Way back in the day, the world of super-heroes was strictly regulated to comic books that catered to a market that was almost completely kids and teenagers. As these kids became adults, however, their love of comics stayed with them, eventually leading to a percentage of comic book readers being in an older age demographic. Years passed and the status of comics and heroes remained pretty much the same. But, lo-and-behold, these old comics started to become collector’s items, worth hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars. Enter a whole new breed of comic buyer - the collector.
As these various phenomena built upon each other, the mean age of those buying comics rose higher and higher. With the demographic changing, comic book companies responded by producing more adult-oriented comics. Add to this a number of independent creators who were crafting things exclusively for adults. Books such as Heavy Metal and American Splendor become purveyors of tales that kids would have limited interest in reading.
