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Boom Comics of Lawrence, Kansas, Explodes on Facebook

Published Fri, 23 Mar 2018 09:00:25 -0500

The comic book shop Boom Comics of Lawrence, Kansas opened in 2015, part of a chain of three stores, also in Topeka and Manhattan, Kansas. The Lawrence store has, apparently, been bought by a new owner and previous employee Mike, from the previous owner, Matthew Kreger. Or has he? He announced the news through the old Facebook account for Boom Comics, saying (cut for length)

My name is Mike, I'm the new Owner and General Manager of Boom Comics.

The short version is this. Matt is moving on to other areas of the comic book world. And, while we are still in transition, I am in charge of the day to day business of the store. This is a recent development that requires time to execute fully and we are proceeding as quickly as the situation allows. Paperwork, phone calls, more paperwork.

Some of you already know me, you've been in the store or you've seen me in the Topeka store. If you've dealt with me personally then you know, or are getting to know, that I'm a straight dealer and a straight talker. Too straight for some. I don't deal in B.S. and I won't be dealt it. There are haters and that's ok. They're a small percentage of the people and we can live with or without them. The majority of people who visit the store leave happy, and they come back time and time again. This has always been the case.

I'd like to personally invite you in to the store for the first time again. Come in now and see what it looks like, feel the atmosphere, participate in daily gaming including Magic the Gathering, D&D, Warhammer, Pokemon, Yugioh! (if you can believe it!) and any number of different board, card, dice, and role playing, games.

Then visit us again over the next few weeks and months as the store changes inside and out. We will begin receiving new comic books each week very soon (I hope next week but it may be one more week depending on some of the afore mentioned paperwork). We will offer a pull list as a free courtesy to any regular customers and it comes at a discount off the cover price! Knowing better what we will sell in advance keeps our costs down and reduces the number of recent back issues (which leaves room for some old gold!). We can also pre-order and back order most of the games and geek merch we carry.

Speaking of which, we have the latest Magic the Gathering Masters 25. Pokemon Sun and Moon Ultra Prism. A stash of highly sought after boxes of Yugioh! Millenium Packs, Boss Monster, D&D 5.0 core and so much more I couldn't possibly list it, this post is already far too long for the attention span of most of you

Hope to see you in the store soon!

They posted that they would honour existing Boom Comics vouchers, gift certificate and credits. But not all debts. Former employee Aaron Jacobs asked 'Yea, I would also like to know about back pay. I'm owed about $2,000. Can you help?' To Mike's response,

No sorry. We are a different corporation and not associated with Boom Comics LLC. Please contact your former employer.

My company is Trade Topeka. You can look it up we've been in business since 2015.

You can see whatever you want wherever you want, but my company and this store don't owe you anything and if the previous corporation does, that's between you. I will not address this issue any more. If anyone has or had issues with the previous owner or company you will need to contact them. My company did not buy the old company just the inventory and fixtures. We are not legally or personally responsible for any debt incurred before we took over.

And don't get me wrong, I was in a hurry when I typed that last bit. I sympathize with your situation(s) but it literally has nothing to do with me and my eyes are set on moving forward. The past is done and I can't change it nor should I even want to per se as it had nothing to do with me.

As to why we would choose to keep the name, convenience is all. Killer sign already done, many other things already with the name. And again, the majority of customers like myself, as I am and was a customer of Boom since it opened in Topeka, l have had nothing but a positive experience both with the store and the previous owners and management.

But others weren't happy with this. Some wondered if it was a front and if Matt still owned the store. As it seems he had barred certain custiemrs and former staff from the store.

Another former employee JC Cutchins, who had doubts about the new ownership arrangement asked regarding previous bans for certain people 'so you didn't answer my question since matt isn't the owner are customers and former employees allowed to shop in your store?'

Mike: No JC you are not welcome here. Too much history.

JC Cutchins: ok then I got my answer this is exactly like manhattan you don't own this store matt does and it's a smokescreen I hope you know your reputation for being associated with him is tarnished and other stores will overshadow you. Have a nice day Matt's employee!

Mike: You misunderstand me. When I say "too much history", I mean, I know you. I know your reputation. To be frank, it's no better than Matt's. And that assessment is based on your apparent standards. Good luck to ya.

