Monthly Archive for May, 2009

The Week of May 26th

Published on May 26, 2009 in Comics and Movies. 1 Comment

Time is short…

This is going to be a short e-mail as I’m behind the gun to get shit done in time to get out of town. I will be gone for over a week and will not be doing a weekly e-mail next week. Lists will be put up in the shop, but not mailed out, sorry, can’t be helped.

Noticed a couple things…

There are a few cancellations coming down the pipes. Marvel announced Captain Britain and MI13 is done. This is unfortunate as the book was just getting going and a very good old school read. Marvel really seems to be moving towards the publishing model of mini-series, even more so then they have been doing over the last few years. I expect a bunch more cancellations before the end of the summer solicitations.

DC is right on the heels of Marvel (have they ever been out front in this race? No, Kyle, they are not the hare in the story and will not end up winning the race.) They “cancelled” a bunch of books at the end of the year under the guise of big story fun time called Battle for the Cowl. The books are now all restarted under new names (Robin for Red Robin, Birds of Prey for Gotham City Sirens…) They are also into the $3.99 priced books now. It took them awhile, but hey, they to can steal money from you THEIR valued customers.

You may not have seen, as some of these are very advanced solicits for two or more months down the pipe, but they are adding content to certain books and then raising the price to $3.99. Yes, they are adding back up stories and that means an extra 8 pages, but no the back ups have little to no reason to be in the book.

Like what, you say? In an upcoming issue of Action Comics there will be a running back-up story starting Captain Atom. It isn’t bad enough we don’t even have Superman in Action Comics, but now you will get to pay more for more characters that are still not Superman.

The other book will be Booster Gold. He gets a roommate in the recently canceled Blue Beetle, so, that book gets to try and add customers recently made bookless. I do think that idea is good. Add characters that can not support their own books might add some people to other books, but will that really off set those dropping it due to the price increase? I don’t think so. More will drop Booster rather then pick it up because of Blue Beetle, well, except maybe one customer I can think of.

Now if the increase was only a quarter or fifty cents, maybe, but not a dollar. Mark my words, Booster will be cancelled by the end of the year. Action Comics is different. A lot of people have long runs of this book, but if Spiderman has taught me anything, even people with serious runs get fed up with crap at some point.

I could be wrong about this. In a couple months I will revisit it and let you know. I’m a comic retailer, we are a pessimistic lot; doom and gloom at every turn. I just don’t want to pay more for my crappy Action Comics.

Need a movie…

I and the boys say Terminator on Monday. It was both terrible and awesome at the same time. It really seemed like a good yet crappy comic book. My wife hated it. If you have any interest in seeing it (my crap review not with standing) you should see it at The Merle Hay Cinema. Biggest screen in the Mid-West and no obnoxious I-Max distortion to it either, 800 seats with no chance of selling out, the best sound system in town AND we have coupons at the shop for cheep popcorn deals. Did I mention that said popcorn is the best I’ve ever tasted from any movie theatre I’ve ever been too? (and I’ve been to a lot of movie theatres.) A matinee is only $5.50 and Terminator 4 is worth that. Go treat yourself and tell me if you see the same comic-esque styles.

Off on a super huge baseball trip… see you at home plate.

The Week of May 18th

Published on May 18, 2009 in Comics, Movies, Reviews-comics and Shop Crap. 1 Comment

**Note on next week’s shipping.  Comics will be on the shelf on Thursday, May 28th delayed one day due to Memorial Day.  We will be opened on House of M-Day from 8am to Noon, if for some strange reason, you need comics or, the other stuff we sell, come in and get it and then you can go read rather then pay attention to relatives at the Bar-B-Q.

I want to thank you all for making Cup a success.  Lately we have been doing really well.  The future is, for the first time in awhile, seeing growth and though it’s not sunglasses bright, the future is good.  I’m happy with this and want to thank you all for supporting us.  We are not the biggest or maybe even the best, but we are doing what I hope you want in a comic shop.
One of the things I think we do well is hold lists.  This is a win-win as we know better what is coming in and you know what will be in your box without having to be in at noon on Wednesday hoping those books will be on the shelf.
With the recent increase in business, we’ve seen another large influx of customers coming in just buying off the shelf, so, again the shelves have been a little bare.  One new customer had the thought of telling me they were bare and that I should order more.  As politely as possible told him the only reason we’ve lasted as long as we have is because we have hold lists, rely on those sales and order to sell through on the new wall.  I tried to explain anything over what is put into people’s hold boxes is a guess with only hopes we will make money on these – they can’t be returned!
He didn’t get it, doesn’t own a business, probably never has, but still shops here.
This doesn’t mean we aren’t ordering extra issues though.  I’m increasing stuff, but not the haphazardly solicited books I seriously don’t think I can sell more of just to make the wall look better.  We just keep doing more business then I can keep up with.
SO… all of this is both a thanks for having hold lists and a request.  If you want to make sure some of the little books are being pulled for you, I’d ask for them to be pulled if I was you.  I like making money, and the fifth copy of Batman Confidential will not be on the shelf if you are looking for it… not that you would be.

