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Under Lock and Key – Pandemic Tales of a Scottish Comic Shop

Mike McLean, comic book retailer of Asylum Books and Games, of Aberdeen, Scotland, writes about the impact of the current global pandemic. he tells Bleeding Cool,

So, it's a March Thursday evening in Aberdeen, which for those of you not local to my home, is late night shopping. Many of the local businesses opt to stay open until 8pm in the city centre, so I'm working late and looking at news about this coronavirus outbreak online. It makes for worrying reading, but at this stage I'm maintaining a degree of scepticism. I mean businesses are still open, I can still grab a drink after work, it can't be that bad can it? I have customers who work in medical research, I'd have heard something by now surely?

Twenty-four hours later and everything has changed. Weekend sales are…odd. That drink is off the table. Some regulars are notable by their absence. Others are stockpiling reading materials. No one seems to share a common opinion of what's going on.

By Monday, I'm here alone. The entire country is in pandemic isolation, so why am I still here? Diamond has closed their doors both here and stateside for the foreseeable future, so what's the point? Well, to start with mail order businesses can remain open and are to be encouraged. Well that's me, so here I am. The dog and I take our daily exercise to the shop and back and are locked in doing paperwork and maintaining the database that powers the website. Plenty to keep me occupied and I spend a quiet couple of days. Now while I'm doing that (with the Isolation song from the Mighty Boosh running on a loop in my subconscious) my social media guys are out there flying the Asylum flag, letting people know that I'm still here.

It's Thursday when the phone calls and e-mails start. Initially, there is a sense of disbelief. Yes, I am here. Yes, I'll happily post out your books. Your cousin in Shetland? Sure, give him my phone number – 01224 574637.

The universe is of course, not without a sense of humour. All this goes down, while I'm trying to sort out a new website. Some of what I have is there for the punter to see, but not all of it by any stretch of the imagination. So, on top of all the other limitations, we're rocking it old school. I'm taking in wish lists, and "I don't suppose you have" requests both by phone and e-mail. Above and beyond that the social media crew are trying to keep me up to speed with contacts through those channels.

What's it like in isolation? Well, pretty much the opposite of usual. A normal day for me is a lot of conversation, while cramming in the actual day to day with the other hand. Now there's plenty time to get things done (in theory) and conversation is at a premium. Business can't be said to be brisk by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm a long way from sitting on my hands anymore. My parcel making skills are now well practised (eBay feedback lists my packages as being "adult proof").

My deadlines are more about reaching the Post Office before they close than getting through to Diamond. Therein lies the rub; the lack of Diamond. I can keep the books flowing, but once they're gone there isn't much can be done.

At this point I'd like to pause to salute Mike Holman of Diamond UK, who could not have been more supportive. The man used to be a retailer himself (and indeed was when we first met) so he gets it. He mailed us daily. Yes, I do mean seven days a week, waiting until mid-evening to give us the latest updates from the states. If you can find a retailer who doesn't have something to bitch about regarding our primary supplier, please call me as I have a bridge to sell you. That said give the guys, and Mike in particular, credit where it's due.

Mike calls a halt to his daily updates as they're starting to get staff back into the warehouse. Not everyone to start with, but baby steps. Things are starting to edge back to something resembling normal. Whatever that means in this industry. As I write this, we're looking at fortnightly deliveries by the end of the month. I'm hopeful.

I guess this has been living in "interesting times" and I doubt that we're anywhere close to this latest shenanigan ending. Are there challenges? Of course, there are. No, the entire industry hasn't gone digital. Yes, there still are shops and a direct market. We are unlikely to see the end of monthly periodical books any time soon. You want to vent your ire at nonstop events? Point it at the publishers. Retailers and distributors don't get a say. Or hell maybe just stop buying them.

But having vented, I'm impressed by the sense of community locally. So many regulars making the effort to pick something up, if only to make sure that I'm still here when they get back. The atmosphere here has been an incredibly positive one. Those reaching out to us from elsewhere have been great too. I hope the same is true for my colleagues elsewhere in the business.

Well, there's a personal look back on comics retail in lockdown so far. I've tried to spare you the monotony of me, the dog, and the d the website. That said my wife reckons without it I'd have gone quietly mad. Personally, I doubt that there would have been anything very quiet about it. I'll close by offering you an FAQ from the fine fellows who deal with the Asylum social media.

Q) You say you have over 150,000 back issues, I can't see that many online.
A) We have recently updated and upgraded our website, as a result we are in the process of uploading our catalogue. If there is something you want, but can't find, please don't hesitate to GET IN TOUCH.

Q) Are you open to the public?
A) NO! Please stay home! We only operate Mail Order, Pavement pickup or Dachshund Delivery (Aberdeen City Centre only)

Q) Do you have an Instagram account?
A) Why yes, we do! See picture below, please search for us under asylumbooksandgames

Q) New comics?
A) We just had a delivery on Saturday last, but next projected date is 27/05, which is TBC. Keep an eye in our socials for more updates.

Q) How are you all doing?
A) The Wardens and families are all fine – at this point we are more worried about our customers, who we regard as family. Stay safe, we will see you all on the flipside for the mother of re-opening events (socially distancing dependent!)

Q) How can I support Asylum? Are you doing a Kickstarter? Donations?
A) NO!! None of the above. We are at the heart of the comics community here, but we aren't a charity. Use that money for proper charities, they need it more. If you want to support us, please order comics, statues, trades, games etc via mail order or pavement pick up. That does far more to help us than anything else. Stay safe and well.

Under Lock and Key - Pandemic Tales of a Scottish Comic Shop.
Under Lock and Key – Pandemic Tales of a Scottish Comic Shop. Image from shop.

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Rich JohnstonAbout Rich Johnston

Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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