Bloodbath: Comic Book Sales Down 73% Year On Year & Clownfish TV’s Kneon Reports Another Comic Book Store Closes Down

Fat Jack's Comicrypt

by Jack Dunn

It has barely been a year since comic book store owner Glenn O’Leary’s video on the sad state of the comic industry exposed how far they’d fallen with “self-insert” versions of characters dominating and changing established lore. Glenn O’Leary was mocked by comic book professionals, insiders, and journalists. Now it has been reported that “Sales of new comics periodicals were down at 73% of responding comic shops in 2023 compared with 2022, while graphic novel sales were down at 65% of those shops.” And to accentuate the fact that these figures aren’t mere statistics of interest to academics only, Kneon from Clownfish TV reports that yet another iconic comic book store is closing down.

In his latest video Kneon from Clownfish TV reports that Fat Jack’s Comicrypt in Philadelphia has been evicted from its Center City location. Fat Jack’s Comicrypt has until May 29 to leave the location that has been its home since 1988.

With comic book sales down 73% for new comics periodicals and 65% for graphic novel sales, it will be increasingly harder for shills like Heidi MacDonald of Comics Beat to proclaim that the comic industry is fine. Kneon from Clownfish TV points out that this is only one in a string of iconic comic book stores that have been evicted or closed down because their sales cannot keep up with the rent. We reported previously on iconic stores closing down, Flying Colors, the flagship store that started Free Comic Book Day is going to be gone by next year, Cosmic Comics announced that they are closing up shop in Belleville and Comic Town in Ohio closed down. Ironically Ryan Seymore, the owner of Comic Town in Ohio, was one of the retailers that Millar interviewed in December last year, who warned the industry about the decline in comic book sales and pointed out that the public is being gas-lit by insiders and shills into believing that all is fine.

Fat Jack's Comicrypt

Astonishingly Jenn Haines, outreach director and VP of the ComicsPRO board said in a statement: “While it is clear that the majority of the comics industry is experiencing financial strain, retailers seem to agree that their experience of that struggle would be mitigated through more coherent and consistent product data, reduced shipping rates, a continuation of purchasing risks to be shared by the publisher, and the ability to gather effective sales data on issue #1 of a series before having to finalize order numbers for issue #2.” Talk about naming the problem without actually naming the problem. Industry insiders all know that Marvel, DC, and IDW are putting out woke trash that no one wants to buy, but for fear of being called racists, bigots, and possibly literally Hitlers, they won’t call it out and instead couch it in acceptable business jargon.

Clownfish TV, X profile

Unfortunately for comic book fans and comic book stores, it does not appear that things will get better anytime soon, at least not if it depends on ComicsPRO. Joe Murray, president of the board, said that the survey “highlighted the importance of diversity in both products stores carry to weather downturns and a need for diversity in staffing so different voices can help us reach wider and newer audiences.”

Kneon from Clownfish TV says that comic book shops are never making a comeback. In light of the latest comic book sales figures and the solutions currently under consideration in the industry, he is probably right. Let us know in the comments what you think.