FLYING FERRET #25, PAGE 29

Where does that time go?! I mean seriously. This day was one of the fastest days to fly by so far this year! It scares me. One minute I'm working on the van in the morning, and the next I look at the clock and I have to make supper at 5! Where does that time go. I really cannot recount where that time inbetween went. Alien abduction? Should I be looking for a tracking device up my nose? Weird. Weird. All part of that aging process, I suppose.

I suppose I should talk about this other "project" I had, and it is/was more of a pipe dream than anything. I was planning on opening a comic shop. Yeah, it is a dream I have had for a long time, but after I put together my business plan, and going over it, I truly cannot do this. The market for comics today is a scary and sad thing. It really depresses me about the future of comics. The sales of comics are so bad nowadays. I mean, Marvel has not made a sale over 100,000 copies on any issue. That's right! In the old days, a comic with that low of sales would have been summarily cancelled!! What is going on? Is it truly the digital age that is killing the comic age? But it is a catch-22, because comic shops can't make a living, they close up, and if you don't have comic shops, you can't sell comics, and therefore you cannot get the sales, and if you don't get the sales.

I have never felt so bad about the comic market. Sadly, I'm part of the problem. I don't really buy comics anymore, not like I use to, but then I have a family to feed and that takes presidence. Of course, I have been to a couple comic shops, but when I get there, I can't seem to find much I want to buy. It doesn't help that comics are so friggin' expensive. I was going through my collection the other night, and my daughter was helping, and she looked at the price of one comic and said, "60 cents!? Were comics really 60 cents, dad?" And I told her, yes, they were, and they were actually fun to read. Comics nowadays are totally different animals.

I don't know what it will take to get comic readers back. For sure, one thing is an improvement in the economy, but I do fear for the future of the comic world. What can I do about it? I don't have the disposable income anymore. I wanted to help by opening a comic shop, but nobody is going to loan me 30,000-50,000, and I don't even have a solid number on the number of potential customers in my area---which I believe to be a prime location. The nearest decent comic shop is almost 120 miles away!! The nearest game shop is 50 miles away! I think I could have had something good, but I need capital to ride out the rough years that are here now, and no bank will do that (but it doesn't hurt to try). I may just put this on the backburner for now and if things improve... you never know..

Later!