Hey folks, Harry here. Ok so you know how the year was for you, but what about the retailers? The folks that risk all upon the fates of comics? Good year or bad? Overhyped bricks and straw turned to gold. Here's what a group of retailers from 'round the country brought together to talk about how the industry fared this year!
Hi Gang. Andrew from GrayHaven Magazine here. Our Retailer friends are a people that don’t have much of a voice here in the online community. Sure we’ll see some posts on message boards every once in awhile, but they’ve never really had a forum in which to be heard on a consistent basis. That’s all going to change. GHM will be featuring what we call the Retailer Roundtable, in which different comic book retailers speak up on the issues of the day or week, as the case may be. In the meantime, we decided to talk to some of them about what they felt were the biggest comic moments in 2001 and some thoughts on 2002. Here are just a few of their responses, along with some store information, so if you live in the area, be sure to check them out.
Ryan J Seymore from Comic Town 3 in Columbus, OH. 1249 Morse Rd. Columbus OH. Zip code 43229. Open from 12-8 Monday thru Saturday and from12-6 on Sundays. They carry a full line of comics both major label and independent as well as a large selection of trade paperbacks. "Biggest stories of the year?
1- The quality and success of the Marvel Ultimates line
2 - Origins
3 - Marvels refusal to even second print quality super sought after books such as Ultimate X-Men and Origins"
Steven Bates from Bookery Fantasy. 16 West Main Street, Fairborn OH 45324, (937) 879-1408 www.bookeryfantasy.com
"Story-wise, I'm still undecided on the best moment in comics in 2001. I'm leaning toward the contributions made by Kevin Smith on GREEN ARROW, J. Michael Straczynski on AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, or Mark Waid on JLA. There were many good, even great, issues out this year--some very powerful story arcs, stand-alone issues, and events. Even though I usually don't enjoy megalithic crossovers, there were many moving and powerful moments in OUR WORLDS AT WAR, not the least of which were in Phil Jimenez' very powerful WONDER WOMAN series. So, the verdict is still out on this one.
However, I think the greatest "moment" in comics this past year happened immediately following our nation's darkest hour. In the aftermath of September 11th, the comic industry rallied, like the rest of the nation, and came together as a unified force. Publishers, creators, retailers, distributors, and readers, put aside many of the concerns which normally drive our lives. Fund-raising events sprang up in both large and small shops and on the Internet, and donations of artwork, text pieces, and personal time, produced comic book tributes like Marvel's HEROES and A MOMENT OF SILENCE, as well as similar efforts by Dark Horse and Alternative Comics. These, and other projects, not only raised money for relief efforts and compensation of victims, but focused extremely positive attention from the media and the non-comics buying public on our medium. Unlike the exposure generated by hype in the past (such as the DEATH OF SUPERMAN and the launch of Image), people were lured in to comic stores, many for the first time, motivated not by speculator greed or idle curiosity, but patriotism, national pride, and a need to participate in some tangible way in the rebuilding process. Comic books offered people a piece of history, the equivalent of owning a piece of the Berlin Wall. Only this time, we were putting the pieces back together brick-by-brick, issue-by-issue, page-by-page, panel-by-panel.
Though the tributes, fund-raisers, and comics dedicated to the heroes and victims of September 11th continue, the "final" word of the tragedy was delivered in the pages of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN # 36. Written by Joe Straczynski, and illustrated by John Romita, Jr., this issue dealt with the horrific events of that black September day, depicting the guilt, loss, and anger, of Spider-Man and his fellow heroes--and some villains--in the Marvel Universe's New York City. Too late, too powerless to stop the suicide bombing of the World Trade Center, these heroes confront head-on the atrocities in much the same way all Americans did--with shock, pain, anger, fear, and, ultimately, more heroic impulses like pride, faith, and resolve. In the masked faces of the Marvel heroes, and the thoughts of Spider-Man, the average American was given a voice, an identity, and perhaps an inspiration.
September 11th, 2001, will be a day which will live in infamy. The weeks and mpnths following, for our nation, our citizens, and for our industry, will be a time which will live in our hearts and our collective memories as our greatest and brightest of days. A time when our masks have been removed, and our true faces revealed. A time of heroes."
Gail Burt of Metropolis Comics Downey, an independent comic shop in Southern California. 12 - 8 Mon - Sat, and 12 - 5 on Sundays. They support gaming and have leagues for Magic, Pokemon, and upcoming for Harry Potter. They also happen to share space with Ace Music, a music store, so it's a weird kind of fit, but really works for them! You can get comics and guitars in one stop!
