The Four Color Media Monitor

Here's an article in the San Benito Freelance about a store that took part in Free Comic Book Day. Some of the items they offered include:

The Marvel comics such as Spider Man and Venom or the Avengers were the two that were sought after the most.

It wouldn't surprise me if these were brand new specials published in hopes the moviegoing crowds would seek them out. But anybody reading and buying Marvel and DC at this point is wasting both time and money on brand new stories written by uncaring hacks. It's a real shame a lot of the specialty stores still around rely so heavily on the Big 2's modern output, when here, they could be reworking their stores to carry independent comics far more, and monthly floppies far less. On which note:

Mifsud—who has been hosting the annual event for the past 22 years—offered a pair of independent comic books in The Fabulous Freak Brothers and the Umbrella Academy that people were looking for, as well.

Mifsud said he enjoyed watching the kids as they sat on the ground next to the light pole in front of the shop at 207 Fourth Street to read their free comic books.

“Reading is fundamental,” he said.

That's correct. But it can be bad if the books in question are political indoctrination, and the comics industry today is as guilty as any other entertainment branch of brewing and selling just that.

Misfud had the idea of bringing in other superheroes such as Wolverine or some of the scarier villains but he doesn’t want to frighten the kids.

Instead, he goes with what’s popular and sells at his store such as Sonic cards and Super Mario Bros. books.

Now that's interesting. There was a time when toy action figure merchandise based on Wolverine as much as any other X-Men was common in the 90s, along with the Saturday morning cartoon. Has that changed since out of some kind of moral stance? Who knows? His solo comic that was launched in 1988 certainly wasn't kid-friendly by contrast.

And it's got to be telling the big sellers at a store like this happen to be based on Japanese-created franchises like the Mario Brothers and Sonic. That can strongly hint Marvel/DC aren't as hot as the MSM likes to make it sound.

Labels: Avengers, conventions, dc comics, Europe and Asia, exhibitions, licensed products, marvel comics, msm propaganda, Spider-Man, technology, X-Men