The genre of comics culture has many avid fans. Readers prove it. There, the proliferation of comic book companies is astonishing. There are over a hundred comic book companies and many more that are defunct. Competitions to produce, advertise and distribute comics are daunting. Every company tries to produce one or more characters that appeal to the masses. There are exceptions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay There are underground comic book companies that cater to a different segment of society. Sometimes they become mainstream because one or more of their characters become accepted. Major comic book companies love to create characters that display abilities that are popular with audiences. It often works. The hero of the story is believable enough to gain acceptance. Acceptance is crucial for the comic book company to survive the tough struggle it has to endure. In other circumstances, the hero or villain doesn't relate to readers and quickly fades into obscurity. It is a painful process for the company, or the individual, who fails to fulfill their perceived duty to their readers. All the painstaking work that goes into developing the full spectrum of a comics company is intimidating. Creating a hero in a real comic denotes time, effort and a lot of tenacity. If perseverance isn't enough, the reader will never have the pleasure of seeing your creation come to fruition. The list of defunct comic book companies suggests that many people have tried to take the plunge into creating a comic book company and failed. Unfortunately, failure is a realistic expectation in any business venture, especially in the world of comics. When you think about comic book companies, the two largest and most popular are DC Comics and Marvel Comics. Likewise, there are many independent comic companies. Each of them is vying for you to sustain their existence and your hard earned money. The latter is understandable. A comic book company can't survive without paid readers. The greater the circulation, the greater the money. Supply and demand. The law of economics. All these maxims are true. Once the comic book company gains credibility, its ability to build more characters increases its market share. The comic figures are a representation of the comic company. Marvel Comics contains more heroes and villains with cosmic powers than its mainstream competition. DC has a horde of characters from beyond the ends of the earth, but they don't have anywhere near Marvel's power levels. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay Other comic book companies, such as Dark Horse Comics, use licensed merchandise figures such as Star Wars and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Since Dark Horse Comics is the third largest comic book company, it has to work. Using established characters from television and film was a natural extension of the comic book world. The popularity of the characters was well known so the market was already open. A comprehensive list of current and defunct comic book companies is fairly easy to obtain. The reasons for success and failure are another matter. Some of the reasons given in this article should make you more lucid.