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Post by goodeeveening on Dec 2, 2014 20:53:36 GMT -5
I was discussing with a fellow Talking Comics listener how important the staff at your Local Comic Store can be to your reading experience. An indifferent or, worse, hostile LCS environment can affect how you interact with the community and comics as a whole. By the same token, a particularly generous staff member or fellow regular-customer can broaden your horizons and give you the confidence you need to interact with other readers or creators.
This conversation (along with the great LCS Spotlight Feature on Talking Comics) made me wonder if anyone has any specific stories of a good or bad LCS experience? I love hearing about these kinds of things and hopefully the good will outweigh the bad.
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Post by sailormarvel on Dec 3, 2014 7:18:43 GMT -5
Hello! I am the fellow talking comics listening you were talking to on twitter  I think I am still to find my Goldilocks LCS. I like the one I go to, but I hardly see any women there. I also find the staff a bit aloof... There is one guy who is super friendly to me and will chat about my pull list. But everyone else is so.... aloof is the word I keep going back to. I go to another shop sometimes to hunt for back issues and event and they are SO friendly. They always chat about the comics I am buying, ask questions etc. And there are always more women there. Maybe I just have high expectations. |
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Post by wamphari on Dec 3, 2014 8:57:39 GMT -5
I don't like my LCS at all. It really doesn't feel like anyone there really likes comics at all. The place is usually silent and I've come to the point where I don't even attempt to initiate conversation. Most of the people who work there are interested in gaming excusively and seem to almost look down on comics. The owner (whether it matters or not, the owner is a flaming right winger and not shy about his opinions)talks to me like it's my first time in a shop even though I've been going for 20 years off and on. Honestly I was treated better at steve and bobby's shop in Long Island that I went into once for 15 minutes. What really worries me is I don't think this shop is unique in any respect and I think it is what is holding back comics as an art form. A small part of me almost thinks that the industry would be better off without them all-together.
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Post by courtneyk on Dec 3, 2014 11:54:50 GMT -5
I was discussing with a fellow Talking Comics listener how important the staff at your Local Comic Store can be to your reading experience. An indifferent or, worse, hostile LCS environment can affect how you interact with the community and comics as a whole. By the same token, a particularly generous staff member or fellow regular-customer can broaden your horizons and give you the confidence you need to interact with other readers or creators. This conversation (along with the great LCS Spotlight Feature on Talking Comics) made me wonder if anyone has any specific stories of a good or bad LCS experience? I love hearing about these kinds of things and hopefully the good will outweigh the bad. I'm really glad you like the column! I hope it encourages readers to give shops a try if they're in the area, and maybe bring up some new ideas to their own shops for activities and outreach. My own shop, Collected in Fort Worth, is wonderful. I don't know that I would be as into comics as I am now without the friendly environment and encouragement there. I will do a spotlight on them eventually, I just thought it would be fairer to do others first! I've never been in the shop and seen anyone ignored. The employees and owner are always willing to chat and to help people new to comics, and I've even been pulled in to help make recommendations to newbies. I know there are bad shops out there, but honestly with the options out there now for buying comics digitally I can't imagine that ones that seem to exist as private clubs for the owner and their friends will stay in business much longer. Shops are going to have to find creative ways to engage and welcome customers and keep them coming back for the in-store experience. I buy print largely because I love my shop and I love going there and talking to the staff and other customers. I know that I've found comics that way that I probably wouldn't have if left to my own devices. I hope the good comic shops stick around, because there is a place for them and I truly believe they can nurture and develop comic readers. |
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Post by BarefootRoot on Dec 3, 2014 13:34:03 GMT -5
have to give a shout-out to "Fanfare Sports and Entertainment" in Kalamazoo. It's a typical comic/game/collectible shop, but it seems really large, open and well-lit compared to other shops I've been in. half the store is comics and half the store is games, with a big central area where they keep the collectibles. some reasons I really like it: they have adventure time and tabletop playing on a big tv most of the time. the staff are friendly, and if they see you like a certain title, creator, etc. they usually have a suggestion or two (I got turned on to Planetary because one of the guys helped me find the TPB's of Transmet and he said "if you like that..."). same goes for games. these guys are passionate about what they sell and it comes through in how they talk to customers. they have one wall that is entirely big 2, but the other wall is image, IDW, Dark Horse, Archaia, Boom and several others I can't name off the top of my head, along with a decent kids section right near the front of the store. they seem to genuinely like having kids come in and engage my 7 year old daughter about her comic choices. she likes to talk about what she's reading and I like that they make her feel like she belongs. they have a comixology storefront, so when I do buy digital, I can send a few ducats their way. |
