|
|
Post by Batflunkie on Jul 17, 2018 14:35:21 GMT -5
This is a webshow documentary series that I've been following for quite some time. It feels like a breath of fresh air in a cultural climate oversaturated by Big Bang Theory. It's also the real deal, unlike Comic Book Men, Storage Wars, or Pawn Stars, and entire episodes can be based around one person having a friendly bone to pick with someone else. And the shop owner, Glenn, is a character all to himself
|
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Jul 19, 2018 19:45:41 GMT -5
Well, that will dispel some stereotypes.... The guy seriously needs to tone down the fake threats of violence. He doesn't look like he'd last 5 minutes in a fight with a fictional character, never mind James Franco. I haven't been in a comic shop in may years now. My then LCS was a decently run place, with a fairly even-keel owner. He was a massive KISS fan, while I like some of their music and found them entertaining in their heyday (if rather overly hyped by fans and critics who thought they were evil threats). When talk turned to KISS, my eyes tended to glaze over. He was good about showing me marketing posters for stuff I liked, when they were released. I ended up with the Terminal City poster (done like a travel poster) and the Kingdom Come one...  While I was stationed in the military, in Charleston, SC, my local, Final Fantasy Comics (long gone, now) was a nice place. They had a good back issue supply and the guys who worked there shared a love of the medium and good comics. One of the employees got me to try the Comic Buyer's Guide, since I picked up odd issues of Amazing Heroes, Comic Scene and the Comics Journal. There was another shop in Charleston (which was still there, the last time I visited), The Green Dragon, that was a really eclectic, but cool place. They carried whatever interested the owners: comics & graphic novels/trade collections, role playing game sourcebooks and accessories, sci-fi and fantasy novels, New Age books and materials, pewter fantasy sculptures, incense, martial arts gear and other oddities. Their store hours were listed as from Moon Day to Satyr Day, and the owner drove a car with the bumper sticker, "Smile, Cthulu loathes you!", which had to go over well in that part of the world (they were not natives!). I used to get graphic novels and trades there, as I could get the Fantagraphics Prince Valiant collections (in paperback, then), a lot of Catalan Communications and NBM European translations, the Eisner books, Modesty Blaise reprints from Titan Books, trades from Malibu, Marvel Masterworks and DC Archives and some others. I discovered the Wild Cards anthologies, edited by George RR Martin, there, and got a couple of books on mythology there. I also used to get the Osprey Men-at-Arms series there (reference books for military history buffs and war gamers, with great photos and artist renderings of uniforms and equipment). That was where I got my copy of the Monster Society of Evil limited edition, in a slip case... TF(+nw~~_1.JPG?set_id=880000500F) It is also where I saw my first issues of Don Lomax's Vietnam Journal. |
|
|
|
Post by Batflunkie on Jul 20, 2018 15:59:04 GMT -5
We've had a bakers dozen of comic shops here, none unfortunately have lasted very long. And the only one that ever did, Flea Market Comics, only closed down because the owner unfortunately and unexpectedly passed away. Shame too, he was basically Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons mixed with Charles Nelson Reilly; bit of a hard ass, but he meant well when it counted. My 8 year old self probably would not even gotten into comics full time if it weren't for him  I think the problem is that a lot of people get into the business here solely for the love of comics and really don't pay attention to the bottom dollar, but that's kind of what retail is like here. You're either a sales associate or a back room grunt worker, there's nothing else available |
|
|
|
Post by Batflunkie on Jul 20, 2018 18:49:11 GMT -5
But yeah, I don't think Glenn is any type of role model and he doesn't try to paint himself as such. One of the more recent episodes showed him and a mid twenties woman talking about comics for maybe five-ten minutes. Was really refreshing considering how comic shops are thought of as really nothing more than "boy clubhouses with no girls allowed signs". They're not, but you do have to kind of have to "tame the nerds" because these usually shy, introverts that just want to be left alone and don't speak up much if at all. I know because I am one of those types of nerds
^episode I was talking about. One of the earlier ones even shows Glenn's wife, who seems like a really super sweet lady
|
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Jul 20, 2018 19:07:22 GMT -5
One of the best I ever encountered was Shelton Drum, in Charlotte, NC. He's been retailling since 1973, with Heroes Aren't Hard to Find. He had his main shop in Charlotte and had others, in some of the other Carolina cities. He's a smart retailer, his shop is attractive and clean, organized and his staff helpful and enthusiastic. He's also the organizer of the HeroesCon, which has been going on since 1982. It's very comics-oriented and family-friendly, taking place over Father's Day weekend. he gets top names there, as they all seem to enjoy the environment and family focus. The last one I attended had George Perez (frequent visitor), a big presence by DC (the entire Legion creative team, with Kieth Giffen, Tom & Mary Bierbaum, Stuart Immomen and others, from that era), Julie Schwartz, Dick Giordano, Gil Kane; a Marvel booth, with Mark Gruenwald and some others, Dave orman, Laurene Haines, Adam Hughes, Joe Phillips, Brian Stelfreeze (all three from Gai-Jin Studios) and others I can't recall.
I was visiting the Heroes store, one Saturday, searching back issues, when I was told about their warehouse sale, just a few blocks away. I dropped about $100 at the store, went over to the warehouse and found a treasure trove of treasury editions, magazines, indie comics and all kinds of rarities. I got the Comics Journal issue, with the very rare Bill watterson interview, issues of Warrior Magazine, missing issues of Hero Comics Captain Thunder & Blue Bolt (from Roy Thomas and ER Cruz), and saw the Tim Truman Dixi Pistols record album, with his band's blues music and the Scout wedding comic (which bridged the first series and Scout: War Shaman). I dropped nearly another $100 there.
They had a reward program for kids, for free comics for good grades and were the perfect representatives for comics, to the public.
|
|
|
|
Post by Batflunkie on Jul 20, 2018 19:23:57 GMT -5
Good for them, we need more places like that~
More ambassadors, less bean counters I say!
|
|
