ComicZoning

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2009-11-26T16:03:00.002-07:00

Andy made a new website for Comic Zone, using Wordpress, and now our blogs are incorporated onto the site, thus I will be making future posts there. There will be no need for me to continue to post to this blog, so come and visit me over there.

Our blogs are combined on the new site. If you want to read just MY blogs, click on my name and only mine will come up.

Exciting times. :)

Oh, and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Celebrating Heroes

2009-11-19T17:16:00.003-07:00

There is an Annual Arts Auction happening in South Carolina and their theme is Super Heroes! You can read about it here.

Isn't that fantastic that people can see the value in the heroes represented in comic books? The Hero is a well-known archetype. Heck, Joseph Campbell wrote his first book about it - The Hero With a Thousand Faces. The basic hero story is when a person sets out on a journey, encounters all sorts of challenges, and in overcoming them, is changed in the process. The hero returns home with a power that can help mankind. Every one of our comic book heroes can relate to a story like that.

In Anderson, S.C., they recognize the universal appeal of the hero, and how our comic books portray the popular mythos. I salute them for that awareness!

Increase in Comic Sales Nationwide

2009-11-18T12:51:00.002-07:00

I just read an article talking about the popularity of comic books. The article, found here, states that comic book sales are up 1% over last year.

That is so cool!

Comic Zone has been in business for almost a year now. I have much more confidence after reading this article that we are on the right track, and in the year ahead, may even see increases in sales over this year.

The article also makes reference to Comichron, and I was even more encouraged by this article. Interesting, though, that September saw an overall increase in the industry, and yet, in our store, we saw a decrease in sales compared to the three or four months prior.

Goes to show how unpredictable this business can be.

Still, I am even more optimistic about business after reading these articles.

Video Games and Comic Books

2009-11-12T15:40:00.002-07:00

When we were in the planning stages of Comic Zone, we discussed at length whether or not we should have video game tournaments. We finally decided it would be worthwhile, that there would be a lot of cross-over in our target markets, and besides, it was something Sean really wanted to do.

I have noticed that when we do get a decent showing for our video game tournaments, people DO buy comics too, so I have proven to myself that it's true to some extent. I notice that video game folks will buy comics, but not all comic book enthusiasts care to play video games. So, it really is an outreach mission to get more video game players into our store so that they will also buy comics.

I found this article about Video Games Turned Comic Books very interesting. It's a bit of a different take, but I learned a lot from it. Perhaps this is why I have seen the results I have observed between video gamers buying comic books, but not so much vice versa.

In any case, Halo has been one of our best video game tournaments to date, so I am grateful for that cross-over for sure!

Comic Books - Good for Learning

2009-11-11T13:33:00.004-07:00

I just read an article entitled Comic Books are Good for Children's Learning.

I have to say that I totally agree with this. In fact, I am adamant about it. Comic Zone contributes to the Kids Need to Read Foundation precisely for this reason. The foundation does a lot to promote reading in all forms, including selling comic books especially made for them as fundraisers for their causes. We carry some of them in our store.

As a mother, I can say that my younger son was not really into reading much until he discovered comic books, and since then, he is always reading something. My older son got hooked on comics years ago to the point where he aspired to be a comic book artist - and in fact, has done so with web comics. He also applied his love of drawing to a graphic arts education which he has pursued as a career for awhile now.

So, strictly speaking as a mother, I can't say enough about the value of comic books as a resource and a way for kids to learn.

As a lifelong student of psychology and with a Masters degree in Education, I see much value in comic books for other reasons also.

• Comic books have a way of presenting their stories which make them more mythologically oriented, thus with lasting interest. I could get into the archetypes but I will leave that for another post.

• The graphics are geared more towards visual learners, which gives them access to ideas and concepts that they wouldn't normally get.

• The stories themselves are abbreviated into just the basics, allowing the readers to fill in the gaps with their imaginations, a great way of maintaining healthy creative thought processes.

• The stories invariably illustrate battles between good and evil, which instill a sense of values in young, impressionable minds.

• Comic books are a great way to engage more of the whole brain, rather than just the logical, thinking part of the brain.

All in all, I can't say enough about the positive value of comic books for learning.

No more 20% off Tuesdays

2009-11-10T23:32:00.002-07:00

Today was the last day of our attempt to lure customers into the store on Tuesdays.... namely, offering 20% off on all back issues. It didn't work. We have offered it for months now, and have had very few takers. In fact, let's face it. People don't want to come into comic book stores on Tuesdays. They'd rather wait for Wednesdays - new comic book day.