"The biggest comic moments of 2001? The Ultimate Marvel line takes off - Bendis and Quesada are truly a team to be reckoned with as their Ultimate Spider-Man exceeds all expectations. As UX-Men and U Marvel Team-Up followed, those teams did not disappoint, creating a momentum that has been like an avalanche of interest. Many people absent from collecting for years have shown up at my store looking for these titles; the short supply has been a mixed bag: yes, it creates interest in collectability, but the inability to get the early books is a factor in whether these people seem to stay in the hobby. Either way, though, good quality product sells, and this line proves it.
A record breaking DK2! Frank Miller. Batman. What the hell else do you need?
Heroes - Affecting, absorbing, and sensitive, all who read it must smile apologetically through their tears as they thumb through it at the counter. A sad moment in history, answered by a beautiful tribute that will actually help. A good thing these guys did.
Amazing Spider-Man 36 - The first effort to integrate our real life tragedy with the universe our superheroes inhabit is touching, shocking and inspiring at once. JMS is truly a great writer; in less capable hands, this book could have been overly sentimental or completely glance off our psyches without impact. In his, however, our hearts fall with Spidey's, then swell with determination and dignity by the end. A lovely, lovely job.
Our Worlds at War - The big crossovers are something we usually shy away from as they are not all that, as a rule. This one was all that and a bag of chips, though - full of surprises, twists and turns through every DC original Universe title, it was a sprawling epic that has had lasting consequences. Love that!
The Return of Green Arrow - Though he is a bit wordy and slightly overrated, there's no denying that Kevin Smith IS a really good writer, and his affection for the comics genre is so appreciated by us fans! (and retailers - give us something good and we can sell it!) This "resurrection" has been a great romp; Smith's treatment of these heroes, and his pairing of GA with Batman has been inspired and endlessly entertaining. I'll be sorry to see him go."
Bryan Reeves of Comics Universe with locations at 15634 Manchester Road. Ellisville, MO 63011. 636-230-8191 and 426 Mid Rivers Mall Drive. St. Peters, MO 63376. 636-279-2984
"Just off the top of my head, I'd say: Dark Knight 2, Marvel’s No-reprint policy, Origin, The upturn of sales, The continued strength of the TPB market."
Mark Jacobs from The Great Escape in Green Bay. The Great Escape. Green Bay, WI 54303. 920-496-0191.
He considers his shop a comic store first and foremost. He wants people to come in and see all the old comics, and the statues and the posters and action figures and just go wow. That makes his day. He’s not a big believer in on-line sales since he thinks there is too little human interaction already, and this hobby should demand that people see people as much as possible!!
"Being a long time Spider-Man fan, (it was the first comic I ever read!), the highlight of this year for me has been J. Michael Strazynski taking over Amazing. He basically just picked up the book where it was, and without making any sweeping changes showed that good writing can make all the difference in the world. While I have always pushed Spidey in my store, the response to the new direction has been nothing short of remarkable. I went from ordering 35 issues of Amazing every month to over a hundred!! The recent twin tower issue sold out in a matter of hours despite the additional 30 copies I ordered of it! I have been checking at all the grocery and drug stores that handle comics to try and get more copies! Powerful stuff.
The second biggest "event" would have to be the effect Marvel's no reorder policy has had on sales. I have no problem with the change, since I don't see why it's Marvel's responsibility to do my job for me. While it is handy and certainly easier to have lots of titles available for reorder, it should be the retailers responsibility to know his customers and order correctly the first time. Granted some books catch you by surprise and it would be nice to get more, but in the long run anything that increases demand for comics should benefit all retailers in the long run. I have seen an increase in Marvel sales, and even a limited return to some people buying multiple copies of books they think will be hot. As long as I guess along with them, that isn't a problem. While I would dread a return to the era of the "speculator", a limited amount of trying to make a buck on hot books isn't all that bad. If the customer outguesses you and a book becomes hot and scarce and you have to get some back from them at an inflated price, you will have a happy customer, and another source where you can get books you need!
Another big thing this year is the continued trend of readers. I love that most of the people who get comics now read them! That may sound odd, but not that long ago that was hardly the case. People come in the store and talk about storylines, and I think that is wonderful. I hope that continues."