Review time…
Unwritten is great.  If you like Fables, you WILL like this book too.  The premise, which I wasn’t that far off from last week, is about a man, Tom Taylor, the inspiration for his father’s books which are very similar to the Harry Potter series.  Tom, who hates his life on the convention circuit, learns things might not be what they seem and his life starts to change in strange, drastic ways.  This is a must read.
One of the problems Vertigo books have is not getting off the ground by the time they even reach the first trade.  Vertigo, unlike every publisher in the industry, tries to get people into their series.  They are fighting an uphill battle though.  Their readers are the most likely to just “wait for the trade,” but if sales aren’t decent enough to get to the second trade, you might run the life of so many good Vertigo series (Young Liars is cancelled soon.)
The first issue is only $1.00.  Buy it.

Marvel can’t count…
I heard from many of you last week commenting on the stupidity of the latest issue of Wolverine being published out of order.  If you were one of those who was pissed off and want affirmation in your anger, I have a link for you.  Brian Hibbs’s latest column was GREAT.  Here’s a link: www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21227

Um, Thor is Kirk’s dad, what?…
My buddy Mike, he’s practically family, sent me a note about the casting of who will play Thor.  I don’t understand the young and casting of them.  I’m just going to sit on my porch and yell at all those damn kids…. I mean, here is info:
“Who will play THOR?”
Looks like it’s 25-year-old Aussie actor Chris Hemsworth. If you were dumb and went and saw STAR TREK (against my wishes, like my wife), he played Kirk’s dad in the opening moments of the film, but I wouldn’t know, ’cause I’m not seeing it.  (however, I will see Terminator!!  No ret-coning, no changing and no young hip versions… sorry, off subject.)
If you see a picture, I guess he could play him, I guess.  Pro wrestler Triple H, would be better.
This guy will also star in a RED DAWN remake (why?) and a Joss Whedon horror flick called A Cabin in the Woods.  Kenneth Branagh is directing this movie and should start filming late this year or early next.  It’s slotted for a May 20, 2011 release.
Hmmm, now will it be set in present time or all Viking era?  It would be super sweet in all Viking muderville!!  That would get me to see it!

Mike wants to see the little girl from Adventures in Baby Sitting… that could be cool too.

The Week of May 11th

Published on May 11, 2009 in Comics, Movies and Shop Crap. 0 Comments

Note on a couple books shipping this week…
Unwritten and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen both ship this week.  Unwritten is a the new Mike Carey book from Vertigo and has a great premise of a writer’s son possibly not existing by perhaps being a character of his father’s writing.  (or at least I think that is what I got out of the preview I read.  Shut up, I’m tired.)  Carey is a long time Vertigo stalwart and currently, so I understand, is doing a great job on X-Men Legacy.  The book is also only a dollar!!  No shit, a dollar comic in this current greed filled market… they really want this book to succeed.
AND, Finally… League of Extraordinary Gentlemen three arrives!  This is one of the best series Allen Moore has written (his last Black Dossier, not included in that statement).  The first two were such great, fun reads I seriously can not wait for this.  However, this volume will be with Top Shelf publishing and not ABC/Wildstorm/DC as Moore HATES the Warner Brothers monster (and do you blame him, I mean really?  That league movie was truly terrible.)  It will also not be a dollar, but $8.99 a book, but something like 70 or 80 pages.  A deal if you ask me.

T-Shirts anyone?…
With the lovely weather popping up, we need to introduce our line of 2009 Cup apparel.  We are going back to print on our Cup T-Shirts and this will be a limited one time run of special design GREEN T-shirts.  Pre-ordering these one time only shirts will get you 10% off!
And, we will be stocking Graphitti shirts and apparel soon.  All the good stuff that you can get in the back of the Previews catalog will now be available through us direct through Graphitti.  If you need any of those Green Lantern other colored lantern shirts or a Flash hooded sweatshirt, let me know, because our first order will be sent in the next week or so.

