (preferrably anyone who has been reading for atleast 5 years, though I'll accept all comers. Just be sure to let me know if you're a long-timer or a newbie) to answer a very short collection of questions to form a part of my study. They are found below. Not all the questions may be answerable by everyone because they were originally written for people "within the business" but I wanted to get a grasp of fan views as well.

You can either message me your answers or leave them here - either way please leave a name (if you don't then i'll just call you by your username in the report) and how long you've been reading 2000 AD.

Cheers!

Paul

Questions:

How do you think 2000 AD has progressed over the last decade?

Do you think that the target audience has changed much since it's debut in 1977?

How big an impact would you say that the comics ventures into movies, video games and crossovers published as graphic novels (such as Dredd Vs Aliens) on attracting new fans?

How do you think 2000 AD has reacted to trends in other media such as movies in recent history? (eg 'vs' films, fantasy etc)

What do you think that 2000 AD does best?

What do you think 2000 AD doesn't do too well?

How do you think that 2000 AD has maintained it's popularity when considering that it has some of the lowest sales figures currently in the british comic scene? (according to figures published by Audit Bureau of Circulations)

I, Cosh · 29 April, 2009, 06:32:12 PM

Hi Paul.

I'll be happy to answer your questions, but I'd be interested to know what the purpose of your case study/report is first.

Cheers, Pete.

MacabreMagpie · 29 April, 2009, 06:36:04 PM

Sorry, I forgot to mention that part. It's just a Uni assignment, not going to be published or anything.

brendan1 · 30 April, 2009, 12:04:07 PM

Quote from: "macabremag"How do you think that 2000 AD has maintained it's popularity when considering that it has some of the lowest sales figures currently in the british comic scene? (according to figures published by Audit Bureau of Circulations)

Hahahahahahaha!

Colin YNWA · 30 April, 2009, 05:42:50 PM

Well just went to have a quick play on the Aubit Bureau of Circulation's website to see if this provided me with an answer to my age old question of whats 2000ad circulation. While my failure to succeed might be down to my own incompetence it might also be down to the fact that the site still has 2000ad being published by Ergmont/Fleetway and the data I found was for 2000/2001.

Is this just me or is this site hard to use?

Jim_Campbell · 30 April, 2009, 06:41:24 PM

Quote from: "Colin_YNWA"Is this just me or is this site hard to use?

Nope. There hasn't been an ABC for 2000AD's circulation since about 2000 and -- IIRC -- that was estimated.

Cheers!

Jim

MacabreMagpie · 01 May, 2009, 02:10:34 PM

The results I found were for 2006/2007/2008, and it's listed by Rebellion.

http://www.downthetubes.net/resources/c ... sales.html

I also saw the 20,000 figure somewhere else, I think it was on the IGN.com article.

SmallBlueThing · 01 May, 2009, 02:27:09 PM

Quote from: "macabremag"The results I found were for 2006/2007/2008, and it's listed by Rebellion.

http://www.downthetubes.net/resources/c ... sales.html

I also saw the 20,000 figure somewhere else, I think it was on the IGN.com article.

That link mentions 20,000 and says

"2000AD (Rebellion)
Estimate based on discussion with other companies. This is probably generous. 2000AD suffers from too many "invisibles" - editions put away by newsagents for regular orders - so it doesn't have huge news stand exposure."

Which I don't understand. They, what? basically asked Panini and DC Thompson what they thought 2000ad sells? And because people like to reserve it, newsagents don't put it onto the shelves? "Hmm- three people like this enough to have a regular order, so obviously nobody else who comes in our shop would possibly ever like it enough to just buy it"? Is that the logic?

And people wonder why the UK economy is in such a bad state. Isn't 2000ad sale or return these days? What's to stop a newsagent stocking twenty copies and putting them on display- on the grounds that sheeple will consume what they perceive to be "popular"?

I am ranting. I apologise. Deep breaths.

Steev

MacabreMagpie · 01 May, 2009, 02:31:38 PM

Quote from: "SpookyTheCat"Which I don't understand. They, what? basically asked Panini and DC Thompson what they thought 2000ad sells? And because people like to reserve it, newsagents don't put it onto the shelves? "Hmm- three people like this enough to have a regular order, so obviously nobody else who comes in our shop would possibly ever like it enough to just buy it"? Is that the logic?

I know, it's ridiculous. I worked in a WH Smiths for a while around 7-8 years ago and it was more or less the same then, a lot of stuff didn't see the light of day.

Plus, I don't know what it's like in other towns but here you do more or less have to find the comic yourself, it tends to get buried behind the Doctor Whos and the Buffy The Vampire Slayers etc. I can't imagine many people would buy it if they hadnt already been aware of it.

MacabreMagpie · 01 May, 2009, 02:35:37 PM

I would like to point out to anyone visiting the thread that I DID postface it with "according to ABC figures", which I've now provided a link to, so it's not like I was claiming they were 100% reliable... they just happen to be the only recent figures I was able to find anywhere, though I'm sure I've seen the number repeated in an interview with Matt somewhere in the last few days.

And also.... it was only for a bloody Uni project, anyway.

SmallBlueThing · 01 May, 2009, 02:53:46 PM

Quote from: "macabremag"Plus, I don't know what it's like in other towns but here you do more or less have to find the comic yourself, it tends to get buried behind the Doctor Whos and the Buffy The Vampire Slayers etc. I can't imagine many people would buy it if they hadnt already been aware of it.

Down here, of the three nwsagents that I go into regularly, all three stock it. Smiths holds between 4 and 6 copies on the shelf, next to the Megazine and on the shelf between the Titan Trek/ Stargate/ Torchwood mags in front, and the Panini Marvel Colectors Editions behind. Interestingly (especially for the Paninis) this is down an aisle and round a corner from the 'comics' section. I'm not sure what the perceived difference is between comics for kids and 'Fantastic Four Adventures'/ 'Wolverine & Deadpool', etc, but there you go.

The other two shops also have a copy on the shelf, but in both places, on a higher shelf from the 'comics', usually tucked alongside Bizarre, or Nuts.

And yes, like any true headcase, I seem to spend a disproportionate amount of time, in shops, "browsing' and subtely rearranging shelves so the prog and the Meg are prominent.

Sigh.

Steev

MacabreMagpie · 01 May, 2009, 03:00:10 PM

Quote from: "SpookyTheCat"
Quote from: "macabremag"Plus, I don't know what it's like in other towns but here you do more or less have to find the comic yourself, it tends to get buried behind the Doctor Whos and the Buffy The Vampire Slayers etc. I can't imagine many people would buy it if they hadnt already been aware of it.

Down here, of the three nwsagents that I go into regularly, all three stock it. Smiths holds between 4 and 6 copies on the shelf, next to the Megazine and on the shelf between the Titan Trek/ Stargate/ Torchwood mags in front, and the Panini Marvel Colectors Editions behind. Interestingly (especially for the Paninis) this is down an aisle and round a corner from the 'comics' section. I'm not sure what the perceived difference is between comics for kids and 'Fantastic Four Adventures'/ 'Wolverine & Deadpool', etc, but there you go.

The other two shops also have a copy on the shelf, but in both places, on a higher shelf from the 'comics', usually tucked alongside Bizarre, or Nuts.

And yes, like any true headcase, I seem to spend a disproportionate amount of time, in shops, "browsing' and subtely rearranging shelves so the prog and the Meg are prominent.

Sigh.

Steev

Well, you're doing your bit if nothing else!

2000AD is actually quite difficult to find where I live. Only one shop in the town stocks it. The one near me stopped in about 1993. I can only presume this is because of the small target audience compared to everything else.