There Is A Reason
September 27th, 2017 by Proprietor
Taking a step away from the normal Brady Bunch type post or pop culture post, though this is sort of related. I try to remain as apolitical as possible. My personal views are just that, personal. If you are willing to discuss opinions, in a civil manner, I am happy to enlighten you. The NFL means a lot to me. It has meant a whole lot to me over a very long time. Because friends and family have had such great times going to games or watching games together, debating rules or stats, the NFL represents a good deal of passion and joy to me. What I am seeing now is the erosion of a brand, the NFL, that I love.
The United States of America has meant a good deal to me during my entire life, and means more in these times. I see distortions of truth that I know to be self evident, that are infecting our country, and I see a malignancy that needs to be address. Feel free to disagree. That is what this nation is about. Just do not be disagreeable.
No one is upset that athletes have an opinion, whether it is valid or not, people are upset about the time and place the athletes have chosen to express that opinion. Now it seems to be driven by ego, rather than reality or respect.
Any citizen of the United States who works a job understands the concept of professionalism. Even though the workers have a right to their opinion, beliefs, and the right to express those, ultimately there is a proper time and place for the expression. People who work for a living, especially in customer service, know that opinions or beliefs are to be stowed out of respect for the customer. Professionalism dictates that opinions and beliefs are set aside, and the customer does not need to hear those things. Expressing those opinions during work could be viewed as alienating and disrespectful to the customer. To show disrespect to a customer, could not only cost a worker their job, but the company credibility, and money. If the disrespect is not addressed, and allowed to continue, it could affect a company’s bottom line to a point where a lot of employees would lose their jobs or the company could go bankrupt.
The NFL is a business that produces entertainment in the form of an athletic competition. People who buy merchandise, and tickets are customers of the NFL. The NFL is also uniquely American. Without the United States being the country it is, the NFL would not exist. Because there is such pride in the NFL, and the NFL is tied into the national psyche people are willing to allow their state or municipality to levi taxes or take out bonds, sometimes billions of dollars, to pay for stadiums. The final contest, the Super Bowl, is a de facto national holiday. Because of the pride in the NFL, and the uniqueness of the NFL, Americans make sacrifices and glorify it to the world as the penultimate in athletic competition. The athletes who play in the NFL are ultimately employees, and direct representatives of the NFL.
America is made up of a very diverse group of people in ethnic background, in economic background, in religious beliefs, in political beliefs, during the anthem, we set aside differences and unify. We show respect for each other. We show respect for the fact that we can have differences in opinions. Because the United States is the nation it is, those differences will not get us killed. We can simply agree to disagree and move on. In simply moving on, we accept the differences. During the anthem, we are Americans. Under the anthem we are equal, whether someone feels so or not is moot. You gain respect and acceptance by showing it.
The athletes who protest during the game or anthem, have every right to have their opinions and beliefs, no one is going to debate that simple fact. That is why the US is the greatest country in the world. Express those opinions outside of the game. When an athlete walks onto the field, professionalism dictates the personal grievances or beliefs are set aside, and respect for the customers is paramount. When an athlete does something, like take a knee during the anthem or sit down, and other athletes lock arms in unity with each other, the athlete(s) are showing disrespect to the nation, and the unity people express at that moment. Athletes are showing that their personal opinions matter more than everyone else’s opinions and beliefs in that stadium. Whether people agree or disagree with the athlete(s) opinion is moot. To show any form of protest for personal matters during the anthem is a selfish, ignoble middle finger and disrespectful “f-you” to everyone. It is showing disrespect to customers. People did not come to the game or choose to watch the game to be shown disrespect. When you show disrespect, you cannot expect people to be willing to discuss your grievances, since you already have informed people, their personal beliefs and opinions do not matter.
More than likely the protests are going to continue. To show displeasure with the NFL and the team owners who do not address the disrespect to the customers directly, but back their employees and condone the disrespect, several things can be done. Do not watch or go to the games. Do not purchase merchandise or anything related to the NFL. If for some reason you are at a game, just walk out after the disrespect is shown, and demand a refund at the ticket office. If enough people walk out to make the vacancies in the stadium noticeable,and refunds for tickets are cutting into the bottom line, the owners will take notice and address the issues.
What is puzzling is a normally brand conscious NFL, a league that was so worried about diluting the brand, it sent a cease and desist order to a local bar when that bar had a “Super bowl of Chili Contest”, is willing to allow it’s brand to be destroyed by it’s employees. Employees whom are paid millions a year, and show disrespect to customers.
Thanks for stopping by.
Other Talents
September 24th, 2017 by Proprietor
Besides sing and dancing, which was featured on the Brady Bunch in a way to sort of capitalize on the family aspect, and musical families at the time being a big deal, the Brady children along with Mike & Carol had other artistic talents. These talents manifested in the various school events that the Brady children participated in, whether it was school plays, talent shows or just artistic pursuits, the Brady family was not just a music group. Another family did that bit.
