You don’t need to search very hard to find the immense power comic books hold over us.
Anyone who has paid even slight attention in recent years has undoubtedly heard of the box office successes of movies such as the Dark Knight and The Avengers and TV shows such as The Walking Dead.
Although it may not be as common to consume the stories in comic book form anymore, each of these multi-million dollar grossing movies and TV shows were graphic novels first. What was once a niche industry has exploded to find mainstream success – and with that comes mainstream money.
The industry has progressed a long way from the early days of Marvel and DC and five-cent comics. Ottawa, as it should, has embraced it.
Despite all of its drab, suit-wearing, government culture, the city has become a thriving home for the often against-the-grain, push-the-limits world of comic books. One group of Ottawa residents in particular have seen the potential the industry has to grow and the money that can be made.
Entrepreneurs Jason Daley, Douglas Duncan and Donald Lanouette launched their company UcreateComics in December to build on the global strength of the comic book industry.
They started UcreateComics as a way to find and promote talented comic book creators all over the world. The three local men recently closed a $1-million fund to help finance the work of artists and writers from around the world who submit worthy ideas to the company’s website.
Although they are getting ready to embark on a world tour to raise awareness and recruit international artists and writers, the company’s home base in Ottawa has them perfectly situated.
Boasting seven comic book stores, Ottawa knows its stuff. But it doesn’t stop there.
Ottawa is also home to North America’s biggest animation festival, another medium UcreateComics will focus on promoting.
The annual Ottawa International Animation Festival was founded in 1976 and will take place in September this year. According to the event’s website, it “presents the world’s most cutting-edge, quirky and important animation – and transforms Ottawa into the centre of the animation universe.”
Along similar lines, the Ottawa comic book industry received a huge boost last year when the city held its first annual Comic Con event.
The world renowned comic book and popculture convention holds events all over the world and sees the biggest names in the industry attend and interact with fans.
Although the 22,000 people who attended the event makes it relatively small compared with events in Tokyo and San Diego, which regularly draw crowds of 540,000 and 130,000 people respectively, the organizers considered it a resounding success for the inaugural gathering.
This year’s Comic Con event will take place in May and organizers are expecting an even bigger turnout , a true testament to the passion and growth of the industry in Ottawa.
The reason for the comic book craze could be attributed to a lot of different things but one of the biggest reasons is undoubtedly the industry’s decision to start marketing to adults.
With cult classic graphic novels such as Watchmen and The Walking Dead being targeting an older demographic, the industry has been able to appeal to a much wider section of the population.
The co-operation between comic book creators and movie animators has also given the business an increase in appeal. Animation is no longer just Saturday morning cartoons.
Animators can now take a wildly popular graphic novel, such as Watchmen and The Walking Dead, and with incredible technological advances, create a visually stunning representation. Those who love the appeal of comics, but not the fact they have to be read, can now sit down and watch them in better quality than they ever before.
The business advantages of a partnership like this are obvious and, with Disney buying Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion in 2009, quite substantial.
With the industry booming in Ottawa and a continued focus on building it up, the next great comic book you read – or watch – could very well be homegrown.