JC Cutchins: I'm sure matt told you all about me. Funny thing I don't know you at all. Luckily my reputation is intact and fine. Enjoy your shop. I have all 5star ratings. I suggest you make a new page
Manage

Mike: You do know me. You are too stupid to realize that you've talked to me for hours as a customer for the last couple years.

JC Cutchins: Anyway I wish u luck nonetheless, have gn

Mike: That's what's funny about this whole thing. It's YOU who doesn't know me but you sit here typing away as if you do. It's laughable, but pretty sad at the same time. You really should grow up and move on.

JC Cutchins: well congrats calling me stupid good reputation mate. I never said anything bad about you. I said matt was a bad egg. Tbh if you do in fact don't get screwed I'm happy for you and GL with your business

Mike: What else do you call a person who behaves as you are. You are playing a stupid little game with me because you have a problem with Matt. I don't play little games, but I want a clear record of this available publically. I want people to know why you are not welcome. I want them to know that while you claim to not know me, I DO know you. It's going to be very clear if you have to be the example so be it… I'm moving forward and leaving the past behind, and you buddy are a part of the past. Move along because I got better things to do with my time, as much fun as it is embarassing you publically when it was your intent to embarass me.

Well, this is a clear record, available publicly. Happy to be of assistance. Some people asked what had happened to Matt.

Mike: The details are not known. We've only chatted about it in passing. He really is moving on and even though everything is not done business and legal wise with the store and transition of ownership, he's not around, he's just doing other stuff.

Jason Smith: So the store still has not gone through escrow and legally Matt is still the owner.

If true, maybe they are still liable for backpay? But the arguments moved on.

Alec Gregg Neukirch: You're saying it's a new store experience, except for people that had problems with the old store, it's still the same experience for them. At least, that's what most of these posts seem to add up to. It's also just awful business practice to have a back and forth argument on the store page with the store account. Nothing good for any party comes out of it.

Mike seemed to disagree with the latter point.

Mike: So you find it the same old experience, based on posts of people who haven't been there and know nothing AND You find it an Awful business practice to do what people do on social media, SO…you jump in and pile on nit picking a part of the post that has nothing to do with your complaint which is actually just a ruse to pick a fight in public? This is why I do it publically, to show everyone the foolishness I have to do deal with daily from people who act in contradiction to their words.

Alec Gregg Neukirch: I don't want a fight, I expected you to read my input and not respond. I'm just telling you arguments on an internet thread make you look like a childish owner that feels like they need to defend themselves. It's just so bad. Nobody is going to look through this thread and care about what I said. They're going to see you using a capital AND between snarky comments. I just don't understand the purpose. The only foolishness everyone sees is the time you're wasting.

Mike: So you are admittedly trolling me based on social expectations in front of a presumed audience that will find it presumeably offensive to social media you right back in the face? You gotta see my next post, I just finished it. You'll love it. I name in it

Oh boy. Let's take a look. And he was true to his word… again edited for length and Eminem lyrics.

Contrary to popular belief. Retailers are not your post-marital argument punching bags. We put on a smile because we want you to feel comfortable, come back to our establishments again and again. Maybe even get to know us. And we want you to spend money of course…

I'm sure most of you remember Clerks. The classic black and white Kevin Smith joint that produced a series of related movies and characters that spilled over into comics, cartoons, podcasting and more. Like it or not. I for one like it. A lot. And I agree with Randall. But it's ok that I do because, we don't have to be friends to do business. I will smile and take your dollars as happily as I would anyone else. You don't have to like my politics. You don't have to agree with my worldview. We don't have to have the same religion. We just have to agree on the price.

This is ok with me. It should be ok with you. It is the epitome of polite society. I have something you want. You have something I want. We exchange those things. We are both happy. You go home and kiss the wife instead of kicking the dog. I go home and do both, because I really dislike dogs.

The internet and social media have added a new twist to the retailer/customer relationship. A whopper of a twist. A kick in the groin type of twist. It has provided a place for customers to interact with the retailer… AND all his other customers (at least those who even network yo! and there are those who don't even). It has provided a way for retailers to stay in almost constant contact with their customer. Especially the ones who are feeling wronged (moot or not), and those who are vocal. Often they oddly enough turn out to be the same people.

