Three Things Comic Books Taught Me About Advertising
By James Ninness, creative director
I was a late bloomer to comics. I had seen the TV cartoons, and maybe stole an issue or two from friends’ stashes growing up, but I didn’t really start reading them until I was in college. Superheroes weren’t really my thing, and I hadn’t realized that comic books are a medium, not a genre (a mistake many continue to make today). So, when a good friend offered me “Preacher,” then “Planetary,” and then “100 Bullets,” I fell in love.
Not long after that, I was devouring every flavor of comic I could get my hands on. Superheroes, horror, science fiction–I wanted them all. And though I preferred the graphic novel format, I was known to jump into webcomics and comic strips from time to time. It didn’t take long for me to try my hand at writing a few. In college, I majored in creative writing with an emphasis on short stories, so comics weren’t a giant leap, narratively speaking.
Reading a ton, writing a few, and hanging out with both fans and creators alike taught me a ton about the medium. A lot of what I learned continues to serve me as a creative director. Whether it’s how I (ever-so-gently) push clients, (not-always-so-gently) drive audiences to action, or treat members of my team, comics have helped. Oodles.
Batman Bends
Not what I meant.
Nobody in popular comics slides into any genre as easily as Batman. Most people know Gotham’s Dark Knight as firmly planted in the world of mystery, as in Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's acclaimed “Batman: The Long Halloween.” But over the years, he’s also jumped into fantasy (like in Liam Sharp and Romulo Fajardo, Jr.’s “The Brave And The Bold: Batman and Wonder Woman”), horror (Grant Morrison and Dave McKean’s “Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth”), and comedy (“Batman and Scooby-Doo Mysteries” by Ivan Cohen, Sholly Fisch, Dario Brizuela, and Randy Elliott).
No matter the genre, Batman is always Batman. There are core parts of the character that remain intact, whatever story you’re reading. His parents died. Bats scared him. He uses that fear to scare villains. Cape. Cowl. Utility belt. Sleuthing. Probably a Robin.
Brands are no different from Batman.
Enduring companies have core principles that make them who they are. Think of your favorite candy bar. Mine’s Snickers. And occasionally Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Sour Patch Kids at the movies. But let’s stick with Snickers. Mars introduced Snickers in 1930. Snickers is a chocolate bar full of nougat, peanuts, and caramel, then coated in chocolate. You know what it is, and you love it.
Since 1930, Snickers has run the gamut of ad campaigns. They did the animated explainer videos in the 50s and quirky animated ads (still focused on children) in the 60s. In the 70s and 80s, Snickers tried to convince everyone that their nuts were the main attraction (and they upped the size to “satisfy your hunger”). In the 90s, Snickers started getting a little more playful and older in their targeting, opting for young adults and darker humor (Thomas Lennon did some great work in those).
And now, of course, everyone knows the “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” campaign that’s ridden out the last decade in various forms. As their audience’s priorities changed, socioeconomic standings shifted, and media evolved, Snickers adjusted to fit in. Now, in social media, Snickers has been playful, serious, sort of condescending, and even helpful. Their tone changes, but they always taste, feel, and sound like Snickers.
Batman bends to fit any situation. Great brands do the same thing.
Read the room and respond accordingly.
Why Did All the Men Die?
“Y: The Last Man” by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra was released from 2002 through 2008. It was sixty issues (for the non-comic readers among you, that’s a substantial run for a limited series). The premise was simple: One day, all the men in the world die—except one.
Yorick, the lone male survivor, is thrust into a journey of chaos, and the reader is left with one big question: Why did this happen and will the monkey (Yorick’s pet, Ampersand) survive? Over time, more questions pop up: Where is Yorick’s family? Who are these Amazonians? What is the Culper Ring? The rabbit hole gets deeper and deeper and deeper… For the most part, those questions (and more) are answered. For the most part. But here’s what this series did marvelously: it kept people reading for over six years
Each issue ended with more questions than answers. Want to find out what happens next? Buy the next issue. Is that Yorick’s sister? Buy the next issue. Will the male astronauts make it? Buy the next issue. Did Yorick just cheat on his girlfriend who is, for all we know, wandering aimlessly around the deserts of Australia? Buy the next issue.
