Longtime comic retail consultant Mel Thompson has now fully recovered from a serious auto accident last September, he told ICv2. “Last September I was in a serious auto accident, which put me into the hospital for the better part of six weeks,” he said. “The bulk of the remainder of 2012 was involved in physical rehab. I am now fully recovered and have regained much, though not all, of my former stamina.”Thompson said that in the wake of the accident and the lengthy recuperation, he’d made a decision to change the way he's been selling his ordering/inventory management software and change "ComTrac to a consulting-based product.” He’s concluded that “…the Direct Market is just too small to support a profitable business in this area,” he said.
Thompson noted that things have changed since he first introduced his software. “ComTrac DOS was economically successful because (a) there were a large number of potential buyers – a much larger potential base than today – and (b) it had a long enough lifespan that development and support costs were amortized out.” He does not believe that current conditions are as receptive to the product.
In addition to consulting around ComTrac, Thompson said two other projects interest him. “I’ve… decided to write a series of chapter-sized pieces covering the different phases of comics retailing that I’ve worked with and what lessons are there for would-be modern retailers,” he said.
Thompson also has another project in mind. “I also want to update my information base on comics and game retail performance norms,” he said. “I have data going back to the original Marvel survey 20+ years ago and feel that adding current data would provide a useful measuring stick for current retailers.”
Thompson has been a long-time fixture in the comics business, dating back nearly 30 years. He dropped out of sight for a time after his accident, leading some to wonder about his plans for the future. We’re happy to report that he’s well, after a tough period, and is looking forward to his plans for the future.