Know who you're Reading
Informal Blogging vs. Journalism
Recent columns have changed from informal opinion pieces to those more grounded in research and news reporting. Writers document vendors that impact the hobby. A lot of time and effort is put into researching the subjects, but that does not mean a writer is endorsing someone. Articles are written to report on news readers can (but not must) use. The columns are written as guides to make readers aware of things that they may not know about but that is all.
Reporting but a Starting Point
Readers should investigate the vendors and places listed on their own. A good place to start is to ask questions of the writers. Comments are usually answered in a timely fashion to get further insight into the pieces. Some articles may have been researched for weeks while others are just reporting on something heard and quickly investigated. In the end, the best way to find out how to proceed is through the reader's own investigation. Remember, each person's experiences are different so it is best to decide for oneself how to move forward. For example...
Not A Comic Auction house but...
Hidden Auction Houses
Mcconnell Real Estate, Inc in Paris, Kentucky is not a regular seller of comic books. Their staff said as much to this writer. That did not prevent them from finding a comic collection that had several nice books in it. The raw books had several nice pictures to allow for a pre-bid visual inspection of the items.
Bidding was below prices one would expect to pay because most probably never even bother to look at this auction house for books. Those that did find this auction saw a nice Four Color Comics #596 (1st Turok) up for auction as well as DC Comic Bronze Age horror keys.
Auction Details
The auction said no shipping, but that must have meant no in-house shipping. They outsource shipping to the Mailroom in Lexington. This company was quite experienced with shipping collectibles as they deal with several nearby auction houses. The staff was very courteous in meeting the client's needs. They kept the costs down, but for special books, they understood that safe shipping was a little more important than costs.
You Deserve to Know
Auction houses like these sometimes produce books for sale that do not regularly come up for auction on the more well-known sites. Furthermore, the prices one pays are below market because of a lack of awareness among fans. The key is to get as many pictures as possible and to set one's sites lower than among those other auction houses. That way, you can prepare for the worst but hope for the best. In our sample, we got the best!
The Pros of Comic Cons
Comic Cons are market segments that are often ignored. They also are sources of entertainment for fans. Many of the press that attend these events usually fall into two segments. Some are from major outlets that cover the event, but whose viewers/readers truly interested in comics and collectibles are a small fraction of their audiences. Others have fans who are truly interested, but the coverage team takes their duties as minor compared to being a fanboy guest.
Respecting Fans
Many cons experience problems, but two cons in Michigan were observed that went out of their way to fix them. In 2022, the Motor City Comic Con had some last-minute celebrity cancellations. That is normal, as re-shoots and injuries to some guests can occur. Plans were implemented to bring additional guests to fill in for these cancellations by the MC3 team.
Early-day conversations with the support staff also revealed how providing the best logistical presentation was important as well. Improvements were constantly being made to enhance the guest experience. Many cons have problems, but the good ones are those that can overcome them to give fans a great experience.
I Call Re-Do
The hosts for Astronomicon in Michigan are taking dedication to the fan's experience one step further. Kevin Smith and Jason Lee had to cancel attending Astronomicon 6 because of a massive snowstorm that hit most of the country. Both actors tried to take alternate flights to get to the con with no success. The hosts knew fans were upset, so they said 'let's try for a re-do'. Fans still had a great experience at the con despite the weather, but the promoters felt that was still not good enough.
Astronomicon 6.5 will be on June 24 and 25. This is only a few months after their last con. Treating customers well is always a good idea. All people involved with collectibles should follow the leads of these two and treat consumers like the precious commodities they are in today's economy.
Cracks in the MCU
Marvel Makes a Move
Mention the name Victoria Alonso and people will say, 'Who?' Victoria was a long-time associate of Kevin Feige who was the ultimate person in charge of special effects. Many thought that Feige's team would be left alone, but recently she was let go. The move was said to blindside Kevin Feige.
Disney had its former CEO come back in an attempt to re-create the magic that once made Disney THE player when it came to the silver screen and streaming services. Even with her past successes, Victoria Alonso was now deemed expendable.
But Why Now?
Marvel has seen an increase in demand for films and television projects. This left special effects professionals to complain about the lack of direction of character elements as well as the time to get things done. A visual effect artist told Variety “The show I was on really struggled because it was an established character whose powers they were reconceiving for the MCU,” the artist said on the condition of anonymity. Most complaints, they said, came down to one refrain: “Marvel doesn’t figure shit out beforehand.” Fans were less than happy with those post-production results as well.
Comics Impacted
The failure of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is but a continuing trend of disappointments for fans. She-Hulk was supposed to be well received but was again panned by fans. Fans laughed at the story rather than as a result of the story. Other projects are being pushed back in a strategic move that might be for post-production improvements. This has led comic book fans to scramble.
Movie and television tie-ins saw increases in prices that were as predictable as the sun rising. Now fans are not as "in" on these books as they were in the past. What is worse is that many of those fans are now not as interested in comics.
Comic Book Migrations
Talking to consumers about what they are chasing has changed. In the past, fans had predictable targets. Novices to the most veteran knew what to get. Fans seem lost. Retailers say they are still targeting MCU books but not with the same zeal. What is worse is that the DC Comic film and tv tie-ins are not seeing an increase in demand either. The confusion with the DCEU and Gunn productions has put a damper on those featured characters.
Future Vision
Comic book targets are now all over the place. Rather than "aim small, miss small," buyers are increasing the range of selection for their books. Quality trumps announced projects. This means that now, more than ever, buyers and sellers must be on top of their game. The MCU made choosing a book easy but now not so much.
Reviewing the hot books in each age reveals that tried and true keys are now the name of the game. The question is, for how long? James Gunn is the wild card to the future of comics.
