Part 6/9:
Faced with shrinking sales and limited ownership rights, many artists and writers are jumping ship. Platforms like Substack are providing lucrative opportunities for creators to publish directly to fans, retain rights, and earn a fair share of profits. This shift is driven by a simple truth: creators want control and a direct relationship with their audience, which corporate giants often deny.
The industry’s reliance on licensing, reboots, and cross-media hype isn’t sustainable without solid comic sales to back it up. As McFarlane points out, giving fans what they want, rather than pander to vocal minorities, is the recipe for success.