I want to A your Qs.

§ October 2nd, 2015 § Filed under question time § 53 Comments

Well, I just spent a lot of time writing a post that, ultimately, I decided I should let sit on the stove a bit more before I serve it up, which leaves me with nuthin’ for today. Thus I’m going to depend on you folks for content, and it’s been about a year since I did this last, so…QUESTION TIME!

Once again I open the floor to your questions, which you can place in the comments section to this very post here. JUST ONE QUESTION PER PERSON, PLEASE: I don’t have the blogging time like I used to, and I’d like to finish answering everyone’s questions before the end of the year. I’ll try to answer every serious question seriously, but if you give a silly question or you’re just trying to troll me for some reason, well, there’s no telling what I might do. I’M A BAD BLOGGER ON THE EDGE. I reserve the right to not answer a particular question if it’s too personal or may cause more trouble than it’s worth.

Anyway, please leave your questions in the comments. I know the trend right now is away from allowing commenting from users, but by and large my readers have always had good and interesting things to say, and I have always been grateful for it. I like getting comments, and I read them all, and I would like to encourage especially you folks who’ve been reading my site and have yet to chime in. If you have a question, please, feel free to speak up. I’d love to hear from you.

53 Responses to “I want to A your Qs.”

  • bkmunn says:

    Do you have any Halloween costume recommendations?

  • Smicha1 says:

    What are the qualities of a great kids comic(for simplicity’s sake, let’s say ages 7-12)? What are some past and present examples you would use as really solid books appropriate for the younger ones?

  • What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding?

    Oh, and how much would you love a serious horror book of Marvels magic side (Man-thing, Doctor Strange, Son of Satan, Ghost Rider, et al)?

  • Sorry.
    I know you said ONE question, but the second one was rhetorical;
    I KNOW you’d love a book like that.

  • Dave Carter says:

    What calculations go into your decisions on how to order DC’s open-to-order variant covers for your store, and will there be any change in how your order December’s polybagged variants?

  • Corey says:

    On a scale of 1 to 10, how happy are you that DC didn’t bring back those stupid 3D covers this past September?

  • Sean says:

    What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned about the funny book business since you took on the additional mantle of store owner?

  • swamp mark says:

    what does the word “trolling” mean exactly and why is it a bad thing? personally I’ve always loved trolls and wish Tolkien had written a book about their culture. or is it a fishing term?

  • G23 says:

    Now that you’re a comic book store owner instead of a manager, what one new task occupies your time the most now that you didn’t have to do when you were a manager?

  • David Oakes says:

    Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would change?

  • Thelonious_Nick says:

    Weird industry type of question. It seems like there a ton of new comic companies lately, each with their own lines of comics. Are we approaching (or have we passed) oversaturation? Is this another bubble? And if a shakeout comes, will we be back to just Marvel and DC and a few minnows, or will the industry look different, like maybe Image or IDW will become a third big player?

  • Rob S. says:

    If there were a new Swamp Thing movie in the works, who would you like to see direct it?

  • Mike Loughlin says:

    If Swamp Thing and Sluggo formed a band, what would they call it and kind of music would they play?

  • What one thing were you most unprepared for when you opened your store?

  • pell says:

    What happens after Korea?

  • Paul Di Filippo says:

    You are given a green light and unlimited budget to create a new SWAMP THING film.

    1) Who is your cast?

    2) Do you adapt a storyline from the books–if so, which one?–or do you create an original script untethered to past plotlines?

  • Steve Cameron says:

    Have you checked out any of the new Alan Moore Avatar books (Crossed +100, Providence, and even Neonomicon from a couple years back)? If yes, whaddidya think, if no, wtf?

  • Andrew says:

    If you could write the etiquette book for selling/trading comics to a store, what would you describe as your ideal interaction between you and a potential seller? Barring of course a scenario that starts with, “I have all these Swamp Thing comics I want to give you.”

  • King of the Moon says:

    How do you keep your whites so white?

