News for the Week of April 22, 2009
Rick’s Writin’s
Well folks, as you know it's been a couple of weeks since I've flapped
my lip on this here newsletter. First week, with Emerald City Comic Con,
I had a legit excuse, and last week's miss by napping I'll also blame
on the Con. Believe it or not, I was STILL tired from doing the show,
and maybe from the stress of other work related factors, such as economy
woes, plus, the new POS system. A tough month for both Paula and myself
to be sure. Now, the Con's behind us, we're getting a good grip on the
system, and the nap was very helpful. In fact, I've come up with a genius
idea to help all our economic woes. Even better, I'm giving you faithful
readers the opportunity to be on the ground floor of this amazing Ponzi...uhhm,
I mean fantastic business plan. Truly a better plan you've never heard.
Cutting edge idea in an exploding growth industry. What can this idea
be you ask? How can I be involved you're wondering? How much money will
I need to invest you're thinking as hopefully you're looking in your wallet
and at your banking statements. Well, let me lay out the plan first and
then I'll tell you what you can do to be involved. Here's the plan: As
every one knows, the economy is in the dumper. The longer it stays that
way the tougher it is for businesses to stay in business. More and more
companies and particularly stores file for bankruptcy, just as "GI"Joe's
did recently. Rite Aid is in trouble too. These stores have to come up
with a strategy to unload their merchandise. A key piece of this strategy
is the hiring of sign and arrow wavers to direct customers to the great
deals and troubled stores. Here's where my genius idea and your opportunity
to cash in big comes in. Have you seen the zombies and pathetic booty
shakers these poor companies have had to hire to get customers to their
stores? My god, how do they expect to unload anything? My plan is to set
up a school and train people to be exceptional sign wavers and booty shakers.
Top notch, cream of the cream, have to pull in and see what all the commotion
is about Arteests!! There's plenty of folks that lost and are looking
for jobs and need new job skill training and, there's plenty of companies
liquidating (and more coming). So the supply of students is great, and
the demand for our graduates even greater. Soon, we'll be able to have
our graduates working every corner and street by every store and mall
in the state. All we would need to do is hire some good dancing cheerleaders
and/or some of the really good high school/church car wash sign wavers
and booty shakers to be teachers, find some classrooms, and get some ads
up in all the unemployment offices and on job training sites including
web sites like Monster. Our only dilemma is how much do we charge the
students and the companies we hire them out to. Ka'Ching!!! Gettin' paid
on both sides! Top notch, cream of the cream ARTEESTS!! Who's with me
here?? Talk to me at the shop or e-mail and I'll let you know what you'll
need to invest. The amount you need to invest will differ depending on
how involved you want to be and if I know what you do for a living and
how much money you make, or even if you have a job or not. I'll be sure
there's room for everybody that wants to be part of this great opportunity.
Trust me. Keep it hush hush though. I don't want anybody else (especially
the police) to beat us to this. Shhhh. Comic Time...
We're just two weeks away from Free Comic Book Day, Saturday May 2nd. Don't miss out, especially if you want to catch the first piece of DC's big summer Green Lantern story "Blackest Night". That's right; the first piece of this huge story is in a Free Comic Book Day comic. For FREE!!! As usual, we'll be having a big "One Day Only" sale on lots of stuff. What will be on sale?? I want to keep it under wraps, but Paula wants to tell, so I'll lay it out in next week’s newsletter. Look for our fliers in store. Also, I want to say how pleased I am with the response from you box customers on the Previews sheet we started handing out this month. Your input will help assure we pull the books you want and help us control our ordering so we aren't spending money on stuff you don't want and we don't need. If you haven't filled on out, or checked what books you've asked us to hold for you lately, please do so. We aims to please, but we need accurate information. Now, finally, the books this week: I'm sure you're all wondering whatever became of the last part of "What Ever Became of the Caped Crusader?" Wonder no more, as Detective #853, the Neil Gaiman written conclusion of the Batman RIP story and lead-in to the "Battle for the Cowl", who will be Batman? story arrives this week, coming about two months later than originally solicited. I'm curious why DC allowed that to happen. They're usually pretty reliable about shipping on time but lately, they've slipped occasionally (Legion of Three World's too.) The "Battle" has had some one-shots to keep us busy and this week there's Battle for the Cowl: Arkham Asylum, with Dr. Arkham, keeper of Gotham City's loonies, crazies and just plain nasty villains dealing without the back-up of the Bat. What to Do?, What to Do?, as the inmates get more and more restless. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes, but I'll be looking in to see what happens for sure. The "new?" Azrael, also part of the "Battle" has his hands full in the second part of his three part mini, trying to keep Talia (Ra's al Ghul's daughter and potential Robin or Batman wanna be Damien's mother) and the League of Assassins under control. Supergirl (#40) is still trying to figure out who Superwoman is in part four of this story, though it's possible she found out last issue (I haven't read it yet, but I think it's grown up Buttercup PowerPuff ). Marvel's offerings are a few Wolverine books (Natch, with the movie just two weeks away, we'll have multiple Wolvie books every week fore the next month), Astonishing X-Men (#29) with part five of the Ghost Box story that seems to have gone on at least a year, Amazing Spider-Man (#592) starts a new arc "24/7" in which "Peter drops by Aunt May's house for the shock of his life." Could it be that Aunt May is really Uncle Ben? "Set your faces on stun!" (The quotes I'm using are the actual quotes in the Marvel Previews. I couldn't make up stuff that lame/good.) X Force (#14) continues the Messiah War crossover with Cable, and Thor's new/old numbering continues with #601 and a fresh story start. One of the best, saved for almost last, Mark Millar's Kick Ass (#6) from Marvel/Icon finally arrives. This is one where I'm just happy to get the next part, and I guess I'll wait as long as needed to get more. Warren Ellis definitely has many projects going on, with his Avatar books and the above mentioned Astonishing X-Men, but I'm most intrigued by his steam/ retro-punkish stuff, including this week's Ignition City (#2) and the second part of his web comic collection FreakAngels (Vol. 2). The art in Ignition City is very detailed and lush, done by Gianluca Pagliarani, and FreakAngels is drawn by Paul Duffield in the same type, but not the same style. I like it! I guess that's it for now...ooooh a name: the "Business Blowout Booty Bodies School" or BBBBS!!! Ka'Ching!$$!! Shhhhhhhh.
Paula’s Picks
I hope everyone has had a chance to get out in the sunshine. I climbed
a mountain yesterday. It was actually more like a very big hill compared
to the other mountains at 1,800 feet at the peak. It’s called Pinnacle
Peak and it’s near Enumclaw. It was a fun walk. It was really muddy,
but it was nice and sunny and warm at the top. Then we ate at Wally’s
Drive-In in Buckley on the way back home. It was a good day!
We’re getting a collection
of Ctrl+Alt+Del webcomics this week. It’s about games and pop culture
and the description says it should appeal to those who like PvP, Penny
Arcade and the Office. Yup, the Office. Rick better get reading!
Jack of Fables #33 continues with the Great Fables Crossover. Also from
DC, Justice League of America #32 ships featuring Starbreaker.
From Marvel, New Avengers #52 is a Dark Reign tie-in focusing on Doctor Strange and Hulk #11 stars Namor, Doctor Strange and the Silver Surfer.
After reading Rick’s
Writin’s on Freakangels and Ignition City, I’m going to have
to check those out. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything
by Warren Ellis before but they sound interesting and I do like the art.
Now, go out and enjoy that sunshine before it disappears!