COMICS CULTURE SHRAPNEL from CBEM 373

Shameless

This past week has mostly consisted of me finding a new energy, getting things done, reevaluating my geekiness. No new revelations yet, but I am getting things done. Today I continued my run around the city, getting pictures of places that I'm reviewing in the Otakon '02 issue of Kakumei. That's the anime-manga magazine I write for, at least right now. Last year they printed a guide to anime-manga resources in the DC Metro area, I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to do an overview of NYC. Some comic shops here, some supermarkets there.

Chinese and Japanese supermarkets, that is. They sell snacks that otaku (anime & manga fans) like to eat. Enough of that.

I feel weird taking pictures of places from the inside, mostly 'cause I know a lot of places don't like it. Which I don't understand. Afraid someone is going to steal their store layout? I don't buy it. Something wrong with the stock that they don't want their suppliers to know about? Silly. I don't really see any reason for stores to not want pictures. I expect curiosity, but not paranoia. These aren't restaurants we're talking about here. Though I once saw a cockroach in my favorite comic store once. I told a manager and he took care of it. That was all. No need for fuss. It happens. Hell, we get bugs in our home occasionally but it doesn't make my family bad people.

So once more, I don't understand why managers don't like pictures of their store taken. Or why when I was standing out on the sidewalk outside St. Mark's some supervisor-type guy felt the need to come out and interrogate me. He wasn't aggressive or demanding, just kind of there. He wouldn't move until I left. He kept saying "usually people ask permission to take pictures." Well then, good for them. I'm not going to ask because while it is courteous, it shouldn't be necessary.

My friend told me that apparently people have gotten busted for dealing drugs in there. If that's true and that's why they don't want people taking pictures in there, then well, MAYBE they shouldn't be DEALING DRUGS. Honestly!

There are so many good stores out there, and then the occasional bad egg. And those are always the ones that get the spotlight. Either through their own stupid actions (which leads to my focus on St. Marks in this column, sorry) or because they know how to market themselves, or position themselves. I don't know, it's just that I know so many good places that deserve better. And can't stand the "famous" places in NYC. Forbidden Planet? Merely a lame shadow of it's relatives in the UK. Skip it and go to Jim Hanley's Universe. Or Midtown Comics. Cosmic Comics, even. Look them up in the phone book and pay a visit, it's totally worth it.

This column was supposed to make a point, but I think I just did a public service instead. Give the good stores a try, and maybe I'll share more St. Mark's horror stories with you (Oh, do I have stories.... well, complaints, anyway).