Blog @ Canadian Geek

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So while shifting all the comics on the new comics rack this week (all 343 titles) to make room for the more than one dozen titles we added, I was fuming about all the books that come out each month and how agonizing it is to make room for them all and how little knowledge the industry has as to how comic shops actually function and the hate began to build and I couldn’t wait to write it all down for you how evil and stupid and wrong the vast majority of comic publishers are. And they are.

But I had a night to sleep on it and I changed my mind. I went so far that after I was done my weekly tradition of defiling a Marvel Comic in a unique and disturbing manner, I decide to write a positive Rant this time around. I haven’t really done one since FCBD and the last time before that was, well, a long time ago so I think it’s a bit overdue.

“So Shepherd, my Shepherd, what is good about today’s comic industry?” I’m glad you asked.

Diversity. Not since the 60s have there been so many genres of comic material. I’ve touched on it before so I won’t bother you too much with it again.

Access. Not since EVER have the creators been able to interact with the fanbase so easily and so often. This webernet-thing is really taking off and savvier creators are making sure they are online and in tune with their public. Then, there are cons and ho-boy are there a lot of cons! There are nearly three dozen different opportunities to travel and meet your favourite stars. And the really nice thing about having so many shows? They are not all so heavily attended, meaning that if you do your homework and pick and chose your cons carefully, you can go to the lesser attended shows, not get beaten down by crowds, meet your idol and have a great vacation.

Popularity. We will never have another “Batman” because there is too much on tv these days. It’s seldom to never that any one show will break through and have the impact that brilliant show did. However, because there are so many channels, we can watch “Preacher” on HBO, “Smallville” on Access, “Battlestar Galactica” on Space and “Heroes” on NBC. And let’s not forget about the movies. Kinda hard to considering there is still more than a dozen films due out this year based on geekdom and several dozen films for theater and Direct-to-DVD scheduled for 2008. The more accepted our product becomes, the more we get to see it adapted (not always well - Ghost Rider) into different forms of entertainment.

Opportunity. Going hand-in-hand with popularity, the bigger it gets, the more people take an interest in it. The more the interest, the greater the demand (in theory). Indie guys can crank out more product to be appreciated, more classes will be created in schools that will train people and educate them about the medium, more companies will be looking for staff, more, more, more. It’s still not easy to break in (like any business) but never has there been a better chance to get in.

Quality. Finally, after the decade known to most as “the 90s” but referred to by geeks globally as “The Dark Age”, the respect between the writer and artist has leveled. There’s still some imbalance from time to time but that generally falls down to the people involved. Alex Ross being associated with any project will practically overshadow any writer (except maybe Stan Lee) and Brad Meltzer seemed to be the big draw for JLofA but overall, it’s pretty even. In fact, fans seem to be demanding quality writing to go along with the art these days. A positive sign for things to come.

Availability. People say that comics aren’t in as many places and that is true but with there being more titles than before, having specialty stores is very important, if not essential, to the industry. As comics are moving back into Wal-Marts, only a select few get on the small rack. Plus, with many small press creators making niche or mature reader product, they limit themselves to where their books can be placed. With “core” comics being in Chapters and Superstore to catch people’s eye, it’s the educated and well stocked (and well kept) comic store that will hook people for life. You’re welcome.

Fandom Passion. There’s a lot of idiots out there but there are also a lot of very articulate, intelligent people who, I’m sure, not only help foster new readers but also help influence the direction of certain titles. Now, if only some of those people could take over running certain companies, we’d all be better off.

I hope that when you think about or discuss this little pass time of yours, you will think about all the positives the medium is experiencing and let your passion speak for you. Most importantly, make sure you do speak about it. We aren’t in space, we want to hear you scream.

The Shepherd

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Enough is enough.

