Hey, Folks!
Yesterday was the first Wednesday with the new layout of the store and it looks like you folks like it! I was inwardly thrilled at the overwhelmingly positive reception to the new look for Monarch Comics. The layout is still settling a bit and I have some plans to work on changing my racking for some of the trade/hard cover collections and I am still not happy about some of the other placements, but those are minor details and I am now preparing for the ramp up for FCBD 2021. Of course, there is still the matter of hanging more art up on the walls as well. But overall I am very please with the new look. It feels like ten years of dreaming have finally been realized!
I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how I am handling this year’s FCBD event. It will essentially be the same as previous FCBD events here with a few changes due to the pandemic and the fact that it will be in the dog days of summer this year. Any regulars to the event know that I usually have cookies and pizza set out for our guests. I didn’t think THAT was a particularly good optic this year so instead I have made an arrangement with Shivers across the street and I will be treating FCBD guests (wile supplies last) to free small cone this year instead of the normal goodies. Also, because I am expecting it to be crazy hot outside the door to the shop will remain closed and the aur conditioner will be running. I will have someone managing the front door and I will be limiting the amount of people in the store to 60 at a time. Masks will not be required and I will do my best to try and keep the line moving although I certainly don’t want to discourage anyone from taking there time to shop during the event. I do believe I have worked out a good traffic flow for the event and there should be plenty of room for checking out the store. The Monarch Avengers, our personal team of cosplayers, will be back as well and will be out in the parking lot for pictures. I am in the process of retaining a photo booth for the event which I think will only add to the fun. Those of you who can’t attend the event or don’t yet feel comfortable with crowds yet will have the opportunity to request FCBD titles on the sub form for the week of FCBD, but due to the rules we won’t be able to actually give you the titles until August 14th. I’m starting to feel pretty excited about the big day and I hope you will all enjoy attending it as much as I enjoy setting it up!
Now that my store renovations are essentially done I will now have to work on catching up on all of the store paperwork that I am terminally behind on. I’m also working on setting up an office space for myself in the back room so that I can put my head down and get stuff done while Brian runs the counter. Since I am currently planning a long weekend vacation for September I have to really ramp up Brian’s training so that he can take a greater role in keeping the store moving forward. Please feel free to pelt him with increasingly more complex questions so that he can practice using the various distributor and store mechanisms in place…lol. Believe me, he will thank you for it someday…:P
Okily dokily…ready to get to work. I will be here until 3pm tomorrow and Brian needs the weekend off so I will be here all day Saturday and Sunday this week! Please stop by and check out the new look!
Eddie