Free Comic Bricks Day

[Brian Garside]

Hey Rich, long time reader.

We had a heated debate with Diamond about just this subject the other day. Turns out that the Free Comic Book Day committee is the body responsible for deciding who can participate in this venture.

Last year we set up a form on our site and allowed people to pick a free comic to have delivered, free of charge, to their home, one per household so as to keep costs down. We're going to do something similar this year, although on a larger scale, and if we can't get the books from Diamond, we will get them from our friends who own stores who disagree with this policy that the FCBD folks have implemented.

We've also kept FCBD books on hand to give away at comic shows (for kids who come by our table), and at Halloween.

The bricks and mortar stores are terrified of online ventures (such as ours at www.allnewcomics.com), and I don't blame them. We have a much larger reach, and according to them we have no overhead (nevermind the massive shipping bill I paid last month that far outweighs the rent I would pay on 90% of the shops out there). Dinosaurs were very likely terrified of the first dust clouds.

Rather than embracing us and using our knowledge to help them become bigger than their small fifedoms (and maybe become global brands), the Bricks and Mortars are banding together in their little factions and coallitions, one of which a Mr. Hibbs told me that if I didn't like their policy of not allowing online vendors into their little club, I could found my own.

Unfortunately I'm too busy to do so. I personally handle our customers email and comments, all of whom say that they are choosing to move online because of the well organized website and friendly, personal service that we give them.

Apparently this is a strange concept to the dinosaurs...organization and friendly service. Just seems like common sense to me, but then again, the dinosaurs didn't have the common sense to run away from the dust cloud.

I followed this up with some explanations of my hostility below (#post4557153).

[Michael P]

Well, that was an arrogant and self-serving take on the situation.

Might the policy not have something to do with the fact that FCBD was founded as not just a way to drive up sales, but a way to reach out to local communites? And might it not be that reducing that to clicking a box on a website without leaving home is contrary to that spirit?

[RichJohnston]

Well, that was an arrogant and self-serving take on the situation.

Might the policy not have something to do with the fact that FCBD was founded as not just a way to drive up sales, but a way to reach out to local communites? And might it not be that reducing that to clicking a box on a website without leaving home is contrary to that spirit?

Why local?

It always looked like a way to get people to try comics to me.

[johncage1000]

As a consumer who prefers to buy his comics in a comic book store and not online, I don't see the problem with providing the FCBD books through online retailers. It doesn't make much of a difference. It's all about getting folks interested in comics and reaching out. Part of the fun of going to shops on FCBD is the atmosphere and taking part in the fun. You can't get that from an online retailer, but by that same token if you can't get to a shop on FCBD it's a nice way of making sure you're able to get the books you want.

Why is this even an issue? Far as I can see this is more of the rubbish that's keeping comics from making greater inroads to the mainstream. Again, I'm not a retailer, but this doesn't track with me.

Have a good day.
John Cage

[Michael P]

Why local?

It always looked like a way to get people to try comics to me.

Comics as a product, or comics as an experience? The prevailing attitude among the founding of FCBD, to me, was about more than just getting a product out there; it was about the comics community welcoming people from outside the community and inviting them to join in the fun. If it was just about moving units, they could just put freebies in local newspapers.

The model, as I understand it, was Baskin Robbins' free ice cream coupons promotion, where you could get a free scoop if you came to the store. The idea wasn't just to get people to try ice cream, but get them to try the experience of going to an ice cream store, picking out your flavor from the big freezer box, and sitting there and eating the cone as it got all drippy. An experience. Which, as I said, buying online really can't give you.

[RichJohnston]

Comics as a product, or comics as an experience? The prevailing attitude among the founding of FCBD, to me, was about more than just getting a product out there; it was about the comics community welcoming people from outside the community and inviting them to join in the fun. If it was just about moving units, they could just put freebies in local newspapers.

The model, as I understand it, was Baskin Robbins' free ice cream coupons promotion, where you could get a free scoop if you came to the store. The idea wasn't just to get people to try ice cream, but get them to try the experience of going to an ice cream store, picking out your flavor from the big freezer box, and sitting there and eating the cone as it got all drippy. An experience. Which, as I said, buying online really can't give you.

The fun can exist virtually as well. Aren't we having fun right now?

As someone who buys and sells on eBay, oh yes it's an experience... ever been sniped?

[Matt Algren]

I have to agree with the esteemed Mr. Pullman on this, both on the arrogant and self-serving nature of the original post, and on the issue of whether the FCBD folks should have to include online stores. Really, any store, for that matter. You aren't entitled to the crappy free books. Why not start your own FCBD type thing.

And if you went to Diamond or Mr. Hibbs with this kind of attitude, I'm not surprised they told you to bugger off.

[RichJohnston]

I have to agree with the esteemed Mr. Pullman on this, both on the arrogant and self-serving nature of the original post, and on the issue of whether the FCBD folks should have to include online stores. Really, any store, for that matter. You aren't entitled to the crappy free books. Why not start your own FCBD type thing.

And if you went to Diamond or Mr. Hibbs with this kind of attitude, I'm not surprised they told you to bugger off.

Surely you're entitled to purchase them as other stores are. Especially since publishers seem unaware of the system, or tied by Diamond.

[DStevic]

To a certain extent, I agree with Brian the online retailers are the red headed step children of the industry.

It seems we are looked upon as opportunists who have nothing to lose by selling online. We haven't made the "investment" and we have no overhead so we can undersell the "Bricks".

As we are in the process of hiring a developer to re-work our website, I can tell you for a fact that we can have pretty sufficent overhead. AS for underselling, we do not have the buying power of the "Bricks" so our Diamond Discount is far less than theirs. So underselling is something we cannot do.

As for not begin able to have community outreach as an online retailer, I have to seriously disagree. Yes, we may not have the traditional means of inviting people into our shop, but thru convetions and other marketing stratgedgies that we are using, people know about us. Keep in mind, out community is not only the phsyical area we live in, but online as well.

Being left out of FCBD has cause challanges. But this is the first I have heard that online reatailers are forbidden to even have teh books. I cannot imagine any publisher that would want anyone who possibly sell their books to be forbidden from anything. I feel this is terribly short-sighted of this FCBD committee. I would venture to guess that no publishers sit on or advise this governing body. I feel that if there were, that this would be quite a different story.

But this is ver similar to teh refusal email that we received from CBIA when we asked for membership. We were politley informed that online retailers did not understand the concerns of the "Bricks", and therefore were not welcomed there.

From what I have seen from CBIA, they deal with publisher problems, damages, shorages, late shipping and so forth. For the record, these are all things that we deal with as well. Whereas we do not have to buy fixtures, we do need to create our displays online. We share more concerns than are widley appriciated.

I do not think that "Bricks" are afraid or threatened by online stores. If they are, then that truly makes no sense to me. It is no differnt if I opened a comic store 1 mile down from them.

I cannot speak for all online reatilers out there, but the ones I have met and associated with, are honest forthright business people with a love for the genre. Yes, there are the opportunists and speculators, but they aren't only online retailers. I belive that I read that some shops were sellign Cap #25 the Wed. it came out in their stores for $12 a pop. There are unscrupulous people in all businesses, being an online retaler does not automatically make you one.

DS

[sgt pepper]

If the point of FCBD is to get people to try comics, then why are the free comics only available at comic book shops and (possibly) online retailers. It's not like someone who doesn't read comics is just going to happen into a comic shop that day or click on a comic retailer's web site just by chance.

The only use I can think of for it is to drum up a little excitement among those who already read comics.

[Brian Garside]

After being beaten on and turned away at every step of the way for the last 18 months I have some hackles that are definately up, and I have a little bit of resentment towards the Brick and Mortar establishment.

Yeah my comments may have come off as self-serving, but that's the point of business, what can this event (Free Comic Book Day) do for me?

The purpose of Free Comic Book Day is to bring new customers into the store, an extra benefit is to "reward" those existing customers who come by the store (although you won't find either of these goals on the FCBD site from what I can see).

Having a Free Comic Book Day event on our website worked the exact same way. A couple of online deal websites picked up what we were doing and ran with it, and as a result we got a bunch of new customers who would never have known about us if it hadn't been for that experience.

It seems short-sighted to me to exclude a portion of your community, especially one which is picking up some of the slack from store closings. In the last few months we've had several customers join us because their local shops are closing. We also have a huge rural membership who don't have local stores. These are customers who previously were not being served at all, and who now buy comics regularly.

This is an excellent opportunity to grow the business as a whole, which is one of the things that All New Comics set out to do and have in our mission statement. We sponsor things like www.womenofcomics.com and this summer's Kid's Literacy programme at the Toronto Comicon. We've been part of charity events, and we've promoted stuff that we feel passionate about...all without having a physical "store".

Nobody can give me a good reason why we shouldn't be able to participate in FCBD other than "because we don't want you to".

[Matt Algren]

If the point of FCBD is to get people to try comics, then why are the free comics only available at comic book shops and (possibly) online retailers. It's not like someone who doesn't read comics is just going to happen into a comic shop that day or click on a comic retailer's web site just by chance.

The only use I can think of for it is to drum up a little excitement among those who already read comics.
Locally, it's been (http://www.icv2.com/articles/indepth/5238.html) fairly (http://www.icv2.com/articles/indepth/6653.html) successful (http://www.icv2.com/articles/indepth/6863.html) at getting new folks in, but to a certain extent, a lot of it is preaching to the converted. It does take more effort than putting a sign on the door, though.

[Brian Garside]

Locally, it's been (http://www.icv2.com/articles/indepth/5238.html) fairly (http://www.icv2.com/articles/indepth/6653.html) successful (http://www.icv2.com/articles/indepth/6863.html) at getting new folks in, but to a certain extent, a lot of it is preaching to the converted. It does take more effort than putting a sign on the door, though.

Some local stores also set themselves up at movie theatres for the movie tie-in.

[MartinRedmond]

What's the difference with mail order and online anyways? Hardcore fans will want their product right away. The only reason I ever went mail order was because the local comic shop sucked and faked shortage on some issues.

THEY SHOULD HAVE CBR FILES OF THE COMICS AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD AS WELL.

[Impulse Creations]

The model, as I understand it, was Baskin Robbins' free ice cream coupons promotion, where you could get a free scoop if you came to the store. The idea wasn't just to get people to try ice cream, but get them to try the experience of going to an ice cream store, picking out your flavor from the big freezer box, and sitting there and eating the cone as it got all drippy. An experience. Which, as I said, buying online really can't give you.

As an online retailer (www.impulsecreations.com) who is currently working with publishers to purchase this year's FCBD books directly, I have to say that the Baskin Robbins model is fine as an idea but wrong under Diamond's control. If the event were run by a single comic store chain or even a group of retailers then they could do whatever they want. I might still feel that its not in the best interest of the industry as a whole and prevents the event from ever attracting new faces who simply won't set foot in a comic store even though they've never been in one before but such a group still has the right to make the event benefit them directly the most.

Diamond though has a responsibility to treat all of its customers the same and not favor some just because they're a majority yet that's exactly what they're doing with FCBD. It doesn't matter who's idea it was or what the committee wants. It's run by Diamond and Diamond's exclusive contracts prevent any comic store from really existing without buying from Diamond.

To make this comparable with Baskin Robbins, Baskin Robbins would have to be getting their ice cream from a larger manufacturer which also supplies all the most popular ice creams to other stores. That manufacturer would then agree to set up and promote a national Free Ice Cream Day but only allow Baskin Robbins to buy the ice cream that's to be given away and yet publicly state (as the FCBD site does) that any stores not participating are choosing not to do so by their own volition.

That's the situation now with Diamond and it's only their control of the event that makes it unfair.

Even so, we will be having FCBD this year as the publishers we've spoken to have been more than willing to sell us the books directly. The exclusive publishers won't be represented since their contracts with Diamond prevent it but that just gives the other publishers more exposure since they'll have less competition for new readers.

Dan Wallace
Impulse Creations

[DStevic]

I suppose thats the problem with Diamond. They are in effect a monopoly in this. If they want to preclude onlie retailers from buying from FCBD, they can.

If they suddenly decided to stop selling to online only sites all together they could as well. I mean, Wizards of the Coast forbids distributors from selling to businesses that do less that 51% in a brick and mortar.

We, unfortunately, do not seem to have the support of the industry as a whole. CBIA and ComicsPro both exclude online retailers from their memberhsip roles.

First and foremost, that attitude needs to change.

[glennsim]

Why would any program that is meant to grow something limit the ways it grows it?

Isn't the fact that comics are only being sold in limited ways pretty much the foundation of the problem that FCBD is meant to fix?

I also agree that the publishers need to do more than just provide the books - they need to provide co-op dollars for the stores (online and brick) to promote the day in places that they ordinarily wouldn't. Heck, even provide guidelines and recommendations on the best ways to do it, for those stores that don't have the best marketing savvy.

Rule #1 - please put away all of the posters and statues of half-naked women for the day...

[Matt Algren]

I don't understand why it's the publishers' responsibility to pay for individual store advertising. The publisher publishes the book. That is where their responsibility ends.

[MartinRedmond]

Well they're free comics right? So have them available as .cbr files and promote them on itunes or something.

[glennsim]

I don't understand why it's the publishers' responsibility to pay for individual store advertising. The publisher publishes the book. That is where their responsibility ends.

I'm pretty sure the publishers have a vested interest in the comics retailers selling more comics. It's certainly helpful when the publisher wants to make money.

It's not uncommon for "manufacturers" to provide dollars to help retailers advertise their products.

[khuxford]

I suppose thats the problem with Diamond. They are in effect a monopoly in this. If they want to preclude onlie retailers from buying from FCBD, they can.

If they suddenly decided to stop selling to online only sites all together they could as well. I mean, Wizards of the Coast forbids distributors from selling to businesses that do less that 51% in a brick and mortar.

We, unfortunately, do not seem to have the support of the industry as a whole. CBIA and ComicsPro both exclude online retailers from their memberhsip roles.

First and foremost, that attitude needs to change.

NO...the CBIA and ComicsPro don't need to change their attitude first and foremost. They aren't (edit)the(/edit) major obstacle to online retailers.

An online retailer needs to sue Diamond for this practice.

[Matt Algren]

I'm pretty sure the publishers have a vested interest in the comics retailers selling more comics. It's certainly helpful when the publisher wants to make money.

It's not uncommon for "manufacturers" to provide dollars to help retailers advertise their products.
You misunderstand me. Sorry I wasn't clearer.

I think it's a good thing when a publisher helps out and makes the retailer's life easier. I don't, however, think it's their responsibility. If asked, I'd think the publisher/manufacturer would offer assistance. It's the sense of entitlement and the stamping of feet that bug me.

[DStevic]

NO...the CBIA and ComicsPro don't need to change their attitude first and foremost. They aren't (edit)the(/edit) major obstacle to online retailers.

An online retailer needs to sue Diamond for this practice.


Actually, what I understand ids this. Correct me if I am wrong...

Diamond, in this case, is innocent in this matter. It is the governinng body of the FCBD movement that is.

The body is made up of reatailers, and I will bet you that not one of them on an online store, and the decide.

And, if you thought about it, you could probably guess which reatilers sit on that board.

But I disagree that CBIA and ComicsPro don't need to change thier attitudes. They most certainly do. They are upposed to be the representiive body from comic reatailers. If they do not recognize online retailers as real, then why shoudl anyone else.

Retailers are retailers, be they online or brick and mortar.

[glennsim]

You misunderstand me. Sorry I wasn't clearer.

I think it's a good thing when a publisher helps out and makes the retailer's life easier. I don't, however, think it's their responsibility. If asked, I'd think the publisher/manufacturer would offer assistance. It's the sense of entitlement and the stamping of feet that bug me.

Then I apologize if I conveyed that attitude. To re-phrase:

I think that if the comics companies really want Free Comic Book Day to be something that truly grows the industry, they need to promote FCBD in places other than just the comics shops. Since the average comics retailer doesn't have an extensive marketing budget to do justice to FCBD, the publishers could provide co-op dollars to enable the retailer to put ads in the newspaper, or have a radio remote on-site that day or some other tactics. This would be, in my opinion, as valuable as providing the free comics themselves.

[Dedagda]

Then I apologize if I conveyed that attitude. To re-phrase:

I think that if the comics companies really want Free Comic Book Day to be something that truly grows the industry, they need to promote FCBD in places other than just the comics shops. Since the average comics retailer doesn't have an extensive marketing budget to do justice to FCBD, the publishers could provide co-op dollars to enable the retailer to put ads in the newspaper, or have a radio remote on-site that day or some other tactics. This would be, in my opinion, as valuable as providing the free comics themselves.

You do realize that FCBD comics are not in fact free. The retailers pay for the "free" comics.

I'm not really certain why the online retailers are excluded. I cannot speak for that decision. I think online retailers are a viable form of business and competition.

Let me ask - Are we reaching new audiences for comics on FCBD? Or are we reaching established comic customers with new books?

If it were the latter then I'd just say post the content online and avoid the printing costs.

For a new audience, I would say that "bricks" have a better reach. We can appeal to movie goers, mall shoppers, schools et al. by a physical presence in passing out the books. In order for an online retailer to get a new audience into comics they would have to buy advertising on sites that don't already reach comic buyers or blind ship mass quantities to various postal codes.

A simple press release gets us into all local media in the Dallas market for Free Comic Book Day. We only have to have a budget for purchasing the FCBD comics.

[glennsim]

You do realize that FCBD comics are not in fact free. The retailers pay for the "free" comics.

I'm not really certain why the online retailers are excluded. I cannot speak for that decision. I think online retailers are a viable form of business and competition.

Let me ask - Are we reaching new audiences for comics on FCBD? Or are we reaching established comic customers with new books?

If it were the latter then I'd just say post the content online and avoid the printing costs.

For a new audience, I would say that "bricks" have a better reach. We can appeal to movie goers, mall shoppers, schools et al. by a physical presence in passing out the books. In order for an online retailer to get a new audience into comics they would have to buy advertising on sites that don't already reach comic buyers or blind ship mass quantities to various postal codes.

A simple press release gets us into all local media in the Dallas market for Free Comic Book Day. We only have to have a budget for purchasing the FCBD comics.

I might have thrown the word "free" around a bit too much there. My assumption, though, is that you pay much less for those books than you would for a regular book, right? The cost is just to keep quantities and ordering under control, huh?

(The other option being for the companies to set an upper limit on how many they print and then distributing them free based on some criteria - like previous orders or something).

I do think an online retailer can also be effective in generating new readers. The stores can reach a limited geographic area in depth - the online retailers can reach an unlimited geographic area with less depth. A single search engine sponsored ad with "free comic books" as the headline would reach a heckuva lot of people.

[ERoy]

I'm thinking more for the people that do not have a comic shop local to them. Online comics may be the only way they get stuff. They certainly should not be excluded.

Diamond is a monopoly. It should be looked into, especially the "exclusive" deals they have with the major publishers.

Brian Garside, thanks for the link. Your site looks great!

[DStevic]

So, just as a curiosity, we ordered copies of the Free Comic Book Day books with our regular May order, and guess what, we got them.

Turns out all we Online Retailers had to do is just order them, they send them. Also, they are all on the ReOrders page, and we ordered more.

I think thast pretty funny after all the hemming and hawing that the Illumnati at the FCBD tribunal was tossing out.

[Brian Hibbs]

Rather than embracing us and using our knowledge to help them become bigger than their small fifedoms (and maybe become global brands), the Bricks and Mortars are banding together in their little factions and coallitions, one of which a Mr. Hibbs told me that if I didn't like their policy of not allowing online vendors into their little club, I could found my own.[/URL].

Brian, I'm pretty sure I never said anything remotely like that. I've checked both the Newsarama threads, as well as my own email, and I can't find any comment that would match that statement at all.

What I HAVE said, several times, is that ComicsPRO is currently run in an ad-hoc, all-volunteer manner -- we have NO "staff" of any kind.

As a member of the Board of Directors (though NOT speaking for the Board), I strongly support adding "online only" retailers to the organization, ONCE WE HAVE A STAFF that can do the proper "due diligence" needed to make the qualitative distinctions between an ACTUAL on-line business, and someone doing eBay on the weekend, out of their basement. Making that kind of a distinction is not something that can be done quickly or lightly, in my opinion, but it is VERY important that we have distinctions between "legitimate" operations, and "weekend warriors".

For the time being, ComicsPRO is limiting membership to physical brick-and-mortar operations, because those are "Easy" to vet -- and that's, so far as I know, the ONLY reason why we're not CURRENTLY letting online-only operators join.

I'd really prefer if you didn't misrepresent my comments or intentions in that manner, thanks.


-B


Brian Hibbs
Head Cheese, Comix Experience
305 Divisadero St.
San Francisco, CA, 94117
www.comixexperience.com