One of the first talents was acting. Cindy had been chosen to be the fairy princess in a school play, but due to limited seating, Cindy could only invite one parent. Cindy was sickened, because she not only wanted her new daddy to see the play, but the rest of the family as well. She tried to get out of the play by faking a limp, but after the teacher realized something was up, she called Mrs. Brady, and the dilemma was worked out. A special performance for the whole family, including Alice, was produced.
Film making enter the show, when Greg wanted to borrow his father’s movie camera to shoot a story about the pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock for his history class. The family was roped into building the set and acting in the play. This brought headaches to Greg, when his brothers only wanted to be Indians (Native Americans), and his sisters wanted to play a specific Pilgrim Girl. Eventually Mike & Carol intervened and everyone capitulated to Greg’s direction. Greg ended up getting an A for his effort.
Peter was bitten by the magic bug, and wanted to do a magic performance like the one he had seen at a friend’s birthday party for a school talent show. Cindy was scared by the same type of performance Peter had seen. The disappearing cabinet had freaked her out. Jan agreed to be Peter’s assistant. When it came time to audition for the talent show, Jan had sprained her ankle in gym. Cindy knew all the routines, and Alice jumped to the save, removed the wings from the fairy princess outfit, and brought her to Peter’s school. Cindy loved the disappearing cabinet routine so much, she wanted to do it again.
Marcia soon took to acting in a play, Romeo & Juliette, garnering the lead roll of Juliette. Peter and Jan were also in the play, as guards. “Hark!” “Who Goes There?” At first Marcia felt she was not beautiful enough or good enough, but was persuaded by her family that she was indeed worthy of the part. Then Marcia began acting like a royal pain in the butt. She soon was booted from the play, sad and humbled, she got a break, when the girl who took over came down with measles, and Marcia was the only one who knew the part well enough to step in.
Greg develops an interest in photography and yet still wants to play football, after being injured, Carol puts the kibosh on his playing football, but the coach lets him stay on the sidelines to take photos of the game. Even though Greg is more interested in taking pictures of his love interest, a cheerleader, he snaps a photo that reveals that a player was in bounds and had caught a ball that would have won the game. Greg becomes the team photographer. As a side story, Bobby also takes photographs, but more candid ones of his family. It was Bobby who saved a secret family recipe from extinction after taking a photo of the chalkboard Alice had written it on.
Peter decides he wants to be a reporter, and makes it onto the school newspaper. His writing is so-so, but he realizes, he could possibly butter up a teacher who is giving him a bad grade. The teacher sees through the snow job, and Peter learns a valuable lesson about using the power of the press to get his way or manipulate people.
Mike & Carol would soon be roped into the Westdale High Family Night Frolics, at Greg and Marcia’s high school. Marcia & Carol could do a singing duet. Greg, already explaining to his teacher that his father was devoid of talent, except for being an architect, handed Greg a poem that his father could read while Greg accompanied on guitar. Turns out the act would have been a total bore, except Mike recruited Peter and Bobby to help spice it up. The show ended in water and feathers as Mike did his best to remain stoic though the reading, and hilarity ensued.
In a final theatrical bid, Cindy behests her family to throw a fund raiser for a favorite teacher, all the children know her, because the teacher is retiring. Mrs. Whitfield was the actual tutor to the Brady children on the set. Unfortunately all the theaters are booked up, so the Brady’s stage the play in their backyard. Unfortunately they do not have a permit. When Sam and Mr. Brady raced out to pick up more apples, they were stopped by a police man for a violation. When he heard that the Brady’s were staging a charity play, he said his daughter might be interested in seeing it, except, the play being staged without proper permits, it was in danger of being shut down. For some reason in the Brady universe, city governments are open Saturday, and can authorize permits without hesitation. Unless the police officer had one himself. Miracles happen, and Mrs. Whitfield gets her gift.
Near the end of the Brady Bunch, the talentless Jan, while trying out for numerous school events, found out she had a talent for painting. An art teacher had watched her during a try out for a school play, Jan had painted a picture the night before to help in her performance. The art teacher was impressed, and Jan became an artist.
Out of all the Brady children, not including Cousin Oliver, only Bobby was never featured in a play or talent night. The only hint that he was not really good in music was he did not make it in the glee club, in order to compensate for his lack of singing, his parents wanted to get him an instrument. The mistake, drums. Bobby was enthusiastic, but talentless. The only real talent Bobby appeared to have was hustling people for money while playing pool or coming up with a get rich quick scheme or locking people in Sam’s meat locker at his butcher shop, including himself.
Thanks for stopping by.
The Clients
September 20th, 2017 by Proprietor
Back to Brady Bunch postings.