I recently read a thread about the whole “comics” vs. “graphic novels” debate and though I’ve touched on it before (and some of you have responded to it), I’m drawing the line. I refuse to bow to the ignorance of the masses and use the term “graphic novel” just to placate them. Why should I have to comprise my vocabulary because you can’t be bothered to understand what a comic is? I was here first, Johnny-Come-Lately; “Buffy Season 8″ is a comic. “Supernatural Origins” is a comic. “Maus” is a comic - the man who MADE it said so.

I’ve heard the argument that we need to accept the term because it will help bring more people to the medium. Garbage. What happens when we apply the same logic to other aspects of society that aren’t accepted? Revolt and discontent, that’s what. Just ask the homosexual community what they think of the phrase “civil union”.

And don’t feed me the, “It’s all marketing,” line either. The people perpetuating the terminology are not in the industry because the comic industry doesn’t market itself (I know, I’m a retailer). It’s the media that’s painting us with this brush and we need to make them stop. We need to correct them. We need to educate them.

To deal with drug problems, teen pregnancy, AIDS, prostitution and hundreds of other problems, the world at large touts that education is a primary the key to solving these issues yet for some reason the comic industry is prepared to accept a global wedgie and change it’s ways just to be able to walk the same halls as the school bully. Watch “Revenge of the Nerds” again people; we win.

I am making a promise to use the term “graphic novel” only as a curse word from this point on. I sell comics and they will all be referred to as such and I will (politely) correct anyone who requests a “graphic novel”. I will refer to collections of comics as “trade paperbacks” or “collected editions”. I’m am tired of catering to those who choose not to fully accept our medium and are trying to bend it to fit their world, of which we are not really a part of. You came to us, learn our ways (and yes, I know I’m dangerously close to stepping into an immigration debate here but let’s not carried away).

The Shepherd - who chose not to promise to kick people in the junk if they said “graphic novel” figuring it would be bad for business.

On Saturday, June 9, Canadian comic pride was shouted from the Holiday Inn in downtown Toronto as the 3rd Annual Shuster Awards took place. Comic pros mixed it up with average fans who listened to stories from Jerry Robinson (who created the Joker), learned a little about French-Canadian comic influence during the Hall of Fame inductees and cracked smiles during the witty interludes hosted by comedians Rick Green and Rob Salem. It was a night to be proud of.

Locally, Happy Harbor represented by winning the award for Outstanding Canadian Retailer and upon our return, we sent out a press release to the local media whom, for sure, would want to know more about a hometown store staking claim to national supremacy.

The Edmonton Metro was the only one of more than a dozen media outlets who decided the event was newsworthy. What beat us out; a 19-year-old kid who makes the world a better place by online gaming at the Playboy Mansion.

Really, my expectations for the media shouldn’t be that high. I mean, sending out a press release was pretty self-serving so I will let it slide. What I won’t let slide is the “media” that covers our hobby.

The local press release went out on Monday as soon as I got off the plane and then I sent a brief and friendly email to some of the major online comic news sites; Newsarama, Comic Book Resources (CBR) and ICv2. The last responded with a note thanking me for bringing it to their attention and they would see if it was possible to get something together for their site (but no promises). Fair enough and as of Friday, they had covered the event. The other two did not respond and as of today have yet to report on the Shusters.

Some sites (mostly blogs) did report on the festivities (usually inaccurately) but I’m a bit concerned about the fact the bigger, “popular” sites don’t deem this worthy. CBR has tons of coverage about the first DAY of Wizard World Philly and Heroscon, as does Newsarama, but not a single mention of the Shusters.

In fact, Newsarama is probably the most inappropriately named site out there. Their concept of “news” is asking geeky, fanboy questions to pros who seldom answer the questions asked. When something truly newsworthy happens (say, the passing of industry legend Marty Nodell), it goes unnoticed. Every week I get a little sicker reading their pap but since so many customers reference it, I have to read so I know what they are talking about.

