My Temporary Home Town's Comic Shop

[SinbadEV]

Correction... Comic, Games, Rock and Roll Shop... also, the owner seems to also own the neighboring tobacco/incense etc store... and they leave the door between the two open so the place smells like tobacco and incense.
Google Street View

Receipt From said store:


Perhaps the discussion that follows could include YOUR local comic/record store?

[Caydr]

You should ask Forboding for some pictures of his local drive-thru liquor/guns store.

[Master-Athmos]

I'm rather interested in why you bought the Munchkin Cthulu Edition? Bored of the standard Munchkin? I can recommend Dominion if you're looking for a great card game...

Does the owner of that shop get some royalties from Valve or something like that btw?

[SinbadEV]

I'm rather interested in why you bought the Munchkin Cthulu Edition? Bored of the standard Munchkin? I can recommend Dominion if you're looking for a great card game...

Does the owner of that shop get some royalties from Valve of something like that btw?

yeah... wanted some variety to core munchkin... didn't see dominion... it is a killer game that a friend back old-home has so would have considered it... munchkin is about as "strategy" as I can get my wife to play...

they do have a full selection of Call of Cthulu games+expansions... they any good?

[Master-Athmos]

Well I didn't ever play one of those "sidekicks" from the Munchkin series. From what I heard it's just the same though but just with a different theme. So until someone really really likes a certain scenario I wouldn't know as to why one would choose one of the sidekicks rather then the classic version which also offers more expansions...

When talking about Dominion: You actually don't have to worry of presenting your wife a very complex game here. In comparison with Munchkin it's a piece of cake...

Still it's a purely card based game and extremely well done. It also doesn't take as long as a match in Munchkin can take...

But I guess I shouldn't explain it to you here - maybe you can find some more info on it elsewhere if you're interested. I just really can recommend it...

[SinbadEV]

sorry... maybe I wasn't clear...I've played and enjoyed dominion.

[KaiserJ]

always fun to revisit the old comics store...

spent hundreds of dollars when i was a kid on warhammer miniatures; the guy behind the counter still remembers my face.

and on said topic, i'm still missing a few to complete my boris collection >.<



comics seem pretty bland these days; foil embossed covers, superheroes with an attitude, overdone artwork, nothing of value to glean... in fact i saw a little bit on the news a few weeks ago about how much comic books and collectable cards have dropped in popularity and value in recent years

[Neddie]

You can mix and match any Munchkin sets anyway... mixing themes is very entertaining at times.

EDIT: The collectible bubble burst in 1993, if I recall. The major distributors were saturating the market with reprints and collectible versions but failing to sustain growth among younger demographics while alienating core older buyers. Almost forty percent of comic stores closed, and certainly many other hobbyist stores suffered as well. The industry as a whole was in free fall until - arguably - Spiderman hit the big screen, though films have not proven as lucrative for the comic industry as hoped. We have seen a slight turn down again following the economic recession but nothing unexpected.

[Gota]

We?are you part of the comics industry Neddie?

[pintle]

You can mix and match any Munchkin sets anyway... mixing themes is very entertaining at times.

EDIT: The collectible bubble burst in 1993, if I recall. The major distributors were saturating the market with reprints and collectible versions but failing to sustain growth among younger demographics while alienating core older buyers. Almost forty percent of comic stores closed, and certainly many other hobbyist stores suffered as well. The industry as a whole was in free fall until - arguably - Spiderman hit the big screen, though films have not proven as lucrative for the comic industry as hoped. We have seen a slight turn down again following the economic recession but nothing unexpected.

In you searing analysis of the downfall of comics you neglected to consider the rise of Webcomics, or digitally delivered media in general

The only decent comic stores I have found in the UK (outside of a couple in London) are a chain called Travelling Man. They are pretty soulless, but well stocked at least.

[Caydr]

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Yarly.

[KaiserJ]

lol @ "archery items are now in stock"

who goes to the guns-n-booze store to buy archery items? might as well grab some ice wine and peach schnapps while you're there

[Neddie]

We as in anybody at all interested or attentive who might be observing the comics industry. An inclusive social group.

I didn't mention the rise of digital comics because they're usually quite bad and generally don't compete in the same genres. Those which meet the same minimal level of quality which print comics are held to usually end up published as graphic novels at some point. Indeed, I would argue that comic piracy is a more significant force than the new webcomic world.

I would contend that the artwork is not overdone, but that the artists are underskilled. With a limited palette the artists of the eighties and seventies produced pages which were emotional, vibrant and alluring - yet with a million colours to chose from most modern comics are either senseless blurs or covered with superficial highlights and shadows which are about as well done as they are useful - not at all. The transition to computer graphics in general has not helped the situation; nobody knows their basic proportions, or quality line art - and why am I looking at some font that ships with Microsoft Word?

[SinbadEV]

Yeah... I think I have bought a sum-total of 10-20 comics in my entire life... I like comic shops mostly because they often are also game shops. My interest in comic lore is a superficial nerdly affectation.

[Neddie]

I didn't start reading comics until '05 or so, myself. I mostly stick to purchasing older graphic novels and compilations.

[Caydr]

Ok, ok. OK! FINE ALREADY! I'll say something on topic...

Personally I've only ever bought graphic novel compilations. The price to duration-of-enjoyment ratio seems to be very bad for comic books.

The ones I've bought are the entire Monster and Death Note manga series. I've never really felt compelled to buy any others... truth is I haven't even read the ones I did buy, I really just bought them because I'm a fan rather than because I wanted to look at them.

If you're looking for deals, I'd recommend subscribing to the TRSI newsletter, they frequently have things like "40% off all graphic novels by <publisher>" and they have free shipping if you reach a certain price threshold. Their regular, non-sale prices are often quite good as well.

I've bought easily 95% of my anime/manga from them. Bought the entire 16-disc "Hajime no Ippo" ("Fighting Spirit" or more accurately "The First Step") series for $5 a disc!

[Forboding Angel]

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Yarly.

Hehe, so much funny and fail all in the same image