Since Mike Brady was an architect, at times he had to deal with clients, and these clients were impetuses for story lines within the Brady Bunch series. Though it always seemed like Mike was going to lose his job with every client appearance, and they were extremely important, sometimes it was the kids who saved the day.
Nine episodes into the show, Mike had an important client he was doing work for. The phone bill was sky high, and Mike needed his den to do work, but children were constantly using the separate line in the den. This was also the episode Sam was introduced in physical form. Cold dimes and all. Alice saw the pay phone, mentioned it to Mike, and he decided to install one to teach a lesson. It was the pay phone that almost cost him the client, but Mike explained, and the client liked the idea, and decided to do business with the architectural firm.
Beebe Gallini was a cosmetics queen, played by Abbe Lane. Supposedly world famous for her cosmetics, she was going to build a factory, and wanted the firm Mike worked for to design it. Beebe specifically requested Mike, because he was the firm’s youngest, brightest, up and coming architect. For an unspecified length of time Beebe tormented Mike with odd ball concepts and design ideas. From just a pink factory to one that looked like a powder puff, to finally one that was shaped like a compact and had a roof that flipped open. Eventually after long hours of work, Mike finally might have gotten Beebe under control. She was coming over to the Brady House to check out possible final proposals. The children being their normal precocious selves had a squirt gun fight and ended up wrecking Beebe’s makeup. She stormed out of the house and Mike’s life.
Mike had another client in sports star Don Drysdale. When Don came over to the Brady House, to look at drawings in Mike’s Den, after a conversation, Mike took Don to meet the boys. Don gave Greg a few pointers on pitching, and then Greg’s head swelled. In the end, reality gave Greg a lesson he would never forget. Rather than improve, Greg got worse, would not listen to the coach, and was benched. Due to Greg’s efforts, the team got clobbered.
The Brady Bunch went to Hawaii due to a client of Mike’s wanting him to oversee some construction. The architectural firm was generous, and sent Mike, as well as his family. The first three episodes of season four were all about Hawaii. Seeing Jan and Marcia in bikinis was a bonus. Bobby and Cindy meeting Don Ho was awesome, and the whole tiki curse was the running bit.
Though the show seemed to drift away for a while in dealing with Mike’s job, as well as clients, during the last season, Mike being an architect, came back to be part of several stories, along with Cousin Oliver.
In the eleventh episode of the fifth season, the architectural firm Mike works for was hoping to get a contract to build an addition to King’s Island amusement park. By this time, the Brady children had had many jobs, and it seemed like Jan quit her’s at Haskell’s Ice Cream Parlor in favor of baby sitting. Not wanting to get the poster she bought for the girl she baby sat damaged, Mike agreed to put it in one of his tubes. The tubes are switched, and lost, and Mike barely manages to get the drawings to the people making the decision.
With Cousin Oliver part of the family, he hangs around with Bobby. Sam has stopped by to ask Mike to do some preliminary sketches for a secret. Sam is expanding his butcher shop. Unfortunately Sam has told Oliver and Bobby old war stories, Bobby and Oliver mistake everything as a possible secret plan to steel plans Mike is working on for the FBI. Bobby and Oliver lock Sam and his landlord, Mr. Gronsky in the meat locker.
Penelope Fletcher, played by Natalie Schafer (Mrs. Howell of Gilligan’s Island Fame), is a wealthy client who hires the architectural firm Mike worked for to design her factory. A very demanding, wealthy client whom intimidated Mike. She stopped by to pick up the final plans at Mike’s house, and it was more than likely a loss, but Cindy had been snooping around Marcia’s diary, and Marcia played a trick on Cindy. She thought Mike’s client was a talent agent looking for a new Shirley Temple. Due to Cindy, Penelope was over joyed, and went with Mike’s company.
Then Jim Backus (Mr. Howell) would guest star the next episode as Mike’s boss.
Mike would not deal with difficult clients until The Very Brady Christmas movie. Mike is now a full partner, and running the architectural firm. Carol is a real estate agent, who specializes in commercial property, and finds properties for Mike’s clients. Major nepotism. The client is pressuring Carol to pressure Mike to not add, what he feels is unnecessary safety features to a building. Mike decides to let it go, and in the end, the building nearly collapses, and Mike goes to save two trapped men, only to become trapped himself. Thankfully Mike survives, and all is well.
Difficult clients were part of the Brady life, and part of real life. Sometimes, a sense of humor is a good way to deal with them.
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South Eastern Wisconsin Comic Book Stores
September 17th, 2017 by Proprietor
Taking a break from the regular Brady posting to post something a little more personal in nature.
