2010 Joe Shuster Award-winning Outstanding Cartoonist Michel Rabagliati (Paul à Quebec) is in France this month for Le Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d’Angoulême and is featured in this article on cyberpresse.ca
Category Archives: Interviews
Interviews: Darwyn Cooke at the FCBD website
As a follow-up to the recent announcement that he will be doing the 2011 FCBD t-shirt, the FCBD website has posted an interview with Darwyn “that details the FCBD project, his plans for 2011, and what goes into his creative inspirations.”
Of particular note is his project announcement for 2011…. which is interesting considering my just posted thoughts on publishing and retailing and the growing importance of digital publishing…
FCBD: Where will you be spending Free Comic Book Day 2011?
Darwyn: You can find me at the Strange Adventures FCBD celebration (in Halifax, NS), which is so large it has to be held in the church hall down the street because the store can’t handle the crowds. Hope to see you there.
Pop! Retailer Panel Discussion – 1/2011 edition and some personal thoughts…
Our friend Jeffery Klaehn over at the Pop! blog has done another edition of his retailer panel discussion, and the participants are 50% Canadian:
Panel Discussion Participants
Gerry Gladston is co-owner of Midtown Comics in New York.
Peter DeCourcy is manager of Blue Beetle Comics in Barrie, Ontario, Canada.
Jay Bardyla is the owner of Happy Harbor Comics in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Jared Myland is the owner and manager of OK Comics in Leeds, England.
Alex Phillips works at and designs and manages the website for Lookin’ for Heroes in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.
Gail Burt is the former owner of Metropolis Comics, Bellflower, CA, and currently hosts ‘Metro After Hours,’ a web-based comic and pop culture related talk show.
I reiterate here my personal opinion that I believe that 2011, particularly the next three months, is going to be a very hard year for Canadian comic book retailers. For years I’ve been using the phrase “period of transition” in my Overstreet reports (although I haven’t submitted a report to the 2010 or 2011 guides) and it became VERY evident in 2010 that we are moving even further away from a market that relies on weekly pamphlets towards a book retailing model.
Fan Expo Canada expands in 2011: days, hours, exhibition space
As many of you know, since 2007 I have worked in the capacity of Canadian Guest Coordinator and Comics Programming Coordinator for Fan Expo Canada — Canada’s largest comic book event, with over 65,000 attendees in 2010. It is a huge hub event for the region, as comics publishers, retailers, dealers, creators and fans all participate in the event in various capacities.
From the Fan Expo Canada website: http://www.fanexpocanada.com/
FAN EXPO CANADA REVEALS A COLOSSAL 2011!
>> EXTRA DAY ADDED!
In response to the shows overwhelming popularity, we are pleased to announce that Fan Expo Canada 2011 will now expand to FOUR BIG DAYS of fun and excitement! It will take place from AUGUST 25th TO 28th, 2011.
>> MORE TIME TO ENJOY!
We will also be extending the show hours each day to allow more time, more screenings, more panels and more fun!
2011 SHOW HOURS:
Thursday 2PM – 9PM (2PM for VIPs/Deluxe, 4PM for daily admission)
Friday 10AM – 8PM
Saturday 10AM – 8PM
Sunday 10AM – 6PM
>> MORE SPACE, MORE CAPACITY – 50% BIGGER!
Fan Expo Canada will now take over for the first time ever, the ENTIRE SOUTH BUILDING at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre! At over 400 000 square feet, this will be the biggest Fan Expo Canada EVER!
**********************
So that’s the big news. No guests to announce yet. I also did an interview with Peter DeCourcy at Comic Book Daily that’s gone up today about some of the changes:
http://www.comicbookdaily.com/wp/daily_news/fan-expos-kevin-boyd-talks-big-plans-for-2011/
What is going to separate Fan Expo 2011 from every other convention this year?
That’s a great question Peter. In my mind what makes it separate from ever other convention is that is OUR Convention – OURS as in the biggest and most important CANADIAN comics event on the schedule. Sure, there are other fantastic events on the schedule in Toronto and in other parts of the country, but this is the Canadian equivalent of San Diego Comic-Con — you’ll note on our site our tag line is now “celebrating 17 years of Comic*Con North” and we aren’t kidding around. In the case of Fan Expo Canada, the creators, celebrities and companies are coming to CANADA, and this is the biggest and most important show on the schedule for our Canadian exhibitors and creators, and it’s the third largest event of its kind in North America. We are 100% Canadian owned and operated, and we do not discriminate – all types of comics and creators are welcome at Fan Expo Canada.
