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The Industry According to Ethan Peacock
We are on the cusp of a new era. The comic industry is changing rapidly. Traditional brick-and-mortar stores are starting to decline as digital distribution is on the rise. Comic franchises are more popular than ever, thanks to Hollywood's staunch attachment to the comic book summer blockbuster. The industry, needless to say, is at a crossroads.
Enter Ethan Peacock, proprietor of beloved Yaletown comic shop Elfsar – which recently closed its doors after seven years of business. Peacock, more than most, has a sense of the changes taking place. We sat down with Ethan to discuss the state of the industry and where he thinks it's headed
Introduction
Z2H - Let's wind the clock back seven years. What were you doing at that time that prompted you to dive into retail?
Ethan Peacock - Exactly seven years ago I was opening Elfsar Collection ltd. taking what many thought to be a big risk with a bizarre concept. We were trying something new by mixing a pop culture shop with an art gallery that featured comic book work, photography, drawings, sculptures and paintings from artists around the world.
It was a low brow/high brow mash-up. It was a big no-no in the art gallery world and an equally unexplored concept in the comic book retail universe. I was not happy with the local comic scene and felt motivated enough to take the financial risk to try to change it or at least make my mark so to speak. I felt I could do something new and different.
State of the Industry
Z2H - How would you say the industry has changed in that short period of time?
Ethan Peacock - We have seen the steady increase in public awareness due to tent-pole comic book related movies. We have seen comics help other industries flourish. We have seen comic publishers grow, prosper and disappear. We have had the privilege of witnessing the growth of the graphic novel boom. We have bared witness to the unfortunate downsize of the direct market. We have seen major changes in the structure of the leading comic book companies. We have seen comic companies purchased by larger companies.
We have seen large collections discovered. We have seen all new records broken in the purchase price of rare comic books. We have seen readership drop and escalate. We have seen various mediums draw enormous influence from comics. We have seen the rise in popularity of different social medias. We have seen the rise in downloads and torrents for comics. We have seen attempts and failures of making comics completely digital.
We are now on the cusp of what could be called a “digital age”. All in all, there have been a lot of different changes. However, what still remains true is that comics are still the building blocks to bigger and better things.
Z2H - With the relative success of comic-based films over the last decade, have you witnessed a noticeable surge in interest from new customers?
Ethan Peacock - Yes like any industry, there are large surges of interest due to consumers who are motivated by the wave of pop-culture. What’s hot and what’s not. Our job was to translate these waves into repeat customers by introducing them to the very reasons we love this medium. In many cases it worked, in some it didn’t but overall it provided reasons for people to come seek us out. What was even more fascinating was seeing the books that people reacted to even though it did not have a connection to a TV show, film or video game.
Thoughts on the Comic Shop
Z2H - How important is/was it for you to be an ambassador for the medium? Would ambassador be an apt title?
Ethan Peacock - Elfsar wanted to be different than the stereotypical basement comic book shop. Elfsar was a mix between a pop culture comic store and an art gallery from the beginning. Even after the gallery closed two years later - giving into the rising demand for the pop culture side of things - most of the store maintained that gallery feel. As far as an ambassador to the medium goes, comic book retailers share a single responsibility to the medium. Our job is to expose as many customers as possible to the options and types of comics that challenge, entertain or expand ones reading experience. We are the trusted and the informed that have a unique sense of the industry and provide a specialized service to the relationship between the product and the consumer.
This, of course, will differ from shop to shop and each store will have its own vibe. They are, of course, as different as the patrons who run them. At Elfsar everyone who walked in our door was greeted and treated like a friend. Yes we operated as a business but we did take the time to know your name what books you liked and books you didn’t. This was important, not only from a sales perspective but from a community building one. Talking about comics was encouraged at our shop.
Am I an Ambassador to the medium? No… That would be too formal. I’d say I am a friend.
Z2H - What is the future of print comics?
Ethan Peacock - People have been predicting the end of print or the doom and gloom of the comic industry for a while now. Let’s get something straight, comics will always be printed. The underground independent scene will always exist. Much like most pulp magazines today are printed to order, comics will follow suit (it is pretty much there already). However, the looming possibility that if orders stop then so will the North American floppy format of printed comics means it is subject to a supply and demand issue. But I don’t foresee orders ever stopping completely and so I don’t see printed comics disappearing.
