Cincinnatus,
I've seen your name on the boards and wondered if you were a local or if that was some kind of Roman thing.

I don't know much about the city proper, but out here in the "sticks" we are mostly Christians. We are mostly normal people though--not too many get their noses out of joint over comic books. I know nothing of Battle Pope. If it is just the title I see no problem, but I gather from Joe's post that it may be truely offensive to the religious majority.

[ side story: A guy came into my shop a few years ago and asked if I had any Preacher comics. When I told him that I didn't carry it because I thought it may be a little too hard core, he informed me that he was a minister and was on a crusade (my word) to see who was selling the stuff. He concluded by saying: "We thank you for not selling such things". I couldn't let that pass so I fired right back: "Oh, I didn't do it for you. I chose not to sell them for my own reasons". He left in a huff.]

If you have been in the area for awhile we may have met already. I'm in building 6 at Trader's World (if you've never been, that's on I-75 at Monroe). We are open sat. and sun. from 9-5 ( I am a photographer by trade and work for THE MAN through the week).

This month I am celebrating my tenth anniversary in the same location! [img]/resources/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]

Come see me. We'll chat. I would, I think, find your input valuable.

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-Bill Hicks (hickswa@excite.com)

You found an Eek! The Cat #3? That's pretty amazing in and of itself. I've never seen a copy of it "in the wild"; it was only offered as part of bagged sets that were supposedly released through Wal-Mart.

In fact, I don't have enough copies of that, so I'll make you a deal: you send me that comic, and I'll send you two issues of The Factor, the self-published miniseries that got me my Eisner nomination. That's work that I'd much rather be judged by -- and if you like 'em, we'll find a way to get you the rest of the series and to try to sell them to your customers.

Nat,

You've got a deal. Just e-mail me and let me know where to send it. I will read it first though, so you're not completely off the hook.

I don't remember where I got it, but I only got the #1 and the #3. These things always catch my eye because I try to have the biggest and best selection of cartoon and funny animal books that I can. Too many comic guys overlook this end of the spectrum in favor of the hot superhero titles, so when the right buyers find me I clean up and gain some pretty good regular customers. [img]/resources/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]

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-Bill Hicks (hickswa@excite.com)

From NBM Publising Boneyard, Oni Press comics, Kaos Moon www.tuskentertainment.com check the site out, Herobear and the Kid www.theastonishfactory.com for all ages.

[This message has been edited by Tony (edited 06-13-2001).]

Try this link for Herobear and the Kid www.theastonishfactory.com

Some stores do well with my books and some don't, but you might try my adaptation of the literary classic Beowulf. Samples of it and my other titles are on my site, www.thecomic.com

Other indy titles I'd recommend include Galaxion, Clan Apis, Channel Zero, Bone, . I'd say Desert Peach and The Wiggly Reader, but maybe not in the Bible Belt....

Also the graphic novels of Peter Kuper & Kyle Baker.

That's all I can think of at the moment. Good luck.

Gareth Hinds
THECOMIC.COM

Again, thanks to all for your input.

Here is some insight from my many years of retailing.

1. Young readers-Sonic, Archie, and Gundam Wing. Young readers are very particular in the comics they want. They often want the current marketed product.

2. As a rule, female don't buy comics at any age. Women are more emotional, not visual according to scientific research. When they do buy, they like titles like Sailor Moon and Archies. It would not be a good idea to give little girls adult comics like Strangers in Paradise as some would assume.

3. As the top 300 comics shows over and over and over and over, adults don't buy alternative books. Stores that specialize in alternative books outside unique market ares
like San Francisco and New York, with few exceptions, go out of business. My recommendation for adults that you stick with the mainstream.

I don't mean any disrespect toward your many years in the business, but this seems rather odd. Of course adults buy alternative comics. Kids are surely not buying them and yet they are being sold, so I can only assume that adults are buying them.

If I tried to specialize in indies in my neck of the woods, I would surely go out of business. That is not my plan. I'm just trying to diversify a little more and wondering what gems I may be overlooking.

Also, It is my observation that girls (and women) are increasing in number amoung comic readers. Slowly, perhaps, but surely.

Edited to add one more surely. [img]/resources/ubb/wink.gif[/img]



[This message has been edited by Bill Hicks (edited 07-24-2001).]

I work for a book trade distributor, and therefore can tell you what does well in the book trade. Will this translate to a comics store? I don't know, but I don't see why not.

Sailor Moon has already been mentioned. This series is on its way to selling a million copies of all the combined volumes in the book trade. I ASSUME (but cannot prove) that most of its readers are young girls.

OK, if you have any Sailor Moon fans in your store, try to hit them with other manga aimed at girls--including Cardcaptor Sakura and Magic Knight Rayearth, both of which are top sellers for us. (Viz has plenty in this category, too.)Manga books in general do well with kids (see Gundam Wing and Dragonball)--but make sure the manga you are getting for kids is appropriate, since there are plenty of manga aimed at an older readership. (I would even suggest separating these in your store. Fans of more adult manga like Sanctuary or Lone Wolf & Cub will find them even if they aren't next to Sailor Moon.)

As for comics aimed at young women, again the manga publishers lead the pack--especially Tokyopop (which skews young, generally), but also Viz.

Our highest selling books for women who are older than teens are the various Dykes to Watch Out For books by Alison Bechdel. Some comic stores do well with these, but I would only recommend them for your store if you were located in a place with a decent population of lesbians, who are the core Alison Bechdel fans. If you are in such a location, you could do very well with these books, as well as with Bitchy Bitch by Roberta Gregory.

Our highest selling black-and-white alternative book (excluding the aforementioned Dykes to Watch Out For books)is From Hell, which despite its high list price can really move. Barry Ween and Fortune and Glory have done well, too. Goodbye Chunky Rice, SLeepwalk and Other Stories, 32 Stories are all books that have done well for us in the alternative category.

I realize that I'm selling to a very different market (the book trade) from your store. But I believe that there is no reason that books that sell well for us won't sell well for you. For a small shop with a particular clientele, it obviously doesn't make sense to buy every Fantagraphics, Top Shelf or Oni title--but you should look at buying the most popular titles by those publishers. Ditto the manga publishers.

Good luck!