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Post by henrythemorerecent on Dec 3, 2014 15:02:49 GMT -5
The reason I love comes is because of the my local store. I've been going there for 5 years now. But over the last year/2 years the general attitude is very unwelcoming and negative. Granted, they make a huge effort on the social media front and support local comics, always hosting events for local writers and artists. But no matter what I'm reading, whether it be Batman or Thor or Saga or Velvet, every time I go in excited to read something or talk about a new movie or announcement, none of them care. Its become that old "Its never gonna be as good as..." attitude. Rarely do any of them actually see any comic book movies which I understand isn't a rule, but as a store who caters to both new and old fans, to go in excitedly and ask "Hey did you see ...?" and get a nonchalant response of "Nah don't want to" sucks. And if they don't like something they will make sure to let you know. It's never just "Nah I didn't like it", It's always that crazy over the top "It's a blight against humanity and an abomination of all that is good in the world" crap that comic fans like to rant about. And it makes you feel stupid for liking something. There is absoutely ZERO love for DC and Marvel in this store and its become a place that feels strictly indie comics (while they make all their money on DC and Marvel), which wouldn't be a bad thing if it didn't make those of us who actually prefer superheroes to feel so unwelcome.
This rant does have a silver lining though. Because there is another store which turns out to be closer to me who are much smaller. And when I found out how close they were I went. And for the past year I have slowly been cancelling books at the old place and adding them here. I go there every single day on my work lunch and can guarantee I go overtime on my lunch about 15-30 minutes every day (luckily my boss never notices). We talk about everything. They have such love and excitement for everything comics, and are especially open minded and positive about the things they love. If we ever get on the topic of something we don't like, its never about making fun of it or saying how terrible it is, and just leads to us talking about the things we love. We even have eachothers numbers and will be the first to let eachother know about new announcements and so on. I even constantly am meeting new people who come in while we're talking who join in the conversation.
I have a lot of friends I love to hang out with but none of them have that passion for comics. So its good to have a place I can go to share that. And its also nice to support a very small business as the previous store I like less recently came into a situation that got them many more customers. So while I feel bad for "cheating on my first love", they have gone on to bigger things and they are a business so good for them, but I've found a place that feels like the kind of comic book store you only dream of going to.
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Post by theboogieman on Dec 3, 2014 16:27:40 GMT -5
Hello! I am the fellow talking comics listening you were talking to on twitter I think I am still to find my Goldilocks LCS. I like the one I go to, but I hardly see any women there. I also find the staff a bit aloof... There is one guy who is super friendly to me and will chat about my pull list. But everyone else is so.... aloof is the word I keep going back to. I go to another shop sometimes to hunt for back issues and event and they are SO friendly. They always chat about the comics I am buying, ask questions etc. And there are always more women there. Maybe I just have high expectations. I highly recommend Raygun Comics in London. They have two stores, one in Richmond and one in Hackney which they only just opened in July, I think. All the staff at Raygun are always really friendly and are definitely big comic fans, and also in terms of gender, it seems like they're pretty good too. I've never been to their store in Hackney, since Hackney's ages away from where I am, but at their Richmond store it seems like the gender ratio is pretty much 50/50, I think. Also, in terms of customers, I generally see all different people in there, people of all different ages, ethnicity and both men and women. I've actually noticed a few Americans in there before, I think. They are quite small currently, at least when compared to people like Orbital and Gosh Comics, but they are growing more I think, and in their Richmond store, despite the small size, they always have all kinds of books, new and old from all different publishers, nicely organized into different sections. In the past also when I've asked them for recommendations and stuff like that they've been really helpful, and enthusiastic in talking about different books. Their Free Comic Book Day events are always awesome too, and this year, they had Rufus Dayglo from Tank Girl signing in-store, and someone came to the shop in a fully functional DeLorean car from Back to the Future. Certain famous nerd/geek people have been known to stop by as well. But all the stores I've been to have been in cosmopolitan areas, so I wonder what comic shops outside of the city are like in the UK, when compared to the ones I know of in London, and if stores that aren't in more cosmopolitan areas have more problems in terms of generally being welcoming, knowledgeable and friendly? |