As of now most comics are written, designed and created for the intention of the graphic novel medium. The “I’ll wait for the trade” flu has been very contagious and very successful. Will a synergy be achieved between the printed and digital mediums? Yes. But I ask why does it have to? I believe the new evolution of comic book storytelling can only be achieved by the changing of the format. What can a writer do when he is no longer limited to the one layer of the printed page? What endless possibilities can an artist create when he can change a background or facial expression inside the same panel or frame? We are talking about further manipulation of time and space within a comic book. It’s new, dynamic and evolving.
Comics: An Evolution
Z2H - Have you had a chance to read any comics on the iPhone yet? If so, how do you find the experience differs from a traditional comic reading experience?
Ethan Peacock - I have not had the pleasure of reading comics on an iPhone yet but I have played with an iPad. I must say it was very impressive. “Sexy” is the term I used to describe it to friends. However, I am a larger fan of the digital comics that use flash as a tool to enhance the storytelling experience.
Right now the way digital comics are being translated is like how some movies are being taken from 2-D and turned into 3-D films. The pan and scan method is not utilizing what the new format can offer because they were originally designed for the printed medium.
However, independent creators are starting to develop comics for the sole purpose of it existing as a digital medium. The trick will be how they can successfully market and sell their creations as a digital format and avoid the piracy issues that all comics are faced with. Right now there are only a handful of players in the game. Much to Apple’s dismay, not everyone will own an iPad. So we will have to see what happens over the next couple of years.
Z2H - This might be a depressing question, but is there a place for the brick and mortar comic shop in the next ten years?
Ethan Peacock - The future of brick and mortar comic book stores is going to be a challenging one. I would say that the ones who will survive are going to be the one stop shop “Geek-Marts” who have everything a geek could want. Comics will be a small but an important part of these new breed of stores. I see a swell in the industry happening and a wave that is getting dangerously close to crashing against the rocks.
Z2H - What are your thoughts on the current distribution model?
Ethan Peacock - It has to change if stores are to survive. There are talks going on right now about early distribution to brick and mortar stores (on Tuesdays) so that retailers are better prepared to deal with new comic book day (Wednesdays). Although many feel this is a start in the right direction, I don’t think in the end it is going to make a lick of difference. As an industry, comic, games and hobby shops have a percentage of shops that never follow the rules and are willing to do anything to make a buck. Any retailer who wishes to abide by the rules will simply loose sales.
Loyalty aside, why would the average customer buy from you when they can get it a day earlier a few blocks away? All that will happen is ‘New Comic Book Day’ will change from Wednesday to Tuesday and retailers will still be stuck in the same situation they are now.
In my opinion, the main threat to our industry is not the delivery date but rather the rising price of comic books in an economy that is struggling and the lack of consistency in the release dates. Making anyone wait three or four months for the next issue kills the momentum of sales for a series and it frustrates the customer.
Making a person pay $3.99 and up for a comic book that has less than 50 pages of story will make a customer feel ripped off. Heck, I was a retailer and I felt ripped off. I believe that this is the real threat to the future of comic book brick-and-mortar retail stores.
Wrap-up: Final Thoughts
Z2H - What do you love about the medium? What is it that draws you to it?
Ethan Peacock - The writing… The art… There is nothing more raw than comics. It could be a huge collaborative effort or it could be a single vision from a creator. It is a medium that opens my imagination and allows me to escape. It can take me to fantastic worlds and realities or it can give me a unique perspective on simple everyday life. It is cheap to produce and fun to enjoy. It is entrenched as part of my earliest memories of when someone dropped a pile of comics in my lap. Even though I could not read yet, I could follow the pictures with ease.
I believe there is something in all of us that understands how to read a comic book on a primal level. Some say my attraction to comics is me clinging to my childhood. As an artist, I believe I am constantly trying to reclaim my candid openness on a creative level. To a child the world is full of possibilities and rules are made to be broken. So with childlike abandon, I love comics.
