I went to Borders this week to check out their getting-out-of-Dodge sale. I felt my membership card deserved one last scan - though it may not have been needed. I wouldn't know. I didn't buy anything. Here's what happened...
The first thing I noticed was that the same liquidation company that handled the closure of Virgin Megastore and Circuit City here in the U.S. was also handling Borders. They use the same discount signs and the same price guide chart that's convieniently taped all over the store. It's a good time to own a discount stockcard sign company!
How are the sales? On Tuesday, it was 10% off most books (that's about a 1/2 dollar off retail), 30% off romance novels (about $1.50 - $2.00 dollars off), and 40% off magazines. Items I was hoping to find (Doctor Who magazine, some Agatha Christies) were not there...kind of. They had Dame Agatha's worst book - Passenger to Frankfurt. They had a bunch of James Bond novels, including Quantum of Solace, and some Doctor Who novels, plenty of those Twilight/Vampire Diary things, if that's you're cup of tea, only a few Harry Potters, LOTS of Harry Potter wannabes Lemony Snicket, Percy Jackson, that 39 clues/ bar code thing where you're not just buy to read a book (how silly is that ;), but to enter an online contest, lots of manga, lots of dog-earred comic book trades, lots of cookbooks, bios, science,business, westerns, horror, sci-fi, and other books you promise to get around to someday.
The big issue for me was that the sale wasn't so great. I always reserve the right to walk out empty-handed. I imagine all the stuff that went unsold will appear in some new discount bookshop like the DVD stores that have popped up around NYC lately. I'll go cut up my card now - at least that was free. Barnes and Noble charges a processing fee (huh?) for a 10- 20% discount membership. Wouldn't that be covered by the amount I'm paying to get the card?
"Bonk!"
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Comicon on G4 goes "Bonk" - Comic Book Rehab Issue #1D
There's a Calvin and Hobbes book titled "Scientific Progress Goes Bonk!" 'Bonk' is the most unimpressive sound effect used for any attempt at innovation, and Bill Watterson uses it for one of Calvin's cardboard box inventions. 'Bonk' isn't even offered as a ringtone. 'Bonk' is what I use to describe G4's coverage of 2011's San Diego Comicon.
Imagine, you're the only network on television offering 6 hours of live coverage of an event that's usually given 2-3 minutes of airtime everywhere else. You have a chance at offering something new and different - so of course you'll offer more of the same pap we can find anywhere else! Why not?
Why not, indeed? Why not flood your first hour with coverage of video games that you often cover on your regular programming schedule? Why not flood your remaining 5 hours on endless vaccuous celebrity interviews that offer nothing controversial/insightful/interesting? Why not host the show at the dullest camera angles imaginable?
The point is, I've learned more about what went on at the event by checking Twitter and not from what went on the air. Most of the coverage was essentially boring and the little coverage of comics was more perfunctory then informative/interesting. Coverage of this kind would be perfect for a class in Anthropology - we don't learn anything about comics, here - only that "All you really care about" translates into inane brownnosing.
"Bonk!"
Imagine, you're the only network on television offering 6 hours of live coverage of an event that's usually given 2-3 minutes of airtime everywhere else. You have a chance at offering something new and different - so of course you'll offer more of the same pap we can find anywhere else! Why not?
Why not, indeed? Why not flood your first hour with coverage of video games that you often cover on your regular programming schedule? Why not flood your remaining 5 hours on endless vaccuous celebrity interviews that offer nothing controversial/insightful/interesting? Why not host the show at the dullest camera angles imaginable?
The point is, I've learned more about what went on at the event by checking Twitter and not from what went on the air. Most of the coverage was essentially boring and the little coverage of comics was more perfunctory then informative/interesting. Coverage of this kind would be perfect for a class in Anthropology - we don't learn anything about comics, here - only that "All you really care about" translates into inane brownnosing.
"Bonk!"
Friday, July 8, 2011
Comicons with Holy water - Comic Book Rehab 4th #1 issue
By 2013, it will be a decade since attending a comic book show in a church.
I'm not sure why that is - if anyone out there knows of any shows/conventions in NYC set at churches, feel free to chime in. How about Temples? Mosques? Scientology Centers?
