The BID Poll Revisited, part 1

Originally published November 29, 1996, in Comics Buyer's Guide #1202

There was recent discussion on CompuServ regarding the But I Digress poll.

For those poor folks who came in late: Four years ago, we conducted a reader survey, inspired by a magazine which tried to assess what folks thought their world would be like come the next century. The BID poll asked fans to share their thoughts, via multiple-choice possibilities, of what the world of comics would be like 10 years down the road.

I have no idea whether BID (or even I) will be around in another six years. So it might be instructive to see the changes a mere four years have brought and get a feel for where we are—and, perhaps, where we're going.

Ten years from 1992

1. The #1 Comic book company will be:

Marvel 95 (43.8%)

DC 39 (17.81%)

Valiant 23 (10.50%)

Doesn't exist yet 20 (9.13%)

Image 13 (5.94%)

Dark Horse 11 (5.02%)

Malibu 2 (0.91%)

Tundra 2 (0.91%)

Single votes were also recorded for, among others, Fantagraphics, Blue Sky Blue, Archie, and a merger of Marvel and DC.

Well, according to numbers based on comics ordered for October shipping—provided by CBG's sister publication, Comics Retailer—Marvel remains the number one company, with a market share (based on unit sales) of 39.5% (including Malibu). DC is #2 at 25.2%. Valiant, however, which looked like the up and comer four years ago, has spiraled down, hovering below such high-powered lines as the Fantagraphics/Eros line. Now the #3 is Image (not counting Extreme, Homage, and Top Cow) at 9.5% (and if you fold in Top Cow and Homage, it would be 12.9%). Dark Horse is #4 at 4.2, Extreme/Maximum is #5 at 4%, Chaos is 1.7%, Topps is 1.6%, Sirius is 1%, Crusade is 0.94%, Archie is 0.84%, London Night is 0.81%, Harris is 0.64%, Viz is 0.61%, Fantagraphics/Eros is 0.49%, Bongo is 0.48%, Acclaim/Valiant (there it is!) is 0.47%, Event Comics is 0.40%, Big is 0.34%, and Kitchen Sink (which bought out Tundra) is 0.34%.

And hey, let's not rule out that Marvel/DC merger.

Interestingly, even at the time that Image was placed below Valiant by the reader rankings, Image was outselling Valiant. The voters clearly believed in Valiant's long-term health over Image's. The reason is quickly obvious with the next question.

2. The following company (or companies) will no longer exist:

Image 136 (62.10%)

Valiant 74 (33.79%)

Dark Horse 32 (14.61%)

DC            21 ( 9.59%)

Marvel 12 ( 5.48%)

Innovation 9 ( 4.11%)

Now 7 ( 3.20%)

Comico 6 ( 2.74%)

Eclipse 6 ( 2.74%)

Fantagraphics 5 ( 2.28%)

Malibu 3 ( 1.37%)

Disney 2 ( 0.91%)

Archie 2 ( 0.91%)

Personality 2 ( 0.91%)

In looking over this list, I hear the tune "Another One Bites the Dust" thumping through my head. Image is still around, but Valiant barely is. Dark Horse, DC and Marvel are still plugging away. But then publishers start dropping faster than sales on the Spider-clone stories. Innovation, Now, and Eclipse are all vapor mist, and new releases from Comico are few and far between. Malibu no longer exists as an independent company. Disney is gone, and Personality has split. (Get it? Split Personality? Split… oh, forget it.)

3. The top selling comic book will be:

Doesn't exist yet 94 (42.92%)

X-Men 26 (11.87%)

Spider-Man 19 ( 8.68%)

Superman 11 ( 5.02%)

Batman 11 ( 5.02%)

Next Men 7 ( 3.20%)

Spawn 4 ( 1.38%)

Harbinger 2 ( 0.91%)

Legion of Super-Heroes 2 ( 0.91%)

Cerebus 2 ( 0.91%)

Hulk 2 ( 0.91%)

Lobo 2 ( 0.91%)

Single votes were also recorded for, among others, New Warriors, Nestrobber (Jo Duffy, the Blue Sky Blue publisher, at it again), Jughead, Sandman, Doom Patrol, and Captain America.

Well, everyone was right. The #1 selling book didn't exist at the time. It is, of course, Supergirl. At least, that's what the folks at DC keep telling me.

Okay, okay, I'm kidding.

According to the October 1996 sales chart in Comics Retailer, X-Men is the top selling book (followed by two more mutant books.) Of the books under discussion on the list, Spawn overcame its vote of non-support to come in at #4 and #5 (thanks to Spawn the Impaler). Spider-Man comes next (#21), followed by Incredible Hulk (#30), Batman (#36) and Superman (#42, tied with two other Batman-related titles.) Next Men is pushing up daisies, as is Harbinger. Legion of Super-Heroes is #114, tied with several other titles, Lobo is #135, and Cerebus is at #205 (as is Pinky and the Brain. Something about little furry guys, I guess.)

Of the comics that got single votes, New Warriors is canceled, Nestrobber is M.I.A., Jughead is way down at #326 (the top-selling Archie title is, unsurprisingly, Sabrina), Sandman is gone as is Doom Patrol. And Captain America, which got one lowly vote—

Well, actually, that's #11.

I wonder if the one vote was placed by Rob Liefeld?

