White Flight in Comics
In Malcolm Gladwell’s Revenge of the Tipping Point he talks about the “Magic Third”. The “Magic Third” explains the point where the majority shifts to the minority once the minority reaches a third. Here’s a more eloquent definition:
In Malcolm Gladwell’s Revenge of the Tipping Point, the “Magic Third” refers to a critical threshold at which the presence of a minority group within a larger group or organization reaches a sufficient proportion to fundamentally alter the group’s dynamics and culture.
The most famous example of the magic third is the phenomenon known as “white flight” in the mid 20th century. White families fled predominantly white urban neighborhoods for the suburbs once the neighborhoods minority population (usually Black) reached a THIRD.
The magic third is the ultimate tipping point. As explained in Gladwell’s book, you see it everywhere: Ivy League schools, corporate board rooms as well as real estate. You can also see it in comics.
Black comic fans always bemoan the lack of diversity in comics. However, comic book publishers have historically feared the financial blowback producing racially diverse comics can create. Conversely, publishers such as Marvel also see the financial upside of appealing to diverse audiences (See Luke Cage, Black Panther, etc).
This is where the “magic third” comes into play.
There is a running joke among Black comic book fans that if the cover has more than THREE Black characters, the entire book is considered to be BLACK. This is actually the magic third in action. Publishers notoriously avoid this tipping point by keeping the cast of diverse characters at TWO at the most. THREE is pushing it.
If the cast of a comic has more than three diverse characters, and in some cases they may be in the majority, the book TIPS and we experience the comic book version of “white flight”.
You’ll know it’s happening when white comic fans say “this book isn’t for me”. Thereby removing themselves from the comic book as if they were excusing themselves from an awkward, uncomfortable conversation.
I am not suggesting this phenomenon is “racist” in any way. This isn’t the work of Comicsgate or some other nefarious group. This is simply white male comic book readers politely migrating to other books.
Black Panther & The Crew (Marvel Comics)
The Power Company Recharged (DC Comics)
This comic features an all Black cast of characters. Books like this are typically viewed as being “Black” and therefore experience a drop in sales due to white readers politely migrating to other books. As you can see by the cover of this book obliterates the tipping point with a whopping FIVE Black characters! The story is even set in Atlanta just for good measure.
Of course, this puts said diverse comic in peril, much like white flight in real estate spelled the demise of urban neighborhoods. In the comic book industry, this peril can manifest as lower sales figures, premature cancellations, or a reduced budget for subsequent diverse titles.
For instance, during Marvel’s “All-New, All-Different Marvel” initiative in the mid-2010s, which prominently featured multiple legacy characters of color and women, a noticeable segment of the fan base expressed discontent. While official reasons for cancellations are complex and multifactorial, the then-VP of Sales, David Gabriel, notably stated in 2017, “What we heard was that people didn’t want any more diversity.” This sentiment, whether fully accurate or not, often accompanied the low direct market sales and eventual cancellations of titles such as America (featuring a Latina LGBTQ+ lead) and Iceman (featuring a gay lead), despite critical acclaim for some.
Similarly, previous attempts to launch titles with predominantly Black casts have faced significant sales challenges. Christopher Priest’s critically lauded but short-lived The Crew (2003) and its 2017 relaunch, Black Panther and The Crew by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Yona Harvey, both featuring primarily Black casts, struggled with low direct market sales and were cancelled after very brief runs. These instances suggest a resistance within a portion of the established readership when the ‘Magic Third’ of diverse characters is perceived to be reached across a publisher’s line, or even within a single title.
And yet, publishers such as Marvel and DC continue to publish diverse comic books. In some cases publishing titles with all Black teams. Like The Power Company Recharged (DC Comics); A version of the Justice League featuring Batman (courtesy of Jace Fox), Black Lightning, Signal, Vixen and Josiah Powers. This continued publication, despite the challenges in the traditional direct market, hints at a more nuanced reality, particularly in the broader graphic novel segment.
