Not sure if it's me or the prog...

[TordelBack]

& therein lies the problem. 2000AD doesn't appear to want to attract a new audience.

Nonsense, the PR machine, outreach publications and jump-on progs never stop trying to pull in the wider audience as well as the lapsed believer.  The 10 year old audience of 1977 is a completely different thing to that of 2017, that's all there is to it. Calling it 3000AD, running a Minecraft tie-in strip and taping a waterpistol to the cover isn't going to cut it. Even if it did, neither a new of audience of adults nor kids is going to have any (positive) effect on the disaffection for content/direction expressed in some posts here.

[Proudhuff]

& therein lies the problem. 2000AD doesn't appear to want to attract a new audience.

No, sorry, that's rubbish. Rebellion's stewardship has seen the installation of a dedicated PR team, US-style mini-series of indivual strips, a serious presence at all the major cons here and in the US, actually getting a decent Dredd movie made, loads of home-grown and licensed merchandise, a vigorous reprint strategy, the Hachette deals, and the acquisition of the IPC back catalogue to expand the reprint volumes to a potentially wider audience.

What do you think they should have been doing instead of all that?

How about taking advice for a some online fanboy whose idea is throwing the baby out with the bathwater and whose track record at comic success is zero? 

Its that, or continue building and expanding the brand under Matt's firm hand and Rebellion's confident proven business success.

Just because the new target audience isn't ten year olds pestering their parents in Asda in the already crowded 'plastic gift with coloured pages attached' battlefield,  but possibly is cash rich forty something returnees, doesn't mean new audiences aren't being sought...

[Jim_Campbell]

But surely the lasting gratitude of 2000AD's loyal readers would be enough...

...and all the polystyrene cups he can eat.

[JLC]

& therein lies the problem. 2000AD doesn't appear to want to attract a new audience.

Nonsense, the PR machine, outreach publications and jump-on progs never stop trying to pull in the wider audience as well as the lapsed believer.  The 10 year old audience of 1977 is a completely different thing to that of 2017, that's all there is to it. Calling it 3000AD, running a Minecraft tie-in strip and taping a waterpistol to the cover isn't going to cut it. Even if it did, neither a new of audience of adults nor kids is going to have any (positive) effect on the disaffection for content/direction expressed in some posts here.

I don't recall saying they should call it 3000AD, run a Minecraft tie-in strip & tape waterpistols to the cover?!?

[Jim_Campbell]

I don't recall saying they should call it 3000AD, run a Minecraft tie-in strip & tape waterpistols to the cover?!?

Then what do you suggest they should have been doing instead of, or as well as, the many examples that you've been given in the last few posts?

[The Legendary Shark]

I don't think Twoothy's modern target audience should be ten year olds or lapsed readers. The target audience should be anyone, of any age or gender, who enjoys science fiction, fantasy or horror. Period.

The biggest hurdle, I think, is people's attitude towards the format ("comics"), get them to overcome that prejudice and the majority will enjoy Twoothy's stories. That guy from the Space Spinner podcast (Fox?) is a prime example of the audience we need to tempt.

I sometimes wonder if giving away or selling sample progs or collected editions in cinemas might work. I know plenty of people who love fantastical films, tv and novels but won't even consider reading comics because of the way they are perceived. If that perception can be attacked in some way, readers will come.

[Frank]

The general absence of Smith, Ewing, Morrison and Williams is keenly felt ... (p)erhaps rather too many (new writers) are occupied keeping Dredd and his spinoffs running, with Mills, Edginton, Rennie, Long and Abnett basically writing everything else

I agree that Ewing and Williams need replacing, but I'm not sure how you magic up talented new writers. Maybe we need to accept Future Shocks/3rillers as a regular fixture, so any new prospects are given the time on the page needed to find their feet and their voice.

The only problem with bringing in new blood is that it cuts into the income of the reliable talents listed above, who rely on a certain number of commissions per annum - making them more likely to diversify their revenue streams by taking on gigs elsewhere.

Which is the problem you were trying to solve in the first place. That's Ouroboros, that is.