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Post by goodeeveening on Dec 3, 2014 17:13:22 GMT -5
The reason I love comes is because of the my local store. I've been going there for 5 years now. But over the last year/2 years the general attitude is very unwelcoming and negative. Granted, they make a huge effort on the social media front and support local comics, always hosting events for local writers and artists. But no matter what I'm reading, whether it be Batman or Thor or Saga or Velvet, every time I go in excited to read something or talk about a new movie or announcement, none of them care. Its become that old "Its never gonna be as good as..." attitude. Rarely do any of them actually see any comic book movies which I understand isn't a rule, but as a store who caters to both new and old fans, to go in excitedly and ask "Hey did you see ...?" and get a nonchalant response of "Nah don't want to" sucks. And if they don't like something they will make sure to let you know. It's never just "Nah I didn't like it", It's always that crazy over the top "It's a blight against humanity and an abomination of all that is good in the world" crap that comic fans like to rant about. And it makes you feel stupid for liking something. There is absoutely ZERO love for DC and Marvel in this store and its become a place that feels strictly indie comics (while they make all their money on DC and Marvel), which wouldn't be a bad thing if it didn't make those of us who actually prefer superheroes to feel so unwelcome. This rant does have a silver lining though. Because there is another store which turns out to be closer to me who are much smaller. And when I found out how close they were I went. And for the past year I have slowly been cancelling books at the old place and adding them here. I go there every single day on my work lunch and can guarantee I go overtime on my lunch about 15-30 minutes every day (luckily my boss never notices). We talk about everything. They have such love and excitement for everything comics, and are especially open minded and positive about the things they love. If we ever get on the topic of something we don't like, its never about making fun of it or saying how terrible it is, and just leads to us talking about the things we love. We even have eachothers numbers and will be the first to let eachother know about new announcements and so on. I even constantly am meeting new people who come in while we're talking who join in the conversation. I have a lot of friends I love to hang out with but none of them have that passion for comics. So its good to have a place I can go to share that. And its also nice to support a very small business as the previous store I like less recently came into a situation that got them many more customers. So while I feel bad for "cheating on my first love", they have gone on to bigger things and they are a business so good for them, but I've found a place that feels like the kind of comic book store you only dream of going to. I'm super jealous of you having a place so great and so close to your work! My LCS is a few train stops away from my work and about an hour away from my house so I can only go there once a week in the evenings and don't always have time to have a rapport with the staff. |
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Post by goodeeveening on Dec 3, 2014 17:23:59 GMT -5
I only know of two comic book stores nearby and have only dared set foot in one. Kings Comics is an institution in Sydney. It's Free Comic Book days are immense and that host Halloween parties, cosplay contests and local creator events year round.
The clientele isn't very diverse, usually on NCBD it's me, the two female staff and about 15 men. When I was just getting into comics (and my Comic Store experiences had only been bad) this made me a little nervous but besides a few weird looks I've had nothing but great experiences there. The staff ALWAYS have something to say about your purchase, offering their opinions or suggesting similar books that you might enjoy. I always end up leaving with much more than I intended to pick up. What I would really love is to have more conversations with some of the other customers. When the Spider Woman variant cover was first leaked, I could barely step in the door without walking into a rant about artists and cover art and bad anatomy. It felt good to be included, even if it was just through meaningful eye contact or a nod of agreement.
As for bad experiences. Well. There's the 'other comic store' in Sydney which I have heard nothing but bad things about, especially for female readers. There's also a store in Melbourne which I visit occasionally that I solidly dislike. I've been pushed away from shelves and ignored at the counter too many times to count. They're also terribly disorganised and I can never find what I want on the shelves. Which means going to the staff and having to wait until they see me or have time to find something for me. But it's the only store in Melbourne that I can find and so I keep going when I'm down there.