The last church show I attended was at 9th street and 9th avenue, at St. Paul Church, on the same block as my college, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (shameless alumni plug). Between 1999 and 2003, there were about 15 Big Apple Con shows held there before Big Apple moved to the Penn Plaza Pavilion across the street from Madison Square Garden - where it stayed until it became Wizard World Big Apple Con in 2009. 1998-2003 were my college years, so the juggling of the Saturday class schedules were the stuff of Blake Edwards movies. Sit in class, class ends, time for 'break', attend show, exit, attend another class, leave, go back to the show. Of course, anyone noticing the stamped hand would know what I was doing...
Anyway, back to religion. there was no holy water offered, or conversions. The shows were often held in the Basement - a very large basement. One time the show was rescheduled without anyone knowing and I wound up walking in on a ballroom dancing competition! I did notice that the space provided looked a lot brighter and cleaner when it's not jammed with tables and boxes of comics. I'm sure if this were a Blake Edwards film, I would've had to have made dancing shoes of my sensible sneakers and try a pasa doble wishing it was a quick step instead...
The first church show I attended was near Sullivan St. in the Village (aka NYU) and there was no basement for that one - they cleared out the benches and devoted the main space to just a few tables with only a few dealers and guests. It looked a bit like a Clean House yard sale caught in a dry spell. It was dark and stuffy in there, so the front doors were kept wide open, with the benches stacked on the sides, like the bleachers in the high school gym when they're cranked back in place against the walls. I bought a great copy of Spider-Woman #1 (this was in 1998, before Bendis made her seem like a big deal) for two bucks. I bought it because the idea of having an old comic from before my time in mint condition was cool. I really wanted to get an autograph from an inker (yeah, an inker - any name that appears in your comic collection showing up to a sigining can attract a mob of autograph hounds)...who didn't show up. I also bought some other comics from half-dollar bins - mostly early 90's stuff like Trencher, Next Wave, Troll - all never-read and brand new because they were kept finer than fine china. I was there for about 15 minutes - that record was broken after I attended a show at the Holiday Inn that I spoofed in the last entry.
Church shows are low-risk when it comes to spending for admission and finding/not finding what you're looking for. Are they a thing of the past? Are they being swallowed by a new generation of Big Comicon wannabes? Hard to tell. Are people still getting hand-stamped? Nowadays they use disposable bracelets that are color-coded for each day of the show's duration. When I went to the Brooklyn Lyceum in fall 2010 for King Con, I felt like I was walking into a church, but it turns out it used to be a public bath. Now THAT'S a scene in a Blake Edwards film. :)
Be good everyone.
I'm not sure why that is - if anyone out there knows of any shows/conventions in NYC set at churches, feel free to chime in. How about Temples? Mosques? Scientology Centers?
The last church show I attended was at 9th street and 9th avenue, at St. Paul Church, on the same block as my college, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (shameless alumni plug). Between 1999 and 2003, there were about 15 Big Apple Con shows held there before Big Apple moved to the Penn Plaza Pavilion across the street from Madison Square Garden - where it stayed until it became Wizard World Big Apple Con in 2009. 1998-2003 were my college years, so the juggling of the Saturday class schedules were the stuff of Blake Edwards movies. Sit in class, class ends, time for 'break', attend show, exit, attend another class, leave, go back to the show. Of course, anyone noticing the stamped hand would know what I was doing...
Anyway, back to religion. there was no holy water offered, or conversions. The shows were often held in the Basement - a very large basement. One time the show was rescheduled without anyone knowing and I wound up walking in on a ballroom dancing competition! I did notice that the space provided looked a lot brighter and cleaner when it's not jammed with tables and boxes of comics. I'm sure if this were a Blake Edwards film, I would've had to have made dancing shoes of my sensible sneakers and try a pasa doble wishing it was a quick step instead...
