A few Questions for UK members.

[Freak]

Hi guys, I doing a bit of research, and I would like your help.

What I want to know is:-

1. Would you read a comic’s?
2. Do you collect them?
3. Do you read comics that are imported form the US, (Namely Marvel, DC and the other major publishes, of well know comics.) or British comic like 2000 AD?
4. Do you have Specialist Comic Book Store near you, and far do you have to travel to get to one?
5. If you don’t have a Specialist Comic Book Store near you, do you buy them online, IE form Forbidden Planets or ebay?
6. If you don’t have a Specialist Comic Book Store near you and don’t buy them online, would you if there is a Specialist Comic Book Store near you or a British website, that would send them to your door?

The reason I am asking these question is that, I have found that shops like WH Smith’s and Waterstones do not sell original Published comic’s form the US. They do sell reprinted Issues of comics, in hard back book with four or five stories together, but they don’t sell the original Issue’s.

The only places I have found in the UK that sell the original publication of these comics, are form Specialist Comic Book Store.
In London there are about seven Specialist Comic Book Store dotted about the city with the biggest one being Forbidden Planet in Central London. However none of these stores are easy to get to. (Not so much for Adults as its normal a twenty minute drive to the nearest store.)

With 4 major movies coming out this summer based on comics, (Iron-Man, The Incredible Hulk, The Dark Knight and Hell Boy 2) there will be a demand for these comics that will not be filled.

[biotech]

1 Yes, I collected both the original mavel Micronauts and the newer Devils Due version
2 I guess I answered that one
3 and this one
4 I did have an excellent shop in the center of hull, but it closed, there is a less excellent one which is still there, but its run by a simpsons style comic book guy, so I dont go in often
5 I have picked up a few on ebay, usually other marvel books that have featured the micronauts in crossover
6 Price is everything, having said that I probably wouldnt buy other comics since that was the only series I liked enough to collect them all, and I cant see it being revived a second time after being cancelled twice.

[Sphynx]

Having at one time owned a comic shop in London Dean, I can tell you that there are all sorts of things that are a mine-field within the comic import market in the UK that would need a LOT of research if you are thinking what I think that you are thinking.

The import of US comics, and even the distribution of UK issues was pretty much a closed shop in the UK, with the vast majority of it all coming through Titan / Diamond. A rival was set up, but I don't recall that they did very well. Pretty much all of the publishers (at least up until about ten years ago when I was last involved in the industry) had near-exclusive distribution agreements with Diamond - essentially because Diamond and their distribution method could guarantee sales.

If you want more info, or have specific questions, PM me - a lot of what you may need to know is not really for public ears.

[Freak]

Thanks for the info Craig.
I’ll put together a bunch of questions and PM them over to you.