Couldn't help myself.

I just had to answer one of the guys who was complaining about comics stores on Savage Critics -- even though I know it won't do any good.

The guys comment, in part:

"I’m just a guy who travels a lot and I’ve found these clubhouse stores *everywhere*. In my experience, they far outnumber the amount of good stores to the point I honestly feel the good stores, like yours, are the statistical outliers."

My answer:

I feel like I have the perfect “test case” store; in a small metro area, been here for 31 years. (Pegasus Books of Bend, Oregon.)

Yesterday, I had a guy come in and ask for Adrian Tomine. We found in the store:

32 Stories.
Shortcomings
Scrapbook
Summer Blonde
Optic Nerve: 30 Postcards
Scenes from an Impending Marriage
and a couple issues of Optic Nerve.

I bring this up to give an indication of how much independent material I carry.

He was from Seattle, and bought 32 Stories…

So…I haven’t had a single local ask for Adrian Tomine, or sold one of his graphic novels — in years, ever?

I can only make this work because I get tourist business; and even then, it’s a hard sell.

I’m proud of my store and what I carry, and I’ve managed to bring this material in and make it work, BUT….I would never second guess smaller stores who say they can’t sell it.

It’s a hard sell, but I think worth trying for.