So, we decided to end our sale. It wasn't really doing what it was meant to do. Instead, we are scheming about some other ideas - such as a punch card for trade paperbacks, and/or preferred customer discounts. So, stay tuned. We still have some tricks up our sleeves.

Brand Man

2009-11-07T12:41:00.001-07:00

Wow, I was reading through some other industry blogs, and came across a reference to Brand Man.

The story goes that Tom McAlister was looking for a job and decided to leverage his creativity by having an artist help him design a comic book for his resume. If you click here, you can see the actual comic resume.

Isn't that a great idea?

Reminds me of how I included caricatures and comic fonts in the business plan I wrote.

Missing Comics!

2009-11-04T17:01:00.000-07:00

Today when we received our new order, we found that about a third of our order was missing! We were NOT happy campers!

Andy called our distributor to find out what was going on. In the meantime, I looked up our shipment on the UPS site and noticed that one box had been marked "Exception." I called UPS and found out that it was still waiting for pickup.

Apparently, they had a new employee who hadn't checked the COD amount when he checked out the order. NOT good!

But all's well that end's well, and we now have our new comics - which are jumping off the shelves!

The lesson? Make sure that the person picking up the order knows how many boxes to expect and that s/he gets a total from the UPS attendant prior to handing over the check!

It's that time of year....

2009-10-28T18:28:00.003-07:00

It's that time of year when you never know WHO is going to walk into the store. Here is a picture from a recent visitor:

Mardi Gras Costume Shop is just next to the plaza where Comic Zone is located, so I suspect we will see even more in the days to come.

This weekend is Halloween weekend. We have Stephen Jung, a local artist, coming into the store. He is known for Dark Fantasy art. You can find out more about him at http://www.jungarts.com.

Anyone who does come into the store on Saturday and/or Sunday dressed in a costume will receive a free comic or two or three.

And there will be sales..... Stay posted for more details.

Obama Nation

2009-10-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

We have a new product in the store. It's a card game called Obama Nation. (You can find out more about the game here: http://www.obamanationcardgame.com/).

My understanding is that it is simple to play but it has twisted rules. Being a supporter of Obama, I'm not really sure how I will like this game. But, if I set my political leanings aside, it looks like it could be a hoot.

We are planning to have a team in on a Saturday in November to show folks how to play. In fact, we just may make it a gaming day.... so stay tuned. I'll let you know more as I do.

Wow!

2009-10-21T14:31:00.000-07:00

I walked into the store today and boy, was I surprised!

Over the months since we have been open, although our comics are always neat and well-organized, the counter behind the register has been capturing lots of miscellaneous piles of stuff. Our storage area has been a mish-mosh of this and that, and it was becoming harder and harder to get to some of the stuff as we needed it. We have had a running backlog of items that needed to be tagged and filed in the back issues bins. That was how things were when I left the store last night.

I walked in today, and the back issues box was empty - in fact, gone - and all of the comics had been tagged and filed. The counter is neat and organized and everything is labeled, and the storage room is suddenly bright and easy to navigate, and seems three times bigger than it did yesterday. The floors are vacuumed. The gaming area is neat and orderly. All of the little things that had been bugging me have been fixed.

Turns out that Sean and his friends came in after hours last night and worked all night to bring this about.

Wow! I am SO impressed!

Progress...

2009-09-20T23:59:00.000-07:00

Avery has been working diligently to upload many images to our point of sale system, which in turn will be feeding our webstore. I am amazed at the progress he has made. He has discovered a great new tool called Image Grabber. It doesn't always grab the right image, but more than 90% of them are spot on.

As an aside, even without the images, the webstore IS fully functional, and if there is something you would like to order from the comfort of your own home, we even discount EVERY product on our webstore by 20%... so buy away!

http://stores.intuitwebsites.com/comiczoneaz/StoreFront.bok

Trivia Game

2009-09-09T22:20:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, Sept. 12th, at 2:00 PM, Comic Zone is hosting a Trivia Game based on comic book information.

The format will be similar to Jeopardy, and it should be a real blast. There is no admission to be a part of the game, so come on by to see how well you know your comics.

There will be first, second, and third prizes awarded, based upon total points earned. The prizes will be store credit in varying amounts, although exact amounts are still to be determined.

If you absolutely want to be a part of this, come early on Saturday and claim your spot.