The first church show I attended was near Sullivan St. in the Village (aka NYU) and there was no basement for that one - they cleared out the benches and devoted the main space to just a few tables with only a few dealers and guests. It looked a bit like a Clean House yard sale caught in a dry spell. It was dark and stuffy in there, so the front doors were kept wide open, with the benches stacked on the sides, like the bleachers in the high school gym when they're cranked back in place against the walls. I bought a great copy of Spider-Woman #1 (this was in 1998, before Bendis made her seem like a big deal) for two bucks. I bought it because the idea of having an old comic from before my time in mint condition was cool. I really wanted to get an autograph from an inker (yeah, an inker - any name that appears in your comic collection showing up to a sigining can attract a mob of autograph hounds)...who didn't show up. I also bought some other comics from half-dollar bins - mostly early 90's stuff like Trencher, Next Wave, Troll - all never-read and brand new because they were kept finer than fine china. I was there for about 15 minutes - that record was broken after I attended a show at the Holiday Inn that I spoofed in the last entry.
Church shows are low-risk when it comes to spending for admission and finding/not finding what you're looking for. Are they a thing of the past? Are they being swallowed by a new generation of Big Comicon wannabes? Hard to tell. Are people still getting hand-stamped? Nowadays they use disposable bracelets that are color-coded for each day of the show's duration. When I went to the Brooklyn Lyceum in fall 2010 for King Con, I felt like I was walking into a church, but it turns out it used to be a public bath. Now THAT'S a scene in a Blake Edwards film. :)
Be good everyone.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Imaginary "Special Globe Trekker Extra" Comic Book Rehab Ashcan
Ahh...The Holiday Inn at midtown Manhattan - or as some out-of-towners call it, New York, New York.
I'm here to cover Super Collector's Mega Show Spectacular - a small convention devoted to comic books that also features toys and guests. Walk with me...
It's just up here on the second floor...
Ah, here we are - admission is ten dollars - not bad, these days, although I remember another convention held at this same hotel with admission at six dollars. It's a good idea to compare admission prices on shows - depending on your destination. Try to find out what the shows feature in advance and check on the web for any videos or photo galleries offering a view of what the convention looks like. I wish I had.
Awfully small here. Too small. It's the size of my aunt's apartment in Brooklyn - one long corridor with windows.
Hmm...a bunch of old comics with pretty high prices - when you've seen comics you don't want in quarter and half-dollar bins in the past, then see them in the present in higher-priced bins in bad shape, it's very disconcerting.
The only guests here are a couple of models from some independant horror films that I'm not familiar with.
The only toys being sold are a bunch of old figures that you might have seen at the toy shop long ago and paid no mind to - and they look kind of grimey...
Ah...bootleg DVDs - most are of shows not expected to turn a profit on official release, but have some fanbase wanting it - remember the Savage Dragon cartoon from the mid-90's? Or Hanna-Barbera's weird take on the Thing? Thing ring/do your thing... twenty dollars and up to relive your memories. All aboard the memory lane train...
Ah, the exit! Well, that's it then.
Cue end titles and "Gong" noise...
:)
I'm here to cover Super Collector's Mega Show Spectacular - a small convention devoted to comic books that also features toys and guests. Walk with me...
It's just up here on the second floor...
Ah, here we are - admission is ten dollars - not bad, these days, although I remember another convention held at this same hotel with admission at six dollars. It's a good idea to compare admission prices on shows - depending on your destination. Try to find out what the shows feature in advance and check on the web for any videos or photo galleries offering a view of what the convention looks like. I wish I had.
Awfully small here. Too small. It's the size of my aunt's apartment in Brooklyn - one long corridor with windows.
Hmm...a bunch of old comics with pretty high prices - when you've seen comics you don't want in quarter and half-dollar bins in the past, then see them in the present in higher-priced bins in bad shape, it's very disconcerting.
The only guests here are a couple of models from some independant horror films that I'm not familiar with.
The only toys being sold are a bunch of old figures that you might have seen at the toy shop long ago and paid no mind to - and they look kind of grimey...
Ah...bootleg DVDs - most are of shows not expected to turn a profit on official release, but have some fanbase wanting it - remember the Savage Dragon cartoon from the mid-90's? Or Hanna-Barbera's weird take on the Thing? Thing ring/do your thing... twenty dollars and up to relive your memories. All aboard the memory lane train...
Ah, the exit! Well, that's it then.
Cue end titles and "Gong" noise...
