Talk the Talk, Walk the Walk is a weekly column by Kendall Swafford of Up Up Away! in Cincinnati, Ohio.  This week, Kendall talks about the news that Hastings is adding direct market comic titles to its stores.

Tough call this week. Talk about DC’s new digital initiative or the Hastings announcement?  Well, since I want to wait a little while until we get some more information about DC’s plans, let’s go with plan B and talk about Hastings, the first “nationwide” comic book store chain.

Now, I’ve got nothing against Hastings.  I’ve never been in one, had never even heard of them until last week’s announcement.  There’s not one anywhere near Cincinnati, the closest to me being in Richmond, Kentucky.  Or coincidentally, Richmond, Indiana.  I’ve checked out the website, and we once had a seemingly similar chain called Media Play, part of the Musicland group, which included Suncoast and Sam Goody.  All of which at one time were owned by Best Buy.  I don’t know if Media Play were national or just regional, but they were a big box format, featuring CDs, DVDs, books, video games and assorted pop culture items like action figures, toys and even the odd RPG.

Based upon what I’ve both read and seen, Hastings is as much the first nationwide comic book store chain as Walgreen’s is.  Both carry comic books, both serve areas that may or may not be served by a comic book specialty store.  I’m sure Walgreen’s buys lots of comic books.  And I think Hastings’ expansion into comics can be a good thing for the industry.  I just wanna try and separate the reality from the hyperbole.

I can find no official press release of this event, only Rich Johnston’s interview with James Parker of Hastings.  127 stores, only 27 of which get the “full-blown” push, the other 100 locations getting a scaled-down-by-half assortment of new comics, back issues, graphic novels and manga.  32 linear feet of new comics, the same for back issues, and 44 feet of manga/graphic novels for the 27, half that for the other 100.  I’m not trying to belittle their efforts.  If it gets more comics in front of more eyeballs, I’m all for it.  But if they were right across the street from me, I think we’d be just fine.  Because as knowledgeable and passionate about comic books as Mr. Parker may be, unless his soldiers on the ground in his stores share his passion, their success will be limited at best.  Obviously, no reason not to try.

I think most reasonable, thoughtful people would agree that a so-called “nationwide” chain of comic book stores would have to meet two pretty simple criteria in order to carry that distinction.  First, how does one define “nationwide”?  Is it a store in every single state?  Is it stores on both coasts?  I’m in Ohio, the sixth-most populated state in the nation, and we don’t have one.  California, Pennsylvania or New York?  Nope.  Again,147 stores scattered around the country is impressive, though not necessarily “nationwide.”  Secondly, in my mind, to be considered a nationwide comic book store, I would expect you would specialize in, well, comic books.  Carry other things, certainly, but your primary focus should be comics if you are to anointed our retail “big” brother.

Maybe I’m splitting hairs here, I just think some “journalists” have a way of blowing things way outta proportion, usually to claim they have a scoop on something, so it better be big!  The story gets picked up by other news agencies, and here we are talking about it.

But I’ve seen all this before.  In the 90s, anyone and everyone was trying to peddle comics, at least until the whole thing collapsed under the weight of all those foil covers.  In many ways, we’re getting what many of us have wished for.  More respect for the art form, more outlets selling comics, more people enjoying the constant barrage of comic book-inspired movies, now a large chain of “entertainment” stores wanting in on the action, and a public more accepting of comic books than ever before.  Let’s be careful what we wish for.  More outlets selling comics is nothing but a good thing.  But Hastings is a trend chaser, much like Hot Topic in the malls, or Media Play/Suncoast/Sam Goody.  Will they stay in long enough to build an audience?  Or will another merchandise segment force them to give comic books the boot?  For all our industry’s recent success, this is still a specialty market.  If you have a Hastings in your neighborhood, and you’ve got a successful store, don’t worry.  If you’re doing your job and taking care of your customers, you’ll be just fine.

Welcome to the party, Hastings.  Hope you survive the experience!

The opinions expressed in this column are solely  those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.