The Next Generation

2009-08-27T17:50:00.000-07:00

The other day, four young men from Jr. High stopped by the store on their way home from school. They hung out for an hour or so, looking at comics and asking questions. They didn't buy anything, but they were obviously excited about finding a comic book store in the neighborhood, and said they would be back.

They HAVE been back, just about every day after school gets out.

The oldest one of the group is actually an avid comic book fan, and asked us if we were going to be getting in any more of two different series. I told him about pull boxes, and he asked me lots of questions about how they work, including how much they cost. I told him they don't cost anything. He said he'd think about it, and went back to looking through some back issues.

While he was looking, someone else came in and asked for the stuff in his pull box, which I promptly gave him and rang up for him. He thanked me and left.

A few moments later, the aforementioned young man came up and said that yes, he wanted a pull box, so I set it up for him.

He came in yesterday and asked if there was anything in his pull box, as though he had been doing it forever.

Warms my heart.

Back to School Sale

2009-08-21T04:58:00.001-07:00

This weekend we are having a Back to School Sale at the Comic Zone. We are offering 15% off of EVERYTHING in the store.

We want to encourage our young readers so we are also implementing a new policy where we give a $1.00 in store credit for every A they earn on their report card in the current marking period.

We made one young man very happy with that news. He told me he got all A's last semester.

I don't know of any other comic book store that does something like this. I am proud of us for taking a stand for education!

Here is our press release about our stand on education: http://www.prlog.org/10317908-comic-zone-cares-about-education.html

Friday Fortunes

2009-08-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

Comic Zone is going to venture into the new and unusual....

Starting this Friday, we will be offering Friday Fortunes!

In other words, come on on Friday nights - any time after 7:00 pm, and we will do a card reading for you using the Vertigo Tarot Deck for $20/reading.

The Vertigo Deck works like a regular Tarot Deck, but each of the 78 cards has a story behind it, a story related to Vertigo themes and characters. The images, drawn by comic book artist Dave McKean and published by DC Comics, are somewhat surreal with a gothic feel to them.

Avery will be doing most of the readings, although depending on how popular these Friday Fortunes become, I may be doing some, myself.

So come on by on a Friday night and find out what the future has in store for you.

Putting ourselves out there

2009-08-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Andy and I sat down and met with Gail Keith of Gail Keith Marketing. We had a most excellent meeting. Gail really helped us to get on track with some of our marketing efforts, giving us lots of advice on how to market effectively on a low budget. Today we have already begun implementing some of the strategies we discussed. In fact, one of the strategies was to create a fan page for Facebook, which I did and you can find here .

We will be tweeting a few times a day. You can find us here.

Stay tuned for more exciting news as it develops.

Oh - and sneak previews of upcoming events.....

Back to School Sale on Aug 22-23 = 15% off ALL items in the store
Comics Trivia Game on September 12th
80's Day on October 10th

and there is a very good chance we will have a Spooky Costume contest on Halloween.

Marketing possibility

2009-07-29T22:09:00.000-07:00

Next week, we have an appointment with a marketing expert. I am excited about the possibilities. I happen to know this woman, and I have watched her help others grow on limited budgets.

Another exciting piece about this is that she is interested in seeing Andy's portfolio - for possible graphic artist jobs. AND she is also going to talk to me about marketing my coaching.

So, this is going to be a very worthwhile meeting!

Comic-Con Update

2009-07-29T22:05:00.003-07:00

Andy has returned from Comic-Con. He had his picture taken with some of his favorites while there:

He had a blast and came home with treasures - some DragonBallZ action figures, a set of Dark Avengers, and other fun things.

Best of all, though, is that he was there, for the stories he now can tell our customers.

Comic-con and Captain America

2009-07-19T16:40:00.001-07:00

Although we have had a good month, we haven't done any special events as we usually do. Part of the reason for this has to do with all of the travel and other events in our lives outside of the comic book store.

This week, Andy is planning to head out to California for Comic-con, which starts this coming Thursday. Hopefully, he will bring home some great pictures and good information that will help our business.

In the meantime, our Captain America raffle is building momentum. Some lucky winner will be going home with a nice little collection worth almost $40, including an action figure!

Independence Day

2009-07-04T23:03:00.001-07:00

Today is Independence Day.