Paul Grimshaw from House of Secrets. 1918 W. Olive Ave Burbank, CA 91506
"In regard to 2001's best moments, I'd probably list Marvel’s (read Quesada) reaching out to talents near and far to secure a much healthier pool of writers and artists. As a retailer their no-overship policies leave something of an aftertaste however!
No.2 Trade paperbacks. Our trade market has grown again this year, great trades like From Hell, Cerebus, D.C's Spirit hardcovers to name a few, combined with Marvels return to the show has kept me very busy re-ordering."
David Seigler of Ground Zero Comics. 1700 SSE Loop 323, #302 Tyler TX 75701 (903)566-1185
GZC is a traditional "small town" comic and game shop that has been providing Comic, Games, Anime and stong opinions for 9 years. It is located in Tyler TX, in what used to be a lake. On line, Ground Zero can be visited at www.groundzerocomics.com , which is really more of a fan site, with a regular column, reviews, a forum and fanzine section. "Biggest moments in Comics, 2001? Well...since you asked:
1. Marvel VS Retailers. The House of Ideas became the House of Confrontation in 2001. Many retailers had wished for Marvel to return to the kind of sales dominance that it had in earlier decades, but found themselves regretting that wish as Marvel books gained buzz in 2001. With every new Marvel success came another PR nightmare from Bill Jemas. From the "No Overprint" controversy to the "IQ Test for Retailers", Jemas seems completely unconcerned over who might be insulted. Indeed, Marvels general attitude for 2001 seemed to be: "Marvel is back. You need our books. Like it or lump it!" Retailers grumbled and fumed, but still ordered more Marvel books to avoid angry customers missing the next hot book.
2. Dark Knight Returns. No sequel has ever been more anticipated in the world of comics. Many of us are hoping (probably unfairly) for Miller to re-ignite the kind of buzz that comics of the mid 80's had.
3. CrossGen. A comic company carefully builds a line of book and slowly but steadily gains readership. In any other time this wouldn't be that noticeable, but in the moribund comic market of the last few years, it is spectacular.
Frank Hussey of Danger Room Comics. 201 W 4th Avenue. Olympia, WA. 360-705-3050 or dangerroom@juno.com. "Our focus is on being the best, most diverse, full service comic shop we can be. We feature frequent cartoonist appearances and all of us here re omnivorous in our comics reading. The owners are Pat Mapp and Kendra Jennings. Frank Hussey is the manager."
" Best Moments. Whenever I try to think of them, I always end up thinking of fun moments at creator events we ran or of specific customer interactions. Obviously, that doesn't mean much across the industry. Okay, I've got one, but I dunno if it really qualifies as a "moment" --it's still pretty subjective to our store. This seemed to be the year that Cold Cut Dist. began carrying enough back-stock to be worth going through them instead of direct to all the different publishers. We still order direct from some publishers but Cold Cut has made my ordering job MUCH easier and has been great to work with."
…And to wrap things up, a few retailers were happy to participate in a little Q&A. Here’s what they had to say about 2001 and beyond.
GHM: What comic in 2001 exceeded your expectations in terms of sales and reader satisfaction?
John Kula: Origin #1
Michael Burke: The comic that most exceeded expectations this year for me was "Sojourn" from CrossGen Comics.
Frank: Several, but the winner was easily the re-launch of Love & Rockets. Los Bros individual titles only did mediocre sales for us but the new L&R has shot up just past X-Men level sales. And yes, that's very good.
Cliff: Green Arrow, without a doubt. We've reordered the early issues at least a dozen times, and they just keep selling! Readers love what Kevin, Phil, and Ande are doing with the series.
Daniel McAbee: Ultimate Spider-Man by a long shot.
Kelly Dowd: With out any doubt, DK2. Second would be Expo 2001. Reason is it is cheap and features well known independent artist and writers.
Dave Seigler: So Far Origin has to rank as the big surprise, both in sales and that fact that everyone seems to like the series a great deal.
Joe Field: Green Arrow. As a reader, I was personally under-whelmed by the story, but as a retailer, I was very happy that fans scarfed it up and still keep coming back for more. It was a surprise that it became DC's best-selling series, but DC continued to support the title with multiple printings to serve the readers who wanted in on the fun. A lesson i wish other publishers would learn.
GHM: What comic in 2001 fell below those?
John Kula: Elektra
Michael Burke: I felt that "X-treme X-men" fell below these standards.
