|
Tony’s Column |
|
Tony’s Column |
|
Back to News & Updates |
|
Jan 26, 2008
Odds and Sods 08 Hi Everyone, Did you know that this Sunday is Literacy Awareness Day and Next month is Freedom to Read Month. We have had almost 10 days of temperature at around –45 with the windchill but that not even the longest stretch of cold we’ve had. The record (I do believe) was 2 years ago when we went 22 days of this type of weather, one good winter and we forget. With the writers strike on and not much new being shown on TV, you would think that more people would be out getting books to read. Not by the indication from my store or others I have talked to in the business, it’s been down right slow. One of the larger used books stores in the city just shortened his hours due to how slow it has gotten. Is it me or are more people confused since the ending of Amazing Spider-man One More Day. We all know the reset button was pushed but what and where it was reset to is anyone’s guess. I hope they tell me in the next 5 months or I won’t care to wait to find out after that. Have you gotten Guitar Hero or Rock Band fever yet, I haven’t tried either game because I know I will get hooked then I will have to buy a new video game system. I’m just not ready to do that yet. Till Next Week. Tony
Jan 19, 2008
The Publisher and Me Hi everyone I would like to talk about something that came up this week. I was talking to a publisher who has a new project out in April and he asked me if I still had copies of the trade paperbacks of his other series. I mentioned that I did keep them in stock up to a year after his series had ended but when they slowed down and stopped selling I sold the remaining of at the last comic show. He then went into the fact that all us retailers should have kept all the trades in stock because “people don’t want to buy #9 if #1 is not there”. There is some truth to that statement but if you have had #1,2,4,8,9,10 for over a year and nobody has come in asking about it I’m not going to stock an item that is a dead seller. I have plenty of back issues doing that. At least I give the small publishers (and DC) credit, they at least keep the 1st issues of trades in stock. Marvel has so many 2nd,3rd issues of trades but no #1 or even doing a reprint of #1 so that they can move the rest. As a retailer nowadays you have to watch every penny because there are so many more expenses involved. Unlike the Major New bookstores who if something doesn’t sell they just send it back for a credit, stores like mine are in the predicament of we own whatever we order until it sells. If I had return privileges I would stock almost every GN that I could, but I don’t so I have to be cautious. I will be ordering his new book and I thought it was a good conversation that we had on this subject. I just hope the next retailer he contacted won’t be discouraged about his book. Till Next Time. Tony
Jan 12, 2008
It Different for Us
Hi Everyone I want to talk about differences. We live in a very different and diverse world than at any time in history. We can communicate with the world in a matter of seconds, yet the same old prejudices based on Ideology and politics still rear there ugly head. When I was a teenager, there was a few families that were divorced, Interacial Dating was still frowned upon, and homosexuality was still close to Narnia in the closet (One of my staff once quoted she had a friend so far in the closet that they were in Narnia). Today, I know of kids straight and gay who plan there nights going to one of the local gay bars. I know of many bi-racial couples and families (myself included). My Goddaughter has Her Mom, Step Dad, Dad and Step Mom all involved in her life. Even though there has been more progress, there is still a lot that can be done. Till Next time. Tony
Jan 5, 2008
It Makes Me Sad
Hi Everyone, Well I finished reading Amazing Spider-man #545 and I think I am going to stick with my original thoughts, that they have six months to wow me or that it’s it, I’m done with Spider-man. The lame way that they ended the 4 part storyline, has really left me with a bad taste. I mean we all wish we had a time machine and could go back to a better day but the past is past. Things do have to move forward and progress. This in my mind is not a progression but a regression. Someone who sees there youth going and has decide that this is one last kick at the can. I am sad today, for other reasons but this has added to my sadness. Till Next Week. Tony
Dec 29, 2007
The Year in Review Hi Everyone, Well another year has come and gone and I feel like doing some reflecting. Buffy the Vampire Slayer hit it big with comic constantly being in the top 5 comics (and still selling out in both TPB and back issues). World War Hulk actually delivered a decent ending something which both Civil War and House of M didn’t do. With the fallout of Civil War effecting the whole marvel universe, we get to see the possible end to Peter and Mary Jane’s marriage, A new Captain America will emerge, The X-men get disassembled, and leading into who is a Skrull. DC ended the well done 52 weekly mini-series to only give us the disappointing Countdown Mini-series. We also got to see the return of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, who were MIA in 52. Detective got Paul Dini as a writer and Justice League of America got Dwayne McDuffie doing the Writing chores which gave both titles a boost but nothing compared to Geoff John’s Sinestro War in Green Lantern. A comic book TV show was the Hit of the Television Season, Heroes and A couple of Comic Movies where in the top 5 grossing for the year. This was also the Year of the Zombie, With Marvel Zombies have 2 series out this year, Marvel did a couple of month of Zombie Variant covers. Nintendo Wii got the kids off the couch and playing interactive video games, and Guitar Hero got everyone being a rock star. Writers of TV and Motion Pictures went on strike causing the possible shut down of the rest of the 2007-08 TV Series. Peyton Manning finally won the big Won, San Antonio proved that with a little dirty playing and some good shooting you can win another NBA championship, The Stanley Cup went to the House of the Mouse West (Anaheim) and the Boston Red Sox’s won the world series. Graphic Novel sales went up in the US and Anime and Manga sales went down, although veiwership for the Adult swim and cartoon network blocks of these shows went up. So now that 2007 is over I wonder what we can look forward to in 08. As of this writing Marvel has 2 events on the horizon, Silent War (were we find out who is a Skrull and who isn’t) and Ultimatum (the possible end of the Ultimate Universe). DC gives us the Final Crisis (hoping that this will set the universe right). We will have to see how badly the Writer’s strike effects the rest of the TV schedule and how many movies openings get post-poned. I guess only time will tell. So wishing everyone a Happy New Year and till next time. Tony
Dec 22, 2007
12 days of Christmas, Bookshelf Style
Well here is my nice version for the season, Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!!! The Twelve Days of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas,
|
|
Back to Archives |