When you're a Jet...

Given the choice, why don't more people shop at Forbidden Planet? Is it the stand-offish air, barely disguised superiority complex, the poor excuse at customer service?

My experience of FP is from London over ten years ago, when I tired of the special treatment and headed to Gosh Comics. From what I hear little has changed, Gosh is pretty much still awesome, FP has its issues.

There's a key to doing good stuff. From Gosh I shopped at Page 45 in Nottingham, then found OK Comics when I arrived in Leeds. Maybe just my understanding but there's a theme running through all three that has something to do with FP.

A good independent shop helps introduce customers to the wide variety of products. This doesn't just count for relatively specialist things like comic books, it helps across the board. Kitchen gadgets in bulk or someone show you how to use it? Crafting material that you need or cheapest product near the colour you wanted but can't get?

In this sense, I'm a Jet. When you're a Jet you'll spend a little time searching out the independents just in case they are the best shopping experience you've had in ages.

Bright sunshine reading of the darkest dark

With the publication of Alan Moore and Jacen Barrow's Providence (Avatar) I thought I'd revisit their four-part Neonomicon. So it was packed along with Providence #1 for a trip to my parents.

I remember picking Neonomicon up the first time round, just casting my eye across shelves and spotting a familiar sounding name. I hadn't known it was coming out, I had grown tired of constantly checking preview sites and news feeds. In fact, aside from my standing order, every week there might be a surprise awaiting at Ok Comics.

[Not a spoiler alert- one paragraph] Every one at Ok Comics is good for recommendations and suggestions based on one's buying habits. If you're in Leeds I'd certainly recommend saying hello to Jared, Oliver and the other staff (who I've not remembered their names yet, sorry). If you're popping along to Thornton's Arcade, Hepworth's next door.

I am a fan of Moore though more of a fan of H P Lovecraft. I am a big fan of homages, references, intercontextualisation, and linkages. Lovecraft gets mentioned a lot in other publications, each week there are visual and text mentions to his work in 2000ad. I spent time reading through comics like Neonomicon and Providence to take in the stories and the mountains of references and visual clues.

Another comic book I've bought was Nonplayer. Issue two has pages full of allusions to other media. Spirited Away, Tintin, Futurama, these were some of the first references I noticed, there were hundreds more. Nonplayer is an interesting book, escapism from the one world to another that is no less dangerous and unreliable. A.I. appears to be the danger in the Nonplayer world, though human error and nature are probably more the threat.

Why do we like stories? Why do we go to insurmountable mountains and impassable highways? I read most of my comic books in the garden at my parents' house and bright sunshine. I am far removed from the settings of the stories I read, yet they have something to say about my life. They probably say something about your life too, though maybe not the same things.

Unless you're finding yourself kept awake by Cthulhu's knocking too...

Ok Comics,
Thorton's Arcade, Leeds

Ok, Go!

Awards are funny things. In publishing there are some relatively small awards that should be shouted from the roof tops compared to some of the mainstream ones that seem to warp time to include the latest release in their longlist.

Today I popped into Ok Comics. I shop there fairly regularly, they keep me stocked up in 2000ad, and I get collections and trade paperbacks from there. Jared and Oliver are really friendly and helpful; ask for a recommendation and they will suggest something you'll be glad to have read.

Anyway, I popped in today and saw Jared being interviewed outside the shop door. He was discussing how awesomely amazingly groovy (my words) it was to be nominated to the shortlist of twelve comic book retailers in the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award. Ok Comics is the only European retailer in the list for the award which is like the Oscars for comic book stores (Ok Comics words).

The prize is announced on Friday night, I can't imagine what the atmosphere will be like if Ok Comics won. Probably the same as New 52 launch night with Free Comic Book Day times by ten, and then some more.

Aside from the recommendations and the events, Ok operate a free graphic novel library and one of the best loyalty schemes ever. Visit, say hello, enjoy a truly independent shopping experience in Leeds: I am willing to say that more than 80% of non-sequential art readers will find something they will enjoy reading.

The other big publishing award news this week was the release of a longlist. It seemed to include a book that seemingly has only been released this week too, so either it is very good or very heavily promoted. I won't name names.

All I will do is highlight how wonderful the Green Carnation Prize is. If you ever get the chance to listen to Simon Savidge talk about books take it: it was one of thee best book events I've ever been to.

Postscript. If by popping into Ok Comics my colourful shirt should appear in the background to any video content then the only thing I will say is this: I am fighting a war against the white shirt-wearing office workers of Leeds. In the words of Los Campesinos! it is a war I will surely lose.

DC comics and chocolate milkshake, one of these things is available at OK Comics

Would it surprise you that one of my first experiences of coming to Leeds was finding OK Comics? My wife was being interviewed so I had wandered and found Briggate, then Thornton's Arcade, them OK Comics. I didn't go in as I needed to head back to Millennium Square, but it was there, a little corner of independent comic book shopness in Leeds.

Since 1996 I have had a serious interest in comic books, and this was encouraged by Gosh! in London and Page 45 in Nottingham. Good shops are essential for comic book readers, and while those two are lovely, OK Comics is really good, the staff friendly and knowledgeable, fellow customers nice, and the whole atmosphere is welcoming. Comic book shops are not a mystery or forbidden; they are another way of buying different narratives.

This