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Demo-Graphics: Comic Fans Dip Again while Facebook Also Decreases

Posted on June 29, 2026 by Brett Leave a comment

Demo-Graphics is back! Demo-Graphics was relaunched in 2025 because the question still remains… who are comic fans?

What is Demo-Graphics?

Each month I dive into data from Facebook looking at the various demographics it can tell us about comic fans. This isn’t hard numbers, purchasers, or “Wednesday warriors,” but best used to show trends in the industry and the potential of the market out there. This has shown the shift towards women being a major force in readers and a shift to the younger demographic.

How does it work?

We use key terms, “likes”, that users have indicated and have come up with our own set to measure each month. There’s over 50 terms used (and no I won’t release them). We stick to specific terms for the industry such as “comics” and “graphic novels” and “one-shots” as well as publishers and leave out broad terms like specific characters or stories. Just because someone likes Batman doesn’t mean they like comics.

Other things to know…

This data is important in that it shows who the potential comic audience could be. These are not purchasers, these are people who have shown an affinity for comics, are potential purchasers, and those with a clear interest.

Also, with this being online/technology, due to laws and restrictions, those under the age of 13 are underrepresented.

Since the last time this feature was run, Facebook has made adjustments as to what it can report so some data is no longer available and we’ve also added in new data that hasn’t been reported before, and it now presents the data as a wide range. I’ve taken the average of the range. So, if it’s presented as somewhere between 500 and 1,000 people, the number would be 750.

So, let’s kick off the latest entry with the big question…

Facebook “Comic Fan” Population: Around 74.3 million in the United States

We’re now three months in a row that the overall “comic fan” population has dropped. It’s down about 1.4 million from the previous month, more than the 900,000 decrease for Facebook’s overall users in the United States. Men decreased by 1 million while women decreased by 400,000. The population that doesn’t list either gender remained steady at 1.4 million.

As noted below, there’s some oddities for reporting where numbers that made sense normally suddenly decreased and remained low this month.

Gender

Women remained a majority of the population with 50.9% of the population. Last month they accounted for 50%. Men decreased as a percentage from last month’s 48.2% to 47.7%. Those who don’t report themselves as “male” or “female” account for 1.9%, up from 1.8%.

Age

The biggest issue with all of this reporting is the limitation of those under the age of 13 using the system. With new laws limiting the use of social media by children, it’ll be interesting to see if this shifts at all. Compared to the previous month most every grouping decreased except those “50-54,” “55-59,” and “60-64.”

Relationship Status

This is one of the stats that has been odd. Those marked “engaged” and those as “unspecified” each dropped to less than 1,000 individuals last month and remained there this month We’ll see if things return to more expected numbers next month but it’s one of the odd results.

New Stats!

Spanish Speakers: Last month we first reported there were 15.35 million Spanish speakers who are comic fans in the US. In June 2026, that number was dipped to 14.7 million.

Education: This is another stat that’s rather odd. Last month 12 million had at least a college degree, down from the previous month’s 21.8 million. This month things increased slightly to 12.1 million but it’s still very odd to see such a dramatic drop.

Parents: This continues to slide down to 10.65 million from 22.65 million in January and 10.9 million the previous month.

Board Game Fans: 47.5 million
Video Game Fans: 37.1 million
Board Game and Video Game Fans: 25.45 million
Board Game or Video Game Fans: 58.85 million

Andrew Farago Out at the Cartoon Art Museum After Arrest

Posted on June 24, 2026 by Brett Leave a comment

Yesterday the news spread that Andrew Farago had been arrested for secretly recording party guests who used a bathroom at his home during a birthday party.

We noted in our original report that Farago listed himself as the “curator” for the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco among other positions/connections within the comic community.

While Farago listed that position on his LinkedIn profile, he wasn’t listed as part of the staff on the museum’s website. The Cartoon Art Museum has confirmed that it has parted ways with Farago.

