Can't See the Forest for the Trees

In his editorial at the front of the latest issue of Comics & Games Retailer magazine (#185 – August 2007), current editor James Mishler drops several large hints thet the magazine is headed for its, perhaps inevitable, demise.

Although he doesn’t come right out and say it, reading between the lines it appears that the lack of support and advertising from comics publishers is a large contributing factor.

It saddens me that the comics industry seemingly can’t support a trade magazine designed to educate and inform those very people who work to sell the product. Let’s face it the comics publishers’ customer isn’t you or I, it’s your local retailer.

Yet a quick flick through this latest issue shows the only publisher with advertising is Bongo comics. And if Mishler’s column is to be believed Bongo, along with Dark Horse, and Archaia Press are the only publishers who send them review copies.

Here is a magazine that should be in the hands of every retailer, yet the publishers pass over the opportunity to actively promote their books to the people who are risking their business and livelihoods on those same products. This is one of the most perfect targetted marketing opportunities I have ever seen for print ads, and it appears to be totally overlooked. Maybe I’m missing something here.

Over the years I’ve been reading C&GR it has published many excellent articles on various aspects of retailing and business in general. (And on a few off months even stooped so low as to publish some of my scribblings.) In the days I ran a mail order comics business, and even during the time I was giving serious consideration to actually opening my own store it was an invaluable business tool.

Yes it will be a sad day if C&CR folds, but it won’t be a surprise. Even though it is free, yes FREE, to anyone with even the remotist link to comics retailing, and should be required reading for all store staff, I’ve been constantly amazed of the number or store owners and managers who read every word in PREVIEWS yet ignore their own trade magazine.

In fact I was talking to a couple of store managers a few months ago about the new retailers organization ComicsPRO and mentioned the extensive coverage in Comics & Games Retailer. They both looked at me with blank expressions, followed by the inevitable "What’s that?" question.

I keep reading that the salvation of the comics indutry may be a new generation of store owners with fresh ideas and a good understanding of the retail market. If that’s the case – how are they going to get educated? I know there are various on-line retailer forums and communities that do an excellent job – and maybe I’m just old fashioned, but if we are in the business of selling a printed product, it seems fitting that we should have a print trade magazine too.