:)
Friday, June 24, 2011
Well, I tried to live here - Comic Con San Diego #Final Issue
Lo and behold, the exit.
It's typical that just as you reach an exit, you remember something that wasn't on your to-do list...
You remember that comic book that you came here to buy and got sidetracked by a bunch of other comics you saw...
You remember that you promised to come back at 5 to see if that curmudgeonly artist that refused to autograph your comics is in a better mood, like his assistant promised...
You remember that one question you forget to ask when you had your turn at the mic during the panel...
You remember that you saw some old toys offered at a better deal than any you've seen online or at your local comic shop...
You remember that you're missing a bag...
You remember that your smartphone is quiet and realize that it was taken out of it's case...
You remember you brought your wife and kids with you - where did they go?...
You remember that you should've taken your friend's advice and not eat anything INSIDE.
You remember that the curmudgeonly artist was supposedly a nice guy but turned out to be a real prick...
You remember that you had actually donated money to said artist when he was having health trouble in the past...
You remember to tear up every single comic you own that that artist ever worked on...
You remember that you should've brought a bigger bag to carry all this 'stuff''...
You remember that you may have spent the money you held back to pay for parking...
You remember that your credit is at risk of going over the limit...
You remember that you got the phone number/Email of that woman dressed as Witchblade...
Most importantly, you remember that you were here and all good things must come to an end...
For now...
Until next year...
Roll end credits...
Stay tuned for my imagined 'Special Globe Trekker Extra'...
It's typical that just as you reach an exit, you remember something that wasn't on your to-do list...
You remember that comic book that you came here to buy and got sidetracked by a bunch of other comics you saw...
You remember that you promised to come back at 5 to see if that curmudgeonly artist that refused to autograph your comics is in a better mood, like his assistant promised...
You remember that one question you forget to ask when you had your turn at the mic during the panel...
You remember that you saw some old toys offered at a better deal than any you've seen online or at your local comic shop...
You remember that you're missing a bag...
You remember that your smartphone is quiet and realize that it was taken out of it's case...
You remember you brought your wife and kids with you - where did they go?...
You remember that you should've taken your friend's advice and not eat anything INSIDE.
You remember that the curmudgeonly artist was supposedly a nice guy but turned out to be a real prick...
You remember that you had actually donated money to said artist when he was having health trouble in the past...
You remember to tear up every single comic you own that that artist ever worked on...
You remember that you should've brought a bigger bag to carry all this 'stuff''...
You remember that you may have spent the money you held back to pay for parking...
You remember that your credit is at risk of going over the limit...
You remember that you got the phone number/Email of that woman dressed as Witchblade...
Most importantly, you remember that you were here and all good things must come to an end...
For now...
Until next year...
Roll end credits...
Stay tuned for my imagined 'Special Globe Trekker Extra'...
Monday, June 20, 2011
I left my brain in San Diego..Comic Con part. 6 of 7/17
Hmm... Well, assuming you haven't overstuffed on comics and toys (there are so many toys here - most are surprising editions of action figures in familiar packaging that will have you scratching your heads, dumbfounded - you know you were in the toy store, but why didn't I see THAT figure in the aisle? Of course, it's always the one you realy want...now buy it for triple the retail, tee,hee)...
Assuming you're traveling light (still?), why not take in a show - by 'show', I mean a conference panel with your favorite writers,artists and celebrities. The famous and not-very-famous all get treated like rock stars at these panels simply because the act of showing up helps authenticate the experience even further. Be prepared for incredibly vague Q & A sessions - Nobody's ever in the mood to give much in the way of spoilers, though you are free to ask questions. I imagine the fan with the most outrageous costume raising his/her hand might get preference, but the increased attendance has made these things seem more like town hall meetings for health care and rent controlled apartments.
I mentioned comic book artists behaving like rock stars, earlier. Well, with REAL rock stars promoting their own ghost-written comics, REAL hollywood celebs offering coy teaser trailers of upcoming films and the usual car and bikini models signing photos to lumbering gentlemen with enormous backpacks...there's a fair amont of conflict...a sense that there's another rooster in the henhouse, and perhaps the comic books are getting shortchanged, but the nature of the beast suggests that any exposure is good exposure - a sign of existence, of 'being there'. There used to be large conventions for collectors of dime novels - when's the last time anyone's heard of one?
