Monthly Archive for February, 2009

The Week of February 23rd

Published on February 23, 2009 in Chuck Grigsby, Comics and Movies. 1 Comment

This week I’m giving out a little love to some customers.  The Cup family is a loving and connected family and I’m giving some props and bumps to some of you who have either asked for it or deserve it.

I’ve listed this before, but I’m listing it again, ’cause it’s awesome.  The boys (mostly Mike) with Southsider Studios did a great job with a commercial idea we had, Morning of the Living Dead.  Here’s a link: www.youtube.com/user/SouthSiderStudios if you haven’t seen it, go NOW and look at it.  We are planning some goofiness for this summer… can’t talk about it now.  Top secret, but it should be pretty good.

Chuck Grigsby is dominate… again!
Long time customer and professional cage fighter Chuck Grigsby was in action on Saturday night in Omaha and it’s my understanding he didn’t need much time to put down his latest victim.  Another customer went out to see him and said the match lasted a total of 31 seconds.  Good job Chuck, as always, you da man.

Lacrosse anyone?
Another friend and customer, Adam, is starting up a Lacrosse league here in Des Moines and wanted me to shout out to anyone who might be interested.  Lacrosse is a hell of a sport and I would probably jump at the chance to play if I wasn’t already playing Hockey and… married.  Adam is currently assistant coaching the Valley High School team.  Here is a link to his site for contact, league and pick up info centraliowalax.blogspot.com/

Speaking of Hockey…
If you need a night out with some good hockey, I have a deal for you.  We are helping sponsor one of the Apprentice contestants at the Chops on Saturday and can get discounted tickets for you.  It’s twelve dollars for premium seating and nine for kids 12 and under.  However, need to know by Wednesday.  If you haven’t been down to see the Chops yet this season, I recommend it.  The team is good and violent.  They are NOT the Stars and have actually put together a good young team.  If you want tickets, I am going to direct you to the one who is doing most (all) of the leg work, Jessica Bruere.  You can call her at 515-360-8696 or e-mail her at jbruere@hotmail.com.

And a plee…
I don’t know if you’ve seen our website lately, but it sucks.  We need, okay, I need help.  We would like to snaz it up, but I and my few tech savvy friends do not have time.  I don’t have much to offer, except the eternal thanks of the technologically handicapped… wait, that means nothing.  Well, if you have any desire to help, let me know.  It might take a bit to get it going, but the plea has been thrown.
I reason I ask is a funny story.  So, we got a little shop’s invoice last week with our own in our shipment.  It was one tenth the size of our order and ours wasn’t big last week.  I took it out to Curt and he decided to look it up the shop on-line.  He yells back at me, “well, their shop it tiny and looks like it sucks… but their website is MUCH better then ours.”  I cried many tears, because it’s true.  Boo for Matt and Curt and Kyle’s sad sucky shop’s pathetic website.  (If I had Sally Struthers here helping me, it would be even sadder and you would want to help more.  or maybe not.)

Matt’s Rant of the week…
I saw an article on Comic Book Resources under the Comic Reel and it mentioned a possible Superman film “Superman Unleashed.”  In the article it quotes another site saying “the sequel to ‘Superman Returns’ promises to raise the stakes and take the audience to heights of action that no other superhero movie can achieve.”  WOW, that wouldn’t be to tough, like, I don’t know, maybe, have SUPER-man do something… anything?… maybe even something… super?
The reason I mention this is that I’ve decided I’m done with superhero movies.  After the five hundredth conversation about Watchmen and how I do NOT want to see it and the five hundredth time someone has said “what?  why?  you don’t think it looks good?”  I’m done.  You’ve all heard this from me before, but I’ve had it.  Comics and Movies are two different and distinct mediums and do not if ever work well for crossover… AND Watchmen will be no exception.
I hope you all go to The League of Extraordinary Watchmen (what, they aren’t calling it that?  really?  But it looks just like that pile of crap did?) and I hope you enjoy it and I hope you buy the trade from my shop and I hope you are bedazzled with how different and how much better the comic is.  I really do hope it’s a flop… I want to make money off of it, but… frankly, I guess I just don’t care that much.

