Ilan Strasser of Fat Moose Comics and Games in Whippany, New Jersey saw Tony Caputo's essay on Marvel licensing its properties for publishing (see 'Now Comics' Tony Caputo Asks What If?'), and had this response:
Tony Caputo has proven to me his business savvy with his fantastic analysis of Marvel's options relative to licensing out its publishing interests. What is most important about his hypothetical analysis is not the details, but the brass facts behind them. The three major brass facts is that Marvel (at least since it became a publicly held company) has (a) cared only about its' shareholders and (b) not at all about the retail community and even more sadly, (c) the end users of its products.
Any retailer in business since at least the Marvel/Heroes World distribution fiasco knows this is true. While I value all the comments I read in ICv2.com every day, I have to admit to a little snicker when a retailer complains about the distribution or other practices of Topps, Upper Deck, Score, Marvel, DC or anybody that 'serves' our retail community.
No one gives a you-know-what about the comics or specialty market retailers serviced by Diamond or directly by the manufacturers. We are all only as good as our next dollar. When those direct market dollars dry up, believe me when I tell you that all those folks will have no trouble finding new people to hawk their products.
Please keep this in mind: none of what I just said takes away from the sometimes Herculean efforts that are made by various customer service reps. But they are limited by policy (i.e. corporate greed) in how much they can help us. Still, they are mostly friendly and courteous and interested in helping us within the small limits they are allowed -- without them, all of our dealings with the distributors and manufacturers that 'serve' us would be totally unbearable.
Having said all this, you may ask why I am still in the business. Because I still love this art form when it strives to be truly creative and innovative, as rare as that is these days. Because I still love those customers of mine who love the hobby enough to come in regularly and keep up with what is their hobby. Because I have fond memories of the best and brightest I've seen in this industry the past 40 years, both in terms of people and product. What has always made comic retailing special is still what makes it special -- I just never foresaw that so many uncaring, irresponsible people would join our industry and turn it into a pale shadow of its former self.
When I finally do close shop, it will be because of them. Until then, I'll enjoy what I can and do my best -- after all, I still got bills to pay, just like the CEOs and shareholders do.
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.
