I hope that this isn't seen as impertinent or inappropriate to this forum. My intention isn't to spam so feel free to delete this if you see it that way (I've actually started shopping at OK comics and hope to continue discussion on this forum actually, so I'm not a spammer...honest!)
There's been some interesting discussion on here about trades versus monthlies and it got me to thinking about the purpose of monthly comic books. So often they're seen as collectible and whilst, I collect and keep 7-8 monthly titles there are a lot more that I want to read for the disposable thrill of it - y'know, when you get that "I can't wait to find out what happens next" feeling from comics that aren't actually that good and that you couldn't justify paying another £2.00 for but want to read anyway. I get that kind of buzz from Ultimate Spiderman which I'm reading from the library but really couldn't justify buying.
Librarians are too up themselves about comics (I can say this, I'm a librarian!) and won't buy them (even though Catherine Cookson and Mills&Boon are fine) so I was wondering if there was anyone out there interesting in forming a group to purchase titles in order to swap them. My thoughts were that every one could buy one title a month that they didn't want to keep, just read and then that title could get passed around everyone else in the group...either by post (which would then work out at 40p or so for every title read) or in person if you're in and around Leeds.
This would be all to the good for OK comics because it would help promote titles, comic reading etc etc and might even get us to come into the store!!
Let me know what you think and if this would work. I've set up a Yahoo group for it at
I offered a bag of doubles up for grabs the other week but got no takers (they're still there if anyone is interested) ~ off the top of my head I think there's a Fish Police (Fishwrap) a Groo (Pacific) and a Magnus/Nexus crossover.
I think the idea of the comic share is to get people to enjoy stuff that you're enjoying, not offload a box full of Fish Police. Has anybody ever seen those take a book / leave a book shelves in pubs? When you've finished reading something good, leave it behind and take something somebody else has left.
Since I'm still not over my "must collect and hoard comics" phase (which started about 22 years ago when I was 5) I shall see what spares/doubles I have to add to this idea. Somewhere I have a spare copy of an issue of Strangehaven, which is a book EVERYONE should be reading!
I'm not sure that I was especially clear about what I had in mind. Giving away comics that you don't want anymore is fantastic, but my plan was for a group of people to agree to buy a certain number/range of titles each month and then share them around amongst ourselves. You'd each pick one title that you wanted to read but not keep (for me it'd be maybe an X-men title) and then pass it on to someone else in the group.
Its just being systematic about the way you buy comics so that you can read more titles that you wouldn't be able to otherwise. You'd only need to buy one extra comic per month, but if there were 8 people in the group, you'd be able to read all 8!
It's not a case of off loading unwanted comics ~ they are doubles & I offered them for anyone interested in trying something different, and I hate throwing comics away. And with a collection now approaching 15000 it's a little hard to remember exactly what I've got. And I buy comics that I enjoy. (By the way Midnighter, Fish Police and Sam & Max are two of my perrennial favourites).
As to buying to share ~ I'm with Midnighter. I still buy to hoard. As a kid I used to swap comics with other friends but that's a phase I grew out of a long time ago (30 years ago). Nice idea but I fund my own habit.
And pub libraries ~ gave four boxes of books away to one that a work mate uses. But that could be construed as "offloading" couldn't it?
This is pretty much how I feel. I really do hope other people pick up on the idea though, cos it is a great one. But comics are something I like to buy, read, collect and then go back to. but I sincerly do thing the idea is a top one!
"By the way Midnighter, Fish Police and Sam & Max are two of my perrennial favourites"
Excellent stuff! I only have one Sam & Max special, bloody love it!
Sounds like a book club for monthly comics except with less discussion and each member passes around their copy for everyone else, sounds cool but whats going to happen to the business when everyone forms a comic coelition and buys only one copy of everything to be passed around.
Though I can see how it could influence people to get their own copies of something they might not normally read, one day if ever.
Fantastic, I'm glad that a couple of you are up for it. I'm particularly keen for this to be a local thing, then we can maybe meet up at Ok comics every few weeks and swap stuff at absolutely no extra expense.
Anyway, could you join up to the Yahoogroup and then we can discuss how we might want work it a little better.
