AOB 5

Direct Distribution & Niche

Direct distribution has two main areas in which it can be distinguished from other types of marketing. One is that it attempts to sell directly to the consumer without the intervention of the media, this may involve commercial communication eg. direct mail or e-mail. The second way is that it focuses in on "call-to-action", this is where it focuses on the response of the consumer no matter what the medium. In the comic book industry direct distribution focuses on non return-ability, which is unlike bookstore and newsstand distribution, it stops distributors and retailers returning their unsold merchandise for refunds. Its differences were: condition, the direct market outlet would try to maintain good condition of its product, whereas the normal drug or toy store would not necessarily pride itself on this. Also content was a difference, they catered to older audiences due to the non return-ability and the materiel could be found offensive. The price was different too, because the target was older, they were not overly fussed about the price of the product and sometimes were willing to pay over the normal drug store price for better quality.

Diamond Comic Distributors is a huge comic book distributor. It has exclusive arrangements with the likes of DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics and Marvel Comics. They transport comic books from big and small publishers or suppliers, to the retailer. Diamond is a dominant force in the American direct market. They publish a monthly preview catalog which showcases upcoming books, graphic novels and toys, as well as any other pop culture related items. Diamond calls itself an "open door policy", meaning that anyone that makes a comic book, that they see has potential in sales, they will distribute it to a host of retailers.

However smaller distributors saw that with such a big company like diamond, with such flexible ideas and marketing methods, it may leave a small niche for the smaller companies, that specialized in back orders and re-orders. FM International used niche distribution to get successful. Although refilling paperwork for re orders and returns proved a hard business, Diamond was less than willing to get involved half the time, so this way FM could slot into this gap in the market and build up relationships with smaller business' and quickly move them on. DC and Dark Horse were available to Diamond but not to any old distributor, which left FM out of the equation, many of the names have left Diamond out of their strategies for fear of bankruptcy, however, IDW was successful with FM then signed into an exclusive deal with Diamond.

DC & Marvel Comics

DC is one of the worlds largest comic book producers and companies. It is the publishing division of DC entertainment Inc. DC comics produces a number of well known comic book characters such as, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. The name DC came from a well known comic series known as Detective Comics, which became a part of the companies official name. DC has a partnership with Diamond, who distribute their comics directly to the specialist shops.

Marvel Comics produces American comic books and related media. It has produced characters such as The Fantastic 4, X-Men and Spider Man. Most of the Marvel industry characters operate in the Marvel Universe, which is widely involved. The Company began in 1939 and by the 1950's had become known as Atlas Comics. With the launch of Fantastic 4 and other super hero titles, they soon became a substantial force to compete with DC in the comic book world.

Promotion

Readers can get to hear about new comics and graphic novels by simply going to their favorite sites on the internet such as, The comics journal or read yourself raw. New and old comics can also be promoted in monthly catalogs as Diamond Distribution did, this previewed any new and up coming material that was set to be released, this way the reader and the overall audience would know what they may have wanted to purchase and when it was going to hit stores. Adverts for new comics could also be placed in previous comics, such as an advert for a new character, a whole new book or simply the next issue of the same book. All of which help to promote comics and novels to the target audience. Also older readers may be able to inform new readers of comics about previous classics and older books, knowledge of information about novels and comics may be passed down from father to son or grandfather to grandson, but this still promotes old and new comics to the reader.

Web-comics

Web-comics are online comics that are published on websites. These are then easily accessible to its audience, some still feature in newspapers and magazines but maintain an online archive. They are self-published and almost anyone can create and publish one. There are over 1500 online comics that exist today, ranging from comic strips to graphic novels. However, very few sustain good enough financial income. There are several pro's and con's involved with this medium. With web based comics, the usual restrictions that you may have involved with a newspaper or a normal magazine comic can be lifted and there may be more room to explore. For instance the content could change to that of a more adult nature or flash animation could be used to add variation to the style. Some comics have stopped publishing print, such as Carla Speed McNeil Finder, and have begun serializing their comics on the internet as web-comics in order to reach a wider audience. Some web-comics explore the fact that they are independently published and have no restrictions due to the lack of internet censorship in the US and UK. There is a distinctive style difference in some online comics compared to that of some printed ones, mainly the style of drawing has to change because of the computer interface, the designs online could look more modern due to the hard bold colors that a computer can display, however, a computer can never replace the imagination of a person ad the ability to think and draw/write at the same time, this lets the story in the comic flow, something that may be hard to achieve by using computer animation. Some web based comics are enough for some artists to not need a day to day job such as, these are comics by professional web-comic artists. Some of these designers and comics include, Randall Munroe of xkcd, Brian Clevinger of 8-Bit Theater, Eric Millikin of Fetus-X, Tim Buckley of Ctrl+Alt+Del, and many others. However, an online comic could also make money by providing a link that is sent to a subscriber after a subscription fee has been paid, the comic may arrive weekly by e-mail or monthly, but this may not have been fully explored yet.