[Smith]

I don't think Twoothy's modern target audience should be ten year olds or lapsed readers. The target audience should be anyone, of any age or gender, who enjoys science fiction, fantasy or horror. Period.

The biggest hurdle, I think, is people's attitude towards the format ("comics"), get them to overcome that prejudice and the majority will enjoy Twoothy's stories. That guy from the Space Spinner podcast (Fox?) is a prime example of the audience we need to tempt.

I sometimes wonder if giving away or selling sample progs or collected editions in cinemas might work. I know plenty of people who love fantastical films, tv and novels but won't even consider reading comics because of the way they are perceived. If that perception can be attacked in some way, readers will come.

Which is really a problem entire industry is facing...

[IndigoPrime]

The biggest hurdle, I think, is people's attitude towards the format ("comics")

It's still something I don't understand. To me, comics are just another format. But then the UK and USA in particular have always had this weirdly dismissive attitude towards the medium that just doesn't exist elsewhere.

[Smith]

In general,people don't quite get its a medium,most think its all just 4-color kiddie superhero stuff.

[JamesC]

I would suggest (getting) in some 'ideas men' - not necessarily great script writers but people who can come up with interesting ideas to be farmed out to other writers.

Some shared strips would be quite good - an ongoing storyline, but episodes being created by different writers/artists, and a group overseeing the continuity of the whole thing

The only examples of editorially mandated strips I can think of are Outlaw and (sort of) Rogue Trooper.

Strontium Dogs and Robohunter went down the route of being passed around like Colin Farrell. The available evidence suggests that, for Tharg, that's not the way to go.

I thought Keith Richardson was everyone's favourite to emerge from the cocoon, come the next shedding? His Megacity Book Club interview suggests he wouldn't be averse to the prospect.

I'd actually love to see Strontium Dogs return. I'm convinced it can work and Dogbreath is a good example of new writers doing good things with the SD world.

I also really love the 3riller format. It's a great way to test new strips with an opportunity to put a little more meat on the bones than you get with the traditional Future Shock.

[Bolt-01]

Cheers JamesC- the new dogbreath is 'almost' ready for release.

Almost...

[Theblazeuk]

I think the prog's greatest strength (Dredd) is also it's biggest weakness in terms of attracting new audiences, at least of the kind I see rocking up in comic shops and so forth. My anecdotal experience of new comic buyers (those who came about it independtly rather than inherited like myself) is young, more likely to be lasses and more likely to be interested in Image than Marvel or DC.

Comics like Paper Girls or Monstress or Locke & Key - not Spiderman or Superman. And 2000AD does quite a lot along those lines: Brink or Brass Sun spring to mind as having more in common with what my wife thinks of as 'Image' (not knowing the dark days of Rob Liefield) than DC or Marvel. I don't think

Anyway, I think anyone who has been reading for decades is likely to burn out.

[JLC]

I think the prog's greatest strength (Dredd) is also it's biggest weakness in terms of attracting new audiences, at least of the kind I see rocking up in comic shops and so forth. My anecdotal experience of new comic buyers (those who came about it independtly rather than inherited like myself) is young, more likely to be lasses and more likely to be interested in Image than Marvel or DC.

Comics like Paper Girls or Monstress or Locke & Key - not Spiderman or Superman. And 2000AD does quite a lot along those lines: Brink or Brass Sun spring to mind as having more in common with what my wife thinks of as 'Image' (not knowing the dark days of Rob Liefield) than DC or Marvel. I don't think

Anyway, I think anyone who has been reading for decades is likely to burn out.

Yes Image comics are fantastic. 90% of my favourite stuff comes from Image.

[Magnetica]

Why would someone who had been reading for decades burn out?

I have been reading since Prog 127 and am just as enthusiastic now as I was back in the day.

In the last two weeks alone I have read the first two Kingdom TPBs, the last two Progs, the Meg, Nikolai Dante Tsar Wars part 2, the Vermin Stars and Helter Skelter and I did n't think it too many, indeed I didn't... You know the rest.