  • Bookieparlor says:

    Any chance we get to see a Yummy Fur movie in 2016?

  • Erik says:

    All time favorite comic artist?

  • Allan Hoffman says:

    Are you able to get an employee to abuse, I mean help you out?

  • ScienceGiant says:

    No, seriously, why Batman Day? All your points were valid. But We could apply to same mercy moving logic and ask why doesn’t DC appeal to our better angels and sponsor Superman’s Miracle Monday? Or Wonder Woman Wednesday for that matter?

    2. Ever going to hire a Mikester protege, who will one day follow his mentor’s footsteps and leave to start his own store? Or are you steering kids clear of an ailing business?

  • Alex says:

    Does it warm your heart or give you a pleasantly startling jolt to, say, pick up your comic pile and read the latest Astro City and/or Hellboy comic and realize it’s been right around 20 years and neither has fundamentally changed?

    I mean, the storylines have progressed and stayed engaging, but it always throws me for a loop and makes me smile to realize I’m reading the same exact comic was 20 years ago and it’s coming out on a regular-ish basis, withe same exact writer/artist theme and all.its damn near sobering in a time of “6-and-out” runs on most mainstream titles,

    I’m pretty sure consistency of the greater length has disappeared from the industry beyond a few other niche titles (Like maybe Groo, Usaji Yojimbo, and some other stuff I’m surely missing right now… Bongo Simpsons comics?). To be fair I generally only pick up the Mignola-drawn Hellboy as it rings truer to me, and those issues have been more infrequent.

    I’ll close my rambling comment-following-a question with the observation that it does seem that both Busiek and Mignola seem to have acknowledged their longetivity in both titles – Busiek with the Samaritan’s reflection in a recent issue that the Fursts (Reed Richards and Ben Grimm analogues for their FF) are have been around a long time and are starting to show some age, and Mignola with the the fact that his stories are focusing on a dead character – Hellboy’s not coming back, and the adventures we do get to look in on now do have a more final and distinct tone to them, it seems.

  • Alex says:

    That got longer than I thought it would. Feel free to just say “Yes I like Astro City and Hellboy” and move on if you want to get out from under all these comment questions, Mike!

  • Roel Torres says:

    We’ve seen some changes in the status quo. Jane Foster is Thor. Sam Wilson is Captain America. Amadeus Cho is the Hulk. James Gordon is Batman. Which current superhero could benefit the most from a new creative direction?

  • CP Bahnanahs says:

    As a kid back in the 80s I’d often buy promotional posters off of my local comics shop when they were done with them. (The one announcing Camelot 3000 #12 finally coming out is a personal favorite.)
    1. Was I a sucker?
    2. Does that still go on? When I worked at a B&N people would frequently ask for our standees and other displays. Wondering if you get that too.

  • Tom W says:

    What length, creatively rather than commercially, constitutes a graphic novel rather than something that in prose would be a short story? 320 pages, ie Watchment length? 1,800 pages, ie Preacher/Sandman length? 6,000 pages, ie Cerebus length?

    Sorry, not as lighthearted as the other questions. But I’ve been wondering.

  • DavidG says:

    Do you think doing this blog helps get people to come to your store? Especially the new one?

  • Jeff R. says:

    As someone who has literally only come into a comic book store six times in the past couple years, to buy Sandman Overture, how many people like me have your stores seen?

  • Dorian says:

    Mike, where is love?

  • Bully says:

    Whither comics?

  • Hooper says:

    What current comic series provides that same thrill/enthusiasm you had when you first discovered comics? I’ve lost that loving feeling…

  • Robert in New Orleans says:

    I don’t see you comment on the newer Image comics titles much (last 4-5 years). Do you have any favorites or are they not really your cup of tea?

    Just wondering, I like some, but there are so many titles now I can’t keep up. One of my favorites is Arcudi/Harren’s Rumble.

  • Bret Sector says:

    Were Convergence and Secret Wars jumping on or jumping off points for your customers?

