Disney’s 55th animated film Zootopia opens nationwide this weekend. While the movie has moments of spectacular animation and an energetic cast (Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman especially), it is maligned by a story that seems too interested in social commentary and not in entertaining an audience.
Zootopia boasts a perfect voice cast with the likes of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, and Idris Elba. Ginnifer Goodwin plays Zootopia’s first ever bunny police officer, Judy Hopps. She discovers breaking barriers can be an uphill climb. Although Judy cannot wait to bust her first bad guy, the police chief Bogo (Idris Elba), a surly cape buffalo, has the mindset of her being a just meter maid. Hopps exceeds expectations by writing 200 tickets before noon on her first day. However, when some of Zootpia’s residents suddenly go missing, Bogo gives Judy the green light to try and crack the case. Judy finds herself partnering up with a sneaky scam artist of a Fox, Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), as she only has 48 hours to try and crack the case or she will be forced to turn in her badge.
Zootopia visually pops off the screen thanks to the stellar production design of David Goetz. The color palette of animation was vibrant, and the architectural backdrops were whimsical and fun. Every microclimate (suburb) in Zootopia is meticulously designed to be representative of where these animals would call home and just how it would be plausible for these homes to co-exist.
Looking at the individual characters of the film, head of animation Renato dos Anjos and animation supervisors Kira Lehtomaki, Nathan Engelhardt, Jennifer Hager, and Chad Sellers all did fantastic jobs adding elements of realism to the multiple animals and buildings in Zootopia. The animators understood that Judy’s physicality would change as she went from meek rabbit, to officer in training, and finally a cop. To convey this, as the film went on they backed off just making her look so cute and adjusted the posture gradually and the tone of her voice ever so slightly to show a sense of confidence in Judy as she gained more experience as an officer. If they had not done this, then the audience would have had a hard time believing that Judy could be a cop.
The other challenge that Zootopia faced was how to make these animals realistic on screen. Disney used the same technique that they employed in Big Hero 6 and utilized the Hyperion Render. For those that may not remember, the Hyperion Renderer was first used in Big Hero 6 to help path trace the geometric complexities of how light moves into a scene, and how it bounces off objects. As light hits fur, it has a way of softening the way it looks and enhancing the richness and color of each animal. To enhance this effect, each of the animals in Zootopia has a surprising amount of hair. One mouse in Zootopia has 480,000 strands of hair, and a Giraffe has 9.2 million strands of hair. To put those numbers in context, Elsa in Frozen had 400,000 strands of hair and that one Giraffe has more hair than all the characters in Frozen combined. In a film with a variety of fur and complex building structures, using the Hyperion Render was a crucial decision that paid off with images so rich in color that you felt that animals were life like.
Where Zootopia falls off a big cliff is when the film meanders from being entertaining to making a point. Screenwriters Jared Bush and Phil Johnson attempt to craft a screenplay riddled with social commentary. At one point we have our first ever bunny cop Judy Hops instructing the desk cop (who happens to be a cheetah) that he is addressing her in an offensive manner to which the cheetah claims “he does not want to offend.” There is also a continuous story line where we are discussing that not all predators are “savages” (even though some of them are acting that way). Not to mention the fact that Officer Hopps is dealing with bunny discrimination from the other cops and a fox who’s been labeled as “sly.” There comes a point where you reach overkill and Zootopia does that at around the 20-minute mark of the film. While I understand the need for filmmakers or screenwriters to make a point but come on, this is supposed to be a family movie that’s entertaining, not some hard hitting look at society. I get it; we live in a world full of discrimination but when you spend most of the movie making that point you lose sight of what matters as well and that is being entertaining. There has to be a balance between the two sides (entertainment and societal commentary). Without balance, the film tends to drag, and a perfect example of this is Zootopia. Remember that less is more and that balance is everything in a movie.
For those of you who were expecting some visually stunning crisply relevant film that’s an anthropomorphic CG menagerie of fun will instead be treated to a visually stunning, albeit preachy film that’s an anthropomorphic CG menagerie of disappointment.
Zootopia
Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Tommy Chong, J.K. Simmons, Octavia Spencer, Shakira, Maurice LaMarsh.
