Thanks, Eeyore.

Seriously, is now the time to put major resources in opening comic shops. This would have been HUGE ten years ago. If you're going to do this, at least reinvent the shop for a digital age.

Companies are investing in digital as well.

It's like opening a typewriter factory, why waste the money?

This is because Diamond missed the boat on digital and allowed Comixology to become what they used to, the dominant force because they have the big two exclusive.

And motion pictures are going to kill the stage, TV is going to kill movies, etc, etc. Digital comics are important, no question, but so are comic book stores. They're the physical presence that could be a gateway for people into comics, if there are enough of them.

CDs did kill the tapes, same product in a better form.

And even if I give you the argument that the shops have a lot of years left, the last thing we need is more cheap owners with no business sense who go into this because they can now afford it.

But we do need good owners who will be able to take this, expand their business, and make their product available to more people.

I think that online shopping is now the threat to comic book stores which now rely more and more on trade sales. It is not unusual for customers to look at books firsthand in the comic shop and then order it online a lot cheaper, sometimes with shipping. (Not that there is anything wrong with that,)

How do they ensure that, an that it's not going to the fat Simpsons type guy who lives in his mom's basement?



This is where they can really help the shops, allow them to sell it as cheap as online.

The same way they insure that ALL businesses are only ever run by smart, capable people.

They can't which is why I don't believe this is a wise use of their money. And some businesses do have capital requirements etc. Like with franchises. This is too loosy goosy.

You're right. Nobody should ever attempt to do anything, because the risk of someone doing it badly is just too much to bear.

In a struggling industry, you should put your limited resources in areas that will be MORE likely to bear fruit. If you are going to do this, and I think it's a waste of time and I'd rather see more cross media pollination and better product, then you MUST have certain requirements. Making it cheap to own a store is more likely to get a bad batch of shops. NOW maybe telling the existing GOOD ones, they have all these deals for THEM to open up new locations, THAT might work.

YOU'RE right. Nobody should EVER attempt to DO anything, because the risk OF someone doing it badly IS just too much TO bear.

WAIT, what EXACTLY are we talking ABOUT?

NEVERMIND, I should HAVE just scrolled UP.

WHY are we WRITING random WORDS in all CAPS?

AS usual, YOU have NO idea what you're TALKING about.

Marvel is owned by Disney. DC is owned by Time-Warner. I wouldn't describe them as having "limited resources". And that's leaving aside the fact that the comic industry is a multi-million dollar industry just on the publishing side of things.

No they should be doing things constantly. propping up shops that are the past is not the best option. In my opinion.

They should be encouraging shops to get into Magic: The Gathering. That's where the real money is.