Every issue, the reader was given both satisfaction and intrigue—an answer first, then a question. Then a CTA: Buy the next issue. And every time a new issue came out, readers around the world were quick to follow along.
Ads do the exact. Same. Things.
“Here is our product, and here are the problems it solves.” Or maybe, “Here is our service, and this is how it can improve your life.” Answers.
“How much does it cost?” “Where can I get it?” “What are the reviews?” “Does it come in butterscotch?” Questions.
Click here. Learn more. Visit this link. Rub this belly. CTAs.
Okay, let’s do one more:
It Takes a Village
When people discuss comic creators, they tend to focus on writers and artists. I get it. They seem the most reader-forward part of the process. The truth about comics, however, is that there are a great many people involved in some of your favorite books.
Here’s an oversimplified breakdown. Writers write scripts. Pencillers draw the pictures. Inkers embellish the pencils, usually with black ink (sometimes pencillers and inkers are the same person). Colorists bring color into the book. Letterers bring the text (dialogue, VO, narration, etc.) into the book. Editors supervise the whole process, ensuring everyone else involved is on the same page (pun absolutely intended) and meeting their deadlines. And, sometimes, there are additional artists brought in for covers.
While we typically only see writers and artists (usually just the penciller) getting the most credit, every single person in the process is critical to the creative process. As a matter of fact, I’m feeling a bit of shame for the way I credited the above books. Allow me to rectify that now. (Caveat: sometimes, this information is much harder to find than it should be. If any of the below is incorrect, shoot us an email, and we’ll rectify it as swiftly as we can.)
“Batman: The Long Halloween” Creative Team
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artist: Tim Sale
Letterer: Comicraft’s Richard Starkings
Colorist: Gregory Wright
Editors: Archie Goodwin and Chuck Kim
“The Brave And The Bold: Batman and Wonder Woman” Creative Team
Writer: Liam Sharp
Artist: Liam Sharp
Letterer: A Larger World's Troy Peteri
Colorist: Romulo Fajardo, Jr.
“Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth” Creative Team
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artist: Tim Sale
Letterer: Gaspar Saladino
Editors: Art Young and Karen Berger
“Batman and Scooby-Doo Mysteries” Creative Team
Writers: Ivan Cohen and Sholly Fisch
Artists: Dario Brizuela and Randy Elliott
Letterer: Saida Temofonte
Colorists: Franco Riesco, Silvana Brys, Carrie Strachan
The above lists don’t include accounts teams, money managers, marketing teams, publicists, or the owner of your local comic book shop—all of whom are responsible for getting these delightful stories into your hands.
You know where this is going…
Creative agencies function in the same manner. A “simple” print ad takes a good many people to create. We’ve got writers and designers who ideate, but only after they’ve met with the accounts team, and every so often the client as well. Then we’ve got project managers who fit the job into our schedules, and ensure everything is getting done properly and on time. Thereafter, our media team has to take it and get it into actual publications so all of you can stare at it with your eyeballs.
And print ads aren’t the most complicated thing we do. Several projects, like video production, campaign development, and branding, involve far more brains at the table.
There is no one person more important than another. Without any of the roles I described above, print ads and comic books don’t happen. Too often, we celebrate too few of the people on the teams we need to get things done. It’s critical to ensure every person at every step knows they’re appreciated and valued.
Three things I learned from comic books—a quick recap:
- Challenge brands to adapt, evolve, and grow.
- Give the audience answers, then questions, and a pathway to answer them.
- Spread the love on your team, mah dudes.
Okay, I’ve rambled enough today. I could write about other lessons I’ve learned from comics… Like, how suspension of disbelief is finite, or how brief is better, and it’s easy to outstay one's welcome. But I won’t because that would break the latter.
Want to keep waxing comics? Reach out. I could chat about this stuff all day. We’ll get some coffee and Snickers.
And if you want to read any of the books mentioned above but don't know where to begin, start with your local comic shop. You can find it using this comic shop locator.