2 links from Pop!: Rivoche’s Star Trek Portfolio and an interview with Peter DeCourcy
Spock, from Paul Rivoche's Star Trek Portfolio
Jeffery Klaehn checks in with two new articles that he produced for his Pop! website. The first is a very cool set of Star Trek images by Paul Rivoche (Justice League Unlimited, Mister X, The Spirit) and the second is an interview with Peter DeCourcy, the manager of Barrie’s Blue Beetle Comics and the Editor-in-Chief of news site Comic Book Daily (and also a member of this year’s Nominating Committee for the core awards).
JSA Holiday Update
As we are nearing the end of 2010 (15 days – only two shipping weeks!) we have a lot to be thankful for, and not many more new releases left to anticipate! This has been another big year for the Canadian comics scene and we are really excited to see what our nominating committees will choose as the most “outstanding” creators, stores and publishers of 2010.
We’re really ‘amping it up’ here at JSA central in order to make sure we have all of the nominees in every category selected by the February 1st deadline. This includes our Gene Day Self-Publisher, Harry Kremer Retailer and Comics for Kids categories, which have traditionally been announced later. The reason for why we are aiming for a February 1 date? We want everyone who is nominated to have 4+ months to determine whether or not they can attend the awards ceremony at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo on June 18th (the Calgary Expo runs June 17-19).
Jason Truong’s departure is something we’ve been aware of for a while now, he’s been scaling back on things over the last year and yet still was a very important part of our team in 2010 as he provided the weekly updates and assembled the eligible English creators list. We wish him all of the best and hope he’ll still stop by from time to time to give us a convention report or correct our mistakes. I suspect we’ll face some new challenges in getting the weekly list up, but we’ll do our best in his absence.
I’d like to welcome Matthew J. Allen to our blog team. Matt has been helping out for a couple of years at some Toronto area events and he will be contributing interviews to the site with various creators. We hope you enjoyed his first interview with Red Robin artist Marcus To and he’s promised some more exclusive interviews in 2011.
Incidentally, if anyone reading this would like to be a part of the blog team and contribute new content to the site, please contact me at kevin@joeshusterawards.com — make sure you read the editorial submissions requirement first though. It’s under the ABOUT US section of the website.
From everyone here at the Joe Shuster Awards we want to wish everyone a very safe and happy holiday season! Hey, if you are looking for a great gift for someone special in your life, why not buy them a graphic novel?
Thanks for reading!
Kevin Boyd,
Executive Director
Interview with Red Robin’s Marcus To
Marcus To
I got to sit down with Canadian comic book artist Marcus To (DC’s Red Robin) during the Montreal Mini-Con on December 5th. We talked about what’s upcoming for Tim Drake, his glorious reunion with Batman and what the future holds.
JSA: Hi Marcus, thanks for taking the time. Congratulations on the success of the last issue, a real heart-warmer. You seem to be getting great positive reaction from this one! Do you ever stop and read the reviews?
MT: I don’t check on a whole bunch of message boards, because that’s kind of asking for trouble sometimes. I did check a couple of reviews over at comicvine, and even the DC boards, to see a little bit of the reaction. It seemed like everyone really enjoyed the cameos and what happened in the story. Even though really, (laughs) nothing really happened in the story. I think it was just sort of a checklist of some for the characters that have been missing for awhile.
JSA: Like Cassandra (Cain, former Batgirl)?
MT: Yeah, so people liked it. My inker Ray he told me that people really liked it.
JSA: Oh, he’s checking the board more often than you?
MT: I think so, yeah. From what he gathers though, people really seemed to really like it.
JSA: So, what about Cassandra? Any future plans for the character?
MT: I don’t think so, no. Even in the script Fabian said just design her costume as a placeholder until we decide what to do with her. Which means, in my eyes, that it’s still up in the air. I think Fabian wanted to make sure that she gets a nod, so people know she’s around. Because I think some people on the boards were disappointed with how little of an explanation was there. But they just don’t know what to do (with her) yet.
JSA: How are you liking Fabian’s scripts, are they much different than working with Chris Yost?