Titan Comics announced Tuesday the publisher will launch an on-going series of the Showtime series, Penny Dreadful starting in May.
Penny Dreadful issue #1 is drawn by Louie De Martinis and written by show scriptwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns.
The hit TV series is presented in comics for the first time, and the covers of issue #1 have been released! This prequel reveals the terrifying events that led Vanessa to try and find her missing childhood friend, Mina Harker, and exposes the true nature of the vampiric monsters infesting Victorian London. Beautifully realized by Louie De Martinis, and written by the scriptwriters of the hit show!
Penny Dreadful #1 will be available from you local comic book store on May 5.
What if your father decided to go to college with you? That’s the question Back to School asks at the audience. Rodney Dangerfield stars as Thornton Melon, the owner of a department store chain called Tall and Fat. His son Jason has enrolled into college and is not doing too well; he’s bullied, and he hardly has anyone for support. So Thornton decides to enroll himself in school to keep a closer eye on him, but also to prove that anyone can do it.
Back to School is a very funny film, with a killer performance by Dangerfield. His character is so well written and he truly throws himself at the role, making the best out of it. Dangerfield’s persona is perfect for the role, making great use of his comedic timing and voice. In many ways, this is completely his movie and he overshadows just about everyone else, but it’s hard to complain when he’s so funny. Robert Downey Jr. stands out more as supporting character Derek, Jason’s best friend. While Jason may be something of a sad sack, Derek almost lacks any dignity, embarrassing herself and those around him. There is also a brilliant cameo by Sam Kinison as a History teacher that will have you rolling on the floor. I really wish there had been more scenes with him.
One of the movie’s greatest achievements is that it feels true to the college experience, asserting its value but also poking fun at its own greed and pretentiousness. The movie doesn’t take itself seriously, and it stays grounded for the most part, but there are a couple of zany moments that feel a bit of touch with the reality of the film and its tone, but they’re there for laughs and they hit right in that spot.
Back to School is a very funny movie that seems to go under-appreciated nowadays. It doesn’t match up with the great comedy classics of the 80s, but in its own right, it’s a great way to spend two hours.
In this week’s Episode Supergirl goes head to head with Indigo, a version of Brainiac. It’s exciting as Indigo who first appeared in the Teen Titans, makes a fitting adversary for Supergirl. Plus, it was a fun bit of casting having Smallville’s, Supergirl: Laura Vandervoot as Indigo.
WARNING FULL SPOILERS FOLLOW
Now that I will be reviewing Supergirl I want to be clear that I like the fact that TV finally has a very powerful, very positive female superhero to watch. Melissa Benoit has been nothing short of fantastic in the title role. She switches between the geeky Kara Danvers and the confident Supergirl with ease. Plus there are other strong female characters. Calista Flockhart plays Cat Grant to a tee, making a character that could be very unlikeable, likable. Chyler Leigh has grown into the Alex Danvers role. Oh, it’s a kick seeing David Harewood’s Martian Manhunter.
Still, this first season has certainly had it’s glitches and kinks:
1. The Superman problem. He exists in this world, yet we can never see him. On one hand, that’s okay as this is Supergirl’s story. On the other hand, Superman not showing up is problematic at best when to say a bunch of Kryptonians are invading Earth.
2. Jermey Jordan’s, Winn Schott and Mehcad Brook’s, Jimmy Olsen have been characters searching for their role to play. Certainly they need to do more than pine over Kara. Especially since Jimmy has been in a relationship with Lucy Lane (Jenna Dewan Tatum).
3. The bad guys motives are a little fuzzy.
This episode started with Cat’s new evil (and soon to be more evil) assistant Siobhan Smythe (Italia Ricci) anxious to deliver a very private note to Cat. Even though Kara warned Siobhan that Cat likes her mail to be opened for her. Cat quickly scolds Siobhan for not opening the envelope as it could contain anthrax. Jimmy opens the envelope, and it has a thumb drive from a hacker that will expose a whole bunch of powerful people’s nasty, sexy secrets. Cat though refuses to publish these secrets because Cat has morals and is more interested in doing the right thing than selling papers. (Remember this is a fantasy series.)