No New Trek for me!…
Last week I said I would not go, I asked you to not go, and you didn’t listen.  Fine, Bill Shatner can be my friend, not yours.  Besides, in the coming Zombie plauge, I’d rather have the Shatner by MY side anyway.  He would totaly be a zombie killing machine.
My wife is even foresaking my boycoting of this foul beast and going tonight – without me mind you.  She mocked me thi last week, by showing me an Onion article about the new “trek” movie.  You really should see the piece entitled “Trekkies bash new Star Trek film as ‘fun, watchable’, if you want to see the film or not:

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/trekkies_bash_new_star_trek_film?utm_source=most_pop_pop

and if that is not enough for you… try some of the best Shatner ever: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN3MGN899yE
or: www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0GAjK64VZg&feature=related
or: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1eFdUSnaQM&feature=fvsr – this is the episode that made me a Shatner fan!!  The top two Shatner related clips, uh, less so.

More trades then you can possibly ever read or is that a challenge…
We’ve sent in an order for a massive restock of trades this week.  For those of you looking for something extra to read, it will probably be in on Wednesday.  A bunch of series will have their runs restocked and a few new runs started.  This is the beginning, as we would like to keep our trade wall fully stocked on a more regular basis from now on.  If there is something you would like to see let us know.
Next will be that damn rental wall…

Help a comic collector out…
I have a couple regular customers who are either looking for a new job or been laid off and are looking for a good job.  I’m not getting into the job placement business, but if anyone out there knows of a place of employment that is looking or if anyone owns a business and needs a comic collector (let’s help our kind of people out first.) let me know.

Go Canucks!!

Week of May 4th

Published on May 4, 2009 in Comics, Movies and Shop Crap. 0 Comments

If you read this thing on a regular basis you know I can get, well, a little crazy in the head.  I am a passionate person and comics (now my lively hood) get a certain amount of charge from me.  So, last week I kind-of went off about “free” comic day.  I hope I didn’t offend anyone.  I really think the industry is in a precarious position right now and I had really been fed up with the whole FCBD for a couple years.  Last weeks rant was quite a bit of built up rage filtering out.  (You should have heard the non filtered version Curt and Kyle endured or generally any discussion with them about Diamond.)
All that said, Comic Book Day was a success this year.  Finally done the best way it can be, with the least amount of expense possible, we celebrated with one of the best weeks the shop has ever seen.
This brings me to my main topic this week, the state of the shop.  Contrary to a lot of popular belief (or hopeful from a few people in Des Moines) we are doing just fine right now.  The overall economy is not well.  The comic book industry is most certainly not fine, but we look to head into our seventh year of doing business and are in a seriously good place.
Comic sales are up.  Coffee sales are finally up (about bloody time) since those bastards in the shop that shall not be mentioned moved in and polluted the neighborhood.  Overall, things are much better this May 5th then last Cinco de Mayo (swine flu not withstanding – Poor Mexico City, no margaritas for you this year.  I’ll have to help in making up the lost consumption.  Sorry.  Back on track, I’m making a point here!)
You may have noticed our newest addition, the big F%$#ing book case thingy in the middle of our comic section.  We had this hand made by a father of a friend and it looks great.  For some time we have wanted more wood displays in the shop.  Wood just adds something.  I don’t know, class?  It really does look good and I would love to have all our racks in wood.  Soon maybe they will be.
So that is us, but what does the overall comic book industry look like?  Personally, I have no real clue anymore.  I keep thinking (and yes, harping) about the storm on the horizon, but then something else tells me different.
Last week the industry numbers came out and though most of the time I don’t really pay a whole lot of mind to these (I care about my shops numbers which do not usually reflect the national trends.)  I was amazed at the fact that in March Marvel had 51% of the industries sales!!  No, you read that right, 51%!  I can read your mind as you read this in the future, “wait, what does that number mean exactly?”  It means that of the top 300 titles being published, Marvel has 51% of those sales (those numbers come from Newsarama – www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21047 - and were submitted to them by Diamond.)  Half of the total is one company.  DC was second and they had a little over 28%.  That is not good.
And looking at the actual list (which can be found here www.diamondcomics.com/public/default.asp?t=1&m=1&c=3&s=237&ai=82067&ssd=)
Marvel has seven of the top ten selling books and 32 of the top fifty.  By contrast, DC has two in the top ten and seventeen in the top fifty.  Dark Horse has Buffy at number ten, way to go DH!
I guess in my opinion, and that opinion could be wrong, but it’s not in this case, this means big bad news for the consumer.  Obviously Marvel knows it’s king and can do whatever they want at this point, like raise all of its titles to $3.99.  They also get DC to follow them or loose even more ground in overall sales and market share.  They also get to use this info to move more sales to the big box stores when it comes to trades and that hurts the direct market and you by association.
When you look at the overall numbers something should be noted and it too is not good.  Overall comic numbers are dropping.  The Newsarama article noted that total sales of issues was down over 311,000 copies from February and nearly 800,000 copies from March of 2008.  Another bad sign.

