Mimi Cruz of Night Flight Comics in Salt Lake City, Utah has been following the discussion over Kendall Swafford's recent column regarding DC Sales Reps (see "Talk the Talk, Walk the Walk--Random Thoughts") and had this to say:

All of us at Night Flight Comics appreciate Pat O'Connell efforts to help us stock DC Comics.  He stays late to get to our reorders, he calls back if we're busy helping a customer and always follows up with us. (Which is miles better than I ever manage to do on my own.)  In a world where everyone is eager to "get paid" while shutting business doors early, O'Connell is not watching the clock or has left the building the minute you hang up with him.  On more than one occasion, I have phoned back (after he should have left for the day) to ask if we can include something else to our order.  How refreshing to find him always willing to put in the work and our books in the system.  All so we can keep those books in stock, sell them to happy customers and stay in business!

We each have to do our part to make the best decisions for our business.  Partnering with DC has been mutually beneficial so each side is better off for what we both contribute.  I have been grateful for the interest DC (as well as other publishers) take in our efforts to run better comic book shops.

While it is not a sales rep job to help us with media, they have been very crucial.  I would not have been prepared to deal with the media if not for Vince Letterio when PR for Superman #700 hit Salt Lake.  Could I have done a better job?  Hell yes!  Like most retail shop managers, I am running to stand still.  Without Pat's help, we wouldn't have had the extra Superman #700's to meet the demand.  Ultimately, it was never Pat's responsibility to make sure we had enough of Superman #700 for the media and resulting public response our shops got afterward, until that is, we asked him for more.  Then he made sure we got them and all was good.

If DC's service is not what Kendall Swafford's operation needs, honesty is the best policy.  Discontinue DC rep calls by telling them, not us.

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