I was feeling good today as I finished up another page last night, and started into another one, lots done feeling great etc etc. So I decided the other day, after reading the latest Captain America tpb, that it was time I went monthly with the book, because I didn’t want to wait another 6 months to find out what happens. So I figure up the strength and courage to travel to the local superhero comic shop today, The Phantom’s of the Attic (the name alone should be a clue right?), which I despise - but for new spandex they’re pretty much the only game in Pittsburgh.

Get there, and it’s like 12:45, walk in, and actually walk INTO the store, door is wide open, and I’m told they aren’t opened yet (not till 1 o’clock - yoinks). And I don’t mean the door was unlocked when I say open, I mean both doors into the shop are propped wide open, I never touch a door handle the whole time. So they literally kick me out of the store, so insane. Whatever, there is not much to do so I go sit at a Subway and eat some toxic waste for 15 minutes, come back, and I swear to you it was no more than 1:01, and there are like 3 guys walking out with gigantic bags of Wednesday hauls. Apparently they didn’t get kicked out before 1, right? Again, whatever, I come in, and just a barrage of about ten of the worst kinds of comic fans you can imagine. The worst kind of comic arguments taking place in front of me that you think are only confined to the anonymity of message boards. And worse, they all seem to know each other even though they’re all clearly of a different social circle (one looked like a med student, another some kind of office slob, then some 48 year old loon in a smelly trenchcoat and like a fisherman hat with buttons and pins all over it, oh boy,), it was just a barrage on the senses.

The main thing I hate about this store though, aside from being small, cramped, and smelly, is the organization. I dare anyone to explain how they stock their shelves with product, it’s not alphabetical, not by character, not by publisher, it’s literally just thrown on the shelves. New and semi-new alike. After about 15 minutes of scanning a wall of THE WORST BOOKS THAT HAVE COME OUT IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS, I finally see the latest issue of Cap, grab it, and scan for last months too. No dice. Ask one of the clerks for help, and literally the guy runs to the walls and starts digging, because clearly they have no idea where they keep their own books either. Turns out the last issue is sold out, but that could have been easily enough figured in a well maintained/organized store, OH HEY LET ME CHECK THE BOOKS/COMPUTER ETC. Nope, instead they go digging too, and I stand there trying to be polite, as if they will suddenly find the secret cache of comics that I myself just looked for for the last 15 minutes to no avail.

I honestly questioned if I even want to work in comics anymore when I walked out of that store today, it was that bad. Is this where we’re at? Is this what I kill myself every day for, wrists aching, and eyes blurry, getting no respect or recognition all the while drawing the best damn comic I can draw? For that?

MUTANTS!!