Turns out the hacker is the super evil computer, Indigo. Kara, Jimmy, and Winn learn this the hard way when Indigo attacks them through Winn’s computer. She sends Supergirl flying and threatens to kill Jimmy and Winn but for some reason runs away when Hank and Alex show up. Hank ask Kara to come back to the DEO, but she is still angry because she believes Hank killed Astra.
Meanwhile, Indigo and Nan meet, and she complains about being part of an internet that has Candy Crush and tells Nan she’s glad Astra is dead. They exchange a few quips and both of them keep their goals kind of vague. We just know something big is coming that will pretty much wipe out anything that’s not from Krypton.
Alex shows up at CatCo but for Winn instead of Kara. They want to use Winn’s super hacking skills. Finally, Winn has a vital role to play on the show; he’s their Felicity. Since Kara no longer has access to the DEO’s knowledge, she and Jimmy head to the Fortress to learn more about Indigo. This has a lot of nifty moments. We learn Kara is supposedly faster than Clark and that she can fairly easily lift a million tons (though I thought the key only weighed 1/2 a million tons). We also get to see the Fortress of Solitude which is cool — only a small pun intended. So cool in fact that it snows inside which is silly. Outside of the inside snow, it’s a great moment for the show and fans. Benoit knocks it out of the park with her sense of wonder and also a bit of angst. We learn she has been invited to the Fortress many times by Clark but never took him up on the offer because she was afraid it would remind her too much of her past on Krypton. A very nice moment as it helps illustrate how Kara is so different from Clark. He was basically raised as a human, she spent her formative years on another planet. While this certainly was a touching moment for the show it was a shame that Superman couldn’t be the one to introduce Supergirl to the Fortress. But such is life these days for the DC TV shows.
Turns out Indigo’s whole plan, well start of a plan, was to gain access via a general’s phone to an “off internet” nuclear silo. Indigo quickly takes control of the silo and gets ready to launch a missile or two. Luckily Supergirl shows up for a fun knockdown drag out fight between Supergirl and super computer. Before Supergirl can kick her e-butt though Indigo launches a nuclear missile at National City. Since there’s no safe way for Supergirl to stop a nuclear warhead without making it go boom she needs to work with Hank to get the “kill codes” so she can deactivate the big bomb. Supergirl racing through the sky in pursuit of a nuclear missile is a great action packed scene, in particular on a TV show budget. Once Supergirl takes the missile out she returns to the silo to finish off Indigo. Before Supergirl can stop her though Indigo reaches through her phone to grab Winn by the throat. Luckily for Winn (and Earth) he has developed a super virus that he downloads into Indigo. Indigo “dies” but not before revealing to Supergirl that she is the reason Kara and the others made it to Earth. It was kind of like an “you owe me”, moment.
Finally, we get a resolution to the “who actually killed Astra dilemma”. Alex unable to bear Kara being so angry at Hank confesses that she is the one who plunged the sword through Astra. Alex let Hank take the blame because she couldn’t risk losing Kara in her life. This turned into a great personal moment as Kara embraced her sister. She even reached out a hand for Hank letting him know he was not only forgiven but appreciated for what he tried to do.
In the epilogue, we see Nan rebuilding Indigo as now he figures she will see things his way. Not really sure if that makes sense, but it’s nice that we will see Indigo again.
Once aspect of this episode I skipped over was the personal relationship stuff. Yes, I know it’s important especially considering the show’s demographics. But this material tends to bog down everything else. The show has had lets call it a “love square” where Lucy is in love with Jimmy who claims he is in love with Lucy but pines for Kara as does Winn (even though he has been friend-zoned) and we have Kara who does have a thing for Jimmy and also has feelings for Cat’s son. It’s all relatively complicated. But such are the ways of the heart, I guess. Things at least cleared up a bit this week with Lucy realizing Jimmy and Kara have eyes for each other even if they don’t know it. Though can’t be sure if that will work in the “long term” considering one of them is a superhuman, best not to think about it. Plus the breakup occurred because Kara was quite inept in her attempts to tell Lucy how much she meant to Jimmy. Showing that despite Kara’s vast power when it comes to ways of the heart she is very naive. Which in a way is part of her charm. Also, Winn and Siobhan seem to be hooking up, kind of, despite all her threats to kill him. Now that should be interesting considering her future as a super villain.
