This report monitors developments in the children’s comics and magazines market since Mintel last reported on it in 2004. Mintel concluded then that publishers had become far more sophisticated in developing their titles to accommodate key aspects of the market such as the fluctuating popularity of different characters and parental anxiety over their children’s development. It also noted the possible negative implications of growing involvement in alternative media.

Since that point the market has continued to grow in value as publishers have introduced new titles targeting both children (especially the harder to target boys) and parents, who are becoming increasingly important to purchase. Nevertheless there are indications that as more time is spent online for instance, or with computer games or other print media, this is having some impact on comic buying among older children.

This report seeks to assess whether comics and magazines are destined to be bought only by parents as children themselves become ever more interested in other options – the internet, their computer games and mobile phones. This is a key aspect of the current teenage magazine market as teens’ attitudes and media usage change.