Publishers of graphic novels look to make inroads with ‘compelling, redemptive storylines’

Although its fans are legion and its characters are more frequently appearing on the big screen— including this summer’s Iron Man 2—the $320-million-a-year comic book industry has yet to make much impact at Christian retail. But creators and publishers are hoping to change that.

One Christian producer in the genre exhibited at the mainstream Megacon convention in Orlando, Fla., in March, which drew a crowd of more than 37,000. Kingstone Media CEO Art Aris introduced visitors to the Leesburg, Fla.-based company’s faith-based offerings, which include science fiction, action adventure, historical fiction, biographies and biblical epics.

In addition to reaching out to secular comic book fans, Kingstone Media has been connecting with owners and representatives from church and Christian stores, including chains. Mardel Christian & Education is going to start carrying some of Kingstone’s books, and Aris said he is also in talks with Family Christian Stores.

“I’m hoping that as we grow this, they’ll be a Kingstone section in the stores,” he said. Kingstone’s Bible-based comics include The Beginning, Incarnation and The Revelation as well as the novel Sudan and 2048—a futuristic graphic work of fiction by Marvin Olasky, World magazine editor-in-chief.

But exactly where to market comics in a bookstore is one of the biggest hurdles the titles have in getting before Christian retail shoppers, even while some publishers—including Head Press Publishing, whose “Eye Witness” books have received ForeWord’s Book of the Year and Independent Publishers’ awards—and organizations such as Christian Comics International cultivate and promote new talent.

“Christian retail stores don’t know where to put comics,” said Scott Shuford, a board member of the Christian Comic Art Society (CCAS). “They don’t know if it’s a children’s thing or put it with the books. There’s an identity crisis about what to do with Christian comics.”

As a result, Shuford noted that comics have been more successful so far as church resources—directly sold to or created by churches, bypassing Christian bookstores altogether.

Christian publishers such as Thomas Nelson and B&H Publishing Group have recently used the medium to expand their regular titles. Thomas Nelson has released seven softcover books based on Ted Dekker’s “Circle Series” and “Lost Books” novels, which will soon be re-released in hardcover.

“Even at 144 pages or so, the spines were so thin, that customers had a hard time finding them,” said Allen Arnold, senior vice president and publisher for fiction at Thomas Nelson. “I don’t think customers voted against the originals as much as never discovered them at retail.”

To promote John B. Olson’s Powers novel released in December, Aaron Linne, executive producer of digital media marketing for B&H, teamed up with artist M. Daily Walden to create a free graphic adventure featuring characters from the novel. Linne said that readers remarked to him how the comic drew their interest to the novel, a promotion he believes will be implemented again.

B&H is currently adapting the nonfiction narrative A Church Called Grafitti by Taylor Field and Jo Kadlecek into graphic novel form.

Zondervan has published its Z Graphic Novels since 2007 under its Zonderkidz imprint. Series such as “Tomo,” “MangaBible,” “TimeFlyz” “and “Son of Samson” have provided “an approach to reading that reflects the multimedia nature of today’s hi-tech culture,” said Pam Mettler, associate director of public relations for Zonderkidz. “Graphic novels integrate images and text to tell a different kind of story than would be possibly with only a single medium.”

Besides placement and distribution challenges, there are other considerations that could be slowing down the Christian comic invasion. Kevin O’Brien, director of Bibles and Bible Reference for Tyndale House Publishers, said while that the company’s “Manga” series had done “very well,” comics have had a “tough time” in the Christian market—most recently, he believed, because mainstream comics have gotten darker and grittier in tone.

“I hope that someone will be able to break through and create some truly compelling comics, but it will not be easy,” he said. “The story has to be good and so does the art. Christian fiction has shown that it is possible to create compelling, redemptive storylines. I believe that there is a strong possibility that this success can be transferred to the realm of comics and graphic novels.”