As new store owners, we did not take the day off to have a cookout or to watch fireworks. We were at the store from 10 am till 8 pm. We only had two customers, but we were there for them. :)

We also got a lot of other stuff done. We started our new July raffle - Captain America theme. In addition, each of us worked on something close to our hearts that also benefited the store. Andy drew some new Transformer caricatures for one of our customers. Sean tested video games for future tournaments. Avery updated inventory with webstore information. I caught up on some accounting and worked on a few projects that will help us in the future.

It was a mellow day, and we all feel grateful to have the freedom to spend it working or not, as we please.

I love my job

2009-07-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

It's July 1st, the beginning of a new month - our 7th month in the business. Looking back over the past half a year, I am amazed at our progress, our tenacity, our dedication to this store.

I recently went away for a few days, and the best part of coming home was coming back into the store. Now that's how work should be!

Word's out!

2009-06-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

I recently got a Blackberry Curve 8350i. It's a sweet phone, full of features that I don't yet know how to use. I went to the local wireless phone store, so that I could get the contacts ported from my old phone to my new phone, and maybe a few tips about great ways to use this new SmartPhone.

While there, I happened to overhear another customer of the store talking about Batman. I smiled at him and informed him that I own a comic book store. He came right back at me, "Which one?"

I responded, "Comic Zone. Have you been there yet?"

"Oh yeah," he said. Then he paused for a moment and said, "Wow, good for you, owning a comic book store! I love comics."

Wow - someone out in the world, a member of the general public, has been in our store. Yeah, I know. Big deal, right? But for me, it IS a big deal! Our fame is growing.

But best of all, I know he'll be back.

2009-06-14T22:37:00.000-07:00

Some pictures from DIY-Con!

Do It Yourself Con

2009-06-13T06:45:00.001-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 13, 2009, Scottsdale, Arizona - Comic Zone presents Do It Yourself Convention (DIYCon) featuring local self-publishing comic creators and musical guests

Do-It-Yourself Con is the brainchild of STUMP Comix founder and owner, Tosh Delaney. He's rounding up a bunch of the Valley's best self-publishing comic creators, as well as some musical guests, to come in and celebrate complete freedom in the comics world.

The event starts at noon, and will feature the following:
- Brad Dwyer of Black Marker Comics
- Jeff Owens of Screw Jeff Owens
- Joe.Distort of Geek 666
- Dave Dell'oso of Cartown Comics
- Tosh Delaney of STUMP Comix
- and the World Wide Villains

PLUS! Musical performances starting at 5pm, by:
- Brad, the one man damned
- Leftover
- The Great Unconformity

Brandon Huigens will be here as well! He is also one half of The Award Winning Male Pattern Radness! Ask him what it was like to be a contestant on Wheel of Fortune! He will be bringing wares and possibly performing at the end of the night. Check his stuff out here:

http://www.myspace.com/theleadingbrand
http://www.myspace.com/malepatternradness

Dead Gear Dan, whose CD release party was held at the store a few weeks ago, will be added to the mix as well! The newest addition to the Stump Comix family, Travis Hibbs, will be there as well! Dude's got killer artwork for you manga fans!

Check out everyone's stuff that will be attending Saturday here:

Brad Dwyer
http://myspace.com/bradtheonemandamned
http://blackmarkercomics.com
Jeff Owens
http://myspace.com/jleightonowens
http://screwjeffowens.com
Joe.Distort
http://myspace.com/joedistort
The Great Unconformity
http://myspace.com/tgudiy
Dave Dell'Oso
http://davessketchbook.blogspot.com
World Wide Villains
http://worldwdevillains.com
http://myspace.com/worldwidevillains
Leftover
http://myspace.com/billywretch

Help support some of the best talent around the valley!

Comic Zone is the best and only comic book store in Scottsdale, Arizona, conveniently located at 5909 N. Granite Reef Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85250, just off the 101. Take McDonald Drive to the third traffic light (Granite Reef Road) just two doors down from Casella’s Deli.

In addition to all of the latest and greatest comic books, trade paperbacks, and graphic novels, the store features ever-changing and ongoing sales on merchandise, regular video game tournaments, Magic the Gathering tournaments, and Dungeons and Dragons role playing games. Come on by. You will like what you find!

Website: http://www.comiczoneaz.com.
Phone: 480-483-2685
# # #

ComicZone is a new family-run comic book store in Scottsdale, Arizona, dedicated to providing a fun, friendly atmosphere for our clients. We believe in giving back so we will be contributing to various local charities and community causes.