AOB 6

Regulatory Bodies (BBFC)

The BBFC is an independant non government body which classifies films into certain category's for suitable viewing and was set up in 1912. Although the BBFC may ban various films, local councils can still allow video to be shown in cinemas and therefore films can still get released and shown to a mass audience.

In 1984 parliament passed a video recordings act, which stated that videos that were available for hire for sale must be classified, this made sure that films did not get into the wrong hands and that they were suitable for viewing at home in front of small kids. After this the board changed their name to the British Board Of Film Classification to reflect the point that they not only dealt with censorship but also had a hand in classifying films.

These are the BBFC's aims within the next five years (Taken from the BBFC site):

*“Continue to regulate film, video/DVD and video games in a manner which maintains the support and confidence of the industry and the public

*Embrace technological change and opportunities in new media

*Respond to changing social attitudes

*Enhance our standing as a center of excellence in regulation

*Actively promote the BBFC as a valuable social resource

*Lead and innovate in media education and research

*Develop new partnerships”

In 1981 "The Exorcist" film was released on video, and because the BBFC did not have such a strong influence on the classification of video’s then it was hard for them to get involved in any such way, so uncharacteristically it was given th classification of ‘X’. Due to popular opinion the film was never placed on the prosecutors list of ‘Video Nasties” and therefore was never prosecuted for obscenity and could be viewed by almost anyone, because it could be got hold of on video by kids due to the fact that here was not a heavy certificate.

The BBFC had a big influence on the film “The Exorcist” in cinemas and theaters but after the video recordings act was passed in 1984 and as the 1988 deadline approached they were unable to make a decision on the film, because the films main protagonist was a young girl and the main subject of the film to a certain extent the film may appeal to younger children, although at the cinema it was easy to exclude young viewers from viewing the film but when it was released on video it was clear that the certificate that it was given needed to be much stronger, due to the strong religious views and the heavy scenes that take place in the girls bedroom.

The BBFC had to consider the effects of the reputation of the film and that whatever the
classification it could still be viewed by small kids and although filming techniques and special effects had moved on and advanced, the views explained in the film were extremely strong and may have a profound effect on anyone that may view it that may be seen as underage, therefore in the BBFC decided that it could finally be classified as an ‘18’ uncut for release on video/DVD, this then minimized the chance of it getting into the wrong hands and that if it did, then it was at the persons own risk.

Although the BBFC has a strict policy and may have a high opinion about what should or shouldn't be shown in a film or on a DVD, despite their best efforts these films may still get viewed by underage people by whatever way and not alot can be done to prevent that happening. The video recording act was put in place to prevent kids and underage people purchasing or renting films that they should not be able to view, but never the less if the film is owned by a family then unless parental control is strict then the film is easily viewable.

There are three main things that the BBFC will take into consideration when judging a film (Taken from the BBFC site):

* is the material in conflict with the law?
* is the material, at the age group concerned, likely to be harmful?
* is the material, at the age group concerned, clearly unacceptable to broad public opinion?
(It is on this ground, for example, that the Board intervenes in respect of language. This ground
also applies at '18', although here it is balanced against the public expectation that adults
should be free to choose their entertainment, within the law.)

These are the classification levels that a film is put under:

U c - Suitable for pre-school children.

U - Suitable for pre-school children.

PG - Parental Guidance, should not disturb any child aged 8 or over.

12 A - Should be accompanied by an adult in a cinema and shouldnt be rented to any child
under age of 12.

12 - Should be accompanied by an adult in a cinema and shouldnt be rented to any child
under age of 12.

15 - No-one under 15 should view the film in a cinema or rent it from a store.

18 - No-one under 18 may watch it or rent it from a store.

R 18 - Films of such nature should only be sold in licensed stores or in sex shops

The Exorcist

During the release of the exorcist there was a lot of serious incidents that were reported, whether it had been by the media or personal experience. There were reports that people were so disturbed by the movie that they were coming out of the cinema and throwing up or fainting. It had got to the point that cinema's were providing sick bags to people that chose to go and see the movie.

The British Board Of Film Classification is the board that decides whether film is suitable for general viewing. In earlier times films were banned for nudity and revolutionary politics, but now the board may have much less of a say whether a film is okay for viewing, although they do have a strong view on sexual violence, more so that they did 30 odd years ago.

Films that are made nowadays can be pretty horrific, i don't think that there should be really strict regulations on these films unless they completely cross the line, but there should be a more strict regulation on the ages of people that are allowed to watch the films, because films along with music and other things contribute to the way children and young adults behave and the way they act in general.

AOB 4

Representation In Graphic Novels

Representation is the way in which a story may portray the real world to its audience. It can be represented by a picture, video or a newspaper article etc etc. Stereotypes are a type of representation in which we see something or someone or a group in a certain way that may or may not reflect the actual character of the person or group. It can also be judging a person to be a certain way and therefore portraying the whole group of people that way. A good definition of this is,‘Stereotypes are widely circulated ideas or assumptions about particular groups.’ An example of this could be that all women are rubbish drivers or that they belong in the kitchen cooking and cleaning.

