This week, Viz sent around a press release saying that they had an “exclusive” arrangement with Borders, Waldenbooks, and Hot Topic to sell Bleach accessories—T-shirts, shoulder bags, that sort of thing. I’m going to quote Simon Jones on what happened next:
At ICv2, comic retailer Cashman’s responds to news of Viz’ mallrat-oriented exclusive promotions for Bleach with rancorous indignation and threats, which causes Journalista to furl an incredulous eyebrow and open a can of whoopass on the Johnny-come-lately DM and blame-everything-but-our-own-myopia retailers everywhere.
I just can’t compete with writing like that. Cigarette, anyone?
“Cashman” is John Cashman of Cashman’s Comics in Bay City, Michigan. Don’t stop in there for the latest volume of Eyeshield 21:
Thanks for nothing, Viz. I will encourage my patrons and libraries that I work with to buy more Tokyopop titles.
So Journalista’s Dirk Deppey headed off to Cashman’s website in search of that manga he supports and came up with nothing. He concluded:
From day one, the vast majority of comics shops in the Direct Market treated manga publishers the same way they’ve always treated any other publisher selling material not prominently featuring Batman and Wolverine: They either stocked a small representative selection or ignored said publisher completely. Viz is dealing with the retail outlets that made the manga industry what it is today, and the Direct Market isn’t it. For that matter, given the way most comics shops still serve as otaku repellent to this day, I doubt that Viz Media is exactly quaking in its collective corporate boots.
Johanna agrees with Dirk.
It’s worthwhile to note that there are comics retailers who take manga seriously and do a good job with it. Others are simply small stores with limited space who choose to specialize in a particular genre. Nothing wrong with that, but don’t expect special treatment. And it wouldn’t hurt to not make a new customer feel like a freak if she blunders in and asks for something outside the canon.
“And it wouldn’t hurt to not make a new customer feel like a freak if she blunders in and asks for something outside the canon.”
That’s the key, isn’t it? The shop I use isn’t able to have the most comprehensive selection in the world, but they’re dogged about special ordering anything you want. It’s not a browser’s dream, but they compensate with service.
Do I sound a little cranky about that? I read a wide range of comics until I was in my mid-20s, when I got fed up with the attitude at my local comics store, where my boyfriend was welcome and I, quite clearly, was not. I had a flashback in August when I stopped by my LCS to see if they had the new Fruits Basket, and they had never heard of it. Nor were they anxious to help me get it. Comics are the only retail sector I can think of where the chains treat you better than the small, local stores.
Oh, I think your crankiness is totally justified. Nothing makes me write off a comic shop faster than an unwillingness to special order something they don’t have in stock, particularly when they don’t even indicate any curiosity in it. Though seriously, nothing I’ve ever experienced can match your Fruits Basket anecdote.
One thing that I find striking about this story is that the comic shops I visit that stock a wide variety of comics, giving at least some due support to manga don’t carry a lot of related merchandise. It doesn’t sound like the exclusive merchandise is stuff that’ll greatly hurt the stores I’m thinking of — not like the controversial B&N exclusives Marvel and Dark Horse did, which directly competed with comic shops.
I think I’m saddened at Canada being left off of the list of access to exclusives again. Do big publishers think we don’t buy enough up here or something? Do they think Canadians don’t want Bleach merchandise?
I go to two great comic stores, btw. One heavily focused on manga, anime and gaming, the other on comics with bits of manga and anime as space permits. They’re always willing to get stuff in, though.