Like Kingtone Media, CCAS operates a booth at comic conventions, including the country’s largest, the San Diego Comic-Con. Shuford said the reason issues of faith fit perfectly with comic books is the basic battle between good and evil.

“(When you talk about comics), you’re immediately put into a conversation about what’s good versus what’s evil,” Shuford said. “Comics allow you to illustrate massive spiritual things that can happen in ways that it would take millions of dollars to do in film.”

Curtis Riskey tells bookstore representatives that booksellers trade association ‘needs your ideas’

CBA Executive Director Curtis Riskey has urged input from retailers to help the trade association better serve the industry.

Making his first public appearance since he was appointed to the leadership position to replace longtime President and CEO Bill Anderson, Riskey spoke during gift supplier P. Graham Dunn’s Dealer Conference—which drew around 200 store representatives for the March 23-24 event to the company’s Dalton, Ohio, headquarters.

“One of the biggest reasons why I came to CBA … is because I feel like we can all help one another,” said Riskey, 43, who has been on the staff of CBA since 2007 and served as its interim executive director since Anderson’s departure last October. “By all of us coming together and working together, it lifts that load.

“We can’t do it alone; we have to do it together,” he added. “For any of you who are members of CBA, I work for you. … It’s not my association, it’s all of us. And for those of you who are not members of CBA, I would encourage you to become (a member). Not just because we are looking for $250 every year from you. It’s what you can bring. We need you. We need your ideas. We need your help.”

The owner of a Christian bookstore in Oshkosh, Wis., Riskey also spoke about Christian channel-exclusives such as the Operation Worship Bible campaign with Tyndale House Publishers, in which more than 600,000 units have been sold since it began in 2008.

“How many of those Bibles are going to stay in a Muslim country when those troops come back?” he asked. “That’s the ministry; that’s what’s happening. We have letters from soldiers testifying what effect that Bible had in their life. Many have come to know Jesus Christ. Because of that, that’s why we are in this. We are trying to create more of these kinds of campaigns. Things where you can participate, where it is exclusive to you, and we are going to try to drive this because we want you to have shelter.”

Riskey also spoke about CBA’s next Christian retail channel exclusive campaign—a partnership with MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International, a ministry for young mothers.

Details of the initiative with Baker Publishing Group (BPG) are due to be unveiled at the International Christian Retail Show in St. Louis this month. Centering on the BPG’s forthcoming Momology by Shelly Radic, the promotion is due to begin in the fall.

Riskey said MOPS was “going to be pushing” the book to its groups nationwide. “We are going to drive them to your store to get them,” he said. “We need to be the missionary initiators within our community. We need to be the place that churches go to for advice on how to reach the community.”

Meanwhile, Anderson has broken his silence concerning his sudden departure from the organization after more than 30 years. The longtime leader of the retailers group said that a leadership transition committee had been working behind the scenes for the past few years prior to his abrupt October resignation.

Careful planning had been underway for several, “but in the context of the October board meeting, it became evident that I should resign,” he wrote in a guest column in the April issue of CBA’s Retailers + Resources magazine.

“The decision was not made in haste, although it was quick and immediate,” he added. “Sometimes God’s hand of direction cannot be explained or predicted. But His grace prepares, and His Spirit leads.”

Anderson—who served CBA for 31 years, 24 of them as its leader—has since begun a consulting service to help CEOs and associations. “I’m excited the Lord is directing me to use my knowledge, skills, abilities, training and experience to help my colleagues succeed and grow,” he wrote.

Anderson said that CBA was “in the good hands of board leadership and a strong staff—lean, keen and capable.” “I urge you to work together support your new leaders and be active members in CBA.” He encouraged readers to “keep on keeping on” in their “high and holy calling” and “sacred trust to take His Word deep into the marketplace.”

CBA announced in March that it would not be filling Anderson’s role, instead shifting its management and leadership style and appointing Riskey as executive director. Regarding the change in management style, CBA Chairman-elect George Thomsen said that the board felt it “best fits CBA’s needs for this day and age.”