Last week…
Wow, was that a crappy week or what?  Sorry, I really wish Diamond would get the two big wigs to start getting their shipments a little more even over the four weeks of the month, but… until the seventh seal is broken, I don’t think that will happen.
If you missed anything from that stellar selection, let me know as I have a bunch of replacement books coming in this week.  Diamond’s shipping is getting better out of Memphis, but it’s not back to normal even now, one month after the move was started.  It’s driving me a little (more) crazy, but it’ll be worth it… just keep repeating that Matt… all be worth it… all be worth it… all be worth it… Stupid Diamond.

The Week of February 16th

Published on February 16, 2009 in Comics and Reviews-comics. 3 Comments

Different week same results… I’m swamped and apologetic.  I again want to say I’m sorry for the lack of stock.  Now our trades are dwindling and I can’t do anything about it.  There are books we ordered over nearly a month ago that are just now arriving.  This is due in main part because of the massive move of the Memphis Diamond distribution center and it is taking them a while to get stock opened for re-orders.  So, again I apologize that some of these restocks are taking so long to get in.  If you need anything and can wait, just let us know and we’ll get it for you.  I’m going to Omaha on Thursday and will pick up stuff if need be.

All of that said, I did have a great talk with a member of the Diamond staff last week and they explained how the new system being put in at this new Mississippi distribution center will work.  It’s very high tech and fancy.  If it works well, it will be slowly implemented at the rest of their sites (where we get our weekly shipments.)  It should/will reduce shortages because it takes a lot of potential human error out of the equation.  I sucks now, but I see a light at the end of the… wait, is that a train?

Last call for any pre-orders out of the February Preview catalogue.  I’ll be finishing that order this weekend/early next week.  New Previews are due in next Wednesday.

I highly recommend Rich Johnston’s Lying in the Gutter’s column this week. www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=20069.  A couple of the fine points in it are the reason behind the now return-ability of Batman #686, a couple bits of Bat-news that could be good or could be bad, a picture of Rich holding a piece of comic art that, well, I would have had a hard time giving back after that picture was taken and a very good write up about Marvel’s use of quotes for Black Panther.  Johnston picks out the best that are not entirely wrong, but not entirely accurate either.  They would be funny if it wasn’t a running trend of dishonesty.

And that brings me to my rant of the week…
I really should have had Kyle write this, because I know this subject has been pissing him off of late.  Does anyone else have a problem with Marvel declaring themselves 70 years old?  I read comics in the eighties, actually, I read a lot of them then and I remember when Marvel was 25 years old.  All of their covers that month (November of 1986) had a facial drawing of a character from the book and a border of Marvel’s heroes proclaiming the companies 25th Anniversary.
I found one just today and showed it to Kyle, Cloak and Dagger number nine.  Nearly sent him through the roof, but I digress.  They were good covers with a nice design.
So, some how since 1986 they have aged in nearly double time.  The company is, in reality, 48, NOT 70!  I think their skewed reality goes hand and hand with their never ending cancellation of series, re-starting at issue one and then re-numbering them when an anniversary issue would have happened – Like Thor #600 last week.
I’m sorry, you screwed up and stopped the numbering for a quick grab at issue number one money, but your book is Volume three, issue 13. It’s disingenuous and in my eyes dishonest.  It does make me wonder if in two years the company will be 50 again to capitalize on that anniversary too, since it never really celebrated it the first time around.  Bad Marvel, No birthday cake!!

Last week had some really good comics… A personal favorite was the Batman and the Outsiders Special.  I only read the first four or five pages, because, frankly, I don’t give a damn about the Outsiders; new, old, with or without Batman, but the art and layout by Adam Kubert for the book was fantastic.  I flipped through it a dozen times.  I just don’t have that big of freak out over art in comics unless it’s Art Adams or an occasional Frank Cho mostly nude She-hulk… uh, moving on.
Nonetheless, Adam did a bang-up job (absolutely some of the best layouts I’ve ever seen in a comic, I kid you not.)  Couple it with his brother Andy’s work on Batman #686 and it was a Kubert-lisious week.  The writing on Batman was about a hundred times more intriguing, but the first seven pages of Batman and the Outsiders Special was really sad.  If you care, don’t keep reading……. So, Batman tells Alfred, “well, if you’re seeing this, I must be dead.”  He goes on to tell him that he cared and appreciated everything he did for him… and then says he was always like a father to him and calls him dad.  Pretty sad stuff… had my wife tearing up.  Really showed the human side of Batman, oh, right, the side that has been missing from the character for decades.  Oh, and Neil Gaiman had a hell of well written first part of his story… big shocker, stop the presses, Neil Gaiman doesn’t suck.

