At Marvel, for example, the publishing sector said its sales and earnings were below year-earlier levels in each quarter of 2008, dragged down by higher artist and writer expenses and the rising cost of paper. In November, Marvel Chairman Morton Handel cited the beleaguered economy when he predicted only lackluster performance this year.
Some publishers, facing a rise in returns and a glut of competitors, are trimming their release schedules. Dark Horse Comics Inc. of Milwaukie, Ore., is hunkering down as a precaution, scaling back its budget, hiring, travel and trade show plans, Publisher Mike Richardson said.
"We've pulled the string tight all around," he said.
Elsewhere, there were layoffs at Devil's Due Publishing Inc., based in Chicago and Los Angeles, and the failure of Virgin Comics.
In Richmond, Va., Young American Comics -- battered by high printing and shipping costs -- announced last week that it would close.
Booming gas and airfare expenses also kept owners Tod and Corey Marie Parkhill from attending conventions to woo buyers.
"Small businesses have been especially at risk, and YAC was no exception," they wrote in a letter to fans. "We would much rather you spend your money on food and rent than comics, though, so no hurt feelings."
Comics are also getting more expensive. Marvel has been testing $3.99 issues, up from $2.99, managers said, and at those prices, they fear losing casual customers to video games or movie rentals.
Fans are skipping special editions for more economical softcovers at Meltdown Comics & Collectibles in Hollywood, manager Chris Rosa said. One weak story line can now spark a sales slide for an entire series.
Meltdown and other stores are ordering less inventory to avoid being stranded with books they can't sell.
"A comic book now costs more than a gallon of gas -- it's phenomenal," said David Ryan, 43, a graphic novelist from the Miracle Mile area, while shopping at Golden Apple in Hollywood. "There are a lot less fanatic buyers now."
Programs including comic book readers from IVerse Media and UClick or websites such as Wowio are increasingly making comic books readable on laptops and iPhones, often at a discount.
Although some people dismissed digital comics as too new to be a threat, others said the applications were already siphoning away fans.
To compete, publishers also have gone online. Marvel and DC Comics have launched Web-comics divisions, while Dark Horse Comics teamed with MySpace to showcase their online comics.