HOWEVER!!!  Did you see what Wolverine did this weekend?  over $80 million!  That is with a work print floating around online and in burnt copy form.  Several of the people I had talked to who had seen it said it was dull and wouldn’t see it in the theatre.  Well, at least someone does still like comics… oh, shallow Hollywood executives… boo.

As if I needed any help in my hatred of Amazing Spider-man right now, a younger couple was in and looking for some comics for their boy (about five years of age.)  They had a couple of the most recent issues of Amazing Spider-man in their hands.  Slightly freaking out, I explained the nature of the beast and helped them find some good old 70′s Hulk issues in the 50 cent bin and showed them the kid rack.  I also explained the wacky state of comics and sensing their still not quite understanding of how bad – and NOT for kids – the industry has gotten I showed them the last page of Amazing Spider-man #582.  Spoiler ahead —> where Aunt May is in bed with J. Jonah Jameson’s father and Peter walks in on them.  Yep.  how low have we gotten?  pretty low.  They thanked me, by the way and their son looked pretty happy with a crappy old Hulk book.
Nonetheless, Stan Lee is rolling over in his, what, he’s not dead yet?  Oh, so he hasn’t seen that page yet?  Quesada, You are still the Editor in Chief, act like one.  UNACCEPTABLE!!!

I can’t list out all the awesome in last week’s Lying in the Gutters, but if you haven’t read it, go to Rich Johnston’s column www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=20971 and give it a read.  Waid ripping on Didio, the fate of FF (what a mess) and a hell of a (cough, cough) pic from Frank Cho… best artist to draw women no matter what their state of dress, period!

And Please, DON’T SEE STAR TREK!  It doesn’t have Shatner and therefore will suck.  Save your soul, do not see the terrible.

The Week of April 27th

Published on May 4, 2009 in Comics and Shop Crap. 0 Comments

Two big irritations this week.  Lets jump right into the first one.

Wolverine #73, not 72…
Right when I think I have seen the most stupid, most asinine, most disrespectful thing in comics, Marvel does something worse.  It was announced last week that Wolverine #73 will ship before issue #72.  I can not remember this ever happening before.  Issues have shipped on the same day.  Storylines have been paused and restarted.  (Though most of this is all with in the last few years, hmmm, maybe golden age of comics should be re-named age of on time publishing.)
I understand some degree of lateness, I do.  I know that things happen and that no one working in comics is a machine; they are human and shit happens.  However, Marvel continues to make a mockery of the industry by doing things like releasing books out of order.
If Steve McNiven can’t keep a deadline, why is he put back into that… oh, right, sales.  Thanks Marvel, we know you care not for the consumer, but for money alone.
Here is what Diamond said (because Marvel is to much of a chicken to actually have direct relations with their retailers.):
In order to better support retailers in their quest to translate interest in X-Men Origins: Wolverine into sales for this title, Marvel will release Wolverine #73 before Wolverine #72, the continuation of Mark Millar and Steve McNiven’s “Old Man Logan” storyline. Issue #73 will arrive on May 13, while issue #72 will go on sale May 20.
This is done because issue #73 from writers Jason Aaron & Daniel Way and artists Adam Kubert & Tommy Lee Edwards features the start of two two-part stories focusing on the character, thus providing the perfect jumping on point for new readers the Wolverine film could help produce.
The “Old Man Logan” storyline continuing in May 20’s Wolverine #72 will now conclude in a Giant Size Old Man Logan special, which was announced at this year’s New York ComicCon.
…You can use your imagination to get a guess on the profanity I was spewing after reading that.  Notice the fact they were doing this for our and your benefit.  Nice and classy.
Since the one thing no one will ever do with this is apologize, I will.  I understand and if you don’t want it, you don’t have to buy it from me.  I, most certainly understand.  I just wish the companies that control this industry would, but that really would be asking to much.