This post was inspired by a long time friend, Dave, our email conversations go back and forth at times to the halcyon days of youth. We grew up in Kenosha, and the evolution of comic shops in the city, as well as in the nearby city of Racine is a topic from time to time. Forgive me if things seem a bit jumbled, a lot happened in a period of about ten years. There was a good deal of overlap in stores opening and closing, and the owners of the stores were somewhat associated with each other. Many were friends of mine, and some are still friends, at least as friendly as Facebook. It was also a time of expansion of popularity, and massive change within the comic book industry. The comic book community in Southeastern Wisconsin, which was mainly Kenosha and Racine, was somewhat quirky compared to Chicago and even Milwaukee, since both cities felt superior to Kenosha and Racine, even separate. Driving to Kenosha or Racine for comic books for people in Illinois or Milwaukee was like driving to Montana for computers.
As a long time comic book collector, nerd, etc. it was awesome if I could go to an actual comic book shop. It was rare for me, since there were no comic book shops in Kenosha or Racine. There were several in Milwaukee, and a few down in Illinois within about a 30-45 minute drive. Not understanding economics as such, and family budget, as a child I always wondered why my parents where not willing to take me to a comic book shop on a regular basis. Such is the ignorance of childhood.
Until a comic shop opened in Kenosha, when I was 14 years old, more on this later, my comic book collecting was more casual, and limited to what I could by in a drugstore, a small bookstore that carried comics or the occasional trip to Pershing Plaza, where RK News was located. The real thrill sometimes came when my family went to Zayre. It was a chain department store and there were several locations in Racine. Zayre had an area where there were bags of comics. Four comics prepackaged in a flimsy plastic wrap type bag for a dollar. Many times, people would open the bags, take out comics they wanted, and put them in a bag together. So it was sort of make your own comic bag. The clerk at the checkout usually counted to insure that there were four comics. Though there was some disappointment upon coming home, and realizing I had a duplicate, I made the most of it. Guess what was going to be a prize for a birthday party game, my duplicate comic. For the most part I had a variety of titles and issues. No real run or extensive collection. Just a stack of comics that occasionally I reread or added to. I remember having Thor, Ghost Rider, Avengers, Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, and until my brother decided he wanted all the Legion of Superheroes comics for himself, some Superboy & Legion of Superheroes.
It was very difficult to stay interested in a comic book series, because there was no way to really consistently get missing issues or find a certain issue, even if my family regularly went somewhere that sold comics. Trying to collect Batman or Spider-Man or Superman or Legion of Superheroes on a monthly basis meant spending money on a subscription.
A subscription involved, cutting a form out of the comic book, checking a box of the comic(s) you wanted to subscribe to, then mailing a check with the proper amount of money written on it to the comic book company. It would take 6-8 weeks for you to begin getting the comic book. Because of the lag time between sending the subscription and getting the first comic, it meant buying a comic at a store, and hoping you were not buying a duplicate. The comic book was considered third class mail, like a magazine, so the person delivering the mail would deliver the comic when it was a light mail day or convenient. The comic was not packaged like a gold watch, it came in a brown paper envelope, it was usually folded, spindled and mutilated. If you had a comic that was in decent condition and readable, most of the time you did not care. No one was really thinking about comics as collectible or having any monetary value, except for the real geeks and nerds. Which I eventually became.
If you wanted to get back issues of any comic, there were comic book stores in larger cities that advertised lists of comics available in comic books. This was a hit or miss proposition, since the comic book store sent the information via mail to the comic book publisher. The publisher put the advertisement into the comics. There was usually a 6-8 week lag time between the list being sent, and publishing of the comic. When you sent your money to the store, you had to not only send a list of what you wanted, but alternative issues if the ones you wanted had sold out. If you got your comics, they were better packaged than the ones sent by the publisher, usually the comics were sandwiched between to pieces of cardboard. If you wrote to the store advertising in the comic book, and sent a self addressed stamped envelope, the store sent you an up to date list.
At the age of 13, I entered into Junior High, and became friends with a fellow geek, Tyson. We played Dungeons and Dragons together once a week in Junior High after class, and with a few other friends on a monthly basis at each other’s homes. This tradition carried through into high school, even though Tyson went to a different high school. Tyson had a cousin who was starting a comic book store using his personal collection for back issue stock. The first and at the time only store of it’s kind in the Kenosha and Racine area. My comic book collecting went to another level. Instead of being just a casual collector, I could focus, and actually get a series. Tyson told me in the fall of 1981, and the store was not going to open until the following year.
The Comic Emporium, was the first dedicated comic shop in Kenosha. It had back issue boxes, a wall of very valuable back issues behind the counter, shelves filled with current comic books, supplies for comic book collecting, and comic book related magazines. There was even an area selling gaming supplies for war games.
New comics were in the back of the store displayed in racks. Every week new comics were put into the racks in back, and the remaining comics from the previous week went onto the other shelves with the other back issues. Most Midwest comic book stores kept three months of back issues at cover price on their shelves before bagging them and putting them in the back issue stock for a higher price. The awesome part of the Comic Emporium opening, was location. It was a block from the church my family went to, and I was now in confirmation class. We were Lutheran, and once you turn 13, you enter into confirmation class. Since the classes were about the length of a school year, I could talk my parents into going early, and we would stop at Comic Emporium, where I could pick up the latest issue of a series I collected. Then my parents would drop me off at church for confirmation class.
