Misrepresentation in PRIDE comics

Comic Reviews for week ending 6/12/2022

Good morning, my friend,

I’m touching on a sensitive topic today. The ideas presented here aren’t intended to put a definitive end to a conversation but to start one. The topic, as you’ve already seen from the subject line, is around PRIDE comics.

If you’ve had your fill of PRIDE topics this year, you may be tempted to skip this one, but I’m working on a perspective not many people are talking about, so hang in there.

In the olden days of fiction classification (bookstores, libraries, etc.), works of fiction intentionally geared towards the LGBTQ+ community (or non-heterosexual, if you prefer) were shelved and categorized as a subgenre of Romance. Rightfully so. If a fiction writes a work of fiction that brings focus to a non-hetero relationship as the core of the story, the romantic relationship is a central theme. There could be other thematic elements such as drama or mystery, but if the writer’s goal is to spotlight a romantic relationship, it follows the fiction would be placed somewhere under Romance.

That’s not to say a murder mystery can’t contain LGBTQ+ elements. They can. But the writer’s central theme is what matters, so if the central theme is focused on one or more romantic relationships, Romance is the proper category.

This is where misrepresentation can and does happen. When comics publishers specifically go out of the way to label a comic as a PRIDE comic, whether or not the contents are focused on the relationship of the characters, the publishers are signaling to the buying audience that the PRIDE comics are a form of Romance comic. DC Comics, for example, puts out a PRIDE comic focusing on Wonder Woman. In so doing, the framing creates a perception that the story isn’t about action, adventure, or conflict against an evil villain. The framing positions Wonder Woman’s story as focused on an LGBTQ+ relationship. In other words, the buying audience sees marketing for a Romance comic, not a superhero adventure.

Does PRIDE marketing always match the comic contents? No. Conversely, there’s a strong counter-argument that seeing PRIDE as only Romance is a shallow interpretation on behalf of the buying audience. That may be true, but the job of marketing is to craft the message to match what they want the audience to see and hear. The oft-used catchphrases such as “Educate yourself” and “Give it a chance” are nice platitudes, but they never have and never will work when marketing a product.

Should PRIDE comics exist? Of course. There’s a market for every kind of reading taste, and there’s plenty of room for creators to find the market that likes their work. However, the basic principles of Marketing will always apply. PRIDE comics are perceived as a subset of Romance. When Publishers market PRIDE comics to a comic-buying audience looking for action-adventure, sales are guaranteed to struggle. When it comes to marketing and sales, the Golden Rule will always apply.

“Give customers what they already want, where they already are, at a fair price.”

Is there a better way to market PRIDE comics? How can Publishers get the right comic to the right buyer in the right place? That’s my take, but let me know what you think in the comments section below.

Now, let’s take a look back and a look ahead.

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This Week’s Deals of the Day [DotD]

No deals this week. We’re retooling our vendor relationships, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, let us know if you have a favorite collectibles vendor or collectibles theme (Marvel, Star Wars, etc.), and we’ll work your requests into the retool.

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POTIONS INC. #1 – Review

DOCTOR WHO: ORIGINS #1 – Review

BLADE RUNNER: ORIGINS #12 – Review

ARCHER & ARMSTRONG FOREVER #2 – Review

BETTIE PAGE: THE ALIEN AGENDA #4 – Review

THE INVINCIBLE RED SONJA #9 – Review

NYX #7 – Review

VAMPIRELLA STRIKES #2 – Review

BÊLIT & VALERIA #2 – Review

BLU LULLABY #1 – Indie Review

AT LAST THE LIGHT (ONE-SHOT) – Indie Review

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• The Cimmerian: Hour of the Dragon #4 (Ablaze Publishing)

• Dragon Whisperer (Vol. 2) # 1 (Red 5 Comics)

• Jennifer Blood (Vol. 2) #9 (Dynamite Comics)

• Immortal Red Sonja #3 (Dynamite Comics)

• Invictus: Outrage #1 (G-Man Comics - Indie Submission)

• Lynx #1 (G-Man Comics - Indie Submission)

• Plainer Jane #3 (Indie Submission)

• Template: New Partition #1 (Indie Submission)

As you can see from the list above, our small- and mid-sized publishers are having a light week, so we’re taking the opportunity to catch up on our backlog of indie submissions. If time allows, we may add a few more.

Again, thanks for your support. Please share (the handy dandy ‘Share’ button is down below) this newsletter with everyone you can. Your support ensures we can keep bringing you great content for a very long time.

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Have a great day!