I spent my Sunday making my way through the digestive tract of the comic world, a small-town comic book show. The room was half filled with dealers, one tenth filled with fans and two fifths filled with empty tables and low expectations. I think everyone made their table money back, but little else. I sold a few old Avengers for less than half-guide, a Daredevil 11 in good condition for $10, and about two hundred quarter books. There was a bit of excitement at the show though. The cast-offs from a major internet sales house showed up in the form of fifty long boxes at one dollar per book, low grade gold, literally. I wandered over and shoved my way through ten dealers who were swarming around the boxes just before the show opened to the public. I picked up a fine condition copy of Aquaman 31, some lower grade fifties TV and movie books, including a Leave It to Beaver, Tarzan and Roy Rogers, some fifties Disney books and a few early strip reprints of Dick Tracy, Joe Palooka, Felix the Cat and Little Orphan Annie. I stashed my books away and settled back behind my table, hoping to make back the $25 I'd spent. Near the end of the show, a comic artist, one of the usuals at the show finished up his rounds digging through the long boxes at the infamous dollar table. He pulled out a copy of the first book he'd ever drawn. Its price had dropped to a little more than a quarter. An odd scene ensued as dealer asked artist to sign the book. It was then quietly put behind the table, bound for a place of no honor I'd wager.

No fan-boys. No paychecks. No value. Profit and such small profit out the back end of the comic world. Wrinkled, flipped through, rejected, faded, rotting, smelling, is this the best print comics can muster? Can web-comics do any better?