J. Carmody of Serenity Studios in Sydney, Australia saw our coverage of Marvel Comics new distribution deal for comics in bookstores (see 'Marvel Signs With Source Interlink') and the comments (see 'Rick Keefe of R-Galaxy Comics on Marvel in Bookstores' and 'Steven Lo of Jelly's on Comics in Bookstores'), and feels that comic stores can benefit from this move, and that Marvel might not:
Oh dear, the little guy gets hit again as Marvel boldly moves towards a larger sales market by sucking up to the large book chains. Or does it? Sure, this will hurt, about as much as newsagents carrying stock. But there are a couple of factors to consider, factors that may or may not have been considered by the corporate executives at Marvel, or the small business owner who is watching his store come under fire:
1) Back Issues. The large book chains are unlikely to be prepared to carry back issues thereby leaving the collectors to head for the comic specialist shops. New collectors brought in by this move may very well be frothing at the mouth to get older issues... it is up to the specialist store to work out how to benefit from this influx.
2) Sale or Return. This is the very concept that TSR (Dungeons & Dragons) failed to comprehend and we all know the end result there. They fall down and do not get back up, Wizards of the Coast moved in and the rest, well, as the saying goes, is history. Of course, newsagents have been part of this cycle, so Marvel should be well aware of the consequences. What they may not be prepared for is the marketing tactics of the major book chains.
An issue one is released that is going to hit the big time? The large chain orders a couple of hundred per store, marks them down to cost and then... sends back what doesn't sell and says gimme. Marvel is doing well though what with the movies, so maybe they are ready... and maybe it wont be as bad... yes, maybe.
In the end, those that adapt will survive. Those that refuse to pay attention... no more need be said. In other words, if you feel threatened, then start doing something now about your options. Work out how you're going to keep your customer base and influence more people to join you. Fail and ignore the situation or simply give up on your existing customer base and you're more than likely history.
The opinions expressed in this Talk Back article are solely those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.