Daniel McAbee: New X-Men and Uncanny X-Men
Cliff: Ultimate Marvel Team-Up. The other Ultimate books are selling well, but Ultimate has lost momentum and is floundering. When you're aiming at a mainstream audience, you can't hook 'em with radical style swings and edgy creators.
Ultimate Marvel. Too much of a good thing. It was hard to order this year in past because so many comics were good and they were unavailable do to the Marvel no over-print policy.
Dave Seigler: Ultimate Marvel Team Up. I don't understand it. Same writer as Ultimate Spider-Man, great name artists, but the book sits while the other Ultimates fly off the shelves.
Joe Field: Marvel's Brotherhood. Not everything with an X-brand strikes gold, but this one simply turned off the large mutant audience, losing more than 80% of its sales here by the fourth issue.
Frank Hussey: Just Imagine Stan Lee (J.I.S.L.). What a sad, over-hyped piece of crap. We tended to abbreviate it to "Just Imagine Shit". On the other hand, check the last issue of F.F. World's Greatest for proof that Stan can still write a great yarn.
GHM: What's one comic that you always try to push or wish your readers would try, regardles of the current sales?
John Kula: Liberty Meadows
Kelly Dowd: 100 bullets. I have liked this book from the start and once people try it they enjoy it and other stuff he (Brian) does.
Michael Burke: I always try to get people to read "Black Panther"; it’s the most under-rated, yet excellent, book out there, bar none.
Daniel McAbee: Planetary or Barry Ween (depending on the customer)
Frank Hussey: Castle Waiting. There's no comic out there with more story value for the reader's buck. It's one of our best selling titles but I know there are thousands of more people in town who would enjoy it.
Dave Seigler: Promethea. Alan Moore should be on every comic fans reading list.
Cliff: Richard Moore's Boneyard--a wonderful book from a most under-appreciated talent.
Joe Field: Usagi Yojimbo. Stan Sakai continues to produce one of the most entertaining series ever while including ideas and concepts that so many other titles need--- themes of honor, duty, humility to go along with the action. Cheers to Stan for a job well done
GHM: 2001 was the highest point for comic sales since 1993. Do you see it getting better in 2002?
John Kula: Yes!
Michael Burke: I think sales will meet, and exceed, 2001's limit if comics maintain their current trend towards story-driven, well-executed books.
Frank Hussey: Yup. But we've bucked the national trend and done increased comics sales every year so I'm only expecting our personal trend to stay the same. We've already made this year more than twice what we made in '95.
Daniel McAbee: Yes. READING comics is in, Collectors are fading.
Dave Seigler: Yes. Normally I'm guarded at best and a cynic at worst, but a succession of solid titles has slowly brought readers back to my store.
Joe Field: That's my hope. I really hope that '02 becomes what '93 could have been: a time when sales grew organically out of the growth of more creative projects being published, rather than more moribund titles being marketed. We have that opportunity in '02 on the heels of DK2, with the Free Comic Book Day promotion in May, and with the opening of the Spider-Man and Star Wars movies in May.
Kelly Dowd: I see it getting better for sales, but I have to caution as to whether it is speculator fuelled or still reader demanded. Trades are going to continue to sell. As more and more companies produce trades so will the sales. There will be some duds, just like in pamphlet from.
Cliff: Yes I do. I think that we're in the early phases of an up cycle.
GHM: Of the highly anticipated projects we know are set to come out in 2002, which do you think will be the highest seller?
John Kula: Amazing Spider-Man Movie Adaptation
Michael Burke: I think the JLA/Avengers crossover slated for late 2002 will be the highest seller. How long has everyone been waiting for this?
Daniel McAbee: If there are no major creative changes, I think Amazing Spider-Man will be the #1 selling title shortly after the Movie releases. The movie will be HUGE!!
Kelly Dowd: I can’t speculate.
Frank Hussey: Probably Eightball 22 or the second series of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Sales from the Ghost World movie are already phenomenally high so I expect Clowes' first post Ghost World issue will be bigger than ever. On the other hand, what sells the highest will also be affected by which cartoonists we have visit this year.
Dave Seigler: Too many to tell, but I my customers seem most excited by Neil Gaiman’s return (albeit sporadic) to comic writing.
Cliff: Tough to say, since we know so little right now--but this early in the game, I'd peg Kevin Smith's Brave & Bold revamp as the highest ongoing. Of course, Batman's 10 Cent Adventure is going to be the best selling in terms of numbers.