New Kid by Jerry Craft
New Kid‘s widespread success, particularly in the book market, defies the “white flight” phenomenon, proving the broad appeal and profitability of diverse graphic novels beyond traditional comic shop demographics.
Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser, Robyn Smith
Wash Day Diaries‘ critical and commercial success demonstrates that authentic, diverse narratives, like those centered on Black women’s experiences, can thrive in the broader graphic novel market, offering a strong counter-narrative to perceived audience limitations.
I offer this theory of the Tipping Point in Comics in response to the prevailing idea that the success of predominantly Black comic books solely rests on the support of Black fans. On the contrary, the success of any comic book, even Black comics, depends on the participation and support of the white male majority.
That is, if a book is to succeed in the coveted Direct Market which includes your friendly neighborhood comics shop. Other markets, however, have proven that diverse comics can succeed without the white majority. Namely, the book market (book chains like Barnes and Noble, independent book stores, etc.) has proven to be a great place to find a more diverse community of readers.
Outside the traditional comic book shop model, the market for graphic novels has shown a robust appetite for diverse stories, demonstrating that the “white flight” phenomenon is far from universal across all publishing channels. Titles like Jerry Craft’s New Kid, a Newbery Medal-winning graphic novel about a Black middle schooler navigating a new, predominantly white private school, have achieved massive commercial and critical success, particularly in the education and library markets. Similarly, Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith’s Wash Day Diaries, an award-winning collection of slice-of-life stories centering on Black women, has resonated widely, proving that authentic, diverse narratives can thrive when presented to a broader audience beyond the traditional comic book direct market.
To that effect I encourage creators of marginalized groups to continue to seek out alternative forms of distribution outside the Direct market. Such as digital comics, Kickstarter, the book market, etc.
# END OF PART ONE
References
Books (Academic & Graphic Novels):
Craft, Jerry. New Kid. Amistad, 2019.
Gladwell, Malcolm. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. Little, Brown and Company, 2000.
Massey, Douglas S., and Nancy A. Denton. American Apartheid: Segregation and the Making of the Underclass. Harvard University Press, 1993.
Rowser, Jamila, and Robyn Smith. Wash Day Diaries. Chronicle Books, 2022.
Online Articles & Industry Reports:
Betancourt, David. “The Legacy of Black Superheroes.” The Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/entertainment/the-legacy-of-black-superheroes/
Gerding, Stephen. “Priest on Bringing Black Panther to the Streets with ‘The Crew’.” CBR.com (Comic Book Resources), 11 Jan. 2017. https://www.cbr.com/priest-on-bringing-black-panther-to-the-streets-with-the-crew/
ICv2 Staff. “North American Comics and Graphic Novel Market Down 7% in 2023 (but still up 70% from 2019).” ICv2, 15 July 2024. https://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/57351/north-american-comics-graphic-novel-market-down-7-2023
Johnston, Rich. “The David Gabriel Controversy, One Year Later – Has Marvel Comics Learned Its Lesson?” Bleeding Cool, 5 Apr. 2018. https://bleedingcool.com/comics/david-gabriel-controversy-one-year-later-marvel-comics-learned-lesson/
McMillan, Graeme. “Marvel Exec Says Retailers Blamed Diversity for Sales Dip.” The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2017. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/marvel-exec-says-retailers-blamed-diversity-sales-dip-991206
Moccio, Michael. “15 Cancelled Marvel Comics That Deserved A Better Fate.” CBR.com (Comic Book Resources), 12 Oct. 2019. https://www.cbr.com/marvel-cancelled-comics-deserved-better/
Publishers Weekly Staff. “Comics Sales Soften, but Still Surpass Pre-Pandemic Levels.” Publishers Weekly, 22 Oct. 2024. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/financial-reporting/article/96286-comics-sales-soften-but-still-surpass-pre-pandemic-levels.html
Salkowitz, Rob. “Graphic Novels Lead Book Market Growth, Again.” Forbes, 24 Jan. 2024. https://www.forbes.com/sites/robsalkowitz/2024/01/24/graphic-novels-lead-book-market-growth-again/?sh=6c66657c792f
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