Actual press release here: http://www.prlog.org/10257385-comic-zone-presents-do-it-yourself-convention-featuring-local-selfpublishing-comic-creators.html

Unexpected guests

2009-06-13T06:33:00.000-07:00

You just never know who might fly in on a Friday night.

the Partay!

2009-06-07T15:48:00.000-07:00

Our six month anniversary has come and gone. We had a great time. We had twenty or thirty people in the store all evening, munching on hors d'oeuvres and drinking sparking cider. We even had some great balancing art made out of empty champagne cups ;)

The winner of our raffle was Toby, our Dungeons and Dragons dungeon master. Woo hoo! A percentage of that will be going to Alice Cooper's The Rock charity.

We didn't have as much activity in our silent auction as I had hoped, but as a result, the folks who did participate got some GREAT deals!!! Congrats to all of our winners!!!

Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures, so.... guess we will just have to have another party sometime that I can capture on digital.

6 Month Anniversary Party tomorrow night!

2009-06-05T17:55:00.001-07:00

Comic Zone celebrates their six month anniversary on June 6, 2009

Comic Zone is having a party from 6:00 - 8:00 pm to celebrate six months as the only comic book store in Scottsdale. Come and join us for sparking cider, hors d'oeuvres, a silent auction, raffle, music, and sales galore!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) – Jun 05, 2009 – Comic Zone of Scottsdale, AZ is celebrating their six month anniversary on June 6, 2009!

Comic Zone has been serving the community for six months as the only comic book store in Scottsdale. We all thought that is a great reason to have a party! Come help us celebrate our first six months in business. Come by the store at 6:00 pm to enjoy some sparkling cider, a variety of hors d’oeuvres, and the great music of Jim Durkin, a local singer-songwriter who will be entertaining us with his original work, and stay to find out the winner of our silent auction that will take place all day. The winner will be announced at 7:30 pm during our party. You do not need to be present to win. Some of the many items in our auction include a set of Frank Miller’s Sin City trades (volumes 1-7), the Will Eisner Sketch Book, Marvel’s Ultimate Fantastic Four Hardcovers (volumes 1-5), a copy of Absolute Watchmen, a set of #1 comics from the 1990’s, a Star Wars light saber, and much, much more!

During the day, all back issues of comic books will be half off in honor of our half year anniversary. We will be also be giving away a free comic to anyone who purchases over $20 in merchandise. You will also be able to buy raffle tickets for a Frazetta set that includes a Death Dealer hard cover, assorted rare, variant cover Frazetta one-shot comics, plus a hard-to-find Black & White copy of Death Dealer #1, and bookmarks. The raffle tickets are $1.00 a piece, and 6 for $5.00, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Alice Cooper’s The Rock Teen Center. The winner of the raffle will also be announced at 7:30 pm.

Comic Zone is the best and only comic book store in Scottsdale, Arizona, conveniently located at 5909 N. Granite Reef Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85250, just off the 101. Take McDonald Drive to the third traffic light (Granite Reef Road) just two doors down from Casella’s Deli.

In addition to all of the latest and greatest comic books, trade paperbacks, and graphic novels, the store features ever-changing and ongoing sales on merchandise, regular video game tournaments, Magic the Gathering tournaments, and Dungeons and Dragons role playing games. Come on by. You will like what you find!

Website: http://www.comiczoneaz.com.
Phone: 480-483-2685
# # #

ComicZone is a new family-run comic book store in Scottsdale, Arizona, dedicated to providing a fun, friendly atmosphere for our clients. We believe in giving back so we will be contributing to various local charities and community causes.

Weekend contrasts

2009-05-31T19:03:00.001-07:00

Sunday at the Comic Zone is my favorite day of the week.

The store is more laid back. I usually listen to "my" music - jazz, or folk, or sometimes classical - as I work on entering Wednesday's order into our inventory system.

Today was no exception.

And yet, as I write this, I am remembering yesterday, when the store was bustling! One of the reasons for all of the activity yesterday is because we sponsored the Dungeons & Dragons RPG yesterday. I really enjoy the days when we have D&D in the store. I can feel the creative energies flowing as the stories unfold.

I guess I can safely say that I enjoy both the quiet days as well as the busy days. Let's face it. I just love this store!

Un-Wednesday

2009-05-27T14:59:00.001-07:00

Andy has been so busy today!

We didn't get new comics today due to Memorial Day, so we will get them in tomorrow.