Lots of Deals and stuff this weekend…
We are having a couple sales this week.
Over the course of the long hard winter, we have built up stocks of extra trades that for one reason or another have not sold and are now being discounted to sell.  There will be at least one full long box of trades discounted at least 50% and some 70%.  All will be marked at what the new cost will be.  If they are not marked, they will be 20% off.
All 50 cent comics will have a one day blow out on Saturday at 25 cents.
Any books in our back issue boxes will be 50% off.
No discount on bundled comics as they are all ready super cheap, but a lot of new stuff has been added over the last two weeks that you might want to check out.

Not so Free, Comic Book Day…
You might say, “oh, good the above deals are to celebrate Free Comic Day” and I would say back, “no, they are to get rid of inventory and make a little bit of cash too.”  We do not support “Free” Comic Book Day though I will have some of the books that are being given away on that day available for you if you stop in on Saturday or Sunday.
There is a Wolverine and an Avengers book as well as a Blackest Night prelude that has all new material in it.  However, unlike years past quantities are limited.
Here’s the deal.  Free Comic Book Day is NOT Free for us.  The publishers discount these books drastically, yes, but they do nothing for a loss, NOTHING!  This is Diamond’s (the distributor of the published books) little baby and though I do not know what they make off them, and I’m sure it is very little, it would not be done if it was for a loss.  The one thing I would not call any corporation in America would be benevolent.
So, the publishers and distributor charges us to buy them; most in the 18 to 25 cents per issue range.  You might say, “you cheap bastard, this is for the love of comics, give a little.”  My response back would go something like this, “run your own business and see how much $500 in “FREE” comic books gets you.”  And what do you do with the leftovers?  And what do you make off of $500 in repeat free business to warrant the expense of the NOT free comics?
I love the idea.  I really do.  I like the idea of celebrating comics on one specific day of the year.  I love comics and I want to get new people to read them.  Obviously this is the case or I would never have opened a shop like I did where one of the goals in it is to expose new people to comic culture, but “free” comic book day does not do this and it does not work for the purposes it was once thought to.
I have tried every route designed.  I have paid for advertising to bring people in on a day I am going to give them something for free and seen a good day because of it.  Then factored in all the expenses of that day and the cost well exceeded the money made on that “good” day.
I’ve gone to a movie theatre and handed books out to movie patrons with coupons and seen next to no coupons return (make sure you factor in the cost of printing and time stapling said stupid coupons to NOT free books.)  The problem with free comic book day is it costs a lot of money to make it work well.
Omaha’s Krypton Comics does it up big time.  They have guests and lines to get in.  They are also five times as big as us and have none of the same style of retailing we do, however, they can make it work and good for them (they are awesome guys by the way and you should stop in to their shop if you are in Omaha.)  I’m just not willing to go in hawk to get a big promotion out of a day I can’t get behind.
And another thing, in this economy with a shop cemented in an industry that is just getting by (not failing mind you, but also not helping add to my swimming pool full of money) I can’t go blow a grand on a big promotion to give away “free” stuff.
We decided we would do some sales that happened to be at the same time as the books we put out (most being ones that help promote on going storylines) and keep the free comic books primarily to the customers and the kids, which is really what this should be about, but no one really brings that up and none of the “powers” that be fix it, because, frankly, they are benefiting (i.e. making money off of this) and so be it.
Maybe I’m getting even more bitter in an industry that does foster and grow bitterness like weeds grow in my back yard (and let me tell you there are a lot of weeds in my back yard!!)  Brook would say this was I’m becoming more like shop owners of old or I’m just burning off my veneer of caring.

Man, I’m in such a mood after writing that… grrr.

I should quit while I’m ahead, but…
I really should talk about the end of Amazing Spider-man #592.  If you bought it and read it, well, you know what I’m talking about.  (I can’t spoil the specifics, just know it was… horrific.)
I shouldn’t even bring it up, but, I just can not, not talk about it.  In regards to Spider-man as a character, I finally feel like Charlton Heston at the end of Planet of the Apes now.  Crouched with my hands limp at my side, sort-of crying at the end of a once great character or comic as the destruction might be.  “You Maniacs!!”

I think for the betterment of everyone, I’ll just call it quits this week and wish you all a grumpy and bitter happy “free” comic book day… now, I’m going to go use the harshest chemical mixture I can make to remove the last page of Amazing from my mind. Damn you Marvel, damn you all to hell!!