MT: Fabian’s really good! Fabian’s scripts are quite a bit different than Chris’ just because he has a different style of writing, a little bit more old school with what he wants to put in the comics. I notice a lot of things like the text boxes on the covers (laughs) that say “The Hit List” or something like that. I mean, that’s pretty old school, you know? Which is pretty cool! He’s been really good about asking me what I want to draw, what characters would I want to be in the book. I said a couple things like Supergirl, more Batgirl – Stephanie Brown – and stuff like that. And he’s like, “Well, we try and work some stuff out,” and we’re doing a Teen Titan mini coming up, so that should be interesting. I’ve got the script already so I’m excited to start drawing some of those characters.
Red Robin #18 Cover by Marcus To
JSA: The Titans with Damian (Wayne, current Robin)? Is he going to be as uppity as he was in the most recent of Teen Titans?
MT: Well, he only shows up at close to the end of the issue so…more or less, yeah. I would say so (laughs)!
JSA: What about Stephanie Brown, do you think she’s going to be coming back into Tim’s life?
MT: I’m not exactly sure. I mean, I get my comic news on the internet like everyone else. I was watching comicvine news and they said that it looks like Batgirl’s going to England, right. But, she makes cameos here and there. They have . . . some interaction but I don’t see Fabian touching that subject, just yet.
JSA: What about new locations? We’ve seen Batman Incorporate go global, will we see Tim settle somewhere outside of Gotham? Maybe do some globe-trotting of his own?
MT: Yeah, I think it’s going to follow that same trend. He’s going to be in Gotham here and there. This issue – eighteen, and nineteen – he’s in Russia and um, (issue) 20, he’s back in Gotham for the meeting with the Titans. Yeah, I don’t think he’s going to stay in anyone one place. Gotham has an abundance of heroes right now and I think they’re going to keep them separated, at least to a certain extent.
Red Robin #20 Cover by Marcus To
JSA: What’s it like drawing Russia? Is Fabian making it hard on you?
MT: Yeah, I tried because I felt with Moscow’s Red Square and St. Basil’s Cathedral, that’s HARD and I mean, really hard to draw. I tried to get as much reference as possible so it looks at least kind of like Russia. It’s takes a lot more time thinking about it. Gotham city you can kind of make it up. You use stock New York references and just mix and match. But, looking for ref(erence) for the right hotels or the areas of a place like Moscow is hard. You’re just constantly Googling trying to draw things like signs and stuff that aren’t the same. It just takes a lot more research and time spent. You know us comic book artists we don’t have enough time (laughs). We never have enough time (laughs).
JSA How detailed are Fabian’s scripts in terms of background detail? Other than putting Tim in Red Square, does he get specific or does he just set a scene and let you go for it?
MT: He’ll mostly set a scene and let me go for it. But, there are certain panels in particular that he’ll want something specific. The majority of the script is not that detailed. It’s loosely described and then a few panels here and there for really important pages he’ll spell out exactly what he wants. For example, there’s a scene in issue 20 where Tim’s looking at a group of monitors and Fabian will spell out exactly what he wants on each monitor. Mostly he pretty much lets me do whatever I feel is necessary to make it work.
JSA: So, how long do you see your run continuing with this title? Are Ray and Fabian hanging on to keep the team together?
MT: From the sounds of it Fabian wants to stay on this book for a long time because he’s a really big Robin fan himself. I love Robin as well. I’d like to think at least another year for me but, who knows? If Robin #1 comes out I’m going to beg my editor to jump on that. You never know, but I guess we’ll see what happens. (laughs) Nightwing #1 would be cool. There’s so many books that I would love work on though if the right situation comes about I would be a fool not to take it, right? So, we’ll see. I love all these characters in the DCU, Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Teen Titans, Superman, Batgirl, all those characters are awesome! Birds of Prey! Then I can draw Black Canary and Huntress! Hopefully I’ll be working at it for years and years so I can get a chance to draw all these characters.
JSA: Thanks Marcus, (we) hope so too!
Shortly after this interview Marcus was nominated for Newsarama’s Fan favorites poll coming in as the editor’s #9 seed in recognition for his great work this year. However he joins some elite company, one of the three Canadians who also made an early exit in round one this year including (former Joe Shuster Award winners) Darwyn Cooke and Stuart Immonen. I wish the rest of the Canadian contingent good luck as the voting continues and a big thanks to Marcus for taking some time to talk with me!
