Free comics for A's

[Hado]

Talking with the owner of my LCS he was telling me about a program they run in the summer for kids. Bring in your kids report cards and they get a free book for every A grade they get. Not such a smart cookie, that's o.k. they'll give you a free book for every improved grade as well. Seems like a sweet program, wish it was around when I was a tyke.

[VintageComics]

Talking with the owner of my LCS he was telling me about a program they run in the summer for kids. Bring in your kids report cards and they get a free book for every A grade they get. Not such a smart cookie, that's o.k. they'll give you a free book for every improved grade as well. Seems like a sweet program, wish it was around when I was a tyke.

 

You're talking about Walt at Big B Comics.

 

(thumbs u

[Hado]

(I used owner too literally, just the proprieter of its sister store here in Barrie) but yes (thumbs u

[Dr. Balls]

Awesome idea.

[shrunkenhead]

That is great. Can they pick an SA key?

[zosocane]

Great idea, but maybe out of time?

 

Yesterday I went to the LCS. I had my 7-year-old son and his best friend with him. Both wanted to wait in the car with my wife to play their DS video games and had no interest in going in to pick out a few comics. I told the owner of the LCS and he said it's a very familiar story these days, and that few of his customers are under 18.

[VintageComics]

Great idea, but maybe out of time?

 

Yesterday I went to the LCS. I had my 7-year-old son and his best friend with him. Both wanted to wait in the car with my wife to play their DS video games and had no interest in going in to pick out a few comics. I told the owner of the LCS and he said it's a very familiar story these days, and that few of his customers are under 18.

 

Children for the most part are comfortable with what they are exposed to. Not all kids are natural readers but more exposure to reading will make more kids readers. It's a brilliant, win-win idea and one that many comic shops could employ.

[comicwiz]

I consider this program to have excellent intentions. But overall, I'd score it a C and here's why.

 

During the Kempenfest, I had several parents visit my tent which had roughly 15 long boxes of comics, 98% of which were comics produced during the time the comics code (CCA) was still rating the content, stories and artwork.

 

Their major complaint about the program was that when they went into the store to pick-up "kid-friendly"comics, it took time to figure out which books were appropriate as they were mixed in with post CCA approved material. It wasn't until I explained what the CCA stamp meant, that they even knew about any rating system. They had absolutely zero interest in buying any new comics as they deemed them both to be "expensive" and "inappropriate" for their kids.

 

So while introducing comics to their kids was a well-intentioned initiative, especially when it's meant to reward kids for being academically inclined, the kids parents didn't seem that comfortable in making that transition to buying comics mostly due to the lack of back-issue selection offered by the store.

 

The retailing model of the Barrie area as a whole is stuck on the comics as a "collectible" versus comics for reading, so in order for this program to maintain any readership value, it needs to stock more CCA approved comics in the $2-$3 range.

 

I have since began redirecting parents to a store in Georgian Mall that is selling mostly kid-friendly comics which are CCA approved.

[dupont2005]

Talking with the owner of my LCS he was telling me about a program they run in the summer for kids. Bring in your kids report cards and they get a free book for every A grade they get. Not such a smart cookie, that's o.k. they'll give you a free book for every improved grade as well. Seems like a sweet program, wish it was around when I was a tyke.

That's awesome

[zosocane]

The retailing model of the Barrie area as a whole is stuck on the comics as a "collectible" versus comics for reading, so in order for this program to maintain any readership value, it needs to stock more CCA approved comics in the $2-$3 range.

 

I have since began redirecting parents to a store in Georgian Mall that is selling mostly kid-friendly comics which are CCA approved.

 

Interesting. In my opinion, if the medium (comic books) is to be enjoyed by the youngest generation of readers, publishers need to go back to their roots and produce affordable comics ($1.99 tops -- go back to pulp for crying out loud) that are CCA-approved with easy-to-follow yet creative stories (not the new stuff we're seeing that's hard for adults to follow some times). Otherwise, it will be more of, "nah, we'll stay in the car."

