Joe Nicklo speaks out about the comic book industry in his new mission, SURVIVING COMICS THE DOCUMENTARY!

Joe Nicklo and his distinctive mission, Surviving Comics: The Documentary, explores an necessary query: Can the comic book industry survive one other 100 years?

The Beat caught up with Nicklo to study extra about the documentary and the work that went into the mission, who they visited, what impressed him to take action, and most significantly how he plans to showcase the resilience of comic book retail!

DIEGO HIGUERA: What impressed you to embark on the journey of making Surviving Comics The Documentary?

JOE NICKLO: In 2023, loads of manufacturing corporations, massive and small, appeared to undergo. I don’t perceive why, however loads of corporations had been struggling getting work. We had been a kind of. Our gross sales, our income was greater than minimize in half, we took an enormous hit.

So as a substitute of simply sitting there and doing nothing and crying about it, we needed to make one thing. We, my buddy Matt and I, he’s a director, and we’ve labored on loads of initiatives collectively. We had been like, “Let’s do a documentary. let’s fund ourselves, we’ll start off small and just see where it goes.” We initially had been simply going to do, like, a few comic book outlets in Florida.

From there, it simply began to show into one thing larger and greater and greater. I keep in mind being on a flight to Long Beach, to movie a mission out there, and I keep in mind being on the flight and I used to be watching another comic book documentaries. I stated to myself, we will positively carry a extra cinematic really feel to it, proper? Because if individuals appear to understand all the MCU films and the high quality that they’ve, I feel that we may form of carry perhaps that form of degree of manufacturing, some extra cinematic really feel, extra cinematic look to a comic book documentary. You’ve seen one million comic book documentaries the place they use Comic Sans and wham, bam, bam, like Sixties Batman, so we simply wish to you realize, initially we simply needed to carry, like, a distinct vibe in direction of that, you realize, a comic book doc.

But then, the extra we begin speaking to comic store house owners, the extra we notice that the industry is definitely not as steady as we thought it was, from an outsider, proper? I’ve by no means owned a comic store, proper? I’ve gone to so lots of them to purchase all my books, you realize, from an area store, however I’ve by no means understood that, you know the way a lot really went into preserving a comic book store alive. That’s simply the story, simply saved rising and rising and rising from there.

Then we realized that we acquired to go out of state. We went to Atlanta, we went to New York. And we form of stopped there. We filmed a couple of outlets, a number of outlets in Florida, a couple of outlets in New York, and one in Atlanta. Then the extra we began posting it on social media, we began getting individuals saying, you must come to this store in Massachusetts, Las Vegas, you must go right here, you must go there. Everyone’s saying, we must always go to all these completely different locations. That’s after we realized that this might be one thing a lot larger.

HIGUERA: Could you present extra perception into the central theme that this documentary goals to discover regarding the resilience of comic book outlets?

NICKLO: I needed to indicate that comic book outlets are a significant a part of not simply American tradition, however round the world actually. But, the comic book store is extra of an American-born factor, proper? I simply wish to present how necessary it’s to our tradition.

It’s a spot of excellent, proper? There’s so many good issues that come from comic book outlets, particularly in a time the place everyone seems to be on their telephones. There have been loads of outlets we went to the place individuals are taking part in card video games collectively. They’re taking part in Magic and Pokémon, they’re doing book golf equipment, they’re studying books, they’re hanging out, they’re speaking. The individuals are socializing! People are speaking face-to-face and never on their telephones, you realize? It’s only a actually large half.

If comic book outlets go away, the place are these individuals gonna go? They’re gonna return, you realize, on-line. It’s like a giant ecosystem. Imagine this ecosystem disappearing as a result of the outlets can’t keep in enterprise. Rent is uncontrollable, however one other factor too is that we hold listening to over and over, is that Marvel and DC are usually not listening. They’re not speaking in any respect.

Almost like a sense of abandonment from Marvel and DC, which is gloomy contemplating that the comic books, comic outlets helped them be what they’re at the moment. Like there can be none of those films with out these outlets, proper?

HIGUERA: What challenges do comic book store house owners face in at the moment’s market, and the way do these challenges examine to these of the previous?

NICKLO: There’s mainly a lot, however there’s loads of competitors with on-line, whether or not it’s Amazon, different retailers, and even Marvel and DC promoting their comic books on-line. So there’s the digital factor, then there’s third-party sellers which can be promoting on eBay however one other factor too, is that Marvel and DC simply aren’t listening. They’re not placing out tales which can be resonating with the broader viewers.

HIGUERA: Could you share some insights or anecdotes out of your interviews with comic book store house owners to date? What are some frequent themes or tales which have emerged?

NICKLO: Common themes – “Marvel & DC aren’t communicating with us (the shop owner).” Another frequent theme is that outlets must be open-minded to outlive. That means being prepared to promote different merchandise like TCG’s, Pops, and many others. to get individuals in the door. One different is that the majority (however not all) of the store house owners don’t assume brick & mortar outlets will absolutely disappear anytime quickly. For the most half, they’re very optimistic of their possibilities at survival.

One ultimate frequent theme is that customer support and making private connections is paramount to a store doing nicely. This is sensible, and would possibly appear to be a no brainer however some store house owners could not perceive this.

HIGUERA: What function do comic book outlets play in preserving the comic book medium and its cultural significance?

NICKLO: I feel, let’s face it, if comic book outlets did disappear, individuals would nonetheless purchase comic books, however a giant a part of the tradition is mainly sharing what you take pleasure in with another person.

You can nonetheless get that on-line, however you may’t get it on a private degree. I really feel like there’s nonetheless a disconnect. Like, you might discuss about it however I really feel like comic books, comic outlets, they only provide a spot for individuals to assemble and be collectively to share this medium.

I imply, I feel there’s one thing about the pleasure of going and choosing up a book in particular person. Not to say shopping by means of books, the hunt everybody retains speaking about! Collectors at all times discuss about the hunt. I feel it simply provides that non-public contact that you wouldn’t get on-line.

HIGUERA: How do you propose to showcase the resilience of comic book retail all through the a long time in your documentary?

NICKLO: By telling the tales of profitable outlets that aren’t solely thriving however even rising. We are interviewing the proprietor of Coliseum of Comics who simply opened one other retailer. He has over a dozen in Florida!

We interviewed one other store proprietor, Rick Shea of Famous Faces & Funnies who lately purchased a second retailer and it’s doing rather well. Another retailer we featured is contemplating opening one other retailer.

One factor I needed to say, as we proceed manufacturing, we can even be talking to comic followers/collectors to get their insights and we’re TRYING to line up some creators and former publishers.

Basically, we wish this to be the most complete documentary on comic book outlets ever.

Finally, I needed to notice that regardless that our first wave of promoting has been focused solely at comic book followers, we hope to inform this story to common audiences…non-fans/readers to allow them to perhaps grow to be followers of the style, go to their native store.

The identical approach Netflix had “Drive To Survive” introduce Formula 1 to a horde of new followers, we hope to do the identical for comics by getting this doc on certainly one of the main streaming platforms.