The Week of February 9th

Published on February 9, 2009 in Comics, Cons, Movies and Shop Crap. 0 Comments

Hope you are all doing well.  I’m in a hell of foul mood.  I don’t really know why, maybe a lack of caffeine (I’m trying to cut back) or Diamond being total jack-asses (again, or is it as per usual) or maybe it’s the weather.  I need some green.  I can deal with all the cold and snow mother nature can send at me, but I hate brown, yellow, gray and that slimy black that is on everything right now.  I also, seriously, need some damned baseball.  None the less, lets get on with this thing as I’m way behind schedule… ah, the real reason comes out.

I am again apologizing for the drop in copies of books on the wall.  A sharp increase in the numbers of customers coming in and a slight tightening of the belt will cause this.  If there are books you need and I don’t have them, again, let us know and we’ll get them for you, one way or another.  What I’m not going to do is put my shop at risk by over ordering.  That said, I will be able to get to a good equilibrium again (the right numbers of extras on the shelf to sample with the extras needed for pulls) in a few weeks.  Thank you for your patience and your support.
Compounding the problems for me is the fact that Diamond is relocating their Memphis distribution center over the last week and coming weeks.  This will effect reorders for the next few weeks, so, please bear with me.  I promise a glorious utopia of comic wonders when, hey… please don’t look behind the curtain… when we reach the Emerald City.  This move Diamond is doing will make (should make?) things better for retailers and therefore better for you.  They have A LOT of stuff to move and if they can start getting the orders a little more right, I’m all for it, even with some delays.

A reminder that the Brave New World Sci-Fi Club will be meeting Tuesday, February 10 at Cup o’ Kryptonite from 7-9.  The scheduled topic is “The Translation Game,
turning comics into movies, books into comics, etc.; When it Works and When it Doesn’t.”  There is plenty to get into on that topic.  However, the group is open to whatever discussion moves them, so, if you feel like coming out for a lively discussion, please feel free to attend.

A big book hits stands this Wednesday, Neil Gaiman’s first half of “Whatever Happened to the Capped Crusader?” arrives in Batman #686.  I remember the first time I read Allen Moore’s final Superman story, “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?” in Superman #423 and Action Comics #583.  It’s one of the best Superman stories I’ve ever read and, frankly, I expect this Batman story to be as good or better.  If you’ve never read the Moore story, do yourself a favor and get it; buy, beg, barrow or… well, don’t steel it, unless those who have it are bad collectors, then it’s more like liberating it.

Read a couple decent books last week and I expected to hate both.  The Punisher’s new series continues to be decent on issue two and The Black Panther’s new first issue was actually pretty good too.  Maybe the Dark Reign is more like a silver lighning for readers.

I’m sorry to announce the end of the world.  It was nice knowing you all.  Youngblood has been optioned to become a motion picture (and you thought Wanted sucked.)  Rob Liefeld’s “opus” already has a director attached too; Brent “Rush Hour” Ratner.  (and you thought Man-Thing was bad.)  However, think of this as finding out the planet killer asteroid is on its way.  The world won’t end tomorrow, but soon.  I plan on praying (voodoo counts right?) something happens to put the death-steroid off its course.  I’ve said it ounce and I’ll say it again.  Rob Liefeld does more damage to comics each year then fire.  Now that can extend to movies too.  Maybe Superman three wasn’t so bad…

There is a plethora of New York Comic Con announcements and signings and general comic news overload going on right now.  Newsarama.com and Comicbookresources.com both have excellent reports and interview of everything that happened there this weekend, if you feel like wading through it all.  I usually let my business partners and friends find the good (or usually bad) bits and tell me about them.  For me, there is just to much and I know Kyle loves to start a sentence with “Oh, hey, Matt, this will piss you off.  Did you hear…”  So, why should I deny him his little joys.  Nonetheless, go, look, enjoy… just remember your hip waders.

