Talk the Talk, Walk the Walk is a weekly column by Kendall Swafford of Up Up Away! in Cincinnati, Ohio.  This week, Kendall offers his thoughts on the past and future comic years, DC Direct, and a potpourri of other topics.

Now that the holiday season is officially behind us, I’m hoping to get back to writing this column on a weekly basis.  I have to admit, though, that lately I haven’t had a whole lot to talk about.

Re-reading Brian Hibbs’s Tilting at Windmills from December 16th gives me at least the chance to say "right on, Brian!"  Brian’s summation of our current predicament is spot-on; the damage the publishers have done to this business has been largely self-inflicted, but not (yet) irreversible.  2010 has been one for the record books when we consider the number of changes that have occurred.

The most profound change in my opinion is (largely) DC and (sort of) Marvel waking up to our concerns regarding pricing and the over-proliferation of superfluous titles.  And kudos to DC for their upcoming promotion of the price rollbacks; they did the right thing and I’m thrilled to see them shouting about it!

I think Marvel Comics is fundamentally on the wrong track from an editorial perspective, and every one of my customers know it.  I hope they figure that out sometime soon.  Their current publishing strategy seems to be; pump out mediocre periodicals, collect said mediocrity into hardcovers that no one wants, then softcover, then finally dump unsold books at 85% off retail, further eroding the inherent value of the product.

Marvel is now producing five titles to equal the overall sales of one title just three years ago, and it would seem to me that the dramatically increased production costs alone would make this an insane strategy to pursue.  I’ve never before seen average sales numbers as low on Marvel titles as we see right now.  And I think this flawed strategy is hiding behind a poor economy.

Unlike an awful lot of people right now, I’m pretty optimistic about 2011.  2010 was not our best year, but not our worst, either.  We tightened our belts, delayed some capital expenditures, and kept our profits healthy for another year.  Demand was soft, but not dramatically so.  Looking at the local competitive landscape, I feel pretty good.

I’m more than a little frustrated with DC Direct’s erratic shipping schedule lately.  Six new statues or high-end figures from DC this week alone, some ordered as far back as last February!  I could speculate and guess that DC’s year long reorganization held up some products, or production problems caused the delays, but it sure plays havoc with my budget.  On the plus side, however; DC has always been proactive about taking returns on late product, and I’m thrilled statues and props and toys haven’t become a victim of a harsh economy.

Having said all that, DC Direct really needs to diversify the character lineup, and consider some lower-tier characters for more than just the occasional bust.  At least in my store, collectors prefer full-length statues over busts by a wide margin.  Busts in general have become (wait for it...) a bust.  Even the wildly popular Women of the DC Universe bust series has faltered lately, and few people want another Catwoman.  Of the six statues, busts or deluxe figures DC is shipping this week, FIVE are Batman-related.  Dr. Fate, Mister Miracle, Hawkman and Green Arrow are all characters I get steady, constant statue requests for.  The Cover Girls line has been HUGE for us, and the guys of the DCU need an equivalent statue line, and tell Batman to go to the back of the line.  And PLEASE get us new Green Lantern Power Batteries before June 17th!

Day Early Delivery starts next week, and I for one can’t wait.  We’ve announced our new opening time of 10am on Wednesdays, which simply falls in line with the time most people expect a retail store to open, right?

I’m (still) not scared of digital comics.  I swear I’m not.

I think bad comic retailers do more damage to a local market than no comic retailers at all.  But if it drives traffic into my store, I’m all for it!

I find the holidays in a comic book store interesting to say the least.  Unlike many retail segments, December is not a "make-or-break" month for us.  Keep this much in mind; we spend the other eleven months of the year catering to consumers who regularly and routinely spend their disposable income on themselves, at least in part, every Wednesday.  Holiday spending actually disrupts that pattern of behavior, as much of that disposable income has to be diverted to make purchases for someone else.  This is balanced out of course by holiday shoppers spending their money on gifts in your store, and that usually outweighs the temporary reduction of routine spending by your regular customers.  So while December is indeed an up month, it’s not even our best month. Anyone else see it the same way?

I hope everyone had a safe and profitable holiday season. 'Til next week!

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.