For fanboys, Newsarama and CBG seem to have forgotten the most overused mantra in comicdom; “With great power comes great responsibility.” These two sites have a tremendous customer base that looks to them for “news”. If they don’t feel it’s a responsibility to inform them who Albert Chartier, Gene Day, Jacques Hurtubise (Zyx) and Gerald Lazarre were and why they were inducted into the Hall of Fame, then at least grow a pair a balls and report it because it is actual news.

The Shepherd

For those of you reading this column who aren’t regular comic buyers (unlikely, I know) and for those comic geeks who are trying to convert their many friends (again, unlikely, I know), here are a few conversations and phrases to avoid with your average, below average and even the above average comic retailer so you don’t get those glares we all hate to get from people smarter than us.

What not to say:
“Is this any good?”

Why you should not say it:
I need to make money so yes, of course it’s good. Commercial aspects aside, please remember that it’s art and all art is subjective. I’m not a fan of Mike Mignola’s art but I have customers who would happily kill me in defense of his work. Everything is good to someone which leads us to …

What not to say:
“Can you recommed something?”
“Of course. Do you have a preferance of heroes or non-heroes? Action, romance, horror or something else?”
“Oh, anything.”

Why you should not say it:
You don’t like everything. No one does. Grow a spine and tell the retailer where your interests lie. This will save you both a lot of time and the retailer a lot of frustration from showing things that you have no interest in. The more infromation you give, the easier it will be to put you on the right path to comicy goodness. If you’ve read something before and liked it, let ‘em know. If you read something and hated it, let ‘em know as well.

What not to say:
“Can you give me a discount?” or, “Can you knock off the GST?”

Why you should not say it:
First off, it’s just rude. In my day I was told to never ask for favours from someone you just met or didn’t know very well and that’s exactly what you are doing. You want me to do you the favour of saving you money which comes at my expense. Establish a relationship first, then we’ll talk. Also, this is a BUSINESS, all be it a comic business, it’s still a business and things are priced so that we can stay in operation. Wanting a discount affects our budget and how we operate.
The second statement is just annoying cause it’s so specific. If you don’t give me the GST, that means I have to pay it for you and that’s not very fair to make me pay your taxes.

What not to say:
“Does this shirt make me look fat?”

Why you should not say it:
I’m a smart ass and you won’t like the answer.

What not to say:
“Are you going to be having a sale anytime soon?”

Why you should not say it:
Retailers, generally, don’t announce sales too far in advance becasue they don’t want it to affect their regular sales leading up to the day. And yes, it does matter. A polite retailer may give an inside nudge to customers who may be making a big purchase just before they announce the sale but as a rule, a sale is designed to give an additional bump to sales. If there’s a drop before the sale, then everything just kinda balances out and with the effort that goes into preparing for a sale, there’s very likely going to be a loss if the drop if significant.

What not to say:
“I have a first edition comic.”

Why you should not say it:
Over 99% of all comics ever made are “first editions”. Second printings are rare, really rare. Saying this means, “I know this business,” when it actually shows that you don’t.

What not to say:
“I have comics from the (example: 1970s) still in their original bags.”

Why you should not say it:
Comics, individually, never came in “bags”, and when you say “bags” I know you’re implying that they are in clear plastic sleeves that you think are keeping them safe. A couple of tips; bags made before 1988 are not acid free which are ruining your comics AND Saran Wrap and Ziplocks do not qualify as comic bags.

What not to say:
“I have a Superman OR Batman OR Spider-Man #1.”

Why you should not say it:
Because you don’t. Okay, you might have Superman #1 from 1988 or Batman Legends of the Dark Knight #1 or Spider-Man #1 from 1990 but they aren’t worth much (dollar wise) and they had huge print runs (so everyone has them). It is not a bragable. See the “first edition” comment.

So, the Springer Moment here is choose your words carefully, phrase things as questions as opposed to statements of fact (”first editions”, original bags, #1’s, etc.) and give as much information as you can when looking for suggestions. If you want to avoid those glares like I said, which is next to impossible since ALL comic shop owners are pompus asses who look down on everyone who shows weakness in their Geek Froce, a little knowledge can go a long way. Take my advice and enjoy your next trip to the comic shop.