There is a scene in the novel where Vladek is talking about a relationship he had with a woman called Lucia. He clearly states that he wishes for it not to be included in the novel because it has nothing to do with the holocaust, but obviously it is in the novel. Art Spiegalman may have done this to paint a picture of the whole man and to give a more in depth view into his life to create a greater understanding of the person. This leads me on to mediation. Mediation is how something is put across to the audience, this can be different according to the mediator, in this case it is Spiegalman telling us through the story about his father and his past, it is like he is relaying the information to us as his father tells it to him.

Spiegalman chose animals to represent the characters in the novel. The two main sets of people are the Jews which are displayed as mice and the nazi's which are represented by cats. This idea came straight from nazi propaganda where they had a stereotypical view that the Jews were vermin that needed to be exterminated, it could also depict that how resourceful the jews were during the holocaust and the inability of the nazi's to get rid of them. The metaphor that is the cats and mice can also be seen, in a way that as cats toy with mice, the nazi's toyed with the jews before killing them. Another example would be that the french were displayed as frogs which would represent the stereotypical view that the french eat frogs legs etc etc.

In the second book Spiegalman seems to be having doubts about the use of animals to represent different people, however this is what the backbone of the story is based around. So instead of carrying on using the animals, he uses masks instead, tied round their heads with a piece of string. Maybe he wants to come to the conclusion that race is only a deception and also a stereotype depending on their actions and their past and that underneath all of this we are all the same, suggesting that in the novel, under the masks everyone is equal and similar.

The use of animals to represent human beings may be seen as out of place. But instead of creating social stereotypes, he ridicules them in a way that it can be seen that it is not correct to classify or judge human beings by race or nationality. The book is supposed to show unity between humans and to outline the fact that it is crazy to separate people through religious, ethnic or nationalistic divides. Animals could also have been used o detach the reader from real life and to help the novel appeal to a much younger generation while at the same time keeping interest from the older generation by showing a story of survival and death during the holocaust.

Throughout the novel Spiegalmans father Vladek is represented in different ways to show his complex and confrontational relationship with his father. In the book Vladek often exhibits racial prejudice against black people, despite his own experiences of anti-semitism. He can also be seen as a stingy and uptight person who often makes it difficult for people to be with and live round him, this can be seen during his relationships with his first two wives Anja and Mala, whom both of which have survived through concentration camps. This attitude of Vladek is one of great contrast to the one that is shown during his time spent in a concentration camp, where he seems clever, resourceful and fairly compassionate and friendly towards others around him.

In Palestine, Joe Sacco represents himself as a fairly dumb, clumsy journalist. This helps to keep the novel flowing and moving as due to this anything could go wrong and he could get himself into trouble. The Palestinians themselves are represented as very violent, powerful and controlling while the isralies are seen as weak and non-important, the women are free thinkers, the men are tortured and beat while the kids are pictured having to sleep in houses without roofs. This creates a big contrast between the two races.

AOB 3

Describing Media Texts (graphic novels)

AOB 2

Structure Of Media Texts (graphic Novels)

AOB 1

During the 1950's the CCA created guidelines for what was allowed to be published inside and on the covers of comics/graphic novels, the cover i have made in photoshop above would not have been accepted for publication as it contains the word terror. Anything that had the word terror or horror inducted into it would not have been allowed for viewing.

Brief Sequential Art History

The first notable sequential art is that of cave paintings, they were painted with purposeful scenes all in one picture that was read in a flowing motion.

The next sequential art of not was in the tombs in Egypt, it was known as Tapestry and was sewn. They were not snapshots but were read as a story. An example of this is the Scribe Of Menna.

Next in the 1740's a man called William Hogarth began to create narratives which told a story, a notable piece was Marage Alamode he made a piece that consisted of 6 paintings that created a story cycle and were designed to be shown side by side.

In the 1800's a guy called Rodolph Toppfer started to create frames in his work, the images were smaller and went along with writing, these were the first mass produced pieces of sequential art but the use of speech bubbles had still yet to be found.

After this the Guttenburg Press was introduced giving the ability to mass produce lots of things, this enabled people to send work such as newspapers around instead of people having to come to them. It was mainly used to ship the bible around. Also the first copyright laws were introduced.

Now that mass production was possible, a cartoon called Hogans Alley in a newspaper with a character called Yellow Kid became a big success, the strips were able to be ripped out from weekly issues and put together to create one big strip.

The difference between a cartoon and a comic could now be seen. A cartoon was one single image with a caption explaining what was happening. A comic was a series of sequential pictures that would fit with text to form a story or narrative.

In the late 30' early 40's of the 19th century, a guy called Max Gaines had the idea of re-printing images and strips into an anthology which then became comics. This then lead to a company called DC Comics being set up and in 1938 was the 1st time that Superman was ever seen.

In the 1950's Bill Gaines who was in relation to Max, created EC comics, in the company he let his artists use their imaginations freely . This lead to the outcome of some brutal stories hitting stores and after a man called Fredrick Wertham came up with a comic called 'seduction of the innocent' this called for the introduction of a way to control what people read. This caused the sales of comics to drop, so EC comics changed a comic the had called 'MAD' into a magazine, this turned out to be a big seller.

Graphic Novels I Have Read