License to Thrill
The commercial success of iconic characters such as Superman, Batman, X-Men and Spiderman have helped to elevate the medium as a relevant “creative pool” for the entertainment industry to draw from. The cross-pollination of entertainment creatives such as Kevin Smith, Harlan Ellison, and J. Stracynzski, further legitimizing the comic book medium to the general literary public. In the years to come, many more licensed comic book characters will be appearing in properties ranging from video game franchises to multi-picture commitments and all the ancillary cross-marketing merchandising opportunities that go with it. A word of caution for the comic-book industry and entertainment empires to come Ð tread carefully. An out-of-control trend exists in project marketing known as overmarketing. Overmarketing, occurred in comic books during the height of comic book interest in 1996-98 that adversely contributed to the shrinking of the comic book market. Too many characters, too many books, too many character crossovers, too many ancillary products (cards, T-shirts, toys, busts) glutted a market where average customer spending was around $15 to $35 a week. This oversaturation of the market left a lot of product sitting on shelves, with customers unable to support the level of financial demand. So like any market, it shrunk. Overmarketing is not limited to just the comic book industry either. Examples of overmarketing like Independence Day, and Star Wars (Episode I), Batman & Robin are constant reminders to major toy retailers and other merchandising companies of the fiscal risks still existing in surefire properties. The video game market has a long-standing love/hate relationship with comic book licensed characters. Until recently, very few (practically none) character licenses made the transition to video game successfully. These properties failed for various reasons. Technological limitations, software limitations, rushed production, poor storytelling, poor interpretation of the characters. All of these factors, represented the limitations of interpreting the heroic icons in the interactive arena. But that was until Spiderman on Playstation. Activision, building on their successful Tony Hawk engine, finally did the wall-crawler justice. The playstation could move the polygons and create the effects and feel of Spiderman as every comic book reader envisioned it. Other games such as Batman - Vengeance and the new Spider man game for the Playstation 2 continue to showcase the new capabilities and power of today's platform gaming systems. In the years ahead, the digital divide between movie entertainment and gaming entertainment will become seamless, especially since the defacto media format has stabilized on DVD. But maintaining this level of quality product is mandatory for the continued success of comic-book licenses. Remember, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” |
Having
been an avid comic book enthusiast for over 25 years, it has been an
odd pleasure to see some of my favorite comic book hero's come to life
on the big and small screens. Whether in animation, video games or 35mm,
the concept of comic book heroes and heroines has gained wide mainstream
acceptance not only as entertainment, but as an artform as well.