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Post by henrythemorerecent on Dec 3, 2014 18:28:13 GMT -5
I only know of two comic book stores nearby and have only dared set foot in one. Kings Comics is an institution in Sydney. It's Free Comic Book days are immense and that host Halloween parties, cosplay contests and local creator events year round. The clientele isn't very diverse, usually on NCBD it's me, the two female staff and about 15 men. When I was just getting into comics (and my Comic Store experiences had only been bad) this made me a little nervous but besides a few weird looks I've had nothing but great experiences there. The staff ALWAYS have something to say about your purchase, offering their opinions or suggesting similar books that you might enjoy. I always end up leaving with much more than I intended to pick up. What I would really love is to have more conversations with some of the other customers. When the Spider Woman variant cover was first leaked, I could barely step in the door without walking into a rant about artists and cover art and bad anatomy. It felt good to be included, even if it was just through meaningful eye contact or a nod of agreement. As for bad experiences. Well. There's the 'other comic store' in Sydney which I have heard nothing but bad things about, especially for female readers. There's also a store in Melbourne which I visit occasionally that I solidly dislike. I've been pushed away from shelves and ignored at the counter too many times to count. They're also terribly disorganised and I can never find what I want on the shelves. Which means going to the staff and having to wait until they see me or have time to find something for me. But it's the only store in Melbourne that I can find and so I keep going when I'm down there. I'm from Melbourne and pretty sure I know which store you're talking about and hopefully I'm not wrong, but next time you are here I would recommend going to All Star Comics. They have the widest range of most stores in Melbourne that isn't disorganized. They also recently hired a girl who has started up a Women's Comic Book Club at a local bar/cafe and every week or fortnight they invite anybody to come along and its a way to meet people and talk books. Its been really successful. |
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Post by goodeeveening on Dec 3, 2014 21:07:52 GMT -5
I only know of two comic book stores nearby and have only dared set foot in one. Kings Comics is an institution in Sydney. It's Free Comic Book days are immense and that host Halloween parties, cosplay contests and local creator events year round. The clientele isn't very diverse, usually on NCBD it's me, the two female staff and about 15 men. When I was just getting into comics (and my Comic Store experiences had only been bad) this made me a little nervous but besides a few weird looks I've had nothing but great experiences there. The staff ALWAYS have something to say about your purchase, offering their opinions or suggesting similar books that you might enjoy. I always end up leaving with much more than I intended to pick up. What I would really love is to have more conversations with some of the other customers. When the Spider Woman variant cover was first leaked, I could barely step in the door without walking into a rant about artists and cover art and bad anatomy. It felt good to be included, even if it was just through meaningful eye contact or a nod of agreement. As for bad experiences. Well. There's the 'other comic store' in Sydney which I have heard nothing but bad things about, especially for female readers. There's also a store in Melbourne which I visit occasionally that I solidly dislike. I've been pushed away from shelves and ignored at the counter too many times to count. They're also terribly disorganised and I can never find what I want on the shelves. Which means going to the staff and having to wait until they see me or have time to find something for me. But it's the only store in Melbourne that I can find and so I keep going when I'm down there. I'm from Melbourne and pretty sure I know which store you're talking about and hopefully I'm not wrong, but next time you are here I would recommend going to All Star Comics. They have the widest range of most stores in Melbourne that isn't disorganized. They also recently hired a girl who has started up a Women's Comic Book Club at a local bar/cafe and every week or fortnight they invite anybody to come along and its a way to meet people and talk books. Its been really successful. Thanks for the heads up! I am super keen to check them out on my next trip. |
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Post by sailormarvel on Dec 4, 2014 12:00:24 GMT -5
I don't like my LCS at all. It really doesn't feel like anyone there really likes comics at all. The place is usually silent and I've come to the point where I don't even attempt to initiate conversation. Most of the people who work there are interested in gaming excusively and seem to almost look down on comics. The owner (whether it matters or not, the owner is a flaming right winger and not shy about his opinions)talks to me like it's my first time in a shop even though I've been going for 20 years off and on. Honestly I was treated better at steve and bobby's shop in Long Island that I went into once for 15 minutes. What really worries me is I don't think this shop is unique in any respect and I think it is what is holding back comics as an art form. A small part of me almost thinks that the industry would be better off without them all-together. I'm so sorry you have had such an awful time! Is there another shop you can go to? I think you make an important point. I've had a friend wanting to get into comics for years, but after a horrid experience the first time she went to a comics shop, she just gave up. Recently she's been coming to my LCS with me, which she really likes. I wonder how many people have been turned off by comics due to the gatekeeping of some comics shops. I think you are right when you says that some shops really are holding comics back, which is such a shame |