Most fun moment: Kara fantasying about tossing Siobhan into space.
Lamest moment: a soldier in the silo reminding the crazed android that you need two keys to launch the missiles.
Next episode should be fun as we get to see the bad side of Supergirl after she’s exposed to red kryptonite.
Zootopia Is Disney’s Most Relevant Movie In Decades!
I’ll admit that I didn’t know much about ‘Zootopia‘ before going to the screening. I would constantly get the commercials for the movie confused with another upcoming animal-themed film. By the time Disney Animation’s newest project finished, I was pleasantly surprised by the most culturally relevant & progressive Disney piece in years. Outshining recent films with its character & animation, Zootopia is a sure-fire winner!
The film follows Judy Hopps (Ginnfer Goodwin) as a rabbit who leaves her huge family on their small farm to join the police force in the big city of Zootopia. In this universe, animals were once savage creatures who have now come together to live in a utopia where predator and prey can live in harmony. The world is seemingly a wonderful place and Hopps wants to maintain the peace but being a cop isn’t so easy for a tiny (don’t you dare call her cute) bunny! With the world telling her “NO!”, Judy defies the odds and becomes a member of the Zootopia Police Department. Her high hopes to be impactful on the ZPD are crushed when she is placed on parking duty upon arriving. She is waiting for her chance to shine when the case of a missing otter falls right into her lap. Joined by a con-artist fox named Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), Judy unravels a convoluted plot of corruption & prejudice. With themes like feminism, racial profiling, & abuse of power; the film has its finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the zeitgeist at the moment.
The film isn’t all serious; ‘Zootopia‘ has some of the funniest scenes I’ve seen from Disney in a long time. The DMV scene, in particular, featuring Flash The Sloth has some of the most laugh-out-loud worthy moments in the entire film. The humor is well placed and it never gets in the way of telling a story with such a strong message; something I think Disney has struggled with as of late.
I also have to take a moment to praise the wonderful animation. The world of Zootopia was stunning to see unfold! The animals were animated with such detail that one character in this film has more hair on its body than all of the characters in ‘Frozen‘ combined. It’s a massive feat for the animators at Disney that needs to be recognized. The film has many different locations featuring a desert, a rainforest, and an Arctic area; each possessing such vivd detail of their unique landscapes.
All in all, ‘Zootopia‘ will be one of the best films released by Disney…even if the general public doesn’t catch on till later. The movie is important for kids & grown-ups alike; delivering the message that you can never quit & to never let anyone tell you who to be!
Remember back when I did my article on sexy tan girls and said that I would make this into a series of sorts? Well even if you didn’t I’m back to share with you more of the breathtaking visuals that we find in Anime. This time on the Anime Aesthetic I’ll be covering a topic that is quite in season, literally. I’m going to be talking about winter and what shows I think excel at utilizing it creatively and why I think it’s the most diverse season to portray in general. Don’t get me wrong winter isn’t my favorite season but I do see a lot of thematic merit in it. And of course like the last article most of this article will seem like self-indulging on eye candy. Yet again I’m going to express that this isn’t a bad thing and the more we recognize strengths in things such as visuals the more we will get out of our Anime as a whole. Also from here on out there won’t be any more Game of Thrones jokes, the cover photo will be the only one.
A Mirror of Character
There are a lot of series that either begin in a season and transition throughout to symbolize how the changing of seasons represent the characters emotions, which I’ll get into later. However there is a rather distinct reason that the story will linger around a certain season. That reason is stagnation, or being frozen in time.
As seen in the 2006 series Kanonthere is a distinct reason that our main character finds himself back at his cousin’s house in the dead of winter. He’s lingering in a place that he can’t move on from given that he doesn’t remember spending time in this city. This has caused, in a sense, the city to be frozen in time as well as a lot of the characters. Thus our main character has to use his dick, for lack of a better word, to thaw out the emotions that have frozen himself and the other girls he finds himself around.
