Posted in: Comics | Tagged: china, lone star, mycomicshop

MyComicShop Calls For Boycott Printing Comics in China

Published Sun, 31 May 2020 13:12:15 -0500

MyComicShop is one of the largest online comic book stores in the world. It had to close back in April as a result of shutdown orders in the state of Texas. But it's been open, and shipping new stuff out. It has also been keeping its customers up with the latest industry comings and goings. Including one little editorial that has got some people talking.

Bye, bye Covid-19 end bye, bye China!

The virus that originated. China will be gone one day, sooner than later, we all hope. But when not going away is the Chinese Communist dictatorship. While I certainly have no bone to pick with the Chinese people, I do very much dislike their government and its efforts to steal our technology. I've also been bothered by the fact that so much manufacturing of just about everything has gone off shore with much of it going to a nation rim by people who'd like to see our own free marker republic replaced by communist crony capitalism.

We will be monitoring where the products we buy are made. Where possible, we will buy American or from countries that share our democratic impulse. If enough of us do this, much commerce and industry will return to America New companies will open and new jobs will be created, and we over time will cease to be dependent on a hostile foreign government.

Getting a bit more specific, over the past several years, I received innumerable e-mails from a Chinese bag manufacturer wanting to sell us comic bags. We go through an amazing number of bags (along with backing boards), so I could have saved some money by switching my orders from Diamond Comics. I chose to stick with Diamond because their bags and boards are made in the U.S.A. I assume the raw resin from which the bags are made likewise is American sourced. If that is the case-100% manufactured in the U.S.A.–then Diamond should begin printing an American flag and "Made in the U.S.A." on each pkg. of 100 bags and boards.

Comic retailers so inclined as we are should also consider not stocking graphic novels and art books printed in whole or in part in China. But such a move should not occur immediately, as there is always stuff in the pipeline that publishers cannot cancel. So, give publishers two years to switch to printers and binderies not in China.

A number of comic book publisher print in China, especially their bigger collections, including IDW, Dynamite, Valiant, Dark Horse and Boom. Publisher Dark Horse is now part-owned by Chinese investors, and Valiant is totally owned by Chinese investors, though that investment has now been localised to come out of Los Angeles.

Lone Star Comics was a chain of comic book stores located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in north central Texas. It was established as a mail-order company in 1961 by fanzine publisher and entrepreneur Buddy Saunders. Lone Star opened its first store in 1977, eventually operating a chain of nine retail outlets in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. While still maintaining business locally, the company returned to its mail-order roots in the early 2000s, this time as an online subscription and back-issue service. In 2008 they took this further and went on-line only. The store sold off their various locations, closing the final one in the fall of 2013. Lone Star became solely MyComicShop and increased their marketshare with a large online advertising spend.