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Post by sailormarvel on Dec 4, 2014 12:04:01 GMT -5
Hello! I am the fellow talking comics listening you were talking to on twitter I think I am still to find my Goldilocks LCS. I like the one I go to, but I hardly see any women there. I also find the staff a bit aloof... There is one guy who is super friendly to me and will chat about my pull list. But everyone else is so.... aloof is the word I keep going back to. I go to another shop sometimes to hunt for back issues and event and they are SO friendly. They always chat about the comics I am buying, ask questions etc. And there are always more women there. Maybe I just have high expectations. I highly recommend Raygun Comics in London. They have two stores, one in Richmond and one in Hackney which they only just opened in July, I think. All the staff at Raygun are always really friendly and are definitely big comic fans, and also in terms of gender, it seems like they're pretty good too. I've never been to their store in Hackney, since Hackney's ages away from where I am, but at their Richmond store it seems like the gender ratio is pretty much 50/50, I think. Also, in terms of customers, I generally see all different people in there, people of all different ages, ethnicity and both men and women. I've actually noticed a few Americans in there before, I think. They are quite small currently, at least when compared to people like Orbital and Gosh Comics, but they are growing more I think, and in their Richmond store, despite the small size, they always have all kinds of books, new and old from all different publishers, nicely organized into different sections. In the past also when I've asked them for recommendations and stuff like that they've been really helpful, and enthusiastic in talking about different books. Their Free Comic Book Day events are always awesome too, and this year, they had Rufus Dayglo from Tank Girl signing in-store, and someone came to the shop in a fully functional DeLorean car from Back to the Future. Certain famous nerd/geek people have been known to stop by as well. But all the stores I've been to have been in cosmopolitan areas, so I wonder what comic shops outside of the city are like in the UK, when compared to the ones I know of in London, and if stores that aren't in more cosmopolitan areas have more problems in terms of generally being welcoming, knowledgeable and friendly? I've never been to Raygun! Thanks, I will check it out! |
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bpp
Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
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Post by bpp on Dec 4, 2014 13:43:44 GMT -5
Only one comic shop near me and they have one staff member who is interested in comics, the rest just view it as a job selling Film merchandise and bobble-heads. Maybe once they dug it but not now. Now I'm buying comics a long time and I care less but its indicative of whats holding back the industry - never does anyone at this shop say 'oh, you like X's comic... do you know he's got Y coming out?'. Not once, in years.
Mind you its also a store where the owner flatly told me to my face I'd not been buying a comic I'd been buying off him on pull list for over 5 years. Baffling really. Staff who'd lie to a customer or have long standing staff who've never heard of The Comics Journal or Heavy Metal.. but what can you do.. its the only store for 150 miles...
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Post by theboogieman on Dec 4, 2014 13:55:22 GMT -5
I highly recommend Raygun Comics in London. They have two stores, one in Richmond and one in Hackney which they only just opened in July, I think. All the staff at Raygun are always really friendly and are definitely big comic fans, and also in terms of gender, it seems like they're pretty good too. I've never been to their store in Hackney, since Hackney's ages away from where I am, but at their Richmond store it seems like the gender ratio is pretty much 50/50, I think. Also, in terms of customers, I generally see all different people in there, people of all different ages, ethnicity and both men and women. I've actually noticed a few Americans in there before, I think. They are quite small currently, at least when compared to people like Orbital and Gosh Comics, but they are growing more I think, and in their Richmond store, despite the small size, they always have all kinds of books, new and old from all different publishers, nicely organized into different sections. In the past also when I've asked them for recommendations and stuff like that they've been really helpful, and enthusiastic in talking about different books. Their Free Comic Book Day events are always awesome too, and this year, they had Rufus Dayglo from Tank Girl signing in-store, and someone came to the shop in a fully functional DeLorean car from Back to the Future. Certain famous nerd/geek people have been known to stop by as well. But all the stores I've been to have been in cosmopolitan areas, so I wonder what comic shops outside of the city are like in the UK, when compared to the ones I know of in London, and if stores that aren't in more cosmopolitan areas have more problems in terms of generally being welcoming, knowledgeable and friendly? I've never been to Raygun! Thanks, I will check it out! Cool, I'd be interested to see what you think. I forgot to mention that Raygun actually currently have a signing coming up with Rufus Dayglo, on the 13th. Not entirely sure which store the signing's at though. |
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