There are some people who are bullies. Nagging little whiners who have found a platform for their rantings in front of lookers on (like watching a shoving match in the school yard), and a safety in their chosen venue given its distance and the nature of the expected attitudes of those who are being bullied. Or dumbed down for the usual social media crowd, trolls who hide behind their computers and social expectations to protect them from their own jackassery.

We don't do trolls here. We slay trolls up in this Mutha! If you bring your stupid to my store's social media, I will expose your stupid. I will take my shots. I will score my hits. And in the end, it's just a bunch of dead trolls who only ever got off on each other or themselves to begin with. Nobody else actually gives a rip about troll life. It makes some good headlines occasionally. And clearly, I like to entertain the little beasts, but merely for XP.

I'm here to offer my products, you're free to accept them or not. If you don't, we cool. If you do, we cool. If you green up and stupid out, I'll cage you and poke you with a stick for a bit, then I'll cut you in to itty bitty little troll bits and trounce all over them with my +7 Dexterous Boots of Dance. Chuck Taylors to you troll boy!

This is me. You don't have to like me. You don't have to shop in my store. You don't have to do anything but pay taxes and die. And neither do I. I don't owe anyone anything. I like it that way.

1. Will you honor BOOM cards?
Yes. For a time and that time is until the end of April. That's more than a month to come in.

2. Can Banned people come back in to the store?
This is tricky. Some people are banned with good reason. Each case will be considered individually but, generally speaking, anyone is welcome to come in and play games, spend money, socialize. As I'm almost always there (or will be after the initial reorganization of the floor and stock rooms) I will know you. I will know of you from others. If I don't feel I can trust you, you will be asked to not return. Some already have been.

3. Is Matt still around?
Yes. But not really. Things are not final yet, soon. Stupid bank got me today, they've been dragging their feet on new accounts which is delaying me from new accounts with Diamond but I've been assured that tomorrow things will be straightened out.

4. So is Matt involved in the business?
No. He is not in any way associated with the new business. The new business is owned solely by my wife and managed by me. Matt does however still have some financial interests, so he remains until those interests have resolved. But we're literally talking about the lights and the phone and internet, some shelves I don't want or need, just stuff, details, minutia. All day to day business matters fall to my wife and I. There is a time coming very shortly, week, two, when Matt will be only a customer and friend.

That's right. First I was a customer, then I was I friend, then I was an employee, then he made me an offer and now I'm the owner. In every single one of those phases of our relationship, Matt has never done me wrong or made me a promise he did not keep… outside "I'll meet you at 10." As an outside observer, I think some of you got too close and he let you get there to both your chagrin.

That's bad news when someone goes down in flames, everyone else gets singed or just plain burned. People make mistakes. Those who learn from them… still made them. There is hardly a great man. By my standards one who has never done wrong by anyone. I myself am a good man. And Matt is too. He's been treated unfairly by some. Some people piled on. Trolled real life. They deserved the axe. I wont play with them any more, I just wanted to stake my territory, lay down the law of the land. My playground my rules. Don't like? Play in somebody else's yard.

5. Does Matt still have access to this page?
Yes. He has to, he created it. Being added myself in only the last 24 hours or so leaves me very little access to things until the end of the month. Some safeguard Facebook has to protect pages from infiltration by troll spies. Like you couldn't smell 'em. At some time in the future the page may change, the name of the store may change, Artie Lang may change his underwear.

6. Does this post ever end?

Eventually. And the responses came thick and fast. Some about dog welfare, others making allegations of a criminal and abusive history of the past (and possibly present) owner. Mike had more to say – though mostly about dogs.

Most of the family. No i don't hate dogs or kick them… often. Touchy buncha snowflakes without a sense of humor! Where's that sticking your tongue out giving a raspberry emoji at?!

So boom cards are actually becoming more of a problem than they are worth, which has been true for some time really and why they would have been replaced no matter what. Let me make a final statement on them.

Verifiable boom cards will be honored.

Realize that I'm under no obligation to do so at all. I'm doing it because it's good business and most of the people who have cards are regular shoppers I see all the time. I appreciate you and I am happy to give you an incentive to continue seeing you in the store.