Producer-songwriter Jason Ingram and Needtobreathe were the big winners during the 41st Annual Gospel Music Association Dove Awards.

With four awards, Ingram was the biggest winner of the event, held April 21 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. Ingram and Rusty Varenkamp won Producer of the Year for their work on Tenth Avenue North’s Over and Underneath (Reunion Records/Provident-Integrity Distribution), and Ingram was part of the songwriting team that won Song of the Year for the band’s “By Your Side.”

Ingram also received a trophy for being a producer of “By Your Side.” He was also a co-writer on Bebo Norman’s Inspirational Song of the Year, “The Only Hope.”

Needtobreathe earned three Doves for Group of the Year, Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year for The Outsiders (Atlantic Records/Word Distribution) and Rock/Contemporary Song of the Year for “Lay ‘Em Down.” The Possum Kingdom, S.C., rock quartet, led by brothers Bear and Bo Rinehart, ended Casting Crowns’ five-year run in the Group of the Year category.

Casting Crowns, though, won the fan-voted Artist of the Year. Meanwhile, Brandon Heath won Male Vocalist of the Year for the second consecutive time, while Francesca Battistelli ended Natalie Grant’s four-year run as Female Vocalist of the Year. Battistelli also won Short Form Music Video of the Year for “Free to be Me.”

Jennie Lee Riddle won two Doves, including Songwriter of the Year and Worship Song of the Year for Phillips, Craig and Dean’s “Revelation Song”—also recorded by Kari Jobe. Sidewalk Prophets was named New Artist of the Year.

Jars of Clay was also awarded two Dove Awards, one for the Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year for The Long Fall Back to Earth (Gray Matters/Essential Records/Provident-Integrity)—also recognized as Recorded Music Packaging of the Year.

GMA’s alternative to cancelled industry music conference ‘scaled back’ but ‘more ministry-focused’

The crowds were smaller and the schedule lighter, but those who last month attended the annual celebration of the threatened Gospel Music Association (GMA), gave mixed reviews regarding the organization’s rebranded showcase.

Held April 19-21, Dove Awards Week was GMA’s alternative to what traditionally had been GMA Music Week—cancelled at the end of last year. The conference part of the Music Week—which included the Christian Music Retail Conference and music industry leadership workshops, and once drew thousands to Nashville—had faced shrinking attendance in recent years and will be retooled for 2011, GMA said.

Dove Awards Week—centered on the 41st Annual Gospel Music Association Dove Awards ceremony, April 21—included events such as Broadcast Music Inc. and American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers award dinners.

Ed Leonard, GMA board chairman and Daywind Music Group president, said that he was pleased with Dove Awards Week, which drew approximately 3,000 people for the prize-giving evening. He told Christian Retailing that the association had made steps to refocus its efforts on building “a community of creative people and people that support them in an effort to celebrate and promote the gospel through music.”

“We had an artist nominee luncheon, something we’ve never done before,” said Leonard. “We’re better together then we are apart, and we really tried to honor the nominees during that time but also sow back into them since they’re always out there sowing into others.”

Al Andrews—founder and director of Porter’s Call, a ministry geared toward supporting recording artists and their families—spoke at the luncheon and offered encouragement to the artists in attendance.

Greg Bays—chairman of the Christian Music Trade Association, an affiliate organization of GMA—said that although the usual industry conference was not held, several key accounts met with artists and labels/distribution companies, and attended the Dove Awards.

“The most frequent comment I heard from accounts and distribution staff was, ‘This may not be a typical GMA Week, but I’m as busy as I have ever been,’” Bays told Christian Retailing. “I don’t know that the week was literally ‘as busy as ever,’ but my calendar was certainly packed with key account meetings, artist showcases and related events all week.

“The pace of the week was different—not necessarily better or worse—from prior years,” he added. “This change of pace seemed to allow the accounts that participated to get more time to connect with the artists they met. It allowed accounts and suppliers to have more strategic dialog, more time to discuss creative ideas on how to grow the business—expanding the reach of Christian and gospel music.”