  • MrJM says:

    Are Twitter pals REAL pals?

    — MrJM

  • Eric L says:

    Have the new Star Wars comics brought in any new readers or are they just selling to the regular comics buying crowd?

  • FrenchGuy says:

    Is there any top-selling comic at your store that you just can’t get into ?

  • What non-event title surprised you the most in your store as selling consistently good, and which title does the opposite? Not as a comic store owner who may make or lose money by having extra copies left on the shelves. You. Mike Sterling. Which books surprised you as one of us humans you take money from on a daily basis.

  • I am resisting the urge to ask you who would win in a fight between the Oompah Loompahs and Herbie the Fat Fury because I do have a serious question. What word/words of wisdom/advice do you have for people who are either non-comics people or people who have been out of comics for decades who have a huge batch of comics they are looking to sell?

  • philfromgermany says:

    I’ll ask the same question as last year and even pester you next year if you don’t get on it:
    Have you read John Ostranders Suicide Squad yet?

    There is a movie coming exactly a year from now.
    Also thanks for the blog, I have made a habit out of reading it at work after I come back from lunch. For about 7 or years now.

  • Thom H. says:

    How do you deal with adult-oriented comics at your new store? I’m thinking Sex Criminals, Saga, Avatar horror comics, etc. Do they get bagged? Racked separately? Or just include in the regular alphabetical order I assume you use to organize books? I ask because different stores I’ve been to have them displayed in different ways, and I was just wondering what your solution to keeping them out of the hands of kiddies is.

  • ArghSims says:

    I mustache you, what is the source of the new sidebar picture labelled me1depts.jpg?

  • Brian says:

    As a long-time comics retailer (and now store owner), how much have you seen the decade’s boom in quality comics film & television affecting readership – either in newcomers or (more likely) returning readers?

  • googum says:

    The news of Omega Men’s premature cancellation-then-extension, along with some good reviews, got me to try it, then go all-in on the series. Did anyone else hop on board, or had the train already left the station?

  • Casie says:

    Was there someone before Swamp Thing?

  • John says:

    Mike,
    Did you bother to keep tracking of the multiple Swamp Thing appearances in all the Convergence series books? There sure are a bunch of tiny ones. I counted 14 (not including the Convergence ST variant covers). I’d love to know if you kept a list.
    Thanks!
    John

  • Dan says:

    There’s a new DC t-shirt I just saw at Target. All the characters appear to be Superpowers toyline era. I thought I was a DC fan but there are two characters I can’t ID: the guy between Aquaman and GA (some sort of Mexican Superfriend?) and then top right, next to Zod?

    http://www.target.com/p/men-s-dc-comics-characters-t-shirt-black/-/A-17141355?ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=17141355&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=pla_men+shopping&adgroup=tee+shirts_sc&L

  • Matthew says:

    lately, I’ve been noticing and encountering passionate/opinionated fans of comic characters that have appeared in TV and movies. They seem to get extremely worked up over continuity and staying true to their characters canon yet they typically don’t read the books.
    What kinds of interactions have you had with fans of TV/movie comic characters?

  • Adam Farrar says:

    I’ve gotten used to the unnecessary bags on issues of Miracleman but what was up with “Miracleman By Gaiman and Buckingham #3” being bagged and boarded?

  • Anthony Naylor says:

    What do you think about Bruce Timm’s team doing a DC animated Elseworld’s episode? Every episode would be a self contained Elseworld based story. On occasion they could do a 2 part story but it would all lead up to an Infinite Crisis story

  • John says:

    Mike,
    It has been a busy and exciting year for you. What do you do to unwind and when you aren’t busting your butt at your shop and working on your website?

    John

  • New question:

    Does Sterling Silver Comics only sell Silver-age comics, and whether or not that’s the case do you only accept payment in Silver coins or will sterling silver cutlery be accepted, and being if that is the case might it NOT be prudent to begun minting your own coin of the realm, in sterling silver, of course…?

    See…This is what happens when you leave us alone for too long.