Z2H – Thanks for speaking with us Ethan, we wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
Enter Ethan Peacock, proprietor of beloved Yaletown comic shop Elfsar – which recently closed its doors after seven years of business. Peacock, more than most, has a sense of the changes taking place. We sat down with Ethan to discuss the state of the industry and where he thinks it's headed
Introduction
Z2H - Let's wind the clock back seven years. What were you doing at that time that prompted you to dive into retail?
Ethan Peacock - Exactly seven years ago I was opening Elfsar Collection ltd. taking what many thought to be a big risk with a bizarre concept. We were trying something new by mixing a pop culture shop with an art gallery that featured comic book work, photography, drawings, sculptures and paintings from artists around the world.
It was a low brow/high brow mash-up. It was a big no-no in the art gallery world and an equally unexplored concept in the comic book retail universe. I was not happy with the local comic scene and felt motivated enough to take the financial risk to try to change it or at least make my mark so to speak. I felt I could do something new and different.
State of the Industry
Z2H - How would you say the industry has changed in that short period of time?
Ethan Peacock - We have seen the steady increase in public awareness due to tent-pole comic book related movies. We have seen comics help other industries flourish. We have seen comic publishers grow, prosper and disappear. We have had the privilege of witnessing the growth of the graphic novel boom. We have bared witness to the unfortunate downsize of the direct market. We have seen major changes in the structure of the leading comic book companies. We have seen comic companies purchased by larger companies.
We have seen large collections discovered. We have seen all new records broken in the purchase price of rare comic books. We have seen readership drop and escalate. We have seen various mediums draw enormous influence from comics. We have seen the rise in popularity of different social medias. We have seen the rise in downloads and torrents for comics. We have seen attempts and failures of making comics completely digital.
We are now on the cusp of what could be called a “digital age”. All in all, there have been a lot of different changes. However, what still remains true is that comics are still the building blocks to bigger and better things.
Z2H - With the relative success of comic-based films over the last decade, have you witnessed a noticeable surge in interest from new customers?
Ethan Peacock - Yes like any industry, there are large surges of interest due to consumers who are motivated by the wave of pop-culture. What’s hot and what’s not. Our job was to translate these waves into repeat customers by introducing them to the very reasons we love this medium. In many cases it worked, in some it didn’t but overall it provided reasons for people to come seek us out. What was even more fascinating was seeing the books that people reacted to even though it did not have a connection to a TV show, film or video game.
Thoughts on the Comic Shop
Z2H - How important is/was it for you to be an ambassador for the medium? Would ambassador be an apt title?
Ethan Peacock - Elfsar wanted to be different than the stereotypical basement comic book shop. Elfsar was a mix between a pop culture comic store and an art gallery from the beginning. Even after the gallery closed two years later - giving into the rising demand for the pop culture side of things - most of the store maintained that gallery feel. As far as an ambassador to the medium goes, comic book retailers share a single responsibility to the medium. Our job is to expose as many customers as possible to the options and types of comics that challenge, entertain or expand ones reading experience. We are the trusted and the informed that have a unique sense of the industry and provide a specialized service to the relationship between the product and the consumer.
This, of course, will differ from shop to shop and each store will have its own vibe. They are, of course, as different as the patrons who run them. At Elfsar everyone who walked in our door was greeted and treated like a friend. Yes we operated as a business but we did take the time to know your name what books you liked and books you didn’t. This was important, not only from a sales perspective but from a community building one. Talking about comics was encouraged at our shop.
Am I an Ambassador to the medium? No… That would be too formal. I’d say I am a friend.
Z2H - What is the future of print comics?
Ethan Peacock - People have been predicting the end of print or the doom and gloom of the comic industry for a while now. Let’s get something straight, comics will always be printed. The underground independent scene will always exist. Much like most pulp magazines today are printed to order, comics will follow suit (it is pretty much there already). However, the looming possibility that if orders stop then so will the North American floppy format of printed comics means it is subject to a supply and demand issue. But I don’t foresee orders ever stopping completely and so I don’t see printed comics disappearing.
