Remember how I said that Monday’s announcement–that I’m now a comics retailer–was only part of the story? Here’s the rest of it:
l-r: Artie, Marc, Jason, Christy, some clown in custom Superman sneaks, Franco
Y’know who else owns a store? Franco Aureliani and Art Baltazar, a.k.a. Art and Franco, a.k.a. the Harvey- and Eisner-Award winning geniuses behind Aw Yeah Comics! (which you can get right here!), Tiny Titans, Itty Bitty Hellboy and many other fine all-ages comics series. I’ve been to their retail shop in Skokie, Aw Yeah Comics!, several times and I love it. Clean, well-stocked, well-organized, super-consumer-friendly, run brilliantly by their business partner Marc Hammond. One of the best-known and most well-respected shops in the USA. Known these guys forever, have adored them just as long. All three are on the short list of people I’d take a kryptonite bullet for.
When Jason, Christy and I opened our new Alter Ego location a few weeks ago, we asked Marc and Franco to come down for the day and give us their two cents about the way we’d set it up and the way it was run. (We asked Art, too, but one of us had to work that day.) Happily, the boys were really impressed. So much so, in fact, that they asked–quite seriously, money on the table–to invest in our store. Very flattering.
We counter-offered:
How about we make it a true partnership and invest in each others’ store?
I think Franco’s head exploded, but in a good way. Marc pointed out that, to our knowledge, no one had ever done anything quite like this before in the comics retail community. Some people are dissuaded by the phrase “no one has done this before,” of course, but to the six of us, that’s just fuel on the fire. A sizeable share of our store in exchange for an equal share of their store. A six-way partnership between some of the most prominent and vocal figures in the industry. The Image Comics of Brick-and-Mortar.
We couldn’t wait to get the papers drawn up.
We’ll still maintain our individual identities–one store isn’t being absorbed by the other–but we can pool our resources in unique ways. We can design an Aw Yeah Comics!-branded, kid-friendly “boutique” into Alter Ego that mirrors the Skokie setup. Conversely, we can build more Thrillbent promotion and outreach into the Aw Yeah Comics! storefront. We can meld print and digital in double the locations and strengthen both the stores and Thrillbent.
So now you know the rest of the story (true story!). The big news isn’t that Mark Waid now owns a comics store. It’s that Mark Waid, Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani own two comics stores…and counting.
I think that’s revolutionary. It’s pretty thrilling. Or, as Artie loves saying:
AW YEAH COMICS!
Next: Why Death-Marching Through The Monthly Order Catalogue Reinforces My Love For Digital.
So cool to see you dipping your toes into the other side of the pool, Mark Waid.
THRILLBENT/ALTER EGO + AW YEAH COMICS = the next step in comics evolution! So happy to be part of this extended family! =oD
Great news! Congrats everyone!
I think this is fantastic. Doubly so as I really love Art and Franco. Not LOVE love but … you know … you can cut that part out, Johnny. Awesome news and congratulations to all.
Very exciting news, and surely a partnership that will only elevate what’s already a great reputation for comics retailing. Congrats, all!
Wonderful news! We need more entrepreneurs like this in the comics retail business as well as more kid friendly books! Hopefully, we’ll see everyone at NYCC to talk more about this. Congratulations all!
Mark, the Muncie store is only an hour and a half away. Definitely planning a road-trip to check out what you guys have done with the place. I hope you’ve stocked up on your silver-age back issues.
I can’t express how thankful I am that someone of your stature understands the importance of both digital and print. The future potential of the digital medium should continue growing. Every article you’ve written in this space to that point has been thought provoking and informative. Thank you sir and keep up the good work.
It’s great to hear that comic shops are evolving from man-caves to family-friendly clean, well-lit places that we need to move comics and pop culture into the 21st century. We want to encourage and embrace the cosplayers, girls, and kids that are finding superheroes and sci-fi on TV and in the movies to visit comic shops as local Comicon’s open 7 days a week.
This is, without a doubt, the most excited I’ve been for comics ever. Who better to sell comics than the creators themselves? I love everything Art and Franco have done throughout their careers. From Tiny Titans and Superman Family Adventures, to the Aw Yeah Podcast/Comics/Store trifecta. They genuinely seem like great guys, and I hope you guys can achieve everything you set out to. If the past is any indication, my guess is you will be handsomely rewarded for all of your hard work!
Can’t wait to see what you guys do next, and I definitely can’t wait to give you all of my money! My only request is that you continue to do/create some awesome stuff.
Aw Yeah Alter Ego!
Hi guy!!!
You are creating what will become a “standard” for the LCS. The future is here, now. And you have made THE first step (of many to come!!).
I was surprised to not having seen this “Spirit” in the USA. It’s a common fact in France between a lot of bookshops. There is a huge number of “circle”/’community”/”partnership” which are not devouring the markets and the jobs of the other bookshops. All these bookshop are forming a true solid and strong base for the publishers, for which, it’s really more easy to know to whom to deliver their new books. These books, in a way, will also be available in the other bookshops because of these “partnerships”. And everyone is a winner: the reader, the bookshop, the publisher, the author.
So, yeah, , it’s the best forward step done in the industry of the comic books (digital and printed). It’s a lot of work, but you will be frankly and friendly rewarded from YOUR customers.
Bravo!!
Friendly yours,
The Judge