However, one of our regular customers called and Andy talked on the phone with him for close to an hour. Now he's talking with a customer in the store - and has been for over an hour! Wow! They are having a great conversation about comic book history. I can tell he loves his job. It's heartwarming. :)

Avery just got back from mailing out our first eBay order. Here's hoping it's the first of many. :)

Star Wars Day

2009-05-25T22:08:00.001-07:00

Today was Star Wars Day at Comic Zone.

We had a nice display of various Star Wars items, and Avery and I dressed in costume. We didn't have the crowd that I had hoped for, but we had folks in the store most of the day, so it was fun nonetheless.

Here are some pictures:

This is Avery and I: The Emperor vs a Jedi

Here's another one of the two of us.

This is Andy with two Ultra Sabers

This one is Avery in his Jedi costume

This is me in my Emperor robe Heheh, they kept telling me that I had to look mean, but every time I tried, I'd crack up laughing. Guess I am not a very good bad guy....

Here's another attempt at being mean. LOLOL!

Star Wars Day Press Release

2009-05-23T12:22:00.000-07:00

PRESS RELEASE

Scottsdale, AZ. May 23, 2009. Comic Zone of Scottsdale, AZ will be celebrating STAR WARS DAY on May 25, 2009.

Monday, May 25, 2009 is the 32nd anniversary of the release of the first Star Wars movie, and so to celebrate that momentous occasion, Comic Zone will be featuring all things Star Wars. In addition to displaying our Star Wars comic books, we will have Star Wars memorabilia and paraphernalia for sale. We will be showing Star Wars animation clips throughout the day on our big-screen TV. Anyone who dresses up in a Star Wars costume will receive 15% off whatever they buy.

Come on by and may the force be with you!

Comic Zone is the best and only comic book store in Scottsdale, Arizona, conveniently located at 5909 N. Granite Reef Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85250, just off the 101. Take McDonald Drive to the third traffic light (Granite Reef Road). Comic Zone is on the west side of the Basha’s parking lot, facing Granite Reef Road just two doors down from Casella’s Deli.

The store features ever-changing and ongoing sales, regular video game tournaments, Magic the Gathering tournaments, and Dungeons and Dragons role playing games. Come on by. You will like what you find.

Website: http://www.comiczoneaz.com.
Phone: 480-483-2685

# # #

Scottsdale C of C

2009-05-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

This morning, I dragged myself out of bed at 6 am so that I could attend the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce's event - Networking with Purpose.

About 75 of us Scottsdale business owners gathered at Corts Furniture Rental and we sat six to a seating arrangement, each of us having 2 minutes to share a bit about our company. Then we switched and did the same thing, and then we switched again!

It was great. We all got to talk to about 24 unique people, and then there was time to talk further at the end.

I made some great connections, and hopefully some new friends of Comic Zone.

I invited them all to our 6th month anniversary party on June 6th. :)

Current and Upcoming Events

2009-05-20T19:57:00.001-07:00

Today was (Re-) OPENING DAY for Basha's Supermarket! The store is beautiful! In honor of having Basha's back, we gave out coupons for the Basha's Bash - allowing holders 10% off $20 or more. These coupons are good until the end of this month. We have already had a few folks take advantage of that!

***

This Saturday, May 23rd, we are hosting TWO video games:

At 3:00 pm, Super Mario Brothers 3
At 6:00 pm, Call of Duty 4 (360)

Come on by for the fun!
We now have sodas and snacks available for sale.

***

On Monday, May 25th, Memorial Day, is also STAR WARS DAY!

We will have displays of Star Wars merchandise, as well as a few people dressing up, and we will be looping Star Wars movies and cartoons in our gaming area all day. We may even have some rare fan films.

***

We are just beginning plans for our 6 month anniversary party on June 6th. Stay tuned for more details.

***

In the meantime, we will be selling all back issues for 50% off starting June 1st until the anniversary party, in celebration of achieving the impossible, and being open for 6 months as a brand new business in this economy. Go us!

Building our Presence

2009-05-17T14:17:00.001-07:00

Avery just mentioned to me that we have had three calls in the past two days from people who want to sell us comic books.

We are not really buying comic books from others at this point, unless they are deeply discounted, although in certain situations, we may be able to work out a consignment deal.

But, as he pointed out, the fact that people are calling us means we are becoming more known!

I love that!!!

Dead Gear's CD Release Party

2009-05-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

We just had the CD Release Party for Dead Gear. Here is a picture of JenX playing:

And here is D! Zunk:

What a blast! They make good music. :)

We will be having the CDs for sale in our store.