The Comic Emporium was the go to shop for everyone in Kenosha and Racine. A few years after opening, it moved to a different location. Which was a little inconvenient, but by that time, I had a drivers license. My parents were fine with me driving once a month to the Comic Emporium. I did not have a lot of money, and gas, though not horrendous, cost money. My parents were doing their best to watch out for my economic health. There was this looming thing called college, and that cost money. Plus there was the exchange trip. It did make collecting difficult, but I had friends who lived closer to Comic Emporium and went on a weekly basis. So I gave them money and a list, and they would pick up my comics for me. A few days before I left to live in Germany as an exchange student, I went to the Comice Emporium, and purchase a dozen comics to take with and read on the flight. Comic Emporium was the first place I visited when I returned from Germany. When I graduate high school and was in college, had a part time job, I could do what I wanted.
During my sophomore year in college, I was working in the campus library, and I met a fellow co-worker, Dave, who was interested in comics as well. Dave told me about a new comic book shop that had opened in Kenosha, further south of Comic Emporium. Rockheads had opened in a pseudo mall, to call it a mall would be a disservice. It was an old department store that someone was trying to convert to a mall. I believe it was called Market Square. Rockheads was more eclectic compared to Comic Emporium. The owner, Brian, was into toys, and games as well as comic books. Brian offered a variety of independent comics and magazines that Comic Emporium did not offer. There were magazines related to B-Movies, Science Fiction, and Fantasy. Because Rockheads had a diversity in product offering, Rockheads carved out a niche. Rockheads also did well when it came to comic book sales. The store would move to various locations over the next few decades, and change ownership, but it still remains. Ironically almost across the street from the second Comic Emporium location. Though there was no real animosity between Brian and Kenny, one preferred to be the big dog versus the other. Eventually Kenny would tire of running a business, and shutter Comic Emporium, which was just after I graduated college.
Batman, starring Michael Keaton, had set box office records, and generated interest in comic book themed movies. This interest translated into people becoming interested in the source material, comic books. Several comic book shops began opening in Racine. One comic shop, who’s name I do not recall, hosted one of the first comic book conventions in the Kenosha/Racine area, in a building that had been converted to a psuedo-mall. They ended up shutting down after. The location was not very good, and the shop hours were not convenient for many customers.
Several comic book shops would open and shutter quickly in both Racine and Kenosha. One I was fond of, was Goofy’s. An awesome comic shop that opened in downtown Racine during the spring/summer between my Sophomore and Junior year in college. The owner had an interesting policy. He did not charge sales tax, so it was essentially giving every customer the equivalent of a 5% discount. Cover price for all merchandise was the price a person paid. On back issues, the price he had marked was the price you paid. I was working at Walmart, but I had Thursday off. Thursday was new comic day, and it was also gaming day at Goofy’s. When the store closed, the group of gamers set up and played Dungeons and Dragons for several hours. I had lost interest in D&D, but the guys who played at Goofy’s seemed like a good group. It was fun. Then my work schedule at Walmart changed, and I could no longer play or go to Goofy’s. I had Monday off, but Goofy’s was closed Mondays. When I went back to college, I quit Walmart, because I already had a job on campus. My class schedule and work schedule was such, I could go back to Thursday night gaming, I returned to find Goofy’s had closed. I found out from a fellow former customer, that the owner of the building was unhappy because other renters were complaining that customers for Goofy’s were taking up prime parking spots, the owner of the building figured if Goofy’s was doing good business, then the owner of the shop could pay higher rent. Comic book stores run on a very thin profit margin. Though Goofy’s was successful, the bump in rent put him out of business.
Also during my sophomore year in college, a woman who worked in the university library, told me her husband, Chuck, was opening a comic book shop with a friend, Tony. Chuck, was a co-worker of my father, so I had met him a few times. Chuck was a fixture in the whole comic book scene in southeastern Wisconsin, and the Midwest region. Chuck had bought and trade comics throughout the area, and set up tables at Chicago Comic Convention, which was the only major comic convention for the Midwest region. Chuck had connections and knew comic book creators personally.
Chuck started the Southeastern Wisconsin Comic Book Club, while I was in high school, and it hosted a show in a room in UW-Parkside. I would go to college at Parkside and get an on campus job, eventually graduate from Parkside. Dennis Kitchen, of Kitchen Sink press, was co-founder of the club as well. The SWCC was a unifying group for comic book collectors in Racine and Kenosha. At the time of the club’s formation, the major complaint was there were no comic shops in Racine. Comic Emporium was the only shop in the area, and it was located on the south side of Kenosha, which made it inconvenient for people from north Racine to get to. For people in north Racine, the time it took and distance to Comic Emporium was no different than driving to the closest comic book shop in Milwaukee. Eventually Chuck, with Tony, raised the funds to start another comic shop.