The Shepherd

Yes, we’ve been down this road and while I don’t have a huge issue with variants I will ask comic companies that the very least - THE VERY LEAST - they could do is make the variant cover either;
A) Good
B) Interesting
C) Relevant

Case in point, and to show I’m not picking on a specific company or character, Justice League of America #3.
Regular cvr
Variant cvr
While techincally the art is okay, the pose and imagery is anything but spectacular. It’s hardly intersting and it’s not relevant to the story. And trust me, I like Superman so this hurts a little.

So, what makes a good variant? Again to show my unbias, lets use Wolverine Origins #2.
Regular cvr
Variant cvr
Okay, the quality of art is there and it certainly is interesting, regardless if you’re American or Canadian (but it’s freakin’ awesome if you’re Canadian), but is it relevant? Beats me, never read the issue but I know I won’t sell the copy I have cause it’s very, very cool! In a manner of speaking, it exceeds relevance because it’s so interesting that non-readers will be drawn in if they see the two covers side-by-side.

Coming at it from another angle, the JLofA cvr was easily available as it was 1 for every 10 issues. The near commonality coupled with the lack of, shall we say ‘pizazza’, makes the book mediocre at best. The Wolverine? 1 for every 100, making an already cool book highly collectible to boot.

Now, I’ll never scream from the rooftops that comics are ‘collectible’ but they are as much as they are readable and enjoyable. So for all you comic companies out there, if you want to create a buzz about your book and give the little fanboys and fangirls an extra treat, THINK about the variant you are about to slap on your cover and make sure it’s worth the while.

The Shpeherd

On Friday night, it began snowing. Since we had plans to set up a wrestling ring in the parking lot for some live wrestling (featuring the performers of the Prairie Wrestling Alliance), we had to decide if we should move forward or not, as loading and setting up the ring was a lot of work.

We decided to axe the wrestling and I was very sad. I was looking forward to this. I was banking on this. I bought newspaper ads (which we had not done before) and radio ads (which we had not done either). We hyped and promoted the day, with all it’s activities but in the end, no live wrestling.

Sure, we would still have our thousands of comics, 8 artists doing sketches for the Edmonton Food Bank (over 100 pounds of food collected, along with some cash), Heroclix gaming demos, World of Warcraft gaming demos, big sale, BBQ and most of the wrestlers still came out to promote their upcoming show but the snow and the wind on Friday night was making me think this was going to be the worst FCBD in our history.

At 9 am, Saturday morning, the clouds broke and the wind died. The pavement dried up and the air warmed. We opened at 10 am and by closing at 6 pm we had had the BEST FREAKING FREE COMIC BOOK DAY EVER!! Over 1200 people came through our store (almost double last year)! Comics were wiped out by 1:30 even though we bumped our numbers huge from last year! Our sales doubled from last year! And best of all - hundreds of new faces!

Families, couples, little kids, big kids, old school geeks and the new breed all came through our door, hearing about the event via the radio, newspaper and word of mouth. It was the most jam-packed our store has ever been and it was the most smiles I had ever seen!

Thank you, Joe Field, for giving us the opportunity to celebrate this medium and bring comics to the masses. Thanks to those companies who supplied books for the day with extra big thanks to those kind enough to leave space on their comics so us little store owners could share some of the credit by being able to stamp your books (shame on you Keenspot, Arcana, Fantagraphics, Rude Dude, Twomorrows, Wildcard, Aspen, Comic Genesis, First Second, Daystar, Blatant and Sky Dog).

Pictures form our event can be found at
http://www.happyharborcomics.com/Photo_Album/FCBD07/page_gallery.html
and here’s looking forward to 2008 and to renting a tent, just in case!

The Shepherd