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#Comicmarket - The Bricks and Mortar of Digital Comics

We appreciate that more and more publishers are making comics available digitally. Yes, you read that right, a brick and mortar store that has been in the business over 23 years appreciates digital comics. The may seem contrarian but we see it as attempting to tap into market that may not currently frequent shops for whatever reason. Growing the fan base/consumer base is good for everyone.

Perhaps these new readers will be inclined to look into print versions, perhaps they will not. It’s ok. Not everyone is a collector. Sometimes people just want to be entertained and read a good story, check out some cool art, or ideally, see the melding of great writing and great art in this great medium we all love, comic books.

We ask a simple favor, new and old customers alike. Seek out a local comic shop that has a digital store front. By going directly via the publishers app or a third party app such as comixology it cuts out the local shops that help support the industry. Granted, not every digital or web comic is available from these digital store fronts. Perhaps some of the apps that are currently excluding the local comic shops will decide to partner with them to help grow the entire audience rather than focus on one specific segment.

Is this selfish? Yes. However, there is a benefit to everyone for supporting the local shops. We do more than just provide comic books. We also are a gathering place for gaming such as Heroclix, Dungeons and Dragons, Pokemon, Magic the Gathering, and many, many more. We are also providers of revenue to the cities, counties and states where we reside and do business. Eliminating us eliminates a revenue stream to support local services such as police, fire and paramedic services. If we go away, costs get divided among the remaining community members. We also provide jobs for the local community.

Something else to consider; do you enjoy the opportunity to meet creators in a more intimate setting than a crowded convention? The online stores are certainly not going to be hosting appearances/signings due to the lack of a physical location. How great is it to be able to come in and meeting in person a creator? The shop would most likely have hard copies of materials that you can get signed. Not a lot of signed digital copies out there in the world. For collectors out there, how collectible are digital books?

Don’t misunderstand, we fully support digital comics and we are glad for their availability to fans and potential fans. Not everyone wants to spend $40 for that back issue so they can enjoy the story. That would represent a serious investment of funds not everyone is positioned or inclined to make, ever. 

Bottom line, if you prefer your comics digital, or perhaps looking for some classics at a lower cost to you, please consider our digital storefront or that of a local shop near you. Another awesome feature of these store fronts is that there are many free, yes free, comics to try out so you can test out material you might normally not consider.

By no means means is this the complete argument but some quick thoughts for consideration on this matter. So please, do it! Go explore this new frontier and help support this industry we all love.

Thank you.