Chuck and Tony opened Amazing Comics & Stories in a small store front in Racine, next to a beauty shop. Chuck and Tony would become good friends for a while, and were wonderful people. When I had lost my first career focused job after graduating college, Chuck and Tony graciously offered me a job working Saturday at the store, until I was able to get another job. I worked at Amazing on Saturdays. As was, and still is, the practice, comic book store employees took part of their pay in comic books. So, I was able to keep up on all the series I collected. When I finally got a job, I had to stop working at Amazing, because my job required weekend hours. Amazing would expand over several years to taking over the store front of the beauty shop as well. Amazing purchased most of Comic Emporium’s stock, when that store closed.
Then came the Death of Superman hoopla, it is also referred to in the comic community as the death of comic book collecting.
DC had plans to have Superman wed Lois Lane in the comic. The show Lois and Clark, staring Dean Cain and Terry Hatcher, was on television, and a big hit. There was going to be a wedding on the show, but in order to coincide with the comic book, DC needed a story line that could last a year in the Superman comics. Then the show and comic book wedding could transpire at the same time. DC came up with the plan to kill Superman. This drew major media attention. Everyone wanted to buy a million copies of the Death of Superman issue. Comics were being viewed as investments, like stocks. People thought that the issue would rise in price to a level equal to Action Comics #1, and their financial future was secure. Nope, you can still by the Death of Superman issues for less than cover price. In fact, if you go to a local comic book store and are willing to rummage through quarter bins, you can find the issues. It is easier to buy the reissued trade paperbacks that gather the story line into separate chunks. Death of Superman and World Without Superman.
While Amazing was the primary comic book store in Racine, an upstart was rising. Legendary Comics & Sports Cards started in a strip mall. Felix was running the comic book side, and his friend and business partner was running the sports card side. Comic books and sports cards do not mix. The attitudes of the collectors are much different. I started going to Legendary, because Felix was willing to trade. Felix did not have a huge stock of back issues, and I had a huge amount of back issues I wanted to trade for new comics. Felix traded reasonably, so I could get my comic books for less or even get store credit.
For the most part, comic book stores in the Racine/Kenosha area operated on friendly terms. They helped each other out. If a certain comic was selling well in one shop, the owner would approach another shop, and offer to trade stock or buy stock from another shop. The Death of Superman destroyed a lot of that. Since everyone wanted Death of Superman, and related comics, shops ordered heavy. Stock moved quickly. Owners called each other to try and by off extra copies for possible customers. Since all the shops were selling out, it was hard to get stock to satisfy demand. Shop owners were not going to turn away a possible customer, and recommend they check competition. If a person did not know that there were two comic shops in Racine or that there were comic shops in nearby Kenosha, telling them about the competition was not good business. Tensions began to develop.
Legendary survived the Death of Superman, and remains in it’s current location today. Amazing shuttered it’s doors a year or so later due to various circumstances, but the Death of Superman had something to do with the shop closing. Discussing the details does not really enhance the story, and I do not wish to discuss events involving good friends.
The Death of Superman did bring some interest in comics, but the launch of Image Comics created more. There was also the launch of Magic The Gathering. The confluence of Image and Magic caused several stores to pop up in the Kenosha area whom focused on selling the new collectible card games, but sold comics as well.
Image Comics was a company composed of the “it” artist of the comic industry. Artists from DC and Marvel whom were popular were tired of doing work for the big two, and getting nothing in return. Comic book art, and writing was a work for hire concept. If you were a writer or artist for a comic book company, you were expected to contribute creatively to the company. New characters became the property of the company. Rob Liefeld created Deadpool, whom is one of the biggest comic stars for Marvel currently. Even though Liefeld did not know Deadpool was going to become so popular, he knew Marvel owned the character. Rather than create more characters for Marvel to make more money, Liefeld left with the other Image co-founders. Image was doing all the gimmicks, and generating a lot of buzz in the comic book community.
Comic Etc. was a small store that opened up in Kenosha. The owner was focussed on comics, but Magic the Gathering was also a very lucrative market. What was different about Comics Etc., the owner was a woman. Comic Etc. actually misspelled their name on the side of their building. It featured a mural of Spider-Man and Wolverine, with “Comic Ect.” The owner knew it, and did not care. Unfortunately the owner was a typical opportunist who entered into the comic book and collectible card game market to make a quick buck. She paid pennies on the dollar for trade then marked them up to the maximum guide pricing, even if the comic or card could be turned around quickly. Most decent shop owners give better trade in value to a customer if the shop owner knows they can turn the merchandise around quickly.