Lori Lenz—president of Biscuit Media Group, a Nashville public relations firm—only brought two of the artists she represents for Dove Awards Week, which she called “completely different.”

“It’s so scaled back,” she said. “There’s a lot of media that just haven’t come this year or they’re here for just a short time. It’s been a lot more challenging to book interviews and also in getting the artists motivated to come. There’s not a lack of interest, but there’s a lack of events they can play off of, so the value is perceived differently.”

HearItFirst.com President Mark Adkinson said his online Christian music company did not have to rent a suite to shoot artist video interviews. “It’s very strange not to be downtown and not having a ton of meetings,” said Adkinson. “We’re probably not as busy as we were last year, but we’re still doing a lot of interviews.”

Brian Mayes, president of Nashville Publicity Group, said his agency was nearly as busy as it had been in previous years when GMA Music Week was held.

“Everybody kept saying, ‘What is it like to have GMA week off?’, and I said, ‘I didn’t,’” Mayes said. “We were getting calls from media outlets that were coming to the Dove Awards anyway, so we set up the media suite. The media that mattered were there, and we were booked non-stop, six artists deep every 15 minutes just about every day.”

Nashville Publicity Group also organized The Dog and Pony Show, a musical showcase that has been a staple during GMA Music Week in the past.

“There was no conference to draw from, no foot traffic and we were a little nervous going in, wondering if we could pull this off,” Mayes said. “But our attendance was right on track with previous years, with over 400 in attendance.”

Mark Hall—lead singer of Casting Crowns, who won Artist of the Year during the Dove Awards—said he hoped what he saw at the artist nominee luncheon is what he sees from GMA in the future. “There was encouragement, family, a ministry to artists,” said Hall. “That’s what this group needs to be doing, pouring into people who pour into the world. I believe if that’s where GMA is headed, that will be a great thing. And if it never ends in a big, three-day massive conference, maybe that’s good. We’re heading in the right direction.”

Southern Gospel artist Karen Peck with the group New River agreed. “I think this year has been focused more toward the artists, trying to meet the artists’ needs, to encourage the artist,” she said. “I think everyone seems more ministry-focused.

Signs of hope and opportunities highlighted in two new studies in business of evangelical channel

Two new studies of business in the Christian retail channel offer some encouragement to stores.

A “strong” 82% of those surveyed for CBA’s annual State of the Industry report said that they expect sales in 2010 to bethe same or better than 2009—with the overall weighted average projected sales increase for the year 2.2%

That outlook follows an average sales drop of just over 3% last year, though 25% of stores reported sales growth and nearly 9% said sales had been flat. Last year’s study found that 2008 sales had fallen almost 11% over the previous year.

Meanwhile, leading consumer researcher Britt Beemer’s America’s Research Group (ARG) has found a significant upswing in traffic and spending at Christian retail stores—fueled by a trend he said could be capitalized on with some good marketing.

AMG’s bi-monthly Consumer Mind Reader report for March—which tracks the performance of 26 retail categories—reported 8.9% of the population visiting a Christian bookstore the previous month, with per capita spending of $4.48. Those figures compared to 5.8% and $2.61 for the same time last year.

Similar results were found in January, with 9% of the population visiting a Christian bookstore and per capita spending at $6.35. Those figures compared with 6.1% and $4.58 for 12 months previously. The November 2009 data was 5.6% and $3.34.

While the March and January figures reflected spending the previous months that included Christmas and Presidents’ Day shopping upswings, Beemer told Christian Retailing that his researchers had found more than a seasonal reason for the increases.

Their survey results bore out anecdotal reports from stores that more people were looking for inspirational resources because of the tough economic times, he said. And with the average price point for gifts at Christmas dropping from $30-35 to $20-25, the desire for inspirational resources had made books a more popular choice, he added.