This is also apparent in the 2013 series Beyond the Boundary where out main character Mirai literally traps herself in a world of winter to keep someone she cares about out of harms way. Since this choice is intentional by the character, it reveals her resolve to keep things the same and accepts the burden of eternal combat in an icy prison with only a shell of the person she loves to keep her warm. Which of course shells aren’t that warm, are they? Couple that with some sweet action choreography and style from Kyoto Animation and you don’t even need to listen to Mirai express her emotions because it’s reflected in the mirror world of winter.
The World is Cold and Bleak
Now there are a lot of instances where this isn’t only true for the characters but a reflection of the world as a whole. In the 2007 film Sword of the Stranger, the transitioning out of winter is more representing on how an era is on the verge of ending. The era that Japan finds itself in is cold and merciless where death leaves its mark not only on the people, but the land as well, as seen by blood soaking into the snow. Another great thing about winter is the fact that every time someone breathes their breath can be seen. This is great for showing instead of telling. Breath gives away subtle expression that could be expressed in words but draws our attention to the persons face and how intense their feeling is. Also the expression they make can be so subtle because you will see the cold air regardless. Its like expressing emotion through air, which is something you only can see in winter. It also presents some awesome combat choreography with all the slipping, sliding and snow being swelled up with every swing of the sword.
The Beginning and End Of An Arc
Now while I only found one instance where I’ve seen winter open and close a story arc. In the 2007 film 5cm Per Second. Given the magnificent lighting that Makoto Shinkai uses in all his works, it lends itself best against the snowy back drop that appears in this movies beginning and end, in turn speaking volumes about the main character. In the beginning the winter serves as an obstacle itself that is preventing the main characters from meeting up for a romantic rendezvous. It truly tests both of their determination to meet each other and gives us a true look at how deeply they care for each other. Which amplifies the events to follow and their emotional significance, but if you haven’t seen it I won’t spoil anything.
Or course in the beginning of the movie this overcoming of adversity is endearing and gets you to care about what the characters have gone through to be together. An obstacle that makes you engage with the situation just using the weather, and in the first 10 minutes no doubt. This turns brutal however near the end where on of our main characters is walking through the winter city and remembering the earlier scene, symbolizing his inability to move on and how he’s still living in that moment. Much like in Kanon this represents a stagnation, but a much more brutal and real representation. In 5cm Per Second our main character still lives through his life with the seasons passing during the film, but once it returns to winter he finds himself still attached to the past. It represents him wasting his life away while the world still continues to go on. The world is sort of mocking him with how he can never go back to those days but has to be reminded about it ever winter. He either has to cope with the past and see it as just that, of be forever frozen.
Winter Means Christmas/New Years
Of course this thematic relation explains itself so I don’t really have to explain it. But for the sake of this article I’m going to explain how the Japanese interpret Christmas. Mostly it’s used as a romantic holiday. And with New Years right after a clear parallel can be interpreted as new love blooming. For further examples of this look to shows like Toradora, Kimi Ni Todoke, Amagami SS, and Pet Girl of Sakurasou. All love stories in their own right but follow a certain realization arc around christmas, which is no coincidence.
Time To “let it go”, This Article That Is
For all the seasons there are I believe that Winter expresses the most diverse emotions in both character and setting. It also has the added bonus of not being seen that much in Anime so it’s a treat overtime it does show up. For some reason Anime loves its spring, which I’ll talk about in a later article when spring comes. I just wish that winter got some more love. If I had to give Winter a personality trait I’d say it’s a TsunDere. It may seem cold and harsh but that’s only on the surface. Okay I think giving a season character traits is where I should end it, just to save myself some embarrassment. Join me next time on the Anime Aesthetic, which necessarily does have a topic yet, but it’ll be sure to be awesome.
Jaime Costa wants to play Han Solo so bad he’s willing to do it for free. The actor launched a crowdfunding campaign last week to create an 8-10 minute fan film where Han Solo goes on a daring adventure to rescue Chewbacca. What is unique about this project is Costa doesn’t want to make money, he just wants to pay his crew to make the film. That sounds, unlike Han Solo, but also sound like something Han would do.
Costa worked on a Wolverine fan film in 2013 that has 13.5 million views.
About the Han Solo Fan film:
The Universe’s favorite intergalactic smuggler sets out on an epic quest to rescue an old friend. He uses his mechanical skills, cunning wit, and his creative interpretation of the rules to fight, flirt, bribe, and barter his way to victory. But will it be enough? Before there was A New Hope, there was Han Solo — just an outlaw trying to survive in a galaxy more corrupt than he is…and far less forgiving.