As of now most comics are written, designed and created for the intention of the graphic novel medium. The “I’ll wait for the trade” flu has been very contagious and very successful. Will a synergy be achieved between the printed and digital mediums? Yes. But I ask why does it have to? I believe the new evolution of comic book storytelling can only be achieved by the changing of the format. What can a writer do when he is no longer limited to the one layer of the printed page? What endless possibilities can an artist create when he can change a background or facial expression inside the same panel or frame? We are talking about further manipulation of time and space within a comic book. It’s new, dynamic and evolving.
Comics: An Evolution
Z2H - Have you had a chance to read any comics on the iPhone yet? If so, how do you find the experience differs from a traditional comic reading experience?
Ethan Peacock - I have not had the pleasure of reading comics on an iPhone yet but I have played with an iPad. I must say it was very impressive. “Sexy” is the term I used to describe it to friends. However, I am a larger fan of the digital comics that use flash as a tool to enhance the storytelling experience.
Right now the way digital comics are being translated is like how some movies are being taken from 2-D and turned into 3-D films. The pan and scan method is not utilizing what the new format can offer because they were originally designed for the printed medium.
However, independent creators are starting to develop comics for the sole purpose of it existing as a digital medium. The trick will be how they can successfully market and sell their creations as a digital format and avoid the piracy issues that all comics are faced with. Right now there are only a handful of players in the game. Much to Apple’s dismay, not everyone will own an iPad. So we will have to see what happens over the next couple of years.
Z2H - This might be a depressing question, but is there a place for the brick and mortar comic shop in the next ten years?
Ethan Peacock - The future of brick and mortar comic book stores is going to be a challenging one. I would say that the ones who will survive are going to be the one stop shop “Geek-Marts” who have everything a geek could want. Comics will be a small but an important part of these new breed of stores. I see a swell in the industry happening and a wave that is getting dangerously close to crashing against the rocks.
Z2H - What are your thoughts on the current distribution model?
Ethan Peacock - It has to change if stores are to survive. There are talks going on right now about early distribution to brick and mortar stores (on Tuesdays) so that retailers are better prepared to deal with new comic book day (Wednesdays). Although many feel this is a start in the right direction, I don’t think in the end it is going to make a lick of difference. As an industry, comic, games and hobby shops have a percentage of shops that never follow the rules and are willing to do anything to make a buck. Any retailer who wishes to abide by the rules will simply loose sales.
Loyalty aside, why would the average customer buy from you when they can get it a day earlier a few blocks away? All that will happen is ‘New Comic Book Day’ will change from Wednesday to Tuesday and retailers will still be stuck in the same situation they are now.
In my opinion, the main threat to our industry is not the delivery date but rather the rising price of comic books in an economy that is struggling and the lack of consistency in the release dates. Making anyone wait three or four months for the next issue kills the momentum of sales for a series and it frustrates the customer.
Making a person pay $3.99 and up for a comic book that has less than 50 pages of story will make a customer feel ripped off. Heck, I was a retailer and I felt ripped off. I believe that this is the real threat to the future of comic book brick-and-mortar retail stores.
Wrap-up: Final Thoughts
Z2H - What do you love about the medium? What is it that draws you to it?
Ethan Peacock - The writing… The art… There is nothing more raw than comics. It could be a huge collaborative effort or it could be a single vision from a creator. It is a medium that opens my imagination and allows me to escape. It can take me to fantastic worlds and realities or it can give me a unique perspective on simple everyday life. It is cheap to produce and fun to enjoy. It is entrenched as part of my earliest memories of when someone dropped a pile of comics in my lap. Even though I could not read yet, I could follow the pictures with ease.
I believe there is something in all of us that understands how to read a comic book on a primal level. Some say my attraction to comics is me clinging to my childhood. As an artist, I believe I am constantly trying to reclaim my candid openness on a creative level. To a child the world is full of possibilities and rules are made to be broken. So with childlike abandon, I love comics.
Z2H – Thanks for speaking with us Ethan, we wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
written by
parallelli...
last online: 1 year ago
“Am I an Ambassador to the medium? No… That would be too formal. I’d say I am a friend.”
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