Interviews: Stuart Immonen at the Weekly Crisis
The Weekly Crisis posted a new interview they did with Stuart Immonen. It’s an interesting interview and worth your time if you like Stuart’s work. One of the interesting things he mentions in the interview is that he is no longer drawing the New Avengers for Marvel Comics and was awaiting confirmation on what his next gig will be, so expect some news in the near future about that.
Sequential Interviews Inkstuds’ Robin McConnell + McConnell & Cooper in Toronto Nov. 28th
Over at Sequential Spiltink, David Hains has posted a great interview with Inkstuds radio show host and author Robin McConnell. We know Robin from way back from when he was a member of our nominating committee in previous incarnations of the awards. He’s been a busy guy — hosting the show and preparing the book (which came out recently via Canadian publisher Conundrum Press).
Anyway, here’s the link.
Plus, Robin’s going to be in Toronto this Sunday, November 28th where he’ll be doing an on-stage interview with Cartoonist Dave Cooper at the Central – 603 Markham Street (right next to the Beguiling). The event is presented by Conundrum Press, Fantagraphics and the Beguiling.
I’ll confess I have not as yet picked up a copy of the Inkstuds book, so Sunday might be a good time to do that.
CBD interviews Kill Shakespeare creators
Kill Shakespeare #7 Cover by Kagan McLeod
Andrew Ardizzi had a chance to catch up with the guys behind Kill Shakespeare at a couple of recent events and has posted his article over at Comic Book Daily: Conventions Energize Kill Shakespeare Creators.
Andy, Conor and Anthony from Kill Shakespeare are at Carry-On Comics in Waterloo, Ontario today with cartoonist Scott Chantler (Two Generals)!
And hey, if you want to know what people think of the changes to the Batman line (including yours truly’s) check out CBD’s 52 Questions: What’s your take on the new direction of the Batman line?
CanadianImmigrant.ca profiles Francis Manapul
canadianimmigrant.ca profiles artist Francis Manapul – in the profile Francis reveals that he recently signed a new 3-year contract with DC Comics.
UPDATED: Francis writes:
It was a misquote. I had been under an exclusive contract with DC for the past 3 years. I have a little under a year left on it
Interviews: Kevin Boyd on the decision to hold the ceremony in Calgary in 2011
Peter DeCourcy of Comic Book Daily caught up with Kevin this afternoon to ask him some questions about this morning’s announcement that the 7th Annual Joe Shuster Awards Ceremony will be held in Calgary in June 2011.
Will we be seeing a gradual attempt to move the Joe Shuster Awards around the country?
Kevin Boyd: Yes, that is the plan. We are looking very closely at Montreal, Vancouver, Halifax and possibly Winnipeg as future host cities. We are a national award and we want to go to the various communities across the country and connect with them. We don’t want the Awards looked upon as just being specific to a single convention or city.
There’s more at Comic Book Daily, including hints at our plans for 2012.
Interviews: Paul Rivoche
Earlier this week, Jeffery Klaehn posted a very comprehensive interview with artist Paul Rivoche. Check it out!
Jeffery Klaehn: As you’re certainly aware, the headquarters for the two largest North American comic book publishers, DC and Marvel Comics, are in New York. What’s it been like, working in the comic book industry while living in Canada?Paul Rivoche: The geography has never made a huge difference, even less so in the present day, with the internet making it easy to deliver work, and before that Fedex doing the same thing. I couldn’t honestly claim to have ever have fully ‘worked in the comics industry’ in the true sense of that phrase, in terms of being a full-time artist. I’ve done a number of different things for comics, some stories, some covers, but purposely never fully committed to the US comics industry. I’ve spent much more of my career working in various areas of commercial art, notably animation design and, more recently, advertising art.
The Spirit #29, cover by Paul Rivoche
Comic Retailers – The Comic Hunter (Moncton, NB)
Comic Hunter Moncton recently moved into a larger location. This interview was conducted with Store Manager Remi Vienneau LeClair.
Owner’s Name: Jeff Smith
Manager’s Name: Remi Vienneau LeClair
Number of Employees: 3 to 5
Years in Business: 5 Years
Physical Address: 465 Main Street, Moncton, NB, E1C 1C2
Telephone Number: (506) 855-4950
Website: www.comichunter.net
Email: thecomichunter@gmail.com
Canadian author Blake Bell discusses “Fire and Water”
Comic Book Resources has posted a great interview with Blake Bell, author of the Bill Everett biography “Fire & Water: Bill Everett, The Sub-Mariner and the Birth of Marvel Comics,” his follow-up book to 2008′s “Strange & Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko”. Both books are available from US publisher Fantagraphics.
