Michael Costello of Downtown Comics in Indianapolis, Indiana has been following the recent discussion surrounding the early release of Marvel's Formic Wars: Burning Earth #1 for ComicsPRO members (see "ComicsPRO Retailers Get Early Release" and "ComicsPro ED Amanda Emmert Responds") and has this to add.

I have been reading the various articles on ComicsPRO and the early release of Formic Wars #1, and I wanted to continue the discussion.  I personally believe that this initiative, while proposed in good faith, was not in the best interest of either the existing ComicsPRO members nor the overall comic retailer community.  All this has accomplished is to pit us against each other instead of helping to promote your organization to non-members.  I was especially surprised by Joe Fields response.  I have met Joe Fields and listened to him for many years, and there are very few in our industry that have done more to promote responsible, professional comic book retailing.  Unfortunately his official position came across as emotional and defensive.  By the end of the article I felt that ComicsPRO wasn't trying to become an organization that promotes retailers concerns and ideas to those companies whose business practices affect ours whether we are members or not, but a union whose practices force non-members to join or risk negative consequences to their individual business.  So I am wondering whether the article by Joe was in fact an official ComicsPRO position or a more personal one.  Amanda Emmert's well written response tends to lead me to believe the latter.  As another long time retailer of 17 years (shout out to David Gray), I too have been looking into joining ComicsPRO as well but these recent events have called the group policies into question.  My main issues with the organization are two-fold.

It does seem like all the benefits of membership tend to favor the new/young retailer.  Nothing wrong with that, I wish you were around in 1993 and I would probably already be a member.  But I have great credit card rates, heath insurance, and have had a POS system since 1996.  On the surface, these benefits do not seem to hold a monetary value to my company.  Which brings up the point, can I compare these membership benefits before I join?  You do not publish the credit card rates on your site.  Maybe you do have a lower rate.  Can I get that information?  I don't know, but if I could you may want to put that information on your website.  So the question is, are you working towards any kind of membership benefits that would entice long-time storeowners?

- How about working a deal with Diamond, BOOM!, Dynamite or any company that would allow members to waive their 3% reorder charge either as a ongoing membership benefit or maybe just 1 month a year after your dues are paid.

- How about instead of a Marvel exclusive Tuesday release, you get Marvel to guarantee at least twice a year to give an extra 5% off a title of their choosing to ComicsPRO members.

These are the kind of tangible monetary benefits that every store no matter what size can quantify and potentially justify the cost of membership.  And it does not have the taint of exclusivity that an early release of the same comic does.

As Amanda said so eloquently, it's not necessarily about the money.  If I join are you really representing me and what are your organizations official position on some of the top concerns all retailers have today.  I have watched and waited for the last couple of years for your group to stand up and actually voice a public opinion about some of the topics affecting us retailers (whether I agreed with them or not).  This leads me to wonder what your organization is accomplishing.  As a either a member or non-member I would like to see your official thoughts on topics such as:

1.  Day and date digital releases -- like, don't like, indifferent.  Personally I feel that the only reason to promote such an initiative by these companies is to try to get traditional comic buyers to try digital (as they are the group most likely to know or care about such things).  This of course flies in the face of the additive, non comic buyer public stance those companies give us for digital comics.

2.  IDW has been a premier Diamond company for a year now.  No FOC, no tiered discount structure.  Besides moving to the front of the catalog nothing has changed for us retailers.  Any position on this?

3.  Tuesday delivery -- Did your organization have a hand in getting the ball rolling?  If so, promote it.  While this is good for most of the industry, it has been a negative for my business and if anyone has been paying attention there has been a monetary cost above the compliance fee.  In the replacement of shortages/damages (takes an extra week potentially), loss of another 3 days to any retailer with credit terms (now billed 8 days
before I can sell my product) and other issues.  Is your organization talking with Diamond about his?  Are you planning too?

These are just a handful of important retailer issues that while I can and have brought up to the various entities involved, I am of one voice in a sea of many (probably ignored or at best minimal).  In my mind that's where your organizations true membership benefits should lie.

ComicsPRO is the only trade organization dedicated to the progress of direct market comic book retailers, allowing us to move forward together.  The goals of ComicsPRO are for direct market retailers to speak with a single, strong voice on important industry issues, providing educational and mentoring opportunities to current and future retailers, and offering opportunities for retailers to reduce some of the fixed costs that we all incur.

From my perspective as a non-member, I have yet to hear this "single strong voice" in any public forum nor on your website.  If great things are done behind the scenes and are known only to existing members then you are not doing yourself any favors to potential members.  If I am stating these facts in error I would you hope you use this forum to educate me.  Please help me "want" to join your organization, not "have" to.

I appreciate all the work and voluntary effort put forth by Joe, Amanda and the other members of ComicsPRO.  I believe that this issue has opened the door to further discuss and promote the accomplishments of your organization to all retailers.  I would hope that you take advantage of this opportunity and use this forum to rationally discuss these issues that affect us all.

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.