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Comic Store In Your Future, What Went Right In Fifteen Years?

Comic Store In Your Future, What Went Right In Fifteen Years? Rodman Comics of Ankeny, Iowa, looks back at the past

Human beings are set in their ways, and change is often tough for people. For my comic book and gaming store, Rodman Comics of Ankeny, Iowa, it had to change, as did I, to survive. Changing with the times and chasing profit would allow the store to stay open. I often say we can try something, see if it works, and if it doesn't, move on. And if it does, we do it again. I have had plenty of egg on my face over the years, and I have learned to leave my ego behind. m.

What worked here in the store? Not doing the same thing as everyone else. I opened up Rodman Comics in Ankeny because it had no comic stores. I have never understood why some comic stores open up near another comic store and offer the same thing. That is like opening up a McDonald's across the street from an already established McDonald's. Instead of trying to reach people who do not have easy access to the product, it is just taking away from the already established store. If I were to open another store, it would be in Waukee, Iowa. Like here in Ankeny, it is growing and has people with money, though it has no comic or gaming stores. Why don't I open up another store there? A lack of good candidates for employees.

Rodman Comics has thrived by providing what other stores will not. Why do I promote and sell Zenescope comics? Because other stores refuse to carry their comics at all. That forces people to come to us. Now that Diamond has become a trainwreck, we order directly from Zenescope. We have two customers who had pulled boxes elsewhere and wanted Zenescope comics pulled for them, and were told "no". That surprises me, because ordering a Zenescope title was as easy as ordering a Marvel title. Don't want to display Zenescope? It's an odd thing to do, but they are going into people's pull boxes, so why not order them? We will take the business.

When it comes to comic characters, never be negative. Every character is someone's favorite, and if a person comes into a store and hears the employee or owner talking with a customer about how "stupid" or "overrated" a comic title is, it will not make anyone want to buy it. Before I opened up Rodman Comics, I would walk into another store thinking, why do you even carry that comic then? When I opened, another store would post on their website about their dislike for certain titles, one of which was The Walking Dead, and customers would come in talking about what they had posted. The Walking Dead was one of the best things that ever happened for the store. During Walking Dead's peak of popularity, it would bring in people who had never bought a comic in their lives. Walking Dead trades were hot sellers. Why kneecap that?

Social media is a way to get people's opinions out there, but it can also alienate customers. Not everyone will agree on everything; that is what makes the world go. It would be a very boring place if everyone thought the same way. Has anyone ever said,  "You know what, you are right, and I was wrong" in an online argument? It is a waste of time.

I have talked with other business owners, and they also have issues with finding decent employees. Too often, someone does not care enough even to really try at their job. I recently talked with my cousin, who worked at a restaurant, and he told me that many other employees just did not care. Do I get frustrated working here? Like most people at their jobs, at times that happens. I do not just give up and say, who cares? Another way we have gained customers is by simply acknowledging them when they come in. Often, we hear, "Oh wow, we were at another store, and we did not even know who worked there". I have lost track of how many times people have come in saying, about another store, they were all playing games, no one was behind the counter, and no one said anything to us. People told me they wanted to buy something, but no one would help them, be it a Magic card in their display case or a game behind the counter.

I always remember that the average customer is not a die-hard. When I see a movie, odds are I have no idea or care who directed it. I may know some of the actors in the film, but that is most likely it. Tron Areas is coming out. I know who the main star is, and I have seen the latest Tron movie, which is basically what I know about it. Too often, people think everyone should know everything about the comics they collect or the games they play. I was new to comics once and played Magic: The Gathering. This was also the most fun I had because it was all so new, and the road to having fun. My friends and I were playing Magic: The Gathering incorrectly at the time, though we were having a blast. I was most excited about comics when I read them for the first time as a kid. Heck, I didn't know they came out monthly, let alone that there were comic stores. When a new person wants to get into comics, be ready to open the gateway to comics for them. They will not know they come out every Wednesday. Odds are they know nothing. We need to be ready to keep a smile on and take a deep breath if asked about X-Men history or the various mutant titles.

When I first opened, I had some of the gamers here who wanted free cards. The excuse was that they are tokens or whatever. Doing things for free is not a smart business strategy. Giving someone something for free would just lead to more and more requests for free stuff. My time, just like everyone else who works, is worth something. Too often, people think every dollar sold is a dollar that goes into my back pocket. Employees want to be paid, landlords want to be paid, and bills want to be paid.

I keep a few things up in the store to give me "mental fuel" and remind me why I keep doing this. There are always going to be bad times and good times. Artist Ant Lucia was friendly enough years ago to leave us a signed poster when he did a signing here. Awesome person. Artist Steve Lieber was nice enough to send us a sketch, thanking us for supporting his and Matt Fraction's Superman's Pal Jimmy Olson limited series. Writer Geoff Johns sent us signed material years ago; the poster he signed and sent still hangs on the wall. They did not have to do that; they were nice enough to do that for us. This reminds me that there is good in this world.

Next: Comic Store In Your Future, What Went Wrong?

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