According to the museum’s executive director Summerlea Kashar in a statement to the SF Chronicle:

Mr. Farago is no longer employed at the Cartoon Art Museum. We are shocked and saddened by this situation.

It’s unknown as to when Farago’s employment ended or any other internal actions take at the museum when they learned of the allegations. The Wayback Machine last captured the staff page in February 2026 though the main page for website has been archived multiple times since.

The allegations stem from a party held on May 23 and the arrest took place on June 3.

United Wizards of the Coast Votes to Unionize

Posted on June 24, 2026 by Brett Leave a comment

In April, United Wizards of the Coast announced their intention to unionize. The developers behind Magic: The Gathering – Arena overwhelmingly voted their interest in forming a union, United Wizards of the Coast – CWA (UWOTC). Now, the staff have officially voted for the union.

The National Labor Relations Board website shows that, out of a total of 102 eligible voters, 79 votes were cast in favor of unionization, that leaves 16 against.

Today is a momentous day for the workers of Arena! After months of planning, waiting and organizing, our dream is finally a reality; the votes have been counted, and our union of UWOTC-CWA has been officially elected.

The USWOTC asked the Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro management to voluntarily recognize the union by International Workers Day (May Day) which took place on May 1, 2026. That did not happen, and instead there were regular reports of WotC discouraging the formation of the union.

In their announcement, the union said they are negotiating for:

Sustainable Workload: Employees’ experiences with “crunch” (intense, mandatory unpaid overtime) to meet deadlines vary widely by team and project, with some teams crunching on a regular basis just to get planned work out the door.

Layoff Protections: Employees currently live in fear of suddenly losing their jobs, with no warning and through no fault of their own.

Remote Work Protections: Leadership is instituting a mandatory RTO, forcing numerous remote employees to return to a physical office or be forced to resign. This painful choice is splitting our employees between their homes, communities, and the jobs they love.

Generative AI Protections: Pressure has ramped up from leadership to adopt LLMs and Gen AI tools in various aspects of our work. WOTC lacks a robust AI policy, leaving opportunities for abuse and communicating a level of disrespect for artists and other creatives.

On their site, the union wrote:

Today is a momentous day for the workers of Arena! After months of planning, waiting and organizing, our dream is finally a reality; the votes have been counted, and our union of UWOTC-CWA has been officially elected.

From this day forward, we have a union!

To the thousands who signed our petition letter, the journalists who let us tell our own story, every person who reached out with words of encouragement, our stewards at the CWA who helped guide us, we cannot thank you enough for your support.

We stand on the shoulders of giants, and we can only hope that our victory in turn inspires others to start unionizing at their own workplaces. Change is possible when workers stand together!

We hope to share good news of a ratified contract with all of you soon.

It’s only recently that a momentum has been built and more staff in video games, comics, and more in the “geeks space” have come together for unionization. In early June, staff at Dark Horse had their union voluntarily recognized by management.

There are many more steps in the process to go but this vote is a major one for the staff. The next stage is for the union to establish a ratified contract with Wizards of the Coast. That can take quite a while.

Andrew Farago accused and arrested for Secretly Taping Guests in the Bathroom

Posted on June 23, 2026 by Brett Leave a comment

Andrew Farago has been arrested after secretly recording party guests who used the bathroom at his Berkley home during a birthday party. Guests included adults and children.

Farago is a fixture in the comics community, and currently lists himself as the “curator” for the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco as well as a “graphic novel reviewer” for Publishers Weekly. He has written numerous books on the comic industry and co-written and done art for numerous comics including for Marvel. All listed in his LinkedIn profile. Farago is no longer listed as part of the staff on the Cartoon Art Museum’s website.

The allegations stem from May 23 when Farago co-hosted a birthday party at his home in South Berkeley.

During the party, a woman found Farago’s cellphone secretly recording video in the bathroom. There was also video of Farago setting up the phone which was concealed with a towel and faced to record the genitalia of individuals as they used the bathroom.

The phone was discovered at the party and Farago was confronted where he “made admissions and also stated that he had deleted the videos.”

