Manga's Zero Friction Model Is Destroying Western Comics

In 2020, a single Japanese manga series outsold the entire American comic book industry. The reason isn't "better writing" - it’s Friction.

In this episode of our "Fixing Comics" series, we break down the invisible "Continuity Wall" that stops new readers from buying Marvel and DC comics. We compare the broken user experience of superhero comics against the "Zero Friction" models of Manga, WWE Wrestling, and Soap Operas to explain why one industry is growing while the other is shrinking.

From the confusion of "Legacy Numbering" to the genius of the "Manga Funnel," we analyze the structural failures of the Direct Market and propose three concrete fixes to save the superhero genre.

In this video, we cover:

The "82 Million Copy" secret: How Demon Slayer beat Batman & Spider-Man.

The "Continuity Wall": Why reading orders are killing new readership.

Friction Theory: The difference between Cognitive Friction and Transactional Friction.

WWE & Soaps: How infinite stories use "Recaps" to survive.

The 3 Fixes: How the "Season Model" could save Marvel and DC.

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0:00 Intro
2:30 The Continuity Wall
4:40 What is Friction?
8:21 The Models That Work
12:32 The Payoff
13:25 The Fixes
16:28 Next Time

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