The presentation on kids reading and buying habits given by Terry Nantier, President of PAPERCUTZ at the 2014 ComicsPro Meeting in Atlanta. The meeting took place on March 1st, 2014.

1. ComicsPro Meeting
February 2014

2. 2013
The Year of the Kid

3. Top Movies of 2013
$420 mm
$409 mm
$368 mm

4. Trend Continuing in 2014
LEGO Movie
had second
biggest
February
opening
ever!
$379 mm
$146 mm

5. Top Books of 2013
1.8 mm copies
in hardcover
1.4 mm copies
in hardcover
1.1 mm copies
in hardcover

6. Reflected in Comic Book Market
ADVENTURE
TIME
Boom Studios
MY LITTLE
PONY
IDW
SONIC THE
HEDGEHOG
Archie

7. PAPERCUTZ Success Stories
LEGO: NINJAGO Series
Over 2 million copies sold!

8. PAPERCUTZ Success Stories
book 11 covhc
11/30/12
5:44 PM
Page 1
TM
GERONIMO STILTON
knows
how to deal
with annoying
oranges!
?!
GRAPHIC
NOVEL
Geronimo Stilton is the editor
of the Rodent’s Gazette, the
most famouse paper on Mouse
island. in his free time he loves
to tell fun, happy stories. in
this adventure, Geronimo has
to face his worst enemies, the
Pirate Cats, who have discovered
a way to travel back in time
and change history…
THE FIRST SAMURAI
Japan, 1603. Geronimo and his
friends don’t know why the
Pirate Cats went back to this
precise point in time, but they
are sure the Pirate Cats are up
to no good! Posing as a traveling troupe of actors, Geronimo
somehow manages to convince
the locals that he’s really a
Shogun, and not The First
Samurai! Will Geronimo be able
to uncover the Pirate Cats’ plan
in time to stop them? Or have
the Pirate Cats finally won?
All-new, full-color Graphic Novel
Ohhhh!
“Geronimo fans will eat this up quicker
than a wheel of cheddar.”
-Washington Times
“Is it fact? Is it fiction? It’s faction,
and it’s fun!” -Shelf-Employed
www.geronimostilton.com
www.papercutz.com
$9.99 US / $10.99 CAN
TM
12
GERONIMO STILTON Series
Almost 1 million copies sold!
TM

9. Kids Buying Power has Never
Been Stronger
• Children under 14 spend about $40 billion
annually. Compare this to the $6.1 billion 4-12
year olds spent in 1989.
• Teens spend about $159 billion.
• Children under 12 influence $500 billion in
purchases per year.

10. Discovery/Purchase Trends
!
• Kids as young as 18-24 months are influencing
purchase decisions
• Point of entry to brand/story world varies –
360 degree experience is expected (e.g.
Spider-Man – many kids discover franchise
through movies and then become book readers/
consumers)
• When queried about purchase decisions 53% of
parents say they bought “because my kid
asked for it”

11. How Kids Learn About Books
TRENDS IN DISCOVERY OF BOOKS: 7 -12!
(Source: Nielsen’s Children’s Deep Dive 2011-13)!
Fall '12!
Spring '13!
Fall '13!
47%!
38%!
32%!
30%!
31%!
27%! 27%!
20%! 19%!
20%!
19%!
14%!
Own Decision/Child!
Friend/Family!
Bookstore!
Online Research!

12. But Not All the News
is Positive …

13. Teens Being Turned Off Reading?

14. Teens Moving to Digital

15. The Takeaway
• Publishers & Retailers must work together to
create a “fun reading habit”
• Publishers & Retailers must work together to
create a “print reading habit”
• We must use all tools at our disposal to expose
potential readers to product that interests
them.

16. Papercutz Strategy #1
– User Friendly Product
“Papercutz graphic novels are just good comics
for everyone, kids especially. !
!
They're exactly the kind of new reader breeders
that our industry needs, but that doesn't get nearly
enough press or shelf space in most shops.”!
!
!
- Confessions of a Comic Book Guy Column !
by Steve Bennett, SuperFly Comics & Games!
Published in ICV2: 01/29/2014 !

17. Papercutz Strategy #2
– Leverage Existing Brand Awareness

19. LEGO CHIMA #1
Written by
Yannick Grotholt
Illustrated by Comicon
Ships May
2014
▶
Launched in January 2013 –
toy line, 3 video games,
Cartoon Network series,
dedicated area in Legoland
Florida and now Papercutz
graphic novels!!
▶
Strongest testing LEGO theme
in the past 25 years.