He also emailed party guests expressing remorse over his actions. He reportedly wrote:

I hid my phone in our bathroom for the purpose of spying on our guests, my closest friends in the world. This was an inexcusable violation of your privacy and our friendship and I am prepared to face whatever consequences will come from this tremendous lapse in judgment.

An arrest warrant was issued for Farago alleging 20 counts of invasion of privacy by using a hidden camera to secretly record someone under their clothing.

Farago was arrested June 3 and a search warrant was served. Electronic devices were seized.

Charges have not been filed and it is an ongoing investigation.

(via The Berkeley Scanner and SF Chronicle)

Spotlight

Northwest Museum of Cartoon Arts is closing this June

Posted on June 16, 2026 by Brett Leave a comment

Launched on 2021, the Northwest Museum of Cartoon Arts is a nonprofit committed to an expansive creative space that supports all aspects of cartoon art while focusing on the Pacific Northwest. Made up of artists, writers, publishers, fans, collectors, animators and visionaries, their goal is to create a vibrant, living space that is accessible to all and celebrates the diversity, history, influence, and joy of all aspects of cartoon art.

Unfortunately, that space is closing June 28th with the Will Eisner Retrospective as their final exhibit.

Located in Portland, Oregon, the 501c3 organization held regular events, exhibits, programs, and more with admission just $10 (at most). They also supported and held events throughout the area, not just in their space.

Starting in July, they will be selling all of their furniture and equipment at greatly reduced prices.

Hopefully we’ll see a return in a new, stronger from down the line.

The Rolling Stones and Marvel Unite for Exclusive Foreign Tongues Collector Vinyl Series

Posted on June 14, 2026 by Graphic Policy Team Leave a comment

The Rolling Stones and Marvel have joined forces for a special collector’s release celebrating the band’s forthcoming album, Foreign Tongues. Available for pre-order now HERE, the exclusive U.S. series features five collectible vinyl variants inspired by iconic Marvel characters, each paired with a custom comic book insert showcasing artwork designed to match the corresponding vinyl edition. Foreign Tongues x Marvel will be released July 10.

The Marvel-inspired collection spotlights Spider-Man, Captain America, Wolverine, Thor, and The Hulk, reimagined through exclusive album artwork designed by Marvel illustrators for this release.

Last month The Rolling Stones announced the release of their highly anticipated new studio album Foreign Tongues, arriving July 10th from Capitol Records. The incredibly vibrant 14-track collection follows the band’s Grammy Award-winning Hackney Diamonds, which topped charts worldwide and achieved multi-platinum success. The new album was introduced with the upbeat and infectious lead single “In the Stars” and opening track “Rough and Twisted.”

Recorded during an exceptionally creative period, Foreign Tongues was brought to life in under a month at Metropolis Studios in West London, with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood reuniting with Grammy-winning producer Andrew Watt, who also helmed Hackney Diamonds. The result is a dynamic and forward-looking record that captures the band’s unmistakable sound while pushing into new sonic and lyrical territory, further cementing their unparalleled legacy.

The album features standout performances from Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, alongside their core collaborators including Darryl Jones, Steve Jordan, and Matt Clifford. It also includes a special appearance from Charlie Watts, captured during one of his final recording sessions before his passing in 2021. Additional contributions come from an impressive line-up of guest artists, including Steve Winwood, Paul McCartney, The Cure’s Robert Smith and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

SDCC 2026: Jem and the Holograms x Cold Slither Drop an Electric New Theme Song

Posted on June 13, 2026 by Graphic Policy Team Leave a comment

Two iconic worlds. One epic collaboration. The Jem and the Holograms theme tune collides with the legendary Cold Slither for a high-energy crossover that’s truly outrageous. Get ready for electrifying vocals, unforgettable riffs, and a clash of rock royalty like you’ve never heard before.

