Might Hastings Be Your New Comic Shop?

Reports from Bleeding Cool and other news/blog sites state that the chain of Hastings book/movie/music stores will be expanding their comic book operations and becoming members of the Direct Market. This is fantastic news for many who don't have a comic shop of their own but do have a local Hastings store.

Growing up in Norfolk, NE I had to rely on Hastings quite often for my comic fix, until we finally got our own comic shop shortly after I graduated high school. It was nice that Hastings was one of the few stores in town with a spinner rack but frustrating that they didn't get comics the same week they hit the direct market. Sometimes they'd be behind the direct market by a week, sometimes by 3 weeks. It was never consistent.

My Norfolk Hastings doesn't seem to be one of the launchpads for the new comics but folks who live in or near Kearney or Grand Island, NE will be delighted to find themselves with a convenient new way to buy comics or get introduced to them. I think a huge benefit here will be the fact that folks who may not even be aware of comic book specialty stores or who previously wouldn't be inclined to visit one may now have a book store atmosphere to investigate and explore comics that would require a little less cultureshock than some might experience in a specialty shop. I think this would be particularly helpful for women who are interested in comics but who may find themselves an awkward or unwanted presence in some comic stores.

I type that as a woman who was once told by a manager at an area comic store not to interact with one of the employees there becuase that man didn't believe that women belonged in comic shops. This revelation then led to me not attending that shop again for many years, out of discomfort. (for the record, that employee doesn't seem to work there anymore, so... good riddence)

I'm excited for this big move in making comic books more available to consumers. Particularly as the profile of the comic book industry seems to rise every year with blockbuster movies like Iron Man and The Dark Knight and the massive hype and intrigue around Scott Pilgrim. This could be very good for comics and, as such, very good for comic readers like us.