Ed Sherman of Rising Sun Creations in San Diego, CA comments on retailer’s reactions to the President-Elect Obama variant cover for Amazing Spider-Man #583 (see “Kathy Bottarini of Comic Book Box on Amazing Spider-Man #583” and “Charlie Balicki of Dreamland Comics on Amazing Spider-Man #583”):

I keep seeing retailers complaining about all of the stupid things that publishers do in our industry (the latest Obama/Spider-man fiasco is a great example).  But why are they blaming the publishers?  It is the retailer's fault.  As long as retailers continue to buy the publishers variant covers, useless miniseries and one-shots, and mostly boring, mediocre titles, the publishers will continue to churn this garbage out.  I really see a rather bleak future for the comic book industry unless comic retailers start acting like business people and stand up to the publishers by not purchasing their useless titles and falling for their lame attempts at tricking them into ordering books that they will never sell.  Hopefully, the bad economy will further cull the comic shops operated by fanboy retailers and enable those of us who run real businesses to thrive and prosper.

As for the Obama/Spider-Man comic (Amazing Spider-Man #583), I'll just send people who want that book to another retailer who will be more than happy to rip them off.  I for one am sick of people making a profit off of the President of the United States.  Show some respect to the man.  I like to think that the President is more than just a pop idol, but unfortunately that is the way most Americans see him.  I refuse to be a part of it.

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