Within a few years, there was also a growing interest in comic book related toys. Image was launching action figures related to their products, and there was a relaunch of Star Wars toys. The owner of Comic Etc. had a bit of a side deal going with several toy hunters. Toy hunters would go to all the local department stores, like Target, Shopko, Walmart, and buy up the rare figures, and leave peg warmers. The hunters would come to Comic Etc., get what they paid for the toys, and a little profit, the owner would then double the price for the toy.
Comic Etc’s owner was antagonistic to the other comic book store owners as well. Felix, owner of Legendary, told a story about how she came in and caused a ruckus, mentioned her store out loud to other customers, and even offered better discounts if the customers went to her store.
The owner of Comic Etc. also specialized in selling Bad Girl comics, which was another comic industry event. Bad Girl comics featured a female protagonist, who was more sexual and aggressive than a standard comic book heroine. Bad Girl comics often featured nude covers, and other gimmicks to generate sales. Most of the creators were budding porn producers. To be honest, most of it was garbage, but there were a few interesting concepts. Comic Etc. would stick around for several years, then fold up and move to internet sales or selling at a local flea market.
Chadwick’s was another store that opened in Kenosha. Specializing in collectible card games, but having new comics, and limited back issues. Jean and Doug were wonderful people. Chadwick’s would hold gaming events involving Magic The Gathering, they had internet gaming set ups, and a coffee shop. Unfortunately they fell prey to the unscrupulous mentality of building owners that permeated Kenosha at that time, as well as zoning issues. Many building owners in Kenosha had the odious practice of having tenants improve the property, once the property was improved, the owner would up the rent. If a business was doing well, and had a high foot traffic, the owner would up the rent. It did not matter if the business was operating on a very thin profit margin, if the business was doing well, it meant more money, so the tenant could pay more rent. If there was a parking lot for the building, the owner would charge separate rent on the parking lot, if the owner could not raise rent on the building, the owner raised rent on the parking lot. Chadwick’s survived several years at their first location, but left over a rent dispute. They moved to a new location, but due to the nature of their business, it was classified as an attractive nuisance to a nearby school, and had to get special permission from the city to open at their new location. This meant zoning fees and permit fees. Ultimately Chadwick’s was shut down and Jean and Doug move to internet sales.
When I moved out of the Kenosha/Racine area, I did remain a customer at Legendary, but economics eventually dictated that I find a comic shop in the Milwaukee area. Driving down to Racine every week, was becoming costly. My friend Dave kept me up on the goings on in the Kenosha/Racine comic shop realm.
The building that had housed Comic Etc. was sold, and a new tenant tried to open a comic book store. Epic or Heroic or something to that effect. The owner of the shop was a bitter customer of Rockheads and wanted to compete. Paul had the goal of shutting down Brian. Dave told me Paul was a terrible business man, and probably would not succeed. Then something interesting happened. Someone set fire to Paul’s store, the damage was extensive enough that the building would have to be torn down. There were rumors it was the owner of the building who set the fire, because he could not pay the mortgage, and was going to be foreclosed. Even the owner of the shop, Paul, who was only renting the building was a possible suspect. The motive was he wanted out of his lease to move to another location.
Interestingly, the stock that survived the fire was sold to a man who was a Legendary Comics customer. Everyone called him The Hog for various reasons. The Hog tried to start a competing store to Legendary. What bitterness exists is not known to me, because The Hog was a long time customer at Legendary. I knew him when he was just a piglet. I learned from Felix that The Hog was a poor business manager, and his comic store, Drop Bear Comics, shuttered within three months. The Hog returned to being a customer at Legendary.
Currently in Racine and Kenosha there are two long time shops. Rockheads and Legendary. Both survived through the decades on solid business management. Rockheads has more diversity in product, still selling gaming stuff, with less toys. Legendary is a pure comic shop, with some comic related merchandise. What the future holds for both stores, is unforeseeable. Dave, told me Felix plans to retire soon, and might sell the store to a long time customer. The current owner of Rockheads, Alan, has no plans on retiring or selling the store, but he is not young.
There are also various other stores that have cropped up over the years in the Kenosha and Racine area, a Google search will yield results. I have seen several shops open and close in Milwaukee. Unless you can build a clientele from local residents in the area, and have a diversity of products, which means investing in action figures, games, trade paperbacks, and merchandise, a store will not survive long. Many new collectors collect differently.
It is remarkable to me, a comic collector moving on four decades of collecting, how the hobby has changed. Comic book stores at first were a rarity. Comics were largely sold thru drugstores, newsstands, and in bookstores. If you did not have access to stores, you had to subscribe. All of this was before the internet and digital age. Conventions were the only way someone who collected comics could find back issues. Fans communicated with each other through mail or at times met for small gatherings to discuss the hobby, and trade comics. Then comic book stores cropped up in many smaller cities. Kenosha and Racine were examples. Eventually comic stores became the only way to buy comics, since many drugstores stopped carrying comics, newsstands shut down, and bookstores did not feel the profit was good enough. Direct market was the adaptation. When comics became very popular do to some form of major media storm, comic book stores thrived, and competition became cut throat. Now, comics, which are a major inspiration and source for movies, television shows, and video games are dying. Stores still exist, but trade paperbacks or comic related memorabilia are major sources of income.
