One in Four Comic Readers over the Age of 65, Simba Information Study Reveals

Online, September 29, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Simba Information, publisher of the groundbreaking "Trade E-Book Publishing" report series, has found that nearly one in four adult comic readers is 65 years of age or older, according to the newly released second edition of its "Overview of the U.S. Comic Book and Graphic Novel Market" report.

The burgeoning market for comics has been driven recently by a series of successful film adaptations, most notably Warner Bros.' "The Dark Knight", which stands as one of the highest-grossing films of all time. Yet, as "Overview of the U.S. Comic Book and Graphic Novel Market 2009-2010" clearly shows, the industry remains misunderstood at best.

"Despite notable efforts from many in the industry, comics and graphic novels continue to be repeatedly mislabeled as just another children's book category," said Warren Pawlowski, online publishing manager for Simba Information and an analyst within the company's Trade Books Group. "With nearly a quarter of the comic reading audience beyond the age of retirement, there is a misconception that needs to be corrected."

"Overview of the U.S. Comic Book and Graphic Novel Market 2009-2010" delves deeper into clarifying and personifying the modern-day comic reader, with detailed demographic comparisons to book buyers and the general population. The report also provides bestseller analysis of the three major segments within the comic industry-comic books, graphic novels and manga-featuring multiple listings of the top titles and publishers by both title output and total dollar sales, as well as sales forecasts for the coming year.

Other new additions include a lengthy analysis of publishers' digital publishing and distribution adoption efforts, an exploration of the effect of price increases and movie adaptations on overall sales. Additionally, the report contains fully-revised profiles of top industry publishers that include a discussion of publishing strategies, estimated publishing revenues, an overview of bestselling titles and more.

Additional information on "Overview of the U.S. Comic Book and Graphic Novel Market 2009-2010" can be found at: http://www.simbainformation.com/redirect.asp?progid=79686&productid=2523144. Ongoing comic and graphic novel analysis can also be seen at: www.bookpublishingreport.com, the newly-launched site for Simba Information's Trade Books Group and its publication, "Book Publishing Report", which will be providing full coverage of Reed Exhibition's New York Comic Con next month.