The Magic of Branding

Harry Potter is getting his own show on Broadway.

Oh, to be J.K. Rowling these days.

It's hard to believe our friend Harry has been around for over 20 years -- the first book made its appearance in 1997. The seventh -- and final -- book of the series was published in 2007. Since that time, Harry Potter has become a franchise, popularized in movies, theme park exhibits and various and sundry merchandising. And, of course, there are the other books, the spinoffs, with stories about Hogwarts and Quidditch and such.

Admittedly, I was a big fan of Harry Potter. I rabidly read the first six books. Then slogged my way through the seventh, desperately cursing the lack of editing (the book should have been half the size). My son made it halfway through the last book and then bolted. I don't think he ever finished it. There came a point for me when I just didn't care anymore what happened to Harry. Who he ended up with. Or how his life turned out. Cold, I know. But we all have that moment when a beloved character jumps the shark.

I did take my son to see the first movie, but I haven't seen any of the others, and I probably won't. The original books were fresh and fun. But when you beat a dead horse, well...

Alas, Harry isn't the only abandoned fictional character. Many authors have a difficult time coming up with how to take a popular character of many novels and keep him/her from getting stale. On the one hand, it's a great problem to have, because you've already developed a character people are interested in. On the flip side, if your character doesn't live up to expectations, things can quickly get ugly.

I wish Harry all the best on his Broadway show. It's been a hit in London, which bodes well, I suppose. It would not appear that Pottermania is going to let up anytime soon. The kids who read the original Harry Potter books are having kids of their own. A new generation of fans, ripe for the picking.

J.K. Rowling, when asked what she considers the primary genre of the Harry Potter books to be, replied "death."

But I don't envision Harry Potter taking a dirt nap anytime soon.