Is the popularity of comic book getting lost in today’s time among kids?
Well the answer is Yes to a great extend.
In modern times children don’t spend much time with comic book and the reason for it is the availability of other alternatives.
Stories of popular comic superheroes have been adapted to radio shows, television shows and movies.
Very popular comic character Spider-Man has been adapted to different entertainment medium such as Movies and Animated Television Series after its launch.
Because of the availability of animated characters in audio/video medium, children no longer get interest in the printed comic books.
Comic book is failing to hold the attention of children in modern times.
Chacha Chaudhary created in the year 1971 was very famous in Indian Comic market.
During 1970s and 80s Chacha Chaudhary Comic books were very popular among the age group 10-13 years.
Along with Chacha Chaudhary; Tinkle, Tenali Raman, Champak were well-read Indian Comic book.
Amar Chitra Katha was another well-liked comic book which sold 100 million copies in 20 Indian languages.
Popularity of Comic Book Getting Lost
Comic Books get lost with time due to the invention of audio/video medium.
Invention of Television created a great impact on the communication industry.
Print industry took back seat when audio/video industry started to extend.
Television entered every household of the world and provided hassle free colourful entertainment to the audience.
Modern gadgets, Electronic devices and new medium of entertainment are the main reason behind the decline of Comic book popularity among children.
Television- An Attractive Audio/Video Medium
Today each and every Cartoon Channel is filled with animated comic series be it Disney XD or Boomerang, Pogo or Hungama.
24 hour Television Channels packed with various programmes have reduced craze for book reading among the kids of current generation.
Children are more hooked to television because it is a more attractive medium.
Audio/Video medium with moving or animated cartoon figures is more impressive than the still printed images.
All over the world Audio/ Video medium has become more powerful than the printed medium.
No doubt that Animated Disney Movies have won the heart of millions of people.
Not only American Superheroes, Indian cartoon characters have also shifted their platform from printed to Audio/Video Medium.
Launch of DTH or Direct-to-Home television provided multiple channels to the audience.
Previously in Indian Doordarshan was only active channel but introduction of Cable Network and DTH changed the entire scenario of viewership.
Cartoon series created with different animation techniques such as 2D or 3D or Stop Motion successfully impresses the young heart.
Cartoon Network Channel which was launched in 1992 airs mainly animated programmes in the genre of action to comedy.
Tom and Jerry show is one of the most popular shows in Cartoon Network along with Looney Tunes, Ben 10, The Powerpuff Girls, Peppa Pig and many others.
Similarly Disney Channel also has a big list of animated cartoon series to offer for the kids.
Phineas and Ferb, Sofia the First, Tangled: The series, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse etc.
Talking and moving colourful 2D animated cartoon characters are more attractive to the children of all age group.
Kids prefer to watch bright, colourful singing and dancing figures on television more compared to story books.
With Television and Movies animation industry has grown in a big way.
Animation Studios like Disney Animation Studio, Cartoon Animation Studio, Nickelodeon Animation Studio contributed a lot in delivering new animated series for Cartoon Channels.
Hungama TV channel’s comedy animated series Shinchan helped to gain 60% of the market share.
This show is very popular among kids.
Television Cartoon Channels provides new animated stories to its young audience.
Superheroes animated series are also very popular among kids such as Spider-Man, Batman, Hulk, Avengers etc.
There are lot of Direct-to-video animated films which released immediately on home video formats rather than a theatrical release.
Children enjoy such Direct-to-Video animated full length feature films based on their favourite comic characters or folk tales.
Influence of Story-Telling Gadgets
Along with Television; advent of new gadgets such as Kindle and Mobile Phones has also pushed the comic book readership into decline.
Children are generally more inclined towards new gadgets and technologies, their sharp memory help them to pick up the usage manual quickly.
Currently Kindle has become favourable gadget among young readers.
Kindle can store more than 1000 books.
Kids prefer Kindle because it is used friendly; one can adjust the size of text easily in Kindle which is impossible in comic book.
Kindle is lightweight, so it is easy to handle compared to comic book.
Kindle has in-built dictionary to help the readers.
With kindle there is no fear of wear and tear of the pages and it save trees.
Due to these advantages company encourages children as well as adults to use Kindle.
Addiction to Video Games
One more reason for the decline in the popularity of comic book in today’s time is the availability of the Video Games.
Since 1980s Video Games became a crucial part of entertainment industry.
One can play video game in mobile phones, laptop, desktop or handheld computing devices.
There are Action games, Sport Games, Puzzles, Adventure games etc.
In the market Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo are there.
Online games and in-built mobile games have successfully targeted the younger generation.
Younger generation kids are getting more and more addicted to video games.
Moreover video games are played by all age groups and that is the reason behind the growth of gaming industry.
Impact of Virtual Reality Games
Virtual Reality games are another form of entertainment which requires the player to use head-mounted unit which will provide them stereoscopic screens and will engulf them into virtual environment.
Virtual Reality takes the player to the world of imagination where they can interact with the virtual world.
More visual, more images, more actions can be provided by one and only Audio/Video medium and that is the reason why Comic Book is losing its charm in front of Technology.
Connect with us to know more about mesmerizing Audio/Video Medium.
