Alan Vu opened his 1000 square foot store Animax in Memphis in 1997.  Specializing in anime, Animax has become a fixture in a city better known for blues and barbecue.  We talked to Vu about how he handles this biggest of anime properties.

What sorts of Dragonball Z items do you carry in your store? 

We carry the figures, the posters, and the DVDs and stuff -- the stickers, whatever we can get our hands on.

What about the DBZ comic collections from Viz? 

Yes we do.  We also carry both the IF labs toys and the ones from Irwin.

What about apparel -- there are lots of cool DBZ t-shirts? 

Yes we carry the ones we can get through Diamond.

What about the DBZ trading card game? 

Yes, I have on occasion carried that, though I really don't have a reliable source for it right now, but we certainly have carried it in the past.

How do you promote your store to the legion of fans who watch the DBZ shows on TV -- how do you get them into your store?  

Well, my main method is to advertise on TV during the time slot of Dragonball Z.  We buy through our local cable provider, we buy time slots from them.  The cost is reasonable and it has worked out very well for us.

Do you cross-merchandise DBZ items, put the videos by the comics, toys and games? 

For that particular show we try to keep most of that stuff together in one spot.  We do have a Dragon Ball section where we put all the DBZ items together.  And since we advertise on the show, we have the DBZ stuff featured prominently as you enter the store.

About how much of your floor space is devoted to DBZ items? 

I would say less than 10 per cent.  It's probably our most popular line of merchandise, but it's not everything.

What's the audience for DBZ like, is it composed of mostly younger kids?