I will replace the boom card right away. Anyone who signs up for the new card and turns in their old one will get a $10.00 credit. This offer is only available once per household and will only be available for a short window to be announced as soon as the new card system is in place.

I am Jor-El master of ceremonies and this is my decree.

And the responses naturally came thick and fast. But at this point I think you get the idea. So let's bring this to a…

Don't owe you an explanation, proof, a consideration, a concession, a credit, or jack squat. So enjoy the wait.

Sorry, Mike had more to say, posting a picture of his granddaughter.

People seem to find it acceptable to speak to me as if I'm a child in need of correction as opposed to an adult with an opinion, a product, and some minor services (courtesy services) that people are free to take or leave. Funny enough when I address those people in return as an adult with valid: points, questions, reason, logic, a sense of humor, suddenly they start acting like a child.

As nerds and geeks and freaks you should all get this. We get talked down to because we play games and live fantasy lives in worlds of our own creation. Because of this outsiders look at us funny and can discount our value as real world thinkers. It's true of, MTG nerds, D&D freaks, comic book geeks,

I'm a gamer, a collector, a reader, a fan. I've been playing D&D sice the original AD&D box sets. I taught myself to play MTG finally in 2015. At one point I owned more than 12,000 comics in my own personal collection. I've traveled to different countries and nations, conducted business, created products, provided services. I was a radio personality for a good portion of my adult life in the corporate top 25 markets, smaller markets like K-Rock in Manhattan, and on the web, and… producer, director, vlogger, blogger, magazine contributor, activist, musician, famliy man, one hell of a lover, and I can cook.

When you have constructive advise that can improve my business, I will hear you and listen, and take that advice.

When you want to back-handedly contribute your unsolicited and unclarified opinion on any aspect of my life or business you can expect me to suggest politely that you bite my shiny metal a$$.

And adding

https://www.facebook.com/boomlawrence/posts/1475520355891061

With responses

Adam May: then do it on a personal page not a professional page. This and now everything coming to light about the previous runnings of the business are why i will not be doing any business with anyone affiliated with Boom current or past.

Jonathan HT: you literally have customers saying they will not visit your store because of your posts/comments. If our pleas to tone it down won't work, perhaps people not spending money at your store will.

Jonathan Raffaelle: I was actually going to be coming to town for the first time in a few years this weekend to check out the new store because I didn't like AstroKitty's new spot and stopped going to Lawrence. If this is what is willing to be posted on the main page of the store, I won't bother, regardless if I agree or not. I just want to buy some cards or books and move on with my life. I certainly don't want to prove how much shit talk I'd have to listen to.

David Wohlgey Villeareal: Running a business is one thing, running a social media page for said business is clearly another. New ownership or management or whatever the deal is, they shouldn't be using this professional page as a personal one. Clearly you are bad at PR and anyone who opposes you or your opinions are trolls and will get the axe? These are potential customers for your business and they are literally telling how to get more business. You should listen to these people, they, their families, friends and acquaintances are all possible customers who help your bottom line. Don't exacerbate things, or do, I suppose it's your business.

Mike: You shouldn't be here on my professional page telling me how to run my business. Go away. It is my business not yours and I don't care about your opinion on this or any other subject. Stop trolling my page you are not a customer you ate not a friend, you are harassing me like a little child pestering momma because things aren't your way. Easily solved. Go away to a world where you command things and people bend to your dictates because it ain't here and I'm done wasting time with you and your kind. No trolls allowed.

Matthew J Asbury: I used to spend alot of money there. Even stuck it out when Matt's stuff went public. But this, this is really bad. THINK ABOUT THE KIDS. No parent; ME AND ANYONE WITH A FACEBOOK will let their kids go to your store. And that sucks for my boys cause they liked playing pokemon there. But now that's never going to happen. The worst part is I had or have a few friends that worked there. I don't anymore cause super shady dudes are always in there. But it really sucks to find out that one of those shady dudes is running the show. Not what I thought would happen. DUDE NOT COOL. This is not how you run a comic shop. First ever thing with Matt then this. Wow. Shut the doors. No one will ever shop at your store. And i was a strong supporter. AND IM DONE. Sorry would rather drive 45min then play or shop there ever again.

Boom Comics, the shop not the publisher, is located at 2429 Iowa St, Lawrence, Kansas. Let us know what you think…

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