Hey, Folks!
So…what’s shaking?
I know, I know…it’s been a minute since you have had a proper EDitorial and I am sorry about that. I actually planned to do one last week, but I was so wiped by the after effects of the stroke that I couldn’t pull myself together enough to actually write much. They were certainly not kidding when they told me that I had to take it easy for at least two weeks after the event. I mean I kept trying to go into the store to do a shift and try to catch up on the mountain of work I left behind me, but it just wasn’t happening. I would either get so tired I could barely stand up or else the low level brain fog I have been suffering would completely overtake me and I couldn’t manage to think straight. (Not that thinking straight has ever been my particular skill…lol)
I finally got the message though and thanks to Brian I have been taking it easy indeed. This will hopefully be the final week of taking it easy as there is much to do in preparation for FCBD as well as the month end duties typical of the store. I have, however, taken note of mistakes and judgement calls that I have made in the past and hopefully I am on the way to rectifying them. For example, my beloved husband, Hill, is finally being trained on the store’s systems and basically how to do my behind-the scenes work. We both decided that since he is part-owner of a comic book store then he should be able to step in when I when I have stroke and be able to take the reins and keep the horse going. Because Hill’s job was recently eliminated at Dana you will probably see him behind the counter a bit more than before as he has a lot to learn. Please be gentle with him at first and then feel free to give him hell…lol.
I also can’t say enough good things about Brian as he was ready, willing, and able to step right into he role as the face of Monarch Comics. I am also uniquely situated to know exactly the amount of effort he put as I was in a very similar situation years wo when Steve was first diagnosed with cancer. Like myself, Brian handled everything pretty much perfectly and let me assure you that Brian handled his role perfectly and that any hiccups or out and out mistakes were completely due to me and not to him. He is my brother and I couldn’t have asked for more in his efforts to keep the store chugging along. If I had had any doubts about my decision to hire him they are now washed away. He’s part of the Monarch family now and will hopefully stay with us for times to come
Speaking of hiccups and mistakes I’m afraid there will be some more coming down the line for the next month or three. I literally stroked out in the middle of doing March Diamond initial orders. I finally completed my end of the work on these orders shortly after leaving the hospital, but it took days for Diamond’s “customer service staff” to respond to e-mail inquiries and to finally get the orders entered. I’d say that I am not expecting any snafus, but that would be too uncomfortably close to a lie. Between my stroke recovery status and Diamond’s “stroke-like” customer service there will probably be a mistake here or there. Please know that I will be do my best to rectify any errors as they occur. I do think that the FOC orders for Lunar and PRH material faired better, partly because of Brian’s last minute intervention. I can only beg your forgiveness at this point and assure you that steps are being instituted to make sure that it doesn’t get this bad again.
Just to touch a bit on come comic book-related stuff, I want everyone to know that have been listening to the chatter and, of course, to what you have been saying in the store and I want you to know that I have decided to “buy in” on the upcoming big stories that will be playing out at D.C. and Marvel. For D.C., the “House of Brainiac” story running through the Superman books and spear-headed by Jason Aaron’s Action Comics seems like a winner to me, based on his start on Acton Comics. As a result, I have preemptively bumped my numbers on the main titles in the story as well as the other titles popping into he story for an issue or two. Hopefully I have created enough of a buffer so I will have plenty to go around, especially if D.C. doesn’t bother to over print and there are quick sellouts at the distributor level.
As for Marvel, I must admit that I am very muchly looking forward to the upcoming Blood Hunt storyline (starting in the FCBD book!). I know, I know, there has already been much online discussion about thirty kabillion crossovers/tie-ins, but frankly, who doesn’t like a good vampire story? I will, of course, be ordering plenty of the main miniseries (including a goodly amount of variant covers) for you to peruse as well as a reasonable amount of the tie-in one shot and miniseries. Any of the main titles who have tie-ins (such as Amazing Spider-Man or Avengers) will also be bumped up as ell and I hope this will mean I have enough for coverage. I am truly expecting this to be a fun story, especially if they manage to catch half the energy of DC VS Vampires which you all know I love. All of this being said if there are any specific variant covers you are looking for don’t be shy about requesting them!
I also want to assure everyone that I am finally, after years, really looking after my health in a serious way. I would prefer not to deal with this kind of situation again. I am feeling much, much better and now that my sugar and blood pressure are under control I am ready to truly get started on yet another chapter of my life. I had previously thought that this chapter had begun when Hill and I got married, but I truly believe that this is the new beginning that I have been looking for. I have, in the space of two weeks, added year onto my life…years I can spend with my husband, and, of course, all of you as I try to continue to make Monarch Comics the best comic store in the tri-state area.
I hope that it finally stops raining and I hope that everyone has a great weekend! I will be back in the store next week and attempting to get back to my old schedule so stop on by to say hi!
Eddie