The unmistakable sparkle of Jem and the Holograms collides with the legendary Cold Slither in a high-powered crossover that’s as nostalgic as it is explosive. This reimagined take on the classic Jem and the Holograms “Theme Song” delivers electrifying vocals, unforgettable riffs, and a clash of rock royalty fans never knew they needed – until now!

Hasbro had previously announced The Transformers: The Movie 40th Anniversary Celebration of Life Concert, which will feature special performances by Cold Slither and Britta Phillips (original singing voice of Jem from Jem and the Holograms), plus more. The special live event takes place July 23 at House of Blues San Diego. Tickets and VIP packages are available now here.

Paramount Skydance launches Paramount Games Studio Combining Operations

Posted on June 8, 2026 by Brett Leave a comment

Paramount Skydance has shifted its focus for a bit on video games as it has launched Paramount Games Studio, a “core pillar” of the company’s content strategy. It’s a key focus along with television, film, and streaming. The move is the latest shakeup since David Ellison’s purchase of Paramount.

Paramount Games Studio merges Skydance’s existing game studios, Skydance Interactive and Skydance New Media, and mixes in Paramount’s intellectual property which has be mostly licensed to third parties.

Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, which was announced in March of 2024, along with a Star Wars game made in collaboration with Lucasfilm are in the works. The studio has also teased TMNT: The Last Ronin and Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game.

Tony Driscoll will be the president of Paramount Games Studio and is also the company’s head of corporate strategy and development which he’ll continue to lead.

This is a bigger deal in that Paramount Skydance is currently attempting to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery. Along with a massive amount of intellectual property, Warner Bros. Discovery also has Warner Bros. Games which includes Avalanche Software, NetherRealm Studios, Portkey Games, Rocksteady Studios, TT Games (TT Games Publishing, TT Fusion, Traveller’s Tales, and TT Odyssey), as well as WB Games Boston, WB Games Montreal, WB Games New York, and WB Games San Francisco.

It’s likely all of those studios will be folded into Paramount Games Studio if not worse (like studios closed) if the purchase of WBD by Paramount Skydance is approved.

Demo-Graphics: Tabletop Game Edition – May continues the drop as Facebook users gain

Posted on May 29, 2026 by Brett

Demo-Graphics has generally focused on the demographics of comic fans but occasionally we have also reported on other fandoms and communities. In August 2025, we kicked off a new regular look at those interested in tabletop games. That includes board games, roleplaying games, and card games. Why? The question still remains… who are the fans of tabletop games?

What is Demo-Graphics?

Each month I dive into data from Facebook looking at the various demographics it can tell us about comic, and now tabletop game, fans. This isn’t hard numbers, purchasers, or “Wednesday warriors,” but best used to show trends in the industry and the potential of the market out there.

How does it work?

We use key terms, “likes”, that users have indicated and have come up with our own set to measure each month. There’s over 50 terms used (and no I won’t release them). We stick to specific terms for the industry such as “board games” and “collectible card games” as well as publishers and leave out broad terms.

Other things to know…

This data is important in that it shows who the potential audience could be. These are not purchasers, these are people who have shown an affinity for tabletop games, are potential purchasers, and those with a clear interest.

Also, with this being online/technology, due to laws and restrictions, those under the age of 13 are underrepresented.

The data that is presented as a wide range. I’ve taken the average of the range. So, if it’s presented as somewhere between 500 and 1,000 people, the number would be 750.

So, let’s kick off the first entry with the big question…

Facebook “Tabletop Gamer” Population: Around 76.7 million in the United States

The Facebook population increased by about 3.85 million over the month but the tabletop community dropped by about 1.75 million. This is the fourth month in a row tabletop fans has decreased and second where Facebook saw a user increase but tabletop fans dropped. The comic fans also saw a drop, with similar oddities in the report. Some reporting came back with results that made little sense, indicating either a glitch in Facebook or something has changed with the data reported.

