DC Comics is up in the third quarter of the year. Karl Mostert, an artist known for his work at DC Comics, has died at age 43. Disney and Lucasfilm launch Star Wars Reads.
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Episode Transcript:
DC Comics has reversed its market decline.
Karl Mostert dies at age 43.
Disney and Lucasfilm launch Star Wars Reads.
This is Comic Book Club News for October 4, 2024.
DC Comics Reverses Market Decline:
DC Comics has managed to reverse its market decline in the third quarter of the year but still lags far behind Marvel.
The numbers come from ICv2, which tracks overall direct-to-customer sales through ComicHub. While DC still saw a year-over-year drop from 24.9% of the market in quarter three of 2023, to 20.1% in quarter three of 2024, it was still a step up from the dire news of the rest of 2024.
However, Marvel still nearly doubled DC with 39.9% of the market share, easily taking the number one slot. Image Comics came in third with 12.2% of the market, with the IDW, BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse, Dynamite, Viz, Oni Press, and Titan all snagging less than 5% each. And “all others” accounted for the other 9.2% of the market.
Oni Press, at least, has something to celebrate: perhaps based on the power of their buzzy EC Comics line, and the 20th anniversary of Scott Pilgrim, the publisher broke into the Top 10 for the first time since 2020.
Will the fourth quarter see a change in fortunes, given DC’s just-launched All In initiative? Stay tuned.
Artist Karl Mostert Dies At Age 43:
Some sad news: comic book artist Karl Mostert has died at age 43. He reportedly passed away in his sleep on Monday, September 30, right after exhibiting at Comic Con Africa.
The news comes via his art dealer, Comic Lore, who wrote on Instagram, “It is with a grief-filled and heavy heart that I have to let you know that our beloved brother Karl Mostert has passed away. Words cannot even begin to describe the massive space that this amazing human being has left in our hearts.”
Mostert worked on numerous comics including Batman, DCeased, and recently a story for the DC Ape-ril Special. He is survived by his wife, Angie, and three daughters. Our thoughts are with them at this time.
Disney And Lucasfilm Launch Star Wars Reads:
Disney and Lucasfilm have just launched this year’s Star Wars Reads, a program in collaboration with the nonprofit First Book for “a celebration that brings the power of books and storytelling to the next generation of storytellers.”
Through the program, they’re focusing on under-resourced communities by donating books, and providing reading assistance from Disney VoluntEARS, as well as classroom resources and activity kits.
Said Michael Siglain, creative director, Lucasfilm Publishing, “Books, comics, and magazines are a treasured and timeless way for readers all over the world to immerse themselves in the excitement of a galaxy far, far away. By collaborating on Star Wars Reads with organizations like First Book, Blue Star Families and New York Edge, we can share the joy of reading with fans of all ages.”
The event kicked off this week with a classroom visit featuring comic book writer and Star Wars writer Charles Soule, and his daughter, Rosemary Soule. And on October 26, New York Edge will host a Star Wars Reads Family Festival in NYC, just for educators and families.
You can find out more about the program at impact.disney.com.
For Comic Book Club News, I’m Alex Zalben. And I always read the crawl at the beginning of Star Wars movies, does that count? Well, most of the crawl. Okay, i skim it.
Got tips or stories you’d like us to cover? Email us at comicbookclublive@gmail.com.
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