So, I bet you're all wondering how it went yesterday. Did I try out a different comic shop? How was it?? Do they ALL suck???
The short answer is that I DID try out the new place, it went well and of course they don't all suck.
The new place in question is called The Comic Bug (1015 Aviation Blvd. in Manhattan Beach) and I will be making that my "regular" spot for buying comics in the future. I say "regular" because I'll probably still visit HiDeHo, Golden Apple and Meltdown if I happen to be in their neighborhoods. Actually, I've always been a big fan of Meltdown Comics because of their large variety of foreign & indie titles. Unfortunately, these places are a hassle for me to get to in the regular course of my work week.
The Comic Bug has a few good things going for it. First, only the Marvel & DC books are organized by publisher. The rest are grouped on an other wall alphabetically by title. This seems more reasonable to me and, it seems, it isn't a hard & fast rule. Mike Wellman is the manager of The Comic Bug and I know him from his work as a writer on Mac Afro and Gone South. I put him to the test and asked him where HE'D rack a book called Weasel Guy/Witchblade, and he answered, "by Witchblade, of course." Good for him.
Secondly, they're trying to make The Comic Bug a cool place to hang out. They're still working on it. They have a couch by the window that encourages people to relax (as opposed to the "Dis ain't a liberry!" cliche). They have a drawing table set up for "guest artists" to work and/or publicize their comics. Mike showed me a new comics rack in one area--they plan to redo the whole "wall" of books with the same shelves. Should look sharp. Not that I plan to hang out there necessarily, but it shows that they're trying to fix the place up & make it customer-friendly.
One of the best shops I've ever been to (if not THE best) is called "Isotope," in San Francisco. They call it the "Comic Book Lounge." It's not a huge place, but they have a slightly "mod" atmosphere with seats & benches for customers. They also have an artists' station and plenty of art displayed. They've created a nice, user-friendly shop with a good "vibe." It isn't one of those dark holes that seem to be designed to scare away regular folk. Or women. I think The Comic Bug is working on building a similar image. I've been there only once, but I'm rooting for them to pull it off. I guess I have "Isotope-Envy;" I wish it were in LA instead of SF. James Sime, the owner of Isotope, looks a bit eccentric, but he's also very hospitable. Me like.
So, what about the selection of titles? It's probably about the same as my unnamed local shop. Lots of the "big two" and a decent assortment of indies. Not as good as HiDeHo, Golden Apple and Meltdown, but the store IS smaller. They also have the usual toys and back-issues, which I did not really look at.
The Comic Bug did NOT have the new book I was all jazzed to pick up (Paris, by Andi Watson and Simon Gane, Slave Labor Graphics). That WAS a disappointment. But Mike WAS immediately helpful and said he'd order it for me. My Local shop has NEVER offered to order a book they did not carry or were sold out of. Maybe it's because I know Mike, who knows. The other shop may very well have ordered Paris and may have it in stock, but I will wait to see if The Comic Bug comes through. I have plenty of other stuff to read in the meantime.
Thanks for your comments yesterday, I look forward to hearing from you again on this...
4 comments:
Sounds like a nice place. Kind of out of the way for me, but at least if I do go, there's someplace to hang out.
I agree that most shops aren't very appealing to women. That's a whole 'nother blog entry, though.
I've heard a lot of great things about the Comic Bug from friends and coworkers...I'm looking forward to checking it out myself! And Isotope is definitely worth a visit. Check their website if you haven't been to the store for a while; they moved last summer.
The Comic bug? Sounds good. I hope they carry Westerns ;)
It's a shame, but I do not think that this is the only store this is happening in.
As a fellow self-publisher, I have had similar experiences. In fact, my family & friends (God bless 'em) have donated to the self-publishing cause by buying copies of my book...well, they TRIED to buy copies.
Even though they preordered, over 50% of the people were unable to get a copy through the local comic book store. And most of them reported it as an unpleasant, uncomfortable experience that they will not repeat. The retailers -- who shall remain nameless -- really made the whole pre-ordering thing so frustrating, that none of them want to go back to the store.
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