The Han Solo fan film is directed by Keith Allen, from Nathaniel Nauert’s script. Costa will assume the role of Han Solo with Cory Leeper as Chewbacca.
The project has raised $6000 in eight days with 131 donations. Costa is trying to raise $20,000. The actor has two months to go.
What do you think? Do you want to see the fan film get funded and produced?
“Woah! You manage a comic book store? You have the coolest job in the whole world!”
I receive this and a small mix of other overly eager statements about how “cool” my job is on a semi-regular basis. And it is true! My job is awesome. At the end of the day, I am fulfilling a role that many, including myself, have only dreamt of. I manage a comic book store during a period where being a comic book nerd is considered “cool.” I get to read new books first. Sometimes even before release. I get to pick all my favorite variants and claim them as my own. And I do not get to simply talk with enthusiastic readers, I get to create them!
But even the greatest jobs have their moments. Comics, gaming and toy retailers are everywhere now. It is more than just acceptable to be a nerd. It is an “IT” thing. But the industry can be difficult. There are ups and downs like any other retail community. And, like many tightly knit industries, there is much conversation on the hardships of running, managing and/or owning your own store.
After a few years in the industry, five very distinct aspects have set themselves apart as the most prominent difficulties in managing a local comics location.
Damaged Product
In an industry that thrives on the “Collective Value”, having damaged product can be the massive speed bump. Dented corners, ink stains, water damage, ripped or broken boxes. Toys, comics, and statues often seem to be the most delicate and fragile product mix in the retail market.
If you follow anyone in comics retail on Twitter,Instagram or Facebook, you have probably seen at least one image of poorly packaged product, smashed Funko POP boxes or the not so rare bent-right-down-the-middle comic book. Between the at-times naive packing techniques (due to admitted high turn-over rates and fast track training processes) from Diamond Distribution and the careless shipment handling of UPS, damaged product is not in question, it is an absolute.
Though much of the product can be replaced, not all is in print quantity to do so. And, trust me when I say, the most miserable thing to hear is an upset customer who “completely understands” that this is the fifth time this year that certain book did not make it on the shelf because of damages. And even worse? The all too frequently heard “Don’t worry! I can find somewhere else.”
Customers
The obligatory “customer complaint”. There are a LOT of amazing customers out there. People who genuinely love the industry. But there are those who also love to play the comics game. From the incredibly rude speculators, to unbelievably creepy whom we have had to call security on, to the dismissive parents who disapprove of any help or support you offer. Like in every other retailer industry: there are no customers like comic customers.
In absolute seriousness, I had one customer tell me that neither he nor his family would ever return to our store due to content of some of our books. His example? Story of My Tits. More specifically, the word “Tits”. For those who do not know, Story of My Tits is the graphic novelization of writer and artist Jennifer Hayden’s breast cancer survivor’s tale. And the reason the gentleman will never return to my store? A single word on the cover of a book that he does not want his three-year-old daughter to read.
Before you ask, yes. I did inquire if he knew what the book was about. His response, “Yes, I can read the back. I know it is about cancer.”
Content (which I will get to later) is an entirely acceptable reason not to want to come into a comic shop. Comics can be incredibly explicit. But his ignorant attitude towards a book simply due to a single word of a title on a book about surviving breast cancer? When he told me he would never be back, I thanked him for his opinion and walked away.
But that is only the beginning… Don’t worry, though! There are more fun customer experiences further on.
The Age Gap
Some of you may have seen my statement on understanding the Age Gap, especially with characters like Deadpool, in the current comics industry. But the frustration from the retailer perspective can be just as challenging to swallow as that of parents who must listen to their children cry about how they want to read Batman but can’t.
Our world, not just the comics industry, is changing. We can accept darker, more openly explicit and brutally realistic stories and events far easier than we ever have in any time past. And comics are following that fad. The darker and more real the books get, the further and further the age gap in books grow.
