You Are NOT Searching For The Holy Grail -You Are looking For A Comic Magazine!

It can be said that in the last week there has been one situation after another that just made me throw my arms up in a mixture of disbelief/anger and frustration.
I know I’ve asked this rhetorical question before but: What sort of dumb sack of **** wants to be a comics publisher???

Anyway, before I wander off into a senile rant I’ll get on to the main point of this post.

I walked into Bristol’s biggest Tesco store today and saw a stack of  Paninis new Thundercats comics. It seemed to be the same stack as last Wednesday.  But that couldn’t be possible.  So I mentioned to the stacker of the magazine/comic shelves that the comic must be selling well as the stock had been replenished since my last visit.  I was told that the magazines were the same ones I had seen the past couple weeks.  None had sold!

So, hoping to find something of interest in Broadmeads W. H. Smith I found another stack of Thundercats and the guy who usually stacks the shelves was standing around reading what I can only assume is a health food magazine titled “Nuts“. A few pleasantries and I asked about the Thundercats magazine. He thought the comic strip was good but the rest “very bland.”  It seems that the title is not selling out but he put it to me “Who knows its out there? You’ve mentioned it on your site but there was no promo or publicity. It’s just a ‘Dandy’!”

“A ‘Dandy’?” I asked.  It was explained that the Dandy sells lousily but it is a title they stock “because people expect us to have copies.”  Same for Thundercats -”in case” someone wants a copy. I was then asked “Have you seen the giveaway toy? Utter crap!”

I don’t think he was too impressed.

I’ve seen people ask where they can buy Thundercats because they want to get a copy.  I’ve been asked myself.  The answer is simple: get off your ass and walk to the nearest newsagents or supermarket that sells magazines and comics.  Seriously, you are not searching for the Holy Grail (remind me to tell you some time about my search for the Grail) you just need to leave the games console or computer and ….well, just get off your ass basically.  You can visit a comic shop you can go to a newsagents.

I think Thundercats is a lesson to be learned (who really cares about D. C. Thomson these days?). If you are going to bring out a new magazine with a comic strip in it:PROMOTE IT.

Wonder how long it’ll last?