Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Feb 25, 2015 10:34:35 GMT -6
Glenn Brewer has owned Rock Bottom Comics in Columbia, Missouri, since 1973, making it the state’s second-oldest comic shop; Distant Planet just opened this year. The owners, staff and customers of both stores talk about their contrasting philosophies and business models, and what it takes to succeed in comics retailing.
www.columbiatribune.com/business/saturday_business/local-comic-stores-slinging-issues-collectibles-to-eager-fans/article_1bfe0bb4-ec93-5b96-a9cd-67455aa87f2f.html#image_1
Glenn Brewer is not a vigilante. He does not have adamantium claws or the ability to manipulate time. And as far as capes go, his wardrobe is significantly lacking.
But to countless comic book enthusiasts, Brewer has been the source of amazing adventures for more than 40 years.
Since opening Rock Bottom Comics in 1973, Brewer’s personal interest in comics has started to fade. He still reads them every so often but no longer has specific favorites.
Rock Bottom Comics is Missouri’s second-oldest operating comic book store, bested only by Clint’s Comic Books in Kansas City. The store initially was known as Rock Bottom Books and Comics — named for the low prices they charged — but gradually shifted from a mix of paperbacks and comic books to solely comics over the years. Its current space at 1013 E. Walnut St. is the seventh downtown Columbia location Rock Bottom has called home.
Regularly being around friends and customers is what Brewer said he loves most about owning a comic book store. His business model is based on treating customers well because he said that’s how he will continue to be profitable.
“Customers are never to walk out feeling that we didn’t do everything we could to get them what they wanted,” Brewer said.
For an industry packed with larger-than-life heroes and villains, Brewer said there are no superhuman tricks to running a successful business.
“I had a girlfriend 17 years ago that asked me if I had a business strategy,” Brewer said. “And I said, ‘Yeah I do. My strategy is to make a buck.’ ”
It’s nothing more than strong customer service that keeps Rock Bottom humming along. Through several decades of running a comic shop, Brewer said he has not noticed any dramatic shift in the type of customers who come in. The one minor difference he has noticed is the average age of his clientele, which he said has risen from 20 to 26.
A large portion of the comic book store’s customers are students at the University of Missouri, he said, but the store also draws its fair share of graduate students, professors, doctors and lawyers.
“I get multiple doctors and multiple lawyers,” Brewer said. “And it’s been that way forever. From day one, when I had 40 customers, I’ve always had at least one doctor and lawyer.”
THE ETERNAL STRUGGLE
Competition is inevitable in business and, frequently, business owners say they like it because it keeps them on their toes.
Brewer said there has always been at least one local adversary for most of Rock Bottom Comics’ existence. He has a straightforward belief about competition: “Any business does better without it.”
James Cagle, manager of the store and co-owner as of this year, has been with Rock Bottom since 1987. Cagle said it is encouraging to see other comic book stores open, calling it a testament to an industry that is otherwise spectacularly steady.
“Other people are looking at what we do and saying, ‘You know, I think the pie is big enough now that there’s another slice,’ ” Cagle said.
The simple fact is there are not many places to buy comic books in Columbia. Other area comic purveyors include Slackers at 1010 E. Broadway and Distant Planet Comics and Collectibles at 601 Business Loop 70 W., Suite 263.
Distant Planet opened Feb. 3 of this year and offers a fairly even distribution of comics and collectibles, including action figures, decorative tins and coffee mugs. The plan for Distant Planet started about two years ago, co-owner Brandy Cross said.
“We started to become very unsatisfied with the offering in Columbia as far as comics and collectibles,” Cross said. “We were like, ‘You know, this sucks. I’m tired of buying everything online.’ ”
Distant Planet is operated by Cross, her husband, Gabriel Halicks, and Alfonzo Lawhorn, a friend and former assistant of hers. Cross graduated with two business degrees, so she said devising plans for the store was not a problem. After crunching some numbers and talking to fellow comic enthusiasts, they felt Columbia was ready for their store.
Community involvement is a main focal point for Distant Planet Comics moving forward. The owners plan to collaborate with some of Columbia’s local bands and artists by decorating the top portion of the store’s walls with their work. In doing so, Cross said they want to be viewed as a great place to buy gifts for that nerdy someone in your life.
It has only been two weeks of regular business for Distant Planet, but Cross has been satisfied so far. She said comics are a steady stream that takes time to build, but the store already has signed up a few customers for weekly and monthly orders of comics.
Collectibles are particularly of interest to Cross, with hopes that sales of the themed merchandise will continue to grow over time.
“Collectibles took until the second week to really take off because people would come in and see them, think about it for a few days and decide they have to have it,” Cross said.
Cross described Rock Bottom as an old-school comic book store with few collectibles, saying Distant Planet takes a different, more mainstream approach to the business.
“There is some competition, but I don’t see it being much of a problem,” Cross said. “Columbia is a lot bigger than people realize.”
Cross said Distant Planet is taking a wide look at operations and is trying to target everyone in the city, while Rock Bottom already has a loyal base of customers.
“They have their core customers and we probably will not even catch their attention,” Cross said.
Bob Riddle is one of Rock Bottom’s core customers. He went to the store after hours to help Cagle and Brewer sort through new releases when their new shipment came in.
Riddle used to collect comics about 20 years ago, he said, but restarted his collection within the past year. He calls Rock Bottom his “Cheers” because he can walk in at any time and spend hours talking with the employees.
Riddle said he has made friends at the store and described the atmosphere as great.
“There’s no competition from a customer’s point of view,” Riddle said. “Granted,” Distant Planet is “brand new, but this will always be my comic shop.”
While comics are not a major point of emphasis, Slackers also sells a select number of series. Ted Sharp, a manager at the Columbia store, said comic sales have increased steadily since they started carrying them. He said the Columbia location is among the top when compared to other Slackers locations in Missouri and Illinois.
“We just try to sell as many as we can and try to keep our shelves stocked with a variety of new releases,” Sharp said.
BREAKING STEREOTYPES
The strategy for Distant Planet is to “break all the stereotypes of a comic book store,” Cross said. She described the business as a “no judgment” comic book store that tries to cater to women and children.
Women account for 50 percent of comic book readers, Cross said, but they often feel uncomfortable in traditional comic book stores. Attracting female shoppers to Distant Planet was always part of Cross’ business plan and she already has heard customers enjoy the fact a woman co-owns the store.
Rock Bottom staff also are working to ensure their store is not intimidating for women, Cagle said, with hopes of chasing away the “boy’s club image” that permeates the industry.
Both stores also are making a push to draw in a younger audience of budding comic enthusiasts. Distant Planet has clearly separated its adult-oriented comics like “Sin City” and “The Walking Dead” from more child-targeted comics like “Teen Titans Go!” and “Marvel Adventures.”
“Children often don’t have an area that’s safe for them to browse their own comic books,” Cross said. “Let’s be honest, some comic books are not appropriate for children.”
Distant Planet Comics hopes to alleviate this problem by creating a separate children’s comic section in the future.
Cagle said Free Comic Book Day, which is held the first Saturday of every May, is typically a great chance to bring both young and old fans into the store. The worldwide celebration falls on May 2 this year, one day after “Avengers: Age of Ultron” — featuring Marvel icons Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and the Hulk — hits theaters. Cagle suspects the movie will spike interest levels in all things superhero. The event typically creates a line of customers stretching out of Rock Bottom Comics’ front door and down the sidewalk, which Cagle said likely will be even longer this time.
Last year, Cagle said two toddlers who could hardly walk waited in line and purchased their first comic books ever. Cagle was so pleased to be part of that milestone that he had his picture taken with the children. He said that is one reason Free Comic Book Day is “super cool.”
www.columbiatribune.com/business/saturday_business/local-comic-stores-slinging-issues-collectibles-to-eager-fans/article_1bfe0bb4-ec93-5b96-a9cd-67455aa87f2f.html#image_1
Glenn Brewer is not a vigilante. He does not have adamantium claws or the ability to manipulate time. And as far as capes go, his wardrobe is significantly lacking.
But to countless comic book enthusiasts, Brewer has been the source of amazing adventures for more than 40 years.
Since opening Rock Bottom Comics in 1973, Brewer’s personal interest in comics has started to fade. He still reads them every so often but no longer has specific favorites.
Rock Bottom Comics is Missouri’s second-oldest operating comic book store, bested only by Clint’s Comic Books in Kansas City. The store initially was known as Rock Bottom Books and Comics — named for the low prices they charged — but gradually shifted from a mix of paperbacks and comic books to solely comics over the years. Its current space at 1013 E. Walnut St. is the seventh downtown Columbia location Rock Bottom has called home.
Regularly being around friends and customers is what Brewer said he loves most about owning a comic book store. His business model is based on treating customers well because he said that’s how he will continue to be profitable.
“Customers are never to walk out feeling that we didn’t do everything we could to get them what they wanted,” Brewer said.
For an industry packed with larger-than-life heroes and villains, Brewer said there are no superhuman tricks to running a successful business.
“I had a girlfriend 17 years ago that asked me if I had a business strategy,” Brewer said. “And I said, ‘Yeah I do. My strategy is to make a buck.’ ”
It’s nothing more than strong customer service that keeps Rock Bottom humming along. Through several decades of running a comic shop, Brewer said he has not noticed any dramatic shift in the type of customers who come in. The one minor difference he has noticed is the average age of his clientele, which he said has risen from 20 to 26.
A large portion of the comic book store’s customers are students at the University of Missouri, he said, but the store also draws its fair share of graduate students, professors, doctors and lawyers.
“I get multiple doctors and multiple lawyers,” Brewer said. “And it’s been that way forever. From day one, when I had 40 customers, I’ve always had at least one doctor and lawyer.”
THE ETERNAL STRUGGLE
Competition is inevitable in business and, frequently, business owners say they like it because it keeps them on their toes.
Brewer said there has always been at least one local adversary for most of Rock Bottom Comics’ existence. He has a straightforward belief about competition: “Any business does better without it.”
James Cagle, manager of the store and co-owner as of this year, has been with Rock Bottom since 1987. Cagle said it is encouraging to see other comic book stores open, calling it a testament to an industry that is otherwise spectacularly steady.
“Other people are looking at what we do and saying, ‘You know, I think the pie is big enough now that there’s another slice,’ ” Cagle said.
The simple fact is there are not many places to buy comic books in Columbia. Other area comic purveyors include Slackers at 1010 E. Broadway and Distant Planet Comics and Collectibles at 601 Business Loop 70 W., Suite 263.
Distant Planet opened Feb. 3 of this year and offers a fairly even distribution of comics and collectibles, including action figures, decorative tins and coffee mugs. The plan for Distant Planet started about two years ago, co-owner Brandy Cross said.
“We started to become very unsatisfied with the offering in Columbia as far as comics and collectibles,” Cross said. “We were like, ‘You know, this sucks. I’m tired of buying everything online.’ ”
Distant Planet is operated by Cross, her husband, Gabriel Halicks, and Alfonzo Lawhorn, a friend and former assistant of hers. Cross graduated with two business degrees, so she said devising plans for the store was not a problem. After crunching some numbers and talking to fellow comic enthusiasts, they felt Columbia was ready for their store.
Community involvement is a main focal point for Distant Planet Comics moving forward. The owners plan to collaborate with some of Columbia’s local bands and artists by decorating the top portion of the store’s walls with their work. In doing so, Cross said they want to be viewed as a great place to buy gifts for that nerdy someone in your life.
It has only been two weeks of regular business for Distant Planet, but Cross has been satisfied so far. She said comics are a steady stream that takes time to build, but the store already has signed up a few customers for weekly and monthly orders of comics.
Collectibles are particularly of interest to Cross, with hopes that sales of the themed merchandise will continue to grow over time.
“Collectibles took until the second week to really take off because people would come in and see them, think about it for a few days and decide they have to have it,” Cross said.
Cross described Rock Bottom as an old-school comic book store with few collectibles, saying Distant Planet takes a different, more mainstream approach to the business.
“There is some competition, but I don’t see it being much of a problem,” Cross said. “Columbia is a lot bigger than people realize.”
Cross said Distant Planet is taking a wide look at operations and is trying to target everyone in the city, while Rock Bottom already has a loyal base of customers.
“They have their core customers and we probably will not even catch their attention,” Cross said.
Bob Riddle is one of Rock Bottom’s core customers. He went to the store after hours to help Cagle and Brewer sort through new releases when their new shipment came in.
Riddle used to collect comics about 20 years ago, he said, but restarted his collection within the past year. He calls Rock Bottom his “Cheers” because he can walk in at any time and spend hours talking with the employees.
Riddle said he has made friends at the store and described the atmosphere as great.
“There’s no competition from a customer’s point of view,” Riddle said. “Granted,” Distant Planet is “brand new, but this will always be my comic shop.”
While comics are not a major point of emphasis, Slackers also sells a select number of series. Ted Sharp, a manager at the Columbia store, said comic sales have increased steadily since they started carrying them. He said the Columbia location is among the top when compared to other Slackers locations in Missouri and Illinois.
“We just try to sell as many as we can and try to keep our shelves stocked with a variety of new releases,” Sharp said.
BREAKING STEREOTYPES
The strategy for Distant Planet is to “break all the stereotypes of a comic book store,” Cross said. She described the business as a “no judgment” comic book store that tries to cater to women and children.
Women account for 50 percent of comic book readers, Cross said, but they often feel uncomfortable in traditional comic book stores. Attracting female shoppers to Distant Planet was always part of Cross’ business plan and she already has heard customers enjoy the fact a woman co-owns the store.
Rock Bottom staff also are working to ensure their store is not intimidating for women, Cagle said, with hopes of chasing away the “boy’s club image” that permeates the industry.
Both stores also are making a push to draw in a younger audience of budding comic enthusiasts. Distant Planet has clearly separated its adult-oriented comics like “Sin City” and “The Walking Dead” from more child-targeted comics like “Teen Titans Go!” and “Marvel Adventures.”
“Children often don’t have an area that’s safe for them to browse their own comic books,” Cross said. “Let’s be honest, some comic books are not appropriate for children.”
Distant Planet Comics hopes to alleviate this problem by creating a separate children’s comic section in the future.
Cagle said Free Comic Book Day, which is held the first Saturday of every May, is typically a great chance to bring both young and old fans into the store. The worldwide celebration falls on May 2 this year, one day after “Avengers: Age of Ultron” — featuring Marvel icons Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and the Hulk — hits theaters. Cagle suspects the movie will spike interest levels in all things superhero. The event typically creates a line of customers stretching out of Rock Bottom Comics’ front door and down the sidewalk, which Cagle said likely will be even longer this time.
Last year, Cagle said two toddlers who could hardly walk waited in line and purchased their first comic books ever. Cagle was so pleased to be part of that milestone that he had his picture taken with the children. He said that is one reason Free Comic Book Day is “super cool.”