In the Kenosha and Racine area, essentially the deep Southeastern Wisconsin area, I grew up when comic book stores were limited to large cities or maybe surrounding communities that fed workers into the large cities. Comic books then began to catch on as a hobby. When interest grew, opportunities grew. A successful movie franchise drove people to source material. Shows related to comics drove people to source material. Then there was media hype around comic book stories. A major change in a character garnered news worthy broadcasts on major networks. That story drove people to the source material. Unfortunately those artificial events generated by the media seldom generated permanent collectors. Just speculators.
The comic book store I currently go to, Collector’s Edge, the manager told me that he could see comics going completely digital in a few years. Disney, the owner of Marvel, makes more revenue in one day on a movie release, than on all comic book sales in an entire year. Costs to print keep rising, and the sales do not warrant the costs. Digital formats cost little to produce, and so offers of getting everything Marvel produces digitally for the cost of a few printed comics can be made. Warner Bros, who owns DC, is flirting with the same concept. Many customers who come into the comic book store do not by monthly comics. Many want a trade paper back that reprints an entire half year of a comic or even an entire year. They can read the story at their leisure or all at once. It is like binge watching television shows. Also, movies no longer generate interest in the source material. When Wonder Woman came out, no one rushed to a comic book store to find Wonder Woman comics.
How comic shops will survive, that remains to be seen.
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Guest Stars
September 13th, 2017 by Proprietor
The Brady Bunch was loaded with guest stars of various sorts. The ones who played themselves were usually sports figures for the boys, and crushes for Marcia. Marcia Marcia Marcia was the only girl to have young men whom she had a crush on, appear as guests stars. Jan and Cindy were relegated to the back of the station wagon. For Greg, it was baseball. For Peter and Bobby, football.
One of the first guest stars to appear on the show was due to Greg having a crush. Except it was not on the guest star, it was the guest star’s fiancé, who happened to be Greg’s math teacher. Greg, like any teenage boy will look at a female and begin to have certain thoughts, which become distracting. Instead of paying attention to math figures, Greg paid attention to his teacher’s figure. Once Mike figured out what was happening, he came up with an idea of how to solve Greg’s problem. Appeal to Greg’s athletic nature, and ran to get the teacher’s fiancé, Wes Parker, a baseball star at the time. Wes promised Greg tickets to the season opener if he got better grades at math. Greg instantly agreed, and problem solved.
The following season Greg almost gave up his education due to baseball. Don Drysdale came to Mike’s den to go over plans for his house Mike was working on, then gave Greg some pointers. Greg naturally got a swelled head, and failed miserably. Back to school and math.
Peter had his run in with Deacon Jones, during his attempts to play football and sing in the glee club. Considering Peter was the most tone deaf of the entire Brady clan, his sudden fitting into a glee club was odd. Peter almost quit glee club because the guys on the football team called him a Canary. Deacon stepped in and explained that you should not take the guy across the line from you for granted. Then lectured the boys about how the guys on his team had a singing group. Deacon Jones also did macrame.
Bobby had his own run in with sports greatness in the form of Joe Namath. Like most boys his age Bobby over exaggerated an embellished knowing someone famous, because it seemed like all of his friends knew someone famous. So, Bobby claimed Joe Namath was a good friend. Unfortunately Joe Namath would be in town playing a scrimmage game against the Rams. Now Bobby, plotting with Cindy concocted a way Joe would come over. Cindy wrote a letter about how sick Bobby was, Joe came over, and all was good.
As stated, Marcia was the only girl whom seemed to warrant guest stars. Desi Arnaz Junior showed up to console Marcia over her lost diary, where she had dreamed of being Desi’s wife. Cindy gave it away by accident, and the Brady family went across all of Los Angeles to every used bookstore to find it. Cindy and Carol found the diary. Marcia got a kiss from Desi, and all was good.
Then Marcia, like Peter stretched the truth about being able to get a certain famous person to do something. Instead of an athlete, it was singer, Davy Jones. The whole family was recruited in attempting to get Davy to play at Marcia’s school dance. Eventually Davy was hunted down, and decided to play for the dance. Instead of getting a kiss on the cheek, Marcia gave Davy a kiss on both cheeks.
Jan and Cindy never seemed to be in on any reason for guest stars, though they did end up helping their siblings when it came to getting the guest stars to appear. The only time Cindy was sort of part of a guest star appearance was when she was with Bobby in Hawaii. The youngest Brady siblings ran into Don Ho.
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