The industry has somewhat compensated with incredible book series like DC Comic’s Board Books, DisneyXD’s Marvel’s Avengers Assemble and incredible stories like Action Lab’s Princeless by Jeremy Whitley. Or the numerous graphic novel series from Scholastic such as the New York Times Bestselling and Eisner winning series Smile by Raina Telgemeier.
But these books do not appease every child. The Young Adult reading sections are growing, but many “older” kids want Batman. They want Deadpool. They want Walking Dead. These are stories and characters they see on television and in movies and video games. So why can they not read them? Books do not have the restrictions of cable television or the simple rating system of movies. Due to the unlimited opportunities, it is entirely acceptable to put anything and, very literally, everything into a book.
Now, try explaining that to every single parent, politely, who walks in the door.
Variants
On January 14, 2015 Marvel’sStar Wars #1 hit the market. With over 60… SIXTY different covers! Not books, just different covers by artists from every corner of the comic industry. Two of my customers have quoted me over $3,000 in the hunt for collecting every single variant. With money spreading throughout the industry like that, it would seem that variants are great for the industry, correct? Nope!
The most common variants on the market are called “Incentive” variants. These books require stores to purchase certain quantities of one cover to receive a limited numbers of another. Many variant hunters know what a 1:50 (1 in 50) book means. These are books that require a location order 50 copies of one specific cover, just to get ONE of the 1:50 variant. But what many hunters and variant fans do not know are the new and quickly spreading trend of percentage variants.
In July of 2015, it was announced that Marvel would be releasing a series of special Hip Hop variants based on some of the most iconic Hip Hop albums. This was received with great applause by audiences. But what was not announced? The fact that comics retailers who had already been having financial difficulties due to the Marvel’s Secret Wars and DC Comic’s Convergence crossover events, would have to purchase certain (seemingly random) percentages of books just to be able to order the Hip Hop Covers in mass. Sometimes 200% of the most random and non-connective issues that would frequently require retailers to order two to three times the amount of books they would regularly purchase for their shelves.
Well, retailers do not have to purchase these variants, right? Nope. Due to the outreach of the announcement, non-comic readers began pouring into stores in anticipation for the variants. But, when the percentages were given and comics retailers learned they would not qualify, those customers began looking elsewhere.
But wait! There are more! There are also store variants. These are books that require locations to order mass quantities to order a specialty cover specific for their store or chain. Hot Topic, the clothing and accessories chain, even had their Star Wars #1 variant. There are also cover price variants such as DC’s celebratory month variants. This month is dedicated to legendary comics artist, Neal Adams. These are books that can be ordered in any number amount but cannot be included with books that have percentage incentives on them.
Confused? Yeah. Us too!
The idea is there. People love variants. Collecting art by their favorite artists or seeing many of our favorite Hip Hop albums Marvel-ized is exciting or grabbing that Blank Cover to have an artist eventually draw something special on it. Variant hunting can be thrilling. But it is creating a significant division between the smaller and larger comics retailers.
Direct vs. Mass Market
All over the internet and throughout the industry the terms “direct market” and “mass market” are thrown around but only given a light explanation. The direct market is that of your local retailers who sell you your favorite toys, comics, and statuary. People who build their business within your community. While the mass market is a far more common term. In relation to the comics and toys industries, these are companies such as Barnes and Noble and F.Y.E.
In name and size, there is very little comparison. The mass market vastly out-weighs the direct market in availability and connectivity. But in product, we are the similar. You can find PX Exclusive (Diamond Distributor’s direct exclusives) Funko POP’s in F.Y.E. locations. As well as trade paperbacks and limited statuary at stores such as Barnes and Noble. The mass market, though rarely mentioned, also includes online companies like Amazon and their recently purchased digital comics distributor, Comixology.
A larger market is not disliked. Competition breeds opportunity. But what the mass market brings to the table is lower prices. Prices the direct market cannot remotely compete with.
DC Comic’s The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland is not only a Batman staple but an industry staple. At 2015’s San Diego Comic-Con it was announced that the fan-favorite would be adapted into an animated film. So not only is it a must for classic comics fans the world over, it is now required reading for newer fans. Due to discounts provided by Diamond to local retailers, most of the direct market charges cover price. For the “deluxe” hardcover (the only version, other than digital available on the market) you would be spending $17.99 (pre-tax). But at Amazon it is currently available for $10.19 and a touch less at $10.16 from Walmart.