“More and more parents told us how they were concerned about what their kids are being taught in school, and almost 3% were looking at Christian bookstores as a place to shop for a number of their kids’ Christmas gifts.”

Beemer’s Christmas findings were a little at odds with those of the CBA study—based on 150 responses representing almost 200 locations—which found that Christian stores lagged behind all retail during the 2009 Christmas season. They reported an average 2.1% decrease in net holiday sales, while the National Retail Federation reported all 2009 Christmas-season retail sales up 1.1% from the same 2008 period.

More positively, the CBA report said that the rate of store closures slowed slightly last year with a net loss of 32 stores compared to 37 stores in 2008, and fewer new stores opening.

CBA said that its survey also indicated that church-relations strategies “contribute significantly to positive store growth.” Among stores hosting at least one pastor’s event in 2009, 43.3% experienced overall sales increases from 2008—more than twice the rate of stores with sales increases that didn’t host any kind of pastor’s event (21.2%).

Despite a struggling 2009 economy, only 3.2% of respondents said that they plan to close their store this year—down from 6.3% in last year’s survey.

CBA made public only brief details of the report—which is available in full free to member retailers who participated, for $39 to member retailers who did not take part and for $59 for non-member retailers who participated.

The document is also available for $79 to CBA-member suppliers. It is not available to non-member retailers who did not take part in the survey, nor to non-member suppliers.

Commenting on his AMG survey results, Beemer—the author of influential survey reports for CBA in 1998 and 2006—said that he believed Christian retailers could capitalize on the opportunity the data suggested by special mailing to customers.

“I think they would see a greater response than ever before,” he said. “Their destiny is really in their own hands.”

Arrangement would allow stores to identify movie content ‘more effectively’ for customers

A CBA industry task force, in cooperation with the Dove Foundation, has developed a new ratings system for Christian DVD products and films to help evangelical retailers better serve their customers with knowledgeable information about product content.

The aim is to ensure that “Christian consumers understand the type of content they are purchasing, particularly if titles contain portrayals not usually expected in Christian media,” CBA officials said. Films such as The Passion of The Christ and To Save a Life are projects that have content objectionable to some, but have redeeming evangelistic messages, CBA said.

The ratings extend the Dove Foundation’s “Family Approved” seal of approval to include “Faith Friendly” and “Faith Based” classifications. They also “seek to specify age-appropriateness and potentially offensive content involving language, drugs and substance abuse, violence or sexuality—but always within a Christian context,” CBA officials said.

Dove Foundation founder and CEO Dick Rolfe said the film industry’s Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) ratings do not always classify films in ways that align with traditional moral and family values. Mild curse words or depictions of sexuality and violence might be more accepted in MPAA ratings, but they must be clearly identified in filmed content designed for broadly diverse Christian audiences, he added.

Rolfe cited as an example, Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story—a Sony Pictures Home Entertainment DVD based on the neurosurgeon’s Zondervan autobiography—which was lauded for its Christian themes. But the inclusion of a curse word meant the film could not receive the Dove “Family Approved” seal, so it was not rated by the organization.

The new ratings help communicate to consumers that a particular film or DVD may be very strong in spiritual themes and issues, but may have content issues objectionable to some Christians, CBA said.

Though many Christian retailers do not carry products that have even slight potential to offend customers, family-entertainment DVDs are a strong growth category for stores. “No one wants to be surprised with unexpected language or uncomfortable situations depicted on the screen when the family settles down to view entertainment,” said Ron Forster, owner of The Open Door in Terre Haute, Ind., and a member of the task force.

He added that the ratings will help give consumers information they need to confirm a purchasing decision and protect retailers by providing definitive information about the content.

“Films and DVDs can be very powerful in reaching the lost, and they can be very effective for various ministry outreach programs and helping the general culture understand what Jesus Christ is all about,” Forster said. “But people need to know what they are getting when they buy a DVD or a movie ticket.”