Cerebus TV Season 2 Preview
Cerebus TV Returns TONIGHT (October 15th) with The SEASON TWO PREVIEW
Here is what Dave Sim has to say:-
“SEASON TWO PREVIEW It’s almost time for Season Two of CEREBUS TV with our first anniversary just around the corner.
Tune in Friday the 15th October 10 pm EST / 7pm PDT to get an advance look at just some of the many surprises we have in store for you including a “Cerebus the Pope” auction piece, footage of Dave Sim’s September 24th ” The Last Signing” at Strange Adventures in Halifax, Nova Scotia, “Deep Inside Steve McNiven’s Portfolio” a dialogue between Dave Sim and the superstar artist of CIVIL WAR and NEMESIS, new features like “Quick Cuts”, behind the scenes of the current issue of glamourpuss, Old favourites like the Follicly-Challenged Neil Gaiman of Earth Two and the C-Minus kid, Blair Kitchen’s THE POSSUM, Mrs. Darwyn Cooke, “Head Sketches R Us” returns, Curt Swan SUPERMAN pages, Lady Gaga and Cerebus, an advance look at the SEASON TWO PREMIERE — coming soon! — Dave Sim’s “How I once Almost Worked With the Late, Great Harvey Pekar”. Don’t miss it.
Cerebus TV – Something for everyone!
You can follow what we’re up to at Cerebus.TV on Twitter:
and also at
Spotlight on Darwyn Cooke
Darwyn Cooke and Scott Dunbier at the Spotlight panel at the NYCC (Photo: CBR)
Comic Book Resources covered Darwyn’s spotlight panel last weekend at the New York Comic-Con.
Comic Retailers – Metropolis Comics & Toys (Burnaby, BC)
Metropolis recently moved into a new location, across the street. This is an interesting mash up shop which caters to the interests of those growing up in the 80′s.
Look up, there it is on the second floor, the all new Metropolis.
Owner’s Name: Jonny Botsch
Manager’s Name: Jonny Botsch
Number of Employees: 2
Years in Business: 4
Physical Address: #200-4735 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC
Telephone Number: 604-435-4551
Website: www.metropolis-comics.com
Email:info@metropolis-comics.com
Stuart Immonen interview
Stuart Immonen, winner of our 2010 Artist of the Year Award, was interviewed by CBR’s Robot 6.
I’m looking forward to Russian Olive to Red King, the follow-up to Moving Pictures.
Comic Retailers – Phoenix Comics NW Ltd. (Calgary, AB)
Phoenix Comics NW open it’s doors as the 90′s comic bubble was bursting. Though persistence and diversity the store has maintained a strong position amongst Calgary’s abundant comic shops.
Owner’s Name: Michael Bower
Manager’s Name: Russell Heitzmann
Number of Employees: 6
Years in Business: 16 (1994)
Physical Address: 1010 16th Ave NW Calgary, AB
Telephone Number: 403-220-1399
Website: www.phoenixcomics.ca
Email: phoenixcomics@gmail.com
Phoenix Comics NW in Calgary, AB
How did you choose your store name?
The owner of our South location previously owned a store which burned down. The new store was named after the phoenix, a mythical bird which rises from its ashes when it is consumed by fire.
How many sq ft is your store? 3000
Favorite Comic Book, published in the past few months: Walking Dead
Five all-time classic comics, graphic novels or story arcs
Sandman
Watchmen
V for Vendetta
From Hell
Grendel War Child
What upcoming books are you excited about in the near future?
I’m always way behind in my reading, but I’m really looking forward to reading The Sword by the Luna Bothers now that it is complete.
What interesting things are you planning in the next 12 months to make your store even better?
We are looking at adding more regular events. Also, we are going to be carrying more plushes (mostly Nintendo and Anime related stuff) and possibly a return to carrying board games.
What has been one of the most rewarding parts of running your business?
It is never boring, and I’m not stuck in a cubicle working hard for someone else.
What has been one of the biggest challenges?
Staying on top of trends is always challenging.
Why are you a comics retailer?
Taking Engineering at university sucked!
Product Lines Carried:
Comics and Graphic Novels of course. Manga, Anime, Toys, Magic the Gathering, other games, collecting supplies, Art books, Statues.
