comics

Post by **fluffy** » Tue May 03, 2005 9:06 pm

kurt culler wrote:
I got paid in comic books, essentially. My pay for working in the store went entirely to product from the store, which I got at cost. Most comics cost me 45%-50% of the cover price. Graphic novels and tpbs were generally 50%-60% of the cover price. It was a nice deal for me since I didn't need the cash and got to work for comics.

It sounds like a wonderful deal. Now that you have to pay for them you don't think it will affect how many you get per month? I'm only asking because on some of the comic book forums I frequent , there is alot of complaining about the higher costs.

Post by **Rusty** » Tue May 03, 2005 10:23 pm

fluffy wrote: It sounds like a wonderful deal. Now that you have to pay for them you don't think it will affect how many you get per month? I'm only asking because on some of the comic book forums I frequent , there is alot of complaining about the higher costs.

I probably won't experiment quite as much on new titles and will be more willing to drop ones I'm indifferent about. I thought about this quite a bit and added up how much I spent over the course of the first 3 months. Assuming that I get the 35% discount across the board from the online place, I'll probably spend around $6000-$6500 per year on new comics (including trades and DC Archives, etc.) While it is a decent chunk of change, I don't have much else to spend my money on, so I can afford it. Of course, I do wish they were cheaper - who doesn't (besides publishers).

I buy books, go to movies, travel, buy food and the necessary things for any homeowner plus investments, etc., but I still have a fair amount of discretionary income beyond that. I guess it helps that I don't drink or gamble or have any other high ticket vices. Including the $2000-$3000 I've been averaging on back issues the last few years, this is my one major expense other than my mortgage and annual vacations. You can't take it with you, so you might as well spend it on something you enjoy.

Post by **fluffy** » Wed May 04, 2005 5:49 pm

Well, that's the sound of my mind being blown by Kurt again!!

Post by **Psychotic_Carp** » Wed May 04, 2005 11:03 pm

i just read the countdown to infin. crisis

Post by **Rusty** » Wed May 04, 2005 11:19 pm

Psychotic_Carp wrote:i just read the countdown to infin. crisis

I take it that you didn't like it, at least how it ended. Identity Crisis was a good comic, but I'm not sure I really want to see the DC characters go down this road. I sort of wish we'd have something of a return to the 50s/60s mentality and a lighter approach rather than grim and gritty much of the time. I am looking forward to the new Supergirl series. I enjoyed the preview in Superman/Batman 19

Post by **Psychotic_Carp** » Wed May 04, 2005 11:34 pm

it was an average comic. it was the bug having his brains blown out at the end

Post by **Rusty** » Thu May 05, 2005 11:46 am

Psychotic_Carp wrote:it was an average comic. it was the bug having his brains blown out at the end

Yeah, I didn't really like that either. I suppose it added emphasis to the nastiness of the villains, but it didn't seem overly necessary and I liked the character.

Post by **fluffy** » Thu May 05, 2005 11:20 pm

kurt culler wrote:
Psychotic_Carp wrote:it was an average comic. it was the bug having his brains blown out at the end
Yeah, I didn't really like that either. I suppose it added emphasis to the nastiness of the villains, but it didn't seem overly necessary and I liked the character.

That was my feeling to when I finished it.
Kinda made me go wow, I invested alot in someone that's dead.

Post by **Rusty** » Sat May 07, 2005 3:17 pm

I went to a couple of comic book stores today for free comic book day. Maybe they were mobbed when they first opened for the day, but they sure weren't too busy while I was there. I'm wondering how much of a success it is nowadays, especially without a major comic book movie tied into it. Maybe they should have waited until either Batman Begins or FF were released to have the event.

I only found one back issue I wanted at the two stores, but hope to have more success at the Motor City Con next weekend.

Post by **fluffy** » Sat May 07, 2005 6:18 pm

I don't understand what free comic book day is. Do they just give every thing away?

Post by **Psychotic_Carp** » Sat May 07, 2005 6:19 pm

fluffy wrote:I don't understand what free comic book day is. Do they just give every thing away?

yes

Post by **fluffy** » Sat May 07, 2005 6:21 pm

Psychotic_Carp wrote:
fluffy wrote:I don't understand what free comic book day is. Do they just give every thing away?
yes

But there has to be some weird kind of limit?

Post by **Psychotic_Carp** » Sat May 07, 2005 6:22 pm

fluffy wrote:But there has to be some weird kind of limit?

there is a certain selection of free book not all the comics in the shop, and i would guess the owners would limit that to 1 per person

Post by **Rusty** » Sat May 07, 2005 7:12 pm

Psychotic_Carp wrote:
fluffy wrote:But there has to be some weird kind of limit?
there is a certain selection of free book not all the comics in the shop, and i would guess the owners would limit that to 1 per person

There are a number of comics that stores can order just for this event. Most major and semimajor publishers offer a special issue that costs stores around 10-15 cents per comic and then the stores give them away. The comics I picked up were Uncle Scrooge, Betty and Veronica, Marvel Adventures Team Up, Bongo Comics special (with the Simpsons), and Roninhood of the Samurai (from Beckett). There will be a few others that I get from my online store. Last year, Beckett gave away The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty #1 and that was the only way to get it. The series lasted 8 issues and was pretty cool. DC repackaged their Batman Strikes #1 as a free comic offering and Marvel has offered Ultimate Spiderman #1 and Ultimate XMen #1 for free in previous years.

One of the store I went to let people pick up to 3 free titles from the stacks of free comics and they also offered a few discounts on other merchandise. The other store gave people people 2 choices plus 2 comics from a stack of overstock stuff from their 50 cent bins - Avengers and other Marvels from the 1980s, mostly. At Classic, we would get all sorts of titles and would try to limit them to 5 per so that we would have some for later in the day. Later on we would lift the limit.

Post by **Rusty** » Sat May 07, 2005 7:15 pm

By the way, I've read 22 comics (and mowed the lawn) so far today so I'm 1/3 of the way through the stack. I'll probably read another 15-20 comics tonight and maybe the rest during the week. Then I'll start tackling the manga.

The big Motor City Con is next weekend. Dave, are you going? If you told me one way or the other, I've forgotten. I'm going on Saturday.