Monday, March 02, 2009

Start of a Wacky Week

Either very light blogging or very heavy blogging this week. Depending on how bored I get and what's available in my hotel room as per an interweb connection in my room.

Pinnochio is coming to Blu-Ray

I can't stress how much that movie freaked me out as a very young kid. I want to see it again, but I'm kind of nervous to do so.

Comic Store Geeks

RHPT has suggested I link to this article in Wired. It's interviews and pictures of comic shop employees.

I guess my only beef with the article is that its, of course, done in successful comic shops, and only on the coasts. I would very much liked to have seen a wider array of shops, as the very successful shops with lines around the store on Wednesday are far the exception to the rule in my experience (although Austin Books on Wednesdays and weekends is pretty hoppin').

I'm also sort fo amused that the guys all identify as "non-nerdy" because they have girlfriends. Dude... I'll be the first to tell you, having a girlfriend or wife isn't non-nerdy. It just means you've found someone willing to put up with your nerdiness.

Weekend

Very slow, but Matt and Nicole joined us over the grill this evening. I sort of screwed up the chicken.

We bought the food at the new Newflower Market, which Jamie discussed elsewhere. I think my initial impression was far more favorable. It's a nice mid-point between typical HEB grocery and Central Market product, but with HEB prices. And, its, like, two blocks away.

Yesterday was all too lazy, but it was good to spend time flopping around reading comics if this week is going to be away from home, Lucy, Jeff and Jamie.

Comic Fodder

I posted a Signal Watch column
.

8 comments:

AustinBooks said...

Hey, Brad here...

I think you should also know that a number of comic retailers I've spoken with were discussing that Wired piece on comic store employees. While some of the comments were directed to "standard use" of the geek to prop up a preconceived notion, the majority was over the lone girl profiled. She seems to have only procured her job by being the daughter of Gary Panter (a damn fine human, btw) and, frankly, being a cute girl. The fact that she outright admits that she "comes in on Sunday and doesn't do anything" is reason enough that she shouldn't have a job in general much less be chosen as a representative of this industry.

I've also read some much harsher criticism of her from other female comic store employees and a former employer. I really don't think she was the best choice for this article.

That might also be said for some of the others.

STAPLE! Pre-Party this Friday 7pm-11pm at Austin Books. Free Admission.
STAPLE! Small Press Convention this Saturday at the Monarch Special Events Center. $5 at the door.
FCBD May 2nd. Free, Free, FREE!

The League said...

I haven't ever worked in a comic shop so I was disinclined to guess how representative these folks are of what goes on.

I can tell you the people behind the counter make or break the store. In a niche industry where fans know the product pretty darn well, it's the clerk's knowledge and/ or customer service that makes the difference between a stand out like Austin Books and the dingy, spooky shops I've both shopped at (see: my Tempe comic shopping experience) and other shops I've walked away from with a deep sense of melancholy.

I think I did the math, and figured out Olive was 18ish, which may account for her "whatever, man" attitude. I'll be curious to see if she still has the job after her comments about "not doing anything" went out to couple millions readers.

Sadly, I'm traveling and then have a birthday on Saturday, so STAPLE! isn't in the cards for me, which stinks. Chris Onstad will be there!

Austinites will want to hit FCBD in May at Austin Books. It's been fun every year I've been. And if we start asking now, maybe Brad will dress up as Mysterio with a fish bowl over his noggin and a towel pinned to his shirt.

tachyonshuggy said...

Chris Onstad (Achewood) is gonna be at AB on Friday!

NTT said...

I worked in a comics shop in my small hometown during high school. It was, definitively, the most fun job I've ever had. As a career it's worthless but as job, the experience cannot be beaten. From the sheer craziness of some the characters that walk through as customers to being a part of history as great comics where unveiled during my watch like Sandman and the insanity of McFarlane's first Spiderman run. The air conditioning never really worked during the summer and I was able to convince many friends to drop by and hang while I worked.

It also helped that we had 2 very cute women employees that worked at the store. One of them was an assistant manager. The sheer amount of crushes and broken hearts that were wrought is legend.

The League said...

I think at Austin Books, Brad is all the eye candy you need. They have women rotating through the store, but I don't know them, and clearly leering is out.

It's probably for the best nobody ever hired me to work at a comic shop. On Earth 323 (the Earth where I'm a comic store employee and wear shorts more often), I'd be standing on counters and screaming about how it was plain that Murphy Anderson was the definitive inker on Curt Swan's pencils.

And even on Earth 323, that's not good for anybody.

J.S. said...

Yeah, I would think that there's a fine balance between being able to accomodate and talk knowledgeably to the hardcore fans while not intimidating or scaring off the neophytes, and that balance is pretty critical to being a good comic dealer. It's always makes the experience more fun to talk to someone who's enthusiastic and well-versed without being snobby about what they're interested in, and Austin Books has done a good job at striking that balance for many years.

Fantomenos said...

I'm pretty sure I would keep the 18 yr old daughter of the dude who does "Jimbo" regardless of her work ethic...

I love that she said "I'm in a band, so maybe that's not nerdy." Um, have you ever heard musicians talk about gear?

Michael Corley said...

I quite agree that having a girl does not absolve you of nerdiness. Just recently the Penny Arcade artist spoke about the ultra cool nerd who actually had a girlfriend who sat reading "Seventeen" while he kicked the crap out of his opponent in Street Fighter.

I was one of the lucky ones, I actually MARRIED A FELLOW NERD. In some ways my nerdiness pales in comparison to hers.

To have a beautiful woman who will be your tank while you heal is a match made in heaven.