Best selling floppy/monthly books: Amazing Spider-man
Best selling manga: Naruto
What percentage of your business is comics compared to the peripherals of a ‘culture store’?
Comics and Graphic Novels make up just under 50% of our sales.
What are your Best selling graphic novel/TPB books? Walking Dead
What books do you find yourself recommending the most?
Walking Dead, Sandman, Y the Last Man, Preacher, The Boys, Fables, Batman Hush, Batman Long Halloween, Dark Knight Returns
What great comic/manga should everyone under 14 be reading? Bone
What comic/manga would you recommend for an adult interested in returning to comics?
Walking Dead or Y the Last Man for non-superhero
Invincible or Green Lantern for superhero.
How important is the web to your business?
We do not sell online, but we use it for advertising.
Does your store have an area of expertise? What makes your store unique in your market?
We have the biggest Manga selection in the city by far. We also have the best Magic the Gathering selection.
Describe the comic book scene within your community? (e.g.: amateur comics, anime/manga clubs, comic clubs, convention events) How do you help foster and support your comic community?
We make annual donations to a number of high school and university manga/comic clubs. We attend all the local comic and manga shows.
Do you participate in Free Comic Book Day?
In a limited fashion.
What aspect of your store are you most proud?
Our continued growth and our ability to adapt to a changing market.
Do you have special event nights/days at the store? What have been some or your best/most fun promotions/events?
We currently run a number of events for the various games we sell. The most successful are definitely the Magic Pre-release events.
Have the last few years of Hollywood film releases changed your customer base?
No.
Graphic Novels have been a growth product for large bookstore chains, does this affect your customer base or business?
Not really. They generally have much less selection than we do. The chain bookstores are more like a feeder system for new readers before they discover us.
With the increasing popularity of GN’s/TPB’s do you find yourself stocking these more or less than you expected?
We stock almost all GNs and TPBs and expect to continue to do that in the future.
There are a lot of upfront cost in a large TPB inventory, are you focusing on a publisher or specific series?
No. In fact, single issues have a much larger up front cost as they have a very short shelf life as compared to TPBs.
Is there a publisher or format or genre or style of comic you feel you should do a better job of stocking in your store?
Not currently. We let a products sales justify how many we carry.
Do you intend to carry a wider range of publishers in the future or would these books be special orders only?
Our point of sales system lets us identify books which deserve more or less space. We are actually looking at carrying less publishers as ‘in-stock items’, as many brands we have been carrying do not sell enough to justify their shelf space.
Are you located near any schools? Is there a college nearby? What percentage of your business would be students? Did the presence or lack of presence of schools influence your decision to open at your current location? What is great about your current location?
We have a large technical college located a block away. We do not have hard numbers on what percentage of our customers come from there, but it is definitely a big plus for this location. It was a factor in our choice of locations. Our current location is at the junction of two major city roads and close to the mentioned technical school. It is also close to city transit and centrally located with in the city and also has ample parking.
All comic retailers believe they have a women friendly store. What do you do that makes your store ‘women friendly’? What percentage of your business is female?
We carry a very large selection of manga and especially yaoi, which brings in a large percentage of our female business. I am unsure of the percentage, but as I type this our last 3 customers in a row were women.
All comic retailers believe they have a child friendly store. What do you do that makes your store ‘kid friendly’? What do you stock in your kids comics section that makes it a great kids section? What percentage of your business are under 14 years old?
We stock most available children’s comics, but we stock most available comics of all genres. Sales to the under 14 market would be much less than 1% of our sales. In fact, our kid’s section is more a service to our regular customers with children than an attempt to be ‘kid friendly’. In our experience, the entry point for new readers is now the 15-20 age group (high school to university).
Do you consider your store a collector store, where you can find high grade books, or long runs of older back issues? Do you find that back issues are a focus for your customers? Has there been a change in the way you give floor space to back stock comics?
We no longer carry back issues at all. The last 5 years or so that we did was mostly out of sentimental feelings as their sales did not justify their space. When we opened in 1994 back issues were 50% of the business, when we finally quit they made up less than 1%.
What form of advertising do you use (city newspaper, small/free papers, TV, radio, flyers, word of mouth)? Is there anything unique you have done to advertise your business? Do you believe advertising would make a difference to your business?
We use a number of internet options, plus our booth presence at conventions. Also we have a very large back lit sign on a busy city street. We believe most if not all traditional forms of advertising are a waste of money.