4. The following character(s) will have died and been replaced by someone else bearing the same name:

Iron Man 126 (57.53%)

Robin 113 (51.60%)

Punisher 97 (44.29%)

Captain America 89 (40.64%)

Superman 67 (30.59%)

Spawn 65 (29.68%)

Wonder Woman 54 (24.66%)

Spider-Man 44 (20.09%)

Batman 33 (15.07%)

Wolverine 23 (10.50%)

Hulk 7 ( 3.20%)

Flash 6 ( 2.74%)

Green Lantern 5 ( 2.28%)

Lobo 3 ( 1.37%)

Thor 2 ( 0.91%)

Archie 2 ( 0.91%)

Daredevil 2 ( 0.91%)

Aquaman 2 ( 0.91%)

Single votes were also received for, among others, Clark Kent, Swamp Thing, Dr. Strange, Warlock, Grimjack, Quicksilver, Jean Grey, Aunt May, and Barbie.

Well, if we wanted to be acerbic about it, we could argue that Iron Man and Captain America indeed did die and then were… what's the word I'm looking for… reborn? Because that creep-o in the Iron Man armor sure ain't Tony Stark. And Steve Rogers has turned into someone else completely. Still, technically, they are Tony and Steve, so I guess they don't count.

Spider-Man didn't die, but he was replaced by Ben Reilly for a while. Punisher apparently died and was replaced by a few Punishers. Superman was dead for a while, came back, but was replaced by four different Supermans (Supersman? Supermen?) in the meantime. Batman didn't die, but he had his back broken and was replaced by Azrael. Green Lantern was replaced by Kyle Rayner and then died. Wonder Woman didn't die, but she was replaced for a while by Artemis. Aquaman, jeez, he might as well be a replacement with all the stuff they've done to the poor fella. Aunt May died but wasn't replaced. And Sandman died and was replaced by a different guy. (He wasn't one of those targeted, but I just thought I'd mention it.)

And I still haven't figured out how Barbie got on the list.

5. The following person will be the editor in chief of Marvel Comics (should there be a Marvel Comics):

Mark Gruenwald 49 (22.37%)

Fabian Nicieza 28 (12.79%)

Peter David 28 (12.79%)

Tom DeFalco 19 ( 8.68%)

Jim Shooter 12 ( 5.48%)

John Byrne 12 ( 5.48%)

Chris Claremont 10 ( 4.57%)

Rob Liefeld 8 ( 3.65%)

Bob Harras 8 ( 3.65%)

Mike Carlin 6 ( 2.74%)

Who Cares? 6 ( 2.74%)

Todd McFarlane 3 ( 1.37%)

Paul Levitz 2 ( 0.91%)

Name Withheld 2 ( 0.91%)

Single votes were also noted for, among others, Joey Cavalieri, Al Milgrom, Roy Thomas, Scott Lobdell, Jim Starlin, Stan Lee, Alan Moore, and Renee Witterstaetter.

Well, there's a #1 vote getter that gets you a little misty-eyed, huh?

For a time there were actually five group editors, so Mark was—for a while, at least—an editor-in-chief of his own sphere. Ultimately, however, Bob Harras was made EIC. Fabian is over at Acclaim. I'm selling pencils on street corners. Tom DeFalco is freelancing; Jim Shooter is over at Broadway; John Byrne continues to freelance, as does Chris Claremont; Rob Liefeld is master of his domain (so to speak); Mike Carlin has a job over at DC; Who Cares? was re-elected President of the United States; Todd McFarlane and Name Withheld plug away in poverty; and Paul Levitz hasn't aged a day. How the hell are ya, Paul?

6. The following person will be the editor in chief of DC Comics, (should there still be a DC Comics):

Mike Carlin 37 (16.89%)

Paul Levitz 36 (16.44%)

Jim Shooter 30 (13.70%)

Peter David 17 ( 7.76%)

John Byrne 10 ( 4.57%)

Tom DeFalco 9 ( 4.11%)

Who Cares? 7 ( 3.20%)

Rob Liefeld 6 ( 2.74%)

Joey Cavalieri 6 ( 2.74%)

Chris Claremont 5 ( 2.28%)

Mark Gruenwald 5 ( 2.28%)

Bob Harras 5 ( 2.28%)

Todd McFarlane 3 ( 1.37%)

Frank Miller 2 ( 0.91%)

Denny O'Neil 2 ( 0.91%)

Single votes were also recorded for, among others, Fabian Nicieza, Marv Wolfman, Ross Perot, Archie Goodwin, Neal Pozner, Mike Eury, Karen Berger, Howard Stern (!), Len Wein, and Katie Main.

Although technically Jenette Kahn is the editor in chief at DC, and Paul Levitz is publisher, in point of fact—and in day to day operation—it is my opinion that Mike Carlin is Da Guy (although he works in close coordination with Denny O'Neil and Archie Goodwin, and Jenette and Paul have the ultimate responsibility for what's published).

Here's a note of interest. Joey Cavalieri was over at Marvel when the survey was taken, but six voters pegged him as the future DC editor in chief (as opposed to his garnering exactly one vote for being the Marvel editor in chief). What I wrote at the time was, "It makes you wonder whether people think he's going to jump back to DC…"

Which he did.

Cue the Twilight Zone music.

Boy, I thought I'd be able to get the whole thing into one installment, but I'm outta room. OK, we'll wrap it next week.

(Peter David, writer of stuff, can be written to at Second Age, Inc., P.O. Box 239, Bayport, NY 11705.)