They paved paradise...

2009-05-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

Today when I got to Comic Zone, I couldn't turn into the drive leading to the parking lot because they are TARRING our parking lot!

This is actually a good thing. I don't think that parking lot has been tarred in over 10 years. It was full of cracks, the parking lines were completely eradicated, and it verged on being a hazard. So, I am very happy that we will have a beautiful, new tarred parking area.

However.... Wednesdays are usually our busiest day, and people are going to really want to come in to get to us today.

On a good note, though, the new Basha's parking lot now has covered parking! So, as long as folks don't mind walking a bit, they can at least keep their cars out of the sun.

THE Comic Book Store

2009-05-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

A father and his daughter were just in the store.

His wife called him and asked where he was. He said, "I am at the comic book store." I can't tell you how that warmed my heart. WE are "the comic book store."

And she obviously knew exactly what he was talking about.

I think that is great. I really LIKE being THE comic book store. :D

Changing store hours?

2009-05-12T17:43:00.000-07:00

We had decided to change our hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Noon-8 pm to 3pm-8pm. We started it for May. Well, last Thursday, I was in the store early, so I opened a bit early, and sure enough, we had folks coming in at 2 pm.

Today, Sean forgot we had changed our hours, so he was here at noon. I got here at 1:00, and we had steady customers from the moment I got here today.

Perhaps we need to change our hours back to Noon - 8 pm, given the traffic.

This is a GOOD thing. :)

Odds and ends

2009-05-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

This has been an odd week. Wednesdays are usually our busiest day. This week, Wednesday was one of our slowest days, and we did really well on MONDAY. Fridays are usually slow, but yesterday was incredibly good. Saturdays are usually our 2nd best day of the week. Today so far? Not so much. On the whole, though, it's been a good month so far.

Tonight we have a video game tournament. Halo 3 for the XBox 360. Apparently quite a few people have expressed interest in participating, so the day may still turn around. :) First prize is the Halo graphic novel.

Last night I saw the new Star Trek movie. Wow, was it AWESOME! Makes me want to read the comics. ;)

Dead Gear

2009-05-06T20:17:00.000-07:00

Since we are a store, upon occasion, we sell things on consignment for people we know, or if we find something we think is really cool. Well, our good friends, Dan and Jenn were part of the band that played on FCBD - the Super Zero Hit Squad. In reality, that is simply an alter-ego for them, as the band that they have been promoting for a couple of years now is called Dead Gear.

You can see more pictures and hear their music here.

We will be hosting their long-awaited CD Release party on May 16th. It's going to be a blast!!!

So, of course, CDs will be available that night, and we will be carrying them in the store also.

The Monday After

2009-05-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

Free Comic Book Day has come and gone, and I wasn't able to be there, as my business had me elsewhere for the weekend. But I got to hear all about it from Sean, Avery, and Andy, and I have no doubt that it was an awesome day!

And luckily, Andy and Avery, as well as the EDGE 103.9 FM

took lots of great pictures.

Here is Andy with SuperGirl

And here is Avery with the Hulk.

For more pictures, you can go to the EDGE's myspace site

Or to Andy's website

It was actually a great day! Everyone loved SuperGirl and the Hulk and lots of photos were taken. People LOVED having Tosh back - he sold out of all of his paintings and the comics he brought! And World Wide Villains were back too, and they also had a great day in sales.

The EDGE had a blast, and people loved having them there. And even after ALL of that, the Super Zero Hit Squad came in, dressed up like Bat-Dan and Robin, and rocked the house down.

For us ComicZoners, it was one of our best days ever.

FCBD

2009-04-30T15:59:00.001-07:00

Here is the press release I wrote today for this weekend.

PRESS RELEASE

Scottsdale, AZ. April 30, 2009. Comic Zone of Scottsdale, AZ will be a participating retailer in Free Comic Book Day on Saturday, May 2^nd, 2009,.

Free Comic Book Day is the first Saturday in May each year. Three free comic books per customer, and another for any purchase of $1.00, while supplies last. There will be many fun activities going on in the store.

Supergirl and the Hulk will both be in the store for the majority of the afternoon to meet and greet our guests. Think of the photo ops! The EDGE 103.9 FM radio station will be broadcasting live from our parking lot from 2-4 pm. They usually bring games and all sorts of fun promotional items. We will also be hosting some local artists, including Tosh Delaney of Stump Comix who will be available for signing his work and selling original artwork. Later in the day, the band known as the Super Zero Hit Squad will be playing live.