They order their books in quantities local retailers could only dream of. Thus, their wholesale is much, much, MUCH less which permits discounting. The average wholesale rate for direct market retailers can frequently be near the same as what some mass market companies will sell their product for online.
And I will not even get started on digital prices (sometimes as low as $.99) versus the direct market rack book prices (that range from $2.99-$5.99).
From the direct market’s perspective, we would love to save you as much money as possible. But things like price-matching and availability are near impossible to what the mass market can offer. Though the industry and fandom are growing, the direct market is having difficulty keeping up. And, once again, turning this back to the problem of explaining the market to already frustrated customers, the amount of disdain can be terrifying.
As of late Yelp has gained a negative reputation for itself by accepting profit for better reviews but it is still one of the most regularly visited review sites. My store has 10 reviews. One of the newest is a 2 out of 5 star review. Not because of bad service or the tidiness, he did mention those were fine, but two other specific factors. The first is a complaint about the amount of children’s product we carry (which for me accounts for nearly 40% of business, though the customer does not know that). While the second is how Amazon sells the exact same thing we carry for far less. That is it! And I am not the only person in the area whom the gentleman has reviewed and said the same thing.
Not to stand on a soap box, but supporting the direct market is greatly appreciated among the local retailers. But understanding where saving money is a benefit is both a major issue within the industry and something we, as retailers, completely understand.
Though many of these issues may seem benign and, individually, can appear more as whining than as concern. The reality of managing, running and/or owning your own store can be very difficult. Comics, toys and gaming locations are popping up like Starbucks. In many areas you can find several within only a few miles. But it does not mean that it is a piece of cake to open one up. Between the already mentioned concerns, your potential location (location, location) and your particular area demographic, managing a comics retailer can be trying.
Yet it is far more than the negatives. First and foremost, managing a shop within the industry has created some of the best memories and many of the most incredible opportunities. Though getting over the hiccups can sometimes cause headaches, they are simply that. Hiccups!
The Rolling Stones, easily the biggest-ticket rock band (still) going today, have announced they will put on a free concert in Havana, Cuba on March 25.
According to the news at The Hollywood Reporter, “the Stones will play in Havana’s Ciudad Deportiva three days after President Barack Obama visits Havana.” This concert is expected to draw an incredibly large audience since Havana – and Cuba overall – hasn’t had much of a rock and roll influx. Young Cubans were persecuted regularly for listening to rock music, with officials claiming it was nothing more than a tool of Western ideology.
Cubans also have been economically crippled for decades now under Communist control, so the idea that The Rolling Stones would play in Havana immediately raised questions about ticket prices, as the band is the most expensive ticket in rock. Luckily for the Cuban community, The Stones have announced the show will indeed be free.
The Rolling Stones delivered their own statement about the free concert:
“We have performed in many special places during our long career but this show in Havana is going to be a landmark event for us, and, we hope, for all our friends in Cuba too.”
WRLD is 18-year-old Dutch producer, David Lawson. The young man dropped his latest track ‘Drowning’ featuring Ehiorobo last week which will appear on the ‘Awake’ EP from Monstercat on July 3.
According to Indie Shuffle, Lawson’s backstory reads like a dream. He started messing around with different types of music making software programs and came up with something he liked. Lawson forwarded it to Monstercat, an Independent Canadian-based EDM and dubstep label founded in 2011. Monstercat signed Lawson, and he’s been producing music for them since 2014.
h of them keep their goals kind of vague. We just know something big is coming that will pretty much wipe out anything that’s not from Krypton.
In an industry that thrives on the “Collective Value”, having damaged product can be the massive speed bump. Dented corners, ink stains, water damage, ripped or broken boxes. Toys, comics, and statues often seem to be the most delicate and fragile product mix in the retail market.
In absolute seriousness, I had one customer tell me that neither he nor his family would ever return to our store due to content of some of our books. His example? 
current comics industry. But the frustration from the retailer perspective can be just as challenging to swallow as that of parents who must listen to their children cry about how they want to read Batman but can’t.
The industry has somewhat compensated with incredible book series like 