I'll be back with the conclusion - or an announcement of an extension...;)
Assuming you're traveling light (still?), why not take in a show - by 'show', I mean a conference panel with your favorite writers,artists and celebrities. The famous and not-very-famous all get treated like rock stars at these panels simply because the act of showing up helps authenticate the experience even further. Be prepared for incredibly vague Q & A sessions - Nobody's ever in the mood to give much in the way of spoilers, though you are free to ask questions. I imagine the fan with the most outrageous costume raising his/her hand might get preference, but the increased attendance has made these things seem more like town hall meetings for health care and rent controlled apartments.
I mentioned comic book artists behaving like rock stars, earlier. Well, with REAL rock stars promoting their own ghost-written comics, REAL hollywood celebs offering coy teaser trailers of upcoming films and the usual car and bikini models signing photos to lumbering gentlemen with enormous backpacks...there's a fair amont of conflict...a sense that there's another rooster in the henhouse, and perhaps the comic books are getting shortchanged, but the nature of the beast suggests that any exposure is good exposure - a sign of existence, of 'being there'. There used to be large conventions for collectors of dime novels - when's the last time anyone's heard of one?
I'll be back with the conclusion - or an announcement of an extension...;)
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
San Diego In my Head "Comic Con Globe Trekker Exclusive" ?
Part 4 1/2 of ten in 12...
phew!
Searching for a bathroom, waiting on line, then using it - a long more time spent doing that than waiting for this next blog entry, I tells ya'...
Ah...autographs. Very touchy. Now, let's not be naive - we have a lot of could-have-beens, neverweres, almostwases, has-beens, and maybe-in-a-parallel-dimensions sandwiching the really popular guests, but if you';ve got as many comics/kitsch as everyone here does, you've probably weighed the option of paying signing fees for their chicken scratch - even if the value of the comic may appreciate/deprectiate depending on who you're talking to.
Also. remember how some celebrities tend to act as though they've disowned the work that made them famous? Well, THEY'RE ALL HERE - and they'll be happy to charge you for autographed photos, so be of good cheer. A word of caution: some celebrities tend to shy away from autographing racy pictures, so leave the centerfolds at home. If they have a website, check for any hints regarding autograph rules and conditions so as to avoid carrying any dead weight.
As for comic book artists, well, the same rules apply, actually. Be forewarned about any artists who claimed in the past to loathe fandom and yet show up anyway - they're soaking up what little energy from their celebrity that they can get in their waning years and get very picky about who they sign autographs for - unless your wallet is wide open or you're a member of the staff/their fan entourage. Yes, it's that sad. No names, of course. wink,wink...;)
These remarks give me the urge to hide for a while...I'll be back. Be good.
phew!
Searching for a bathroom, waiting on line, then using it - a long more time spent doing that than waiting for this next blog entry, I tells ya'...
Ah...autographs. Very touchy. Now, let's not be naive - we have a lot of could-have-beens, neverweres, almostwases, has-beens, and maybe-in-a-parallel-dimensions sandwiching the really popular guests, but if you';ve got as many comics/kitsch as everyone here does, you've probably weighed the option of paying signing fees for their chicken scratch - even if the value of the comic may appreciate/deprectiate depending on who you're talking to.
Also. remember how some celebrities tend to act as though they've disowned the work that made them famous? Well, THEY'RE ALL HERE - and they'll be happy to charge you for autographed photos, so be of good cheer. A word of caution: some celebrities tend to shy away from autographing racy pictures, so leave the centerfolds at home. If they have a website, check for any hints regarding autograph rules and conditions so as to avoid carrying any dead weight.
As for comic book artists, well, the same rules apply, actually. Be forewarned about any artists who claimed in the past to loathe fandom and yet show up anyway - they're soaking up what little energy from their celebrity that they can get in their waning years and get very picky about who they sign autographs for - unless your wallet is wide open or you're a member of the staff/their fan entourage. Yes, it's that sad. No names, of course. wink,wink...;)
These remarks give me the urge to hide for a while...I'll be back. Be good.
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