For the kids, we will have a coloring table, with their favorite Marvel superheroes available to color.

Comic Zone is the best and only comic book store in Scottsdale, Arizona, conveniently located at 5909 N. Granite Reef Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85250, just off the 101. Take McDonald Drive to the second traffic light (Granite Reef Rd). Comic Zone is on the west side of the Basha’s parking lot, facing Granite Reef Rd. just two doors down from Casella’s Deli.

The store features ever-changing and ongoing sales, regular video game tournaments, Magic the Gathering tournaments, and Dungeons and Dragons role playing games. Come on by. You will like what you find.

Website: http://www.comiczoneaz.com.

Phone: 480-483-2685

# # #

You can find a link to it on the web here:

http://www.prlog.org/10227796-comic-zone-of-scottsdale-participates-in-free-comic-book-day-on-may-2nd-from-10-am-8-pm.html

Quick update

2009-04-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a few days since I have blogged.

Sunday I was recovering from Villains Day (as well as inputting the inventory to our point of sale system for today's delivery).

Monday is my typical day off from Comic Zone, so it's the day I get lots of other stuff done.

Tuesday was just a busy day for me this week. I had to get my car fixed, made a bunch of highly successful prospecting calls for my other business, talked to some office supply folks in the store, and then had an evening meeting.

Today is New Comic Book Wednesday again, and I better get my tail over to the store!!! See y'all there!

Villains Day

2009-04-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

So, today was Villains Day. Three of us came in dressed up as villains.

I was dressed as Cheetah:

Avery was the Devil:

Andy was Venom:

The day started out slowly. We were ready, but at five minutes before noon, our guests for the day still had not arrived. Just as I started to panic, Tosh Delaney of Stump Comix came in. We got him set up, and then heard that World Wide Villains were about a half hour away. Just after they arrived and we got them set up, we had our first little visiting villain.

His enthusiasm was inspiring, and it set the tone for the rest of the day. Not too many others dressed as villains, but we had crowds all day long! That's Sean in blue. He said he was dressed as Megaman. ;)

Here's Tosh with the artwork he did for our first customer:

Here are the World Wide Villains:

Here are a bunch of Tosh's friends who came in and hung out for awhile:

It was a full and exciting day. :)

Prepping for Villains Day

2009-04-24T23:13:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is Villains Day at Comic Zone!

Here is the press release about it: http://www.prlog.org/10221055-comic-zone-of-scottsdale-presents-villains-day-april-25th-from-12-6-pm.html

In preparation for the day, I spent some time moving around comics so we will have tables for the featured artists to sit at for signings. I know it's going to be a fun day. I met folks from World Wide Villains at the Renaissance Festival. They are a LOT of fun!

And Stump has been a great help in promoting this event!

We will be giving out villain comics to anyone who shows up in a villain costume. I, myself, plan to go as Cheetah! I promise I will post pictures tomorrow. :)

Cake!

2009-04-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

Thursdays are a bit slower in the comic store. But we can always count on one of our regular customers, J, to make an appearance. Today he brought a friend who brought a tiny little cake with him. Apparently J works in a bakery, and he helps to make these cakes.

This was the cutest cake I've ever seen, and although I don't usually eat cake, I did have a small piece of this one. Yum, it was delicious. It's known as a Snickers Cake, and it tasted like a Snickers bar!

One never knows what one will find working in a comic book store. :)

New Comic Book Day

2009-04-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday! And Wednesdays at the Comic Zone are always fun.

Wednesday is new comic book day, and often our busiest day of the week.

For us who work here (especially Avery), new comic book day means getting up early, going to the UPS distrib

ution center in Tempe, picking up our boxes of new comic books, bringing them back, checking them against the order, then putting them on the new comics shelf, the contents of which had to have been transferred to the recent shelfs. After that, the order is received in our point of sale system and the inventory is entered into stock. It's a big deal.

I have found that entering the receiving voucher on Sundays is a good idea, and then just putting it on hold until Wednesday. Check in has become much more streamlined since I started doing that.

But, you know, that's all the behind the scenes stuff on Wednesdays.

The BEST part of Wednesdays is our customers. All of our regulars come in to pick up the newest issues, to visit, to see what's out, to empty their pull boxes. Wednesdays are always full of activity and fun. People hang out and talk about new storylines and we talk about upcoming events in the store.

I love New Comic Book Wednesday. :)