Some film and DVD producers agree that there’s a need to better inform Christian shoppers and retailers to the content of videos.

“As a film producer, I’m excited about the new ratings system that will help customers quickly identify inspirational and family-friendly films, including those that portray real life in an honest and unvarnished way,” said Bobby Downes, producer of the new FoxFaith movie, Like Dandelion Dust, based on the best-selling novel by Karen Kingsbury released in 2006 by Center Street. “These new ratings ... allow Christian retailers to identify movie content more effectively for their customers and to avoid any unnecessary surprises.”

Rolfe said the Dove Foundation will create two new Dove Seals to identify the “Faith Friendly” and “Faith Based” content, which will be different from the foundation’s Family Friendly, general-audience designation.

Retailers, media producers and distributors have until June 15 to comment on the system—detailed at the CBA Web site—before the ratings are finalized.

Store inundated with help and support, presented opportunity to remodel 53-year-old building

A longtime, award-winning Christian store in Rochester, Minn., has rebounded after its roof collapsed, causing thousands of dollars in damage.

Customers, local businesses and well-wishers from as far away as England as well as CBA and vendors rallied around in support for Christian Book & Gift Shop―which saw a section of its roof fall Jan. 23, snapping a water pipe and flooded parts of the store.

The incident forced the store to close for about six days, re-opening in a much smaller space. The store also owns an adjoining building, which it used while the collapsed part was under reconstruction.

Christian Book & Gift Shop—which started in 1957—was named among the “Top 25 Christian Stores” in 2000 by Christian Retailing magazine and was CBA Store of the Region three times.

Judy Mulholland, co-manager of the store, told Christian Retailing that God protected employees and customers as no one was hurt during the roof collapse.

“Being a slow time of year, we had five staff members in the building and only three customers,” Mulholland said. “Someone was near (the roof), but no one was under it when it broke. Being on a Saturday, the gift buyer―whose desk was right next to the area where the truss broke through―was not working. She uses a walker, and would not have been able to make a hasty retreat.”

The mishap caused approximately $330,000 damage—covered by insurance—to the 9,500-square-foot store, including $175,000 to the building, $130,000 in inventory and about $25,000 in fixtures.

Mulholland said there was “a silver lining” from the roof collapse as the store was able to acquire new tile and carpet, and it made layout changes in a remodeling―which was to be finished June 1.

“God is giving us our hearts’ desires through this difficulty,” she said. “I’m sure the media coverage (of the roof collapse) was seen by many who don’t shop our store. Our building has been a pretty plain box for years, and we thought a nicer-looking front would be good advertising. Insurance covers redoing the whole front. We are confident that it will be a positive influence in attracting people.”

Mulholland said the store had been inundated with help and support, including “a basketful of cards.” “One local business sent us flowers,” she said. “A good customer brought cookies, our newspaper rep sent pizza for supper one evening, CBA gave us a year’s membership, our DaySpring rep notified his accounts and we received cards from several of them.

“One of our staff―who’s always been our best customer―gave us a $25 gift certificate to Great Harvest Bread Company, Kerusso sent a couple of free T-shirts, Warner Press offered extended billing and free freight, another bookstore sent $20, and some of our local advertising reps sent cards or stopped in,” added Mulholland, noting that the store will hold a grand opening once the remodeling is complete.

CBA Executive Director Curtis Riskey told Christian Retailing that the booksellers association was happy to help Christian Book & Gift Shop.

“When our stores are going through some type of disaster or calamity, we want to help and so the Mulhollands received a one-year membership as a gift from CBA,” Riskey said. “Christian Book & Gift Shop has been a member in good standing since 1967, and we have appreciated their membership. Their business is truly a family affair. ... The Mulhollands are serving their community and their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ well in Rochester.”

Besides a pastor donating $50 towards the construction, customers offered “to help in any way they could,” Mulholland said. The store also received e-mails, including “from someone in England who read about it somewhere on the Web and found our Web site,” added Mulholland.