The Week of February 2nd

Published on February 2, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

I have sad news this week, Dragonfire is closing.  I’ve always worked well with and had good conversations with Brad, Doug and earlier in the shop’s existance, Jeff.  It was a good store that I bought books from for many years until I opened my shop.  They were a comic shopper’s shop, one to be respected, one you knew you could probably find what you were looking for at.  The comic landscape in Des Moines is sadder with their closing.
So, with that said, I want to apologize if we are little light on the wall over the next couple weeks.  If you know something is coming and you want it, let us know early.  I’ve gotten a couple new hold customers already and expect more.  You are my loyal customers though and I want to take care of you, if there is anything you can’t find, always know I will try to get it for you.  I have a couple of avenues, all you have to do is ask, the worst I can say is I can’t get it.  If Curt, Kyle or myself are not in, make our staff look it up and tell you if it’s orderable.  If it is I’ll get it as soon as I can.  If it isn’t, I’ll see what I can do through… other means.
I am going to Omaha in a couple weeks and spending the afternoon going to the shops out there.  If there is some specific stuff you are looking for, you can drop off a list and I’ll see what I can find.  Make sure you have price maximums listed or I won’t even bother looking.  You can pay me when I get back and, of course, no gaurantees.

An interesting announcement came out of Chicago Monday.  The Second City will be getting a new comic convention.  The Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo will be held next year (2010) on April 16-18 at McCormick Place in downtown Chicago.  The same company who puts on the New York Comic Con, which has been very successful over the last few years, will put this show on.  I, personally, can not begin to say how happy I am about this.  I remember the Chicago Con, which was well before Wizard “Entertainment” bought it and turned it to crap.  I have not been out to the Chicago Wizard con in two years simply because there hasn’t been anything to offer there.  The same guests and guests of honor year after year do not appeal to this old curmudgeon.  So, hopefully, this will bring another good and major con to the Midwest.  What it means for Kansas City, which has traditionally been the first week of April, I do not know.  We could have two big cons in April, then a lull, followed by Fall Con the first week of October and Des Moines’s I-Con in early November (at least that is how it’s looking now.)  If you need more info on the C2E2 con you can try this link: www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=19793

Spiderman #583, you know the one where Spiderman battles the president, is going to a FIFTH printing.  No really, I’m not kidding.  The thing is this newest printing is adding the Lincoln memorial, so, we could see hundreds of printings from Marvel all with various extra American stuff added on each.  I never thought it would last this long, but just this morning I had someone come in asking about it.  Of the 17 copies of various printings I have coming in on Wednesday, I already have ten of them spoken for.  Last week we got 10 or 12 copies of the second print in and they were gone by Thursday.  Well, I guess comic shops can look at this as our economic stimulus package.  Thanks President Obama!

Speaking of comics and the President… if you have not seen the small piece the Onion did entitled “Obama Disappointed Cabinet Failed To Understand His Reference To ‘Savage Sword Of Conan’ #24,” you must!  My wife found it (I think she actually gets her “news” from The Onion) and I laughed my butt off.  By Crom, Go here: www.theonion.com/content/news/obama_disappointed_cabinet_failed?utm_source=EMTF_Onion

That is all I have for you this week.  I could go on and on about how awesome The Umbrella Academy is or how much I enjoyed issue five of the first Stand mini series or how you are all dumb for not reading Unknown Soldier or how great the final issue of Final Crisis was – It was like channel surfing the DC Universe, but I’m not going to.  You’ve heard it all before.  I need something new to review or someone else to do the reviewing… I need a clone of myself.  I’d call him Pedro.  Granted, if I had a clone of myself I would just sit on my porch and yell at kids to get off my lawn and then have my clone bring me beer and cheese… hmmm, that sounds awesome.  Anyone know any mad scientists?