Gender

Men remained the majority increasing slightly to 50.7%, up from the previous month’s 50.16%. While the percentage increased, the overall population decreased by 950,000. The previous month saw the population remain the same but percentage increase because the overall population decreased. Women saw their percentage decrease slightly to 47.52%, up from the previous month’s 47.99%. Women decrease by about 1.2 million. Those who are not reported as either gender increased by 400,000 going from 1.85% to 2.41%.

Age

The data for “age” is rather interesting with a mix of some groupings increasing and others decreasing while others remained the same. “18 and under” increased in the population while “19-24” and “25-29” remained the same. The rest all decreased by varying degrees with the drop being anywhere from 50,000 to 450,000.

Age breakdown for tabletop games in May 2026

Relationship Status

This status saw some bizarre returns, the same happened with our monthly “comic fan” reporting. Both “engaged” and “unspecified” dropped to less than 1,000. “In a relationship” saw a steep drop of 4.05 million and “married” decreased by 8.8 million. We’ll see if these numbers return to much more expected results next month.

More Stats!

Spanish Speakers: NEW STAT! – 15.45 million (20.14%)

Education: This is another state with a very weird result. 12.35 million, 16.10% have a college degree or higher, a drop of 8.45 million from the previous month. In 2022, 37.7% of the American population had at least a college degree.

Parents: 11.65 million, 15.19%, are parents! That’s a decrease of 2.05 million individuals from the previous month.

And finally, what’s the crossover with fans of board games and video games? 44.8 million, 58.41% of board game fans also enjoy comics. 42.55 million, 55.48% also enjoy video games. Combined, 63.1 million like board games or video games and 24.3 million enjoy board games and video games. Get your licensing engines revving!

Demo-Graphics: Comic Fans Continue to Tumble While Facebook Continues to Grow

Posted on May 29, 2026 by Brett

Demo-Graphics is back! Demo-Graphics was relaunched in 2025 because the question still remains… who are comic fans?

What is Demo-Graphics?

How does it work?

Other things to know…

Also, with this being online/technology, due to laws and restrictions, those under the age of 13 are underrepresented.

So, let’s kick off the latest entry with the big question…

Facebook “Comic Fan” Population: Around 75.7 million in the United States

After last month’s adjustment, comic fans decreased this month by about 5.9 million individuals. That’s on top of the 2 million individuals from the previous month. But, overall, Facebook gained around 3.85 million individuals on top of last month’s 2.15 million individuals. Men decreased by 2.8 million while women decreased by 3.05 million. The population that doesn’t list either gender decreased by about 50,000.

It’s possible there’s an issue with Facebook itself, as there’s some strange changes that will be discussed below but this could be a sign of rockier times for the industry to come.

Gender

Women remained a majority of the population with 50% of the population. Last month they accounted for 50.1%. Men increased as a percentage from last month’s 48.1% to 48.2%. Those who don’t report themselves as “male” or “female” account for 1.8%, up from 1.78%.

Age

The biggest issue with all of this reporting is the limitation of those under the age of 13 using the system. With new laws limiting the use of social media by children, it’ll be interesting to see if this shifts at all. But, compared to the previous month, the percentages have changed very little with a few going up or down a tenth of a percent.

Relationship Status

This is one of the stats that has been odd. Those marked “engaged” and those as “unspecified” each dropped to less than 1,000 individuals from the previous month’s 1.5 million and 21.3 million. We’ll see if things return to more expected numbers next month but it’s one of the odd results.

New Stats!

Spanish Speakers: New for the month, there’s 15.35 million Spanish speakers who are comic fans in the US.

Education: This is another stat that’s rather odd. This month 12 million have at least a college degree, down from the previous month’s 21.8 million. About 36.4% of Americans have a bachelor degree or better while about 26.72% of comic fans do.

Parents: This continues to slide down to 10.9 million from a 22.65 million in January and 3 million from April 2026.

Board Game Fans: 48.3 million (63.8%)
Video Game Fans: 38.3 million (50.59%)
Board Game and Video Game Fans: 26.6 million (35.14%)
Board Game or Video Game Fans: 59.95 million (79.19%)

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