20. WWE #1: “MONEY IN THE BANK”
Mick Foley
Illustrated by Alitha
Martinez
Written by
Ships June
2014
▶
Coverage in WWE
Magazine,WWE Monopoly
game, Hot Topic promotion
WWE.com, and TV events
▶
Store signings, Fan outreach
and contests
▶
Press kit ARC mailing

22. Toto Trouble #1: “Back to Crass”
Written & Illustrated by
Terry Copee
Ships May
2014
▶
Animated TV series premiered on
Starz Kids in July 2013
▶
Relatable kid hero similar to Calvin
from Calvin and Hobbes in his
mischiefmaking and hilarious
fumbles
▶
Short gags are perfect for kids just
learning to read, with an overarching storyline in each volume

24. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #1:
“Rita Repulsa's Attitude Adjustment”
Stefan
Petrucha
Illustrated by Alitha
Martinez
Written by
Ships June
2014
▶
Highly anticipated series starring
the original characters
▶
Featured in FREE COMIC BOOK DAY
promotion
▶
#1 kids television brand in the
United States, airing 7 times per
week on Nickelodeon and Nicktoons

26. RIO #2: “The Creature From Blu’s
Lagoon”
Stefan
Petrucha
Illustrated by James
Silvani
Written by
Ships April
2014
▶ Rio
2 opens on April 11, 2014, with
home entertainment in the fall
▶ The
first Rio film grossed $480M at
the box office, making it one of the
top grossing animated movies of 2011
▶ The
NOT FINAL ART!
series features art from top
animation artists, and continues the
story of the two Rio films

27. NOT FINAL ART!

28. ANNOYING ORANGE #6:
“My Little Baloney”
Scott
Shaw!
Illustrated by Mike
Kazaleh
Written by
Ships August
2014
▶
The Annoying Orange TV series is a
top-rated show on Cartoon
Network; #1 for its time slot among
Boys 6-11 versus all TV since launch
in June 2012
▶
Episodes broadcast multiple times
weekly in CN’s highest rated prime
time block reaching 99 million US
homes and over 10 million kids

30. ARIOL #5: “Bizbilla Hits the Bullseye”
Emmanuel
Guibert
Illustrated by Marc
Boutavant
Written by
Ships August
2014
▶
Ariol features the everyday life of a kid
(donkey) and his friends (cow, pig,
fly,cat) with a wry and colorful sense of
humor
▶
The best-reviewed Papercutz
launch to date
▶
Guibert is known for his books
published with First Second
(The Photographer)

31. Papercutz Strategy #3
– Enlist Teachers & Librarians as Partners
• Creating Teacher’s Guides for all major series –
six to date, over a dozen by end of 2014.
• Major presence at Librarian events – PLA, ALA,
BEA, regional bookfairs.
• More advertising to teachers & librarians than
any other comics or graphic novel publisher.

32. Papercutz Strategy #4
– Support Comic Shop Partners
• LEGO CHIMA Promotion
• Free Comic Book Day
• Weekly Activity Sheet Program
• My First Comic Promotion

33. LEGO: CHIMA Promotion
▶
Major promotion tied to launch
of LEGO: CHIMA #1 graphic
novel in May 2014
▶
Papercutz will provide
resources for retail partners to
host CHIMA day in stores
▶
Special discount on CHIMA &
NINJAGO GNs for participating
retailers
▶
Participating retailers will be
entered in to a contest to win a
trip for 4 to Legoland California
the week before SDCC

34. Free Comic Book Day 2014
▶
Gold and Silver level participation
in event.
▶
Other PAPERCUTZ series features in
SMURFS comic (ARIOL, ANNOYING
ORANGE & DINOSAURS)
▶
Additional discount available on all
titles featured in FCBD promotion
Talk to Tony – you can place an
order for these volumes right here
at the show

35. Weekly Activity Sheet Program
from
▶
▶
AGE:
Cheap and easy, can be output from
a black and white printer
▶
NAME:
Bi-weekly resource for shops that
features coloring pages, games,
comics and more
Designed to be easily customized
with store branding

36. “My First Comic” Promotion
▶
Free Papercutz Comics for kids
whose parents purchase Papercutz
GNs (this is a special comic created
for this promotion and it will
feature an area/blank space for
store sticker or stamp)
▶
Stickers that identify kids as “My
First Comic” recipients
▶
Special discount on Papercutz
product for participating retailers

37. PAPERCUTZ 2014 GOALS
• Provide retail partners with the tools to tap in
to power of kids market
• Provide retail partners with tools to reach out
to parents and community
• Be ‘the gateway product” that helps kids
develop a lifelong comics print reading habit

38. THANK YOU!!!