"Ooooh, do you have the Spider-Man comic with Obama in it?"

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Ross
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"Ooooh, do you have the Spider-Man comic with Obama in it?"

Post by Ross »

Am I the only one who gets supremely annoyed with stuff like this? This is an excerpt from an e-mail thread I've had going all day where I've been chastising my non-comic-reading friends who are calling comic shops all over the place trying to snag a copy:
I went to my comic shop this morning, worried that they'd sell out of the normal ASM #583. They had it behind the counter, limit of one per customer (which was smart because everyone in front of me wanted multiple copies, like the good little investors they are). The Obama cover variant sold out soon after opening at my store - though I imagine most stores are setting aside a lot of them to be sold on eBay for a premium well above cover price.

I'm filled with nothing but loathing for stunts like this. It's a cheap sales gimmick by Marvel - and it'll work. But all it does is grab the attention of all these people who treat comics (something very personal and meaningful to me) as the equivalent of some crappy plate with Obama's face that they sell for $19.99 on late-night TV. It'd be somewhat less annoying if they made a special standalone issue just for the "collector's item" people, rather than hijacking an issue of a book I read regularly.
Am I the only one who feels this way? Or am I being bitter for no reason?
JephYork
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Re: "Ooooh, do you have the Spider-Man comic with Obama in it?"

Post by JephYork »

Honestly, at this point I think anything that gets non-comic readers into a comic shop is a good idea.

Rather than chastise your friends, maybe you could suggest something else they might like to check out while they're in there?

-Jeph!
Ross
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Re: "Ooooh, do you have the Spider-Man comic with Obama in it?"

Post by Ross »

jephyork wrote:Rather than chastise your friends, maybe you could suggest something else they might like to check out while they're in there?
I make recommendations all the time to my comics-reading friends, and take theirs in return. But I'm not going to be "that guy" to people who don't care about comics (as I imagine is the case with most people buying this issue today). And that's exactly my point - marketing stunts like this draw in people who are interested only in "collector's items". Read the damn thing? Why would they risk damaging it?
JephYork
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Re: "Ooooh, do you have the Spider-Man comic with Obama in it?"

Post by JephYork »

I'm not going to be "that guy" to people who don't care about comics
They're your friends, they know you like comics, you're *talking* about comics, and they're heading to a comics shop. I really don't think they'll label you "that guy" if you say "hey, you know what else you might like to poke through while you're there? Tintin!" Etc.

(Besides, it beats being labeled "that curmudgeonly guy" for taking them to task.)

Hell, my non-comic friends usually ask me to go with them when they plan to head to comics shops, so I can help them find what they're looking for ... I always make a point of pulling out something else they might like and describing the story/concept to 'em while I'm there.

In my experience, if people are interested in buying a comic-related collectible, they've generally got at least a smidgen of curiosity about comics. Fan that flame!

-Jeph!
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