Sorry about the lack of updates, lately. Its been a busy six months, but a productive one. We've just attended Supanova (like you didn't know), sharing a stall with Paul Arangio from www.figuresdirect.com.au. and I have to say, we had ourselves a great time. It was bigger and better than last year, and I think we all know the best is yet to come (although how do you top Dave Gibbons and Tim Sale?). I think we will have a double stall next year, so we can actually breathe out. Anyway, here's a random series of paragraphs desperately trying to appear like a glimpse inside the smoke and mirror brain of quality Keith. A 'how I see things at the moment' kind of thing.
We're slowly building up our relationships with the larger comics community. I know better than most how the shop had been perceived under past management regimes. Believe me. I know. I'm very grateful to those customers that have stayed with us during this period, and I'm just as grateful to the many new people who have come down our well worn staircase. We've even had a few of our previous customers come back in recent weeks, and renew their membership, which gives me the kind of warm and fuzzy feeling that I usually associate with cuddling a lot dog.
I thank all the local comic creators that have let me stock their comics in our shop, I think we have a great local artist section that can only get better in time. And to those local creators that continue to dismiss us as 'a bad memory', I say this: Grow up, mofo's. ;) . Just kidding. I'm happy to stock and spread the word about your stuff, if you want to give me a chance. I understand if you don't want to, but in the long run you're only hurting yourself.
I think that the most noticible shift in the demographic has been with a larger number of females shopping here. Back when I was a wee teenager, if you saw a girl in a comic shop, she was either: a) with her bodybuilder Wolverine reading boyfriend, b) looking for a present for her bodybuilder boyfriend, or c) hopelessly lost. With the rise of manga and anime, along with more mature adult lines of graphic novels, the comic shop (not lcs, I hate those patronising retailspeak, dammit!) has gradually lost its reputation as a locker room for geeks. We get a lot of positive feedback from the ladies, which I highly value. They like us! They really like us! And, on the whole (though I fear I generalise), they have a more diverse taste than the fellas. And usually smell better.
I don't think it would surprise any recent reader of comics that the actual monthly comic book itself is becoming increasingly superceded by the rise of the 'graphic novel' in hardcover or trade paperback collections. Marvel, Dc and the rest obviously want us to buy more of the books and less of the comics, and we comply like the good programmed citizens we are. Well, not me. I buy both. In your face, large comic corperations. Our right hand wall was once covered in 'floppies' (yes, people really do call them that) the last three months. Now it is covered in trades, albums, hardcovers, collections, and other graphic novel thingies. This is not an accident. And believe me, I am constantly thinking about ways (other than stacking books spine out) to increase the display space. Ways that don't cost a robotic arm or cyborg leg.
Before this becomes an Academy Award acceptance speech, let me quickly finish. I promise to update the blog much more frequently than before, starting with a weekly list of whats coming in, hopefully this week. Check back sson. And thank you all from the bottom of my coal black heart. Quality Comics is here to stay, and we invite you to stay with us. Lets face it. We need each other.
Posts
