Calum Johnston opened Sackville Street’s Strange Adventures
17 years ago. Today it’s one of the most popular comic-book stores in
Halifax.
“I’ve always liked comics,” Johnston says, “and I like sharing
them.”
The economic downturn has flipped many businesses on their heads as
they struggle to make ends meet. But as they get ready for Free Comic
Book Day, an event held on the first Saturday of May at participating
stores, when some comics are given away free, Strange Adventures seems
so far unaffected.
And watching a father in Johnston’s cramped basement-like store
explain who The Joker is to his small son is at least some proof.
The economy, Johnston says, “hasn’t really affected the amount of
people; it’s just that people are more choosy.”
Jay Ryan, manager at The Last Gamestore in Dartmouth, agrees.
“The funny thing about a recession or a downed economy is that even
if people don’t have a lot of money the one thing they will spend money
on is to entertain themselves,” Ryan says.
But where stores haven’t seen a change, what about creators?
For local graphic-novel writer Faith Erin Hicks, even in a
recession, creating is a full-time job.
“It’s more than a nine-to-five job,” says the Ontario-born writer,
whose work includes last year’s Zombies Calling, which won her a
Joe Shuster Award, an annual set of awards handed out to Canadian
creators.
Hicks’ work in comics began online but she quickly realized her love
of creating comic books.
“I didn’t really think of making a career from it…but yeah, I just
fell in love with the medium while I was doing the online stuff.”
Hicks came to Halifax for work in animation but wound up fulfilling
her dream to become a full-time comic writer when animation work dried
up last year.
“I feel so strange because it’s kind of like I was forced into my
dream job,” she says. “I always figured when I made the choice to work
in comics full-time I would make that choice. It wouldn’t be me
basically losing my job in animation.”
But a change at Diamond Distribution, the major comic-distribution
company in North America, may hurt some smaller publishers like
Hicks.
Since the end of February, Diamond no longer ships any title they
will not buy at least $2,500 of, up from $1,500.
Ryan thinks these changes could be a result of the comic industry
changing from a “collectors’ market” to a “readers’ market.”
Ryan points out that in 1992 when Spawn #1 hit stands, it
sold a million copies, where today, even the best comics sell half of
that.
“It goes back [to] the ’90s when the comic market was a collectors’
market. In a collectors’ market there was a variant cover and a chrome
cover and whatever, and so a lot of people bought three or four issues
of #1,” Ryan explains.
Mike Crossman, owner of the Monster Comic Lounge on Gottingen
Street, understands Diamond’s reasoning but thinks the new plan could
backfire.
“I think that it will be bad for them in the long term because these
small publishers will still want to put their stuff out,” he says.
“Diamond’s had a monopoly for a long time so this may provide an
opportunity for someone to step in and start distributing, starting
with the small publishers.”
Johnston worries it could end badly for some publishers trying to
get into the comic business.
“A lot of new publishers are trying to get their feet wet with
graphic novels without the expertise and so we’re already seeing some
layoffs and closures in the publishing business where they just weren’t
prepared for the business at hand.”
Johnston’s not afraid for the fate of comics because, after 17
years, he’s seen how people react when the economy is down.
“It’s similar to the entertainment business—that in tough times
you want to take your mind off your troubles,” he says. “Some people
choose alcohol, some people choose drugs, some people choose movies and
some people choose comics.”
Free Comic Book Day, Saturday, May 2 at participating
local stores, including The Last Gamestore (590 Portland, 278
Lacewood), Monster Comic Lounge (2091 Gottingen) and Strange Adventures
(5262 Sackville).
This article appears in Apr 30 – May 6, 2009.