Joe Field: At this point, I'd guess it would be Neil Gaiman's Marvel project---but guesses have never been my strong point. The orders for every title hinge upon what else is in the catalogue at the time of solicitation, so I need to have that info before making a better estimation.
GHM: Do you think the #1 book for 2002 will top DK2's sales?
John Kula: Hopefully so, but with Amazing Spider-Man, Star Wars, Blade 2, and Star Trek Nemesis coming out in the same year, sci-fi & comic related issues make it very likely.
Michael Burke: This should blow DK2 sales away.
Cliff: For anything other than Batman: 10 Cent Adventure, no.
Daniel McAbee: No. It may come close, though.
Joe Field: I think the San Francisco Giants will win the World Series in '02, but I hope for that every year. Similarly, I hope we're able to find enough new readers in the coming months that the top-seller in '02 will out-sell DK2. We do a lot of hoping in this business...but few wishes ever become reality.
GHM: Which book do you think it will be or is it something that hasn’t been announced yet? John Kula: Something not yet announced.
Michael Burke: I'm not sure what else there could be - unannounced or not - to top JLA/Avengers.
Daniel McAbee: The Amazing Spider-Man
Joe Field: I'll opt for the "don't think it's been announced yet" category. Why? Because there are always surprises in this business and if we know now everything that's going to come out in '02, there really aren't going be any surprises, are there?
Dave Seigler: No
GHM: What do you want to see happen most in 2002? John Kula: To have people think of comic shops as more than a place for kids to hang out. Comics need more respect in our society of America. In Japan comic authors and illustrators are raised to much higher regards & respect than the average American will show.
Michael Burke: I would like to see more emphasis on getting comics to reach as many people as possible. A lot of steps were made to that end in 2001, and we're on the right track, but everyone needs to get involved: publishers, distributors, retailers, fans. The more new people that pick up a comic the better.
Daniel McAbee: A continuation of 2001's trends of Manga (that bring in females by the dozens) and growing readership of all comic titles. If we keep comics fresh and readable, the rest will take care of itself.
Joe Field: The Giants to win the World Series in seven games against the Oakland A's---and the comic book business to get healthier every single month, bit by organic bit. That---and for Free Comic Book Day on may 4 to be a rousing success that finds a whole horde of new readers for comics. Not too much to ask, do ya think?
Dave Seigler: For Marvel to finally quit treating its' retailers as inferior, unnecessary links in a chain.
Kelly Dowd: More people coming into my shop who have never been to a comic store and they enjoy it so much they become regulars.
Fran Hussey: The three things currently on my wish list are: 1) For Marvel to cease their current policy of not over-printing any issues (though I'd be perfectly happy to see them only over-print the first few issues on new series). 2) For any publishers that can to end their exclusive distribution arrangement with Diamond. 3) For there to be an attempt at systemic change aimed at improving the industry from the top to the bottom.
Cliff: Al Qaeda eliminated? If you're talking comics, then I'd go for a launch of Frank Miller's Dark Knight Universe as a line of books, as he mentioned in Comic Shop News--followed closely by a major Steve Ditko Spider-Man project to coincide with the movie's launch (yeah, I'm a dreamer).
Here’s a bit of store info on the retailers who participated in the Q&A. If you’re close or happen to be in the area, stop on by.
John Kula from Goldmine Comics & Cards comicman@grnet.com
Daniel McAbee from The Tangled Web. 414 W. Blackstock Road. Spartanburg, SC 29301 864-574-1713
Frank Hussey of Danger Room Comics
Michael Burke and I'm the owner of Comicazi,Inc. in Somerville, MA. The store is laid out for customers to browse and relax...which they take full advantage of! There is an in-store subscription service, special discounts for customer birthdays, mail order service, a website - ComicAzi - and tons of toys and books!
Joe Field from Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff. 2980 Treat Blvd. Concord, CA 94518. www.flying colorscomics.com Pure Power In Pop Culture!
Kelly Dowd from Redd Skull Comics & Cd's. 720A Edmonton Trail North East. Calgary, Alberta Canada. T2E 3J4. 403-230-2716. Redd Skull Comics. reddskul@cadvision.com
Cliff from Dr. No's Comics & Games. 3428 Canton Road Marietta GA 30066. (770) 422-4642 DrNos.Com. Open 365 days a year
David Seigler of Ground Zero Comics. 1700 SSE Loop 323, #302 Tyler TX 75701 (903)566-1185
Can’t find a comic store in your area? Call the Comic Shop Locator Service: 888-266-4226
