Graphic Novel Sales Even Better Than Reported

The graphic novel market has been growing even more explosively than earlier estimates suggested, according to Milton Griepp, founder of ICV2.com, the comics and pop culture trade news Web site.

Previously, ICV2's figures indicated that the book trade and the comics specialty store market—called the direct market in the comics industry—each sold $50 million worth of graphic novels in 2002. Now, it appears that 2002 sales in bookstore channels were actually $60 million. The new issue of Retailers Guide to Graphic Novels published by ICV2 lists 2003 graphic-novel sales figures as $105 million in bookstores and $60 million in the direct market, and indicates that sales are continuing to rise at a high double-digit rate in 2004. Steve Kleckner, Tokyopop v-p of sales, is quoted as saying that he expects this year's figures to be up 80% over last year. The Retailers Guide also includes annotated lists of the top properties of the moment in manga, traditional American comics, and literary fiction and nonfiction graphic novels.

"The fastest-growing category is manga in both channels," Griepp said. "Traditional American comics are also up a little; in bookstores, growth was heavily movie-dependent." The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen , he said, "was a very good graphic novel and a very poor movie, but the exposure made it sell. Alternative comics are up, as well, but at a slower rate."

Griepp also noted that manga titles aimed at boys have been doing better than before in bookstores, and shoujo, manga aimed at girls, has seen sales increase in boy-dominated comics stores. And, although some retailers are starting to worry that the manga market will eventually hit a glut, "we don't see any signs of one in sales," Griepp said. "The underlying trend seems very strong, and it's continuing."