Comic Shop - The Retail Mavericks Who Gave Us a New Geek Culture (gnv64)1

Comic Shop: The Retail Mavericks Who Gave Us a New Geek Culture
by Dan Gearino and Tom Spurgeon
Swallow Press | October 2017 | ISBN-10: 0804011907 | ePUB | 18 mb
https://www.amazon.com/Comic-Shop-Retail-Mavericks-Culture/dp/0804011907

The early 1970s saw the birth of the modern comic book shop. Its rise was due in large part to a dynamic entrepreneur, Phil Seuling. His direct market model allowed shops to get comics straight from the publishers, bypassing middlemen. Stores could better customize their offerings and independent publishers could now access national distribution. In this way, shops opened up a space for quirky ideas to gain an audience and helped transform small-press series, from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Bone, into media giants.
Comic Shop is the first book to trace the history of these cultural icons. Dan Gearino brings us from their origins to the present day, when the rise of digital platforms has the industry at a crossroads even as sales are robust. He spends a year with stores around the country, with a spotlight on The Laughing Ogre in Columbus, Ohio. Along the way he interviews those who shaped comics retailing from the early days, including many pioneering women; top creators; and shop owners who continue to push the industry in new directions. A guide to forty of the most interesting shops around the United States and Canada is a bonus for fans.

About the Author

Dan Gearino (DanGearino.com) is a writer and reporter in Columbus, Ohio. He writes on the business desk for The Columbus Dispatch. Previously, he was a newspaper (and occasional radio) reporter, first in New Hampshire, where he covered the 2004 presidential primary, and then in his native Iowa, where he covered the 2008 caucuses. By night, he writes about comics. He lives in Columbus with his much better half and their two daughters. Find him at www.dangearino.com.

CONTENTS
Foreword
PART l. The Cockroaches o f Pop Culture
1.Magical Powers
2.This Bold Guy (1968-73)
3.Nonreturnable (1973-80)
4.An Ogre's Story
5.Secret Convergence
6.The Valkyries
7.Heyday (1980-84)
8.Turtles, Mice, and Fish (1984-88)
9.Collectors vs. Readers
10.Raina's World
11.Re-Rebirth
12.Deathmate (1988-94)
13.The Mailman (1994-2016)
14.The Moral of the Story
PART 2. Notable Comic Shops of the United States and Canada
15."All of the Above" Stores
16.Comics Galleries
17.Old School
18.Pop Culture Stores
19.Comics and...
20.Best of the Best
List of Notable Comic Shops of the United States and Canada
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index