[comicwiz]

The retailing model of the Barrie area as a whole is stuck on the comics as a "collectible" versus comics for reading, so in order for this program to maintain any readership value, it needs to stock more CCA approved comics in the $2-$3 range.

 

I have since began redirecting parents to a store in Georgian Mall that is selling mostly kid-friendly comics which are CCA approved.

 

Interesting. In my opinion, if the medium (comic books) is to be enjoyed by the youngest generation of readers, publishers need to go back to their roots and produce affordable comics ($1.99 tops -- go back to pulp for crying out loud) that are CCA-approved with easy-to-follow yet creative stories (not the new stuff we're seeing that's hard for adults to follow some times). Otherwise, it will be more of, "nah, we'll stay in the car."

 

It can be done with a repurposing model of back-issue comics, but the intention of the retailer offering such a program has to embrace the idea that a Bronze-Age or Copper Age comic is better off in the hands of a young reader rather than sitting in their back-issue bin with a sticker price of $10-$15. The thing that is so off-putting is that most of the books being acquired as "overstock" at the bulk rate of 10-50 cents could easily move on a volume model if priced at $2-$3. It can totally be made to work. The question is whether the intention is to get kids hooked on comics for reading or to become "collectible" drones.

[ChrisInBaltimore]

Great idea, but maybe out of time?

 

Yesterday I went to the LCS. I had my 7-year-old son and his best friend with him. Both wanted to wait in the car with my wife to play their DS video games and had no interest in going in to pick out a few comics. I told the owner of the LCS and he said it's a very familiar story these days, and that few of his customers are under 18.

 

Its just different strokes for different folks though. My daughter is 7 and loves her DS. If I suggest going to the comic store she is ecstatic and can't wait to go in and pick out a book if there isn't already a Simpsons book in my box for her.

 

I see kids in the store all the time, but usually they are buying a game of some kind.

 

And she'd love a program like this. Only issue is the public schools don't give A, B, C type grades in my area until children are in 3rd grade.

[Iceman399]

Talking with the owner of my LCS he was telling me about a program they run in the summer for kids. Bring in your kids report cards and they get a free book for every A grade they get. Not such a smart cookie, that's o.k. they'll give you a free book for every improved grade as well. Seems like a sweet program, wish it was around when I was a tyke.

 

You're talking about Walt at Big B Comics.

 

(thumbs u

 

Yea for Big B's.

[Hado]

There sure are alot of people here from southern Ontario

[Ant-Man]

I believe Graham Cracker has a similar program out of their $0.50 boxes.

[Beige]

What a great gesture!

 

Knowing our LCS they would give away copies of "Crossed"......

[Hado]

Ewwww

[slowdowntubby]

The retailing model of the Barrie area as a whole is stuck on the comics as a "collectible" versus comics for reading, so in order for this program to maintain any readership value, it needs to stock more CCA approved comics in the $2-$3 range.

 

I have since began redirecting parents to a store in Georgian Mall that is selling mostly kid-friendly comics which are CCA approved.

 

Interesting. In my opinion, if the medium (comic books) is to be enjoyed by the youngest generation of readers, publishers need to go back to their roots and produce affordable comics ($1.99 tops -- go back to pulp for crying out loud) that are CCA-approved with easy-to-follow yet creative stories (not the new stuff we're seeing that's hard for adults to follow some times). Otherwise, it will be more of, "nah, we'll stay in the car."

 

It can be done with a repurposing model of back-issue comics, but the intention of the retailer offering such a program has to embrace the idea that a Bronze-Age or Copper Age comic is better off in the hands of a young reader rather than sitting in their back-issue bin with a sticker price of $10-$15. The thing that is so off-putting is that most of the books being acquired as "overstock" at the bulk rate of 10-50 cents could easily move on a volume model if priced at $2-$3. It can totally be made to work. The question is whether the intention is to get kids hooked on comics for reading or to become "collectible" drones.

 

I don't normally read this forum but one of my staff pointed out this thread.

 

We are very proud of this program and the tens of thousands of comics we have given away in support of youth literacy so I want to address the misinformation so blatantly put forward here.

 

There is not a single comic in my Barrie store priced at $10-15. Literally not one. We have 20 odd bins of 80s and 90s at $1.99 and some wall books at roughly $50 and up. If anything we have identified that this store under performs as a collectible comic store ( specifically gold/ silver/bronze) due to us keeping the inventory in Hamilton. Its something I have been working to fix. Big B Barrie is truly a reader first store, if based solely on the product mix.

 

We also have a gigantic kids only section with a selection of new comics and graphic novels for children. If a parent came into my store and was unable to find a comic for their child, I would put forth that that parent didn't look very hard.

 

When the kids pick their freebie comics out of the 1.99 bins we screen every single one for appropriateness and give feedback to every parent, because each parent has a different standard. In my experience the parents appreciate this very much and we have never had a problem finding something appropriate for any child.

 

In my many years of retail, I've learned that even when giving stuff away for free people will find something to complain about. It's more frustrating when someone just makes things up to try to slag what most agree is a very generous program.

 

Marc Sims

Owner and General Manager

Big B Comics

 

 

[Marvelfangirl]

What a great gesture!

 

Knowing our LCS they would give away copies of "Crossed"......

[Hado]

The retailing model of the Barrie area as a whole is stuck on the comics as a "collectible" versus comics for reading, so in order for this program to maintain any readership value, it needs to stock more CCA approved comics in the $2-$3 range.

 

I have since began redirecting parents to a store in Georgian Mall that is selling mostly kid-friendly comics which are CCA approved.

 

Interesting. In my opinion, if the medium (comic books) is to be enjoyed by the youngest generation of readers, publishers need to go back to their roots and produce affordable comics ($1.99 tops -- go back to pulp for crying out loud) that are CCA-approved with easy-to-follow yet creative stories (not the new stuff we're seeing that's hard for adults to follow some times). Otherwise, it will be more of, "nah, we'll stay in the car."

 

It can be done with a repurposing model of back-issue comics, but the intention of the retailer offering such a program has to embrace the idea that a Bronze-Age or Copper Age comic is better off in the hands of a young reader rather than sitting in their back-issue bin with a sticker price of $10-$15. The thing that is so off-putting is that most of the books being acquired as "overstock" at the bulk rate of 10-50 cents could easily move on a volume model if priced at $2-$3. It can totally be made to work. The question is whether the intention is to get kids hooked on comics for reading or to become "collectible" drones.

 

I don't normally read this forum but one of my staff pointed out this thread.

 

We are very proud of this program and the tens of thousands of comics we have given away in support of youth literacy so I want to address the misinformation so blatantly put forward here.

 

There is not a single comic in my Barrie store priced at $10-15. Literally not one. We have 20 odd bins of 80s and 90s at $1.99 and some wall books at roughly $50 and up. If anything we have identified that this store under performs as a collectible comic store ( specifically gold/ silver/bronze) due to us keeping the inventory in Hamilton. Its something I have been working to fix. Big B Barrie is truly a reader first store, if based solely on the product mix.

 

We also have a gigantic kids only section with a selection of new comics and graphic novels for children. If a parent came into my store and was unable to find a comic for their child, I would put forth that that parent didn't look very hard.

 

When the kids pick their freebie comics out of the 1.99 bins we screen every single one for appropriateness and give feedback to every parent, because each parent has a different standard. In my experience the parents appreciate this very much and we have never had a problem finding something appropriate for any child.

 

In my many years of retail, I've learned that even when giving stuff away for free people will find something to complain about. It's more frustrating when someone just makes things up to try to slag what most agree is a very generous program.

 

Marc Sims

Owner and General Manager

Big B Comics

 

I agree, the whole reason I posted this was because I think it's a worthwhile program that helps young people, not just in the hobby, but it's something to strive for.

Keep up the good work Marc