Help an american understand the british comics market.

[Judge Brian]

Being an American, all I understand is Diamond Distribution, local comic shops, and recently comixology. I'm very curious as to how comics are published and distributed in other countries.

What are the current way British comics are distributed, their sales in relation to one another, what titles are published, are most weekly, monthly, ect... Are Viz & Beano still being published? Are collections big?

[Professor Bear]

There's a few mentions in David Bishop's Thrill Power Overload about the way UK comics used to be distributed on a handshake and an understanding between old-schoolers, so it might be worth hitting him up for info (he's on the board here very occasionally as DarkDaysBish-OP).  Plus he probably has other insights on account of that book he wrote about UK comics, and from being Tharg ('s human helper) once.

[Frank]

Domestic titles will get most of their sales from the magazine racks of volume food retailers like Tesco and Asda (WalMart), at least one of whom will have a branch in even quite small towns, or from WH Smiths, the last man standing of the national newsagent chains which used to form the big distribution network which got 2000ad and other kids comics out to the small newsagents in the high streets of the isolated, post apocalyptic wastelands where most of us once bought our comics.

Most branches of Smiths still stock 2000ad, even if it's hiding behind a motorbike magazine on a lower shelf, and anyone living in a decent sized town will have a Smiths nearby. You only find 2000ad in certain supermarkets these days, but you'll find Viz and The Beano in absolutely all of those venues, because they sell around five times as many copies as 2000ad.

The only adventure comic of the same era as 2000ad which is still on the go is the WWII-themed Commando from the once mighty Scottish publisher DC Thomson (home of the Beano), which is published weekly in an odd format exactly the size of the pocket of your jeans. Everything else on the shelves of those big retailers is a crudely drawn tie-in title for a film, toy, or TV property, and they're usually as much venues for puzzles and colouring-in assignments as they are concerned with visual narrative. Smiths and the supermarkets stock Marvel and DC titles, but they're usually reprint aggregators printed under license for UK newsstands, rather than the individual books you see in specialist comic book retailers.

[Colin YNWA]

There was a great article posted inthese parts this Saturday about Viz these days. Alas as I'm on my phone can't track it down too easily as I very lazy tomake the effort. Shouldn't be too hard to find though.

[Steve Green]

Was it this one?

http://www.buzzfeed.com/alanwhite/the-unlikely-rise-fall-and-rise-again-of-viz-comic#46v0xaz

I'm afraid I've no idea on the distribution.

I don't know much about the status of the Beano, apart from it's still going.

The Phoenix is a new comic aimed at kids which is getting some good press, but not sure what the sales are like.

[Frank]

The selection here is a fair representation of what any kid looking to buy a comic will see in their local newsagent or supermarket:

http://www.newsstand.co.uk/108-Primary-Boys-Magazines/Subscriptions.aspx

http://www.newsstand.co.uk/502-Comics-Magazines/Subscriptions.aspx

[Daveycandlish]

Phoenix is a kids comic that has been around a couple of years now and is available in Waitrose (foodstore) and Travelling Man (comic shop) but is mainly bought online via subscription.
Sadly, British comics are dying with only the Beano, Commando pocket library, Viz and 2000AD readily available on the high street. Other things on sale there (as already stated) tend to be tie-ins full of filler with a "free" toy attached.
Some of the best Brit comics are small press/self published which is a thriving branch of the comic scene, usually found at comic cons and online.

[JamesC]

I buy some of the British reprints of American DC/Marvel stuff. These are printed in 'Collectors Editions' (by the French company Panini) which reprint three comics in one thick publication with a card cover. They sell for £3.95 which is pretty good value.
I only ever see them in WH Smiths but in the back of the comic there's always an advert saying 'Available in all good newsagents and comic shops' and then there's a big WH Smiths logo so there's obviously some sort of deal going on.
 

[Eamonn Clarke]

Some details of sales figures from the 2013 audit here
http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/uk-comics-sales-figures-for-2013.html
But 2000AD and the Pheonix not included

[Judge Brian]

Thanks for the information.

It's interesting to see that a french publisher sells U.S. reprints in the UK.

Other than 2000AD there doesn't seem like there is much native serialized storytelling in the UK.

[Bolt-01]

Not on the newsagent shelf, there is 'more' in the supermarkets and much more in the realm of the small press.

Reading down there is also the Dr Who adventures comic as well- the strip content is around 10 pages and issue (IIRC) but it sells pretty well.

[Ancient Otter]

Panini are an Italian company, not French.

[Frank]

Panini are an Italian company, not French.

Like the sandwich!

[Daveycandlish]

Ooh do they give sandwiches away now with their comics?
That's a new business model that might catch on!

[TordelBack]

Other than 2000AD there doesn't seem like there is much native serialized storytelling in the UK.

It's certainly a reduced state of affairs, although at 140-150 strip pages a month 2000AD and the Meg represent about 7 standard US titles worth of material, and at a greater density of storytelling too. The small press scene really can't be discounted - there is some serious quality and quantity being delivered there, and regularly.   

Meanwhile, do note just how many US books are written/drawn by UK and Irish creators.