Counter programming.

I've been working my way through the backlog of Shelf Awareness, which I think is the industry voice of bookstores, right now. I read the current entry, then two or three of the past entries each day, and I've worked my way back to July 22.

Anyway, one thing becomes very noticeable. You get entry after entry of, "Look! Bookstores who are succeeding! Look! More bookstores who are succeeding!"

Followed, almost inevitably, by a couple entries of, "Sadly, Beloved Independent Bookstore of Podunck, U.S.A. is Closing...."

Vroom, vroom....SCREECH!......VROOM, VROOM....Screech....!

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Linda and I went to see Scott Pilgrim. It was lots of fun, though like I said I think it trends a little younger than me. I'm familiar with lots of the anime/manga and especially 'comic' elements, not so much with the video game elements.

Essentially, it was a twenty something romance with Bollywood tendencies. Instead of breaking into musical numbers, it goes into elaborate 'kung fu fighting'. Has a kind of innocence that is refreshing.

Graphically, it successfully uses comic book graphics in ways that other movies have flirted with, but not quite pulled off.

After seeing it, I'm not sure what kind of buzz it will get.

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Had three really poor days in a row, losing about 1000.00 off the average. Not sure why that happened...

Nevertheless, I've held back ordering as long as I could, so I'm making orders this week.

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There is another blog in town where the woman seems to have exactly the opposite sensibilities, political views, and life style as me. It makes me grind my teeth.

I force myself to read it every day, because it's so revealing of life choices that are a complete mystery to me. Like getting to know her without having to actually get to know her.

It's good for me.

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More Scott Pilgrim.

When I say flop, I'm not talking about the quality of the movie. I just think the generation that would like this movie hasn't show a propensity for mega-supported movies. Same generation I see in my store that I have a hard time getting them interested in anything.

I think I need to give up this forlorn hope that any movie can have a significant effect on comics as a whole.

Thing is, it DID happen once, in 1989, with the first Batman movie. It made comics 'cool' for a few years, but it all ended badly in 1995 with the comic bust, so maybe that wasn't the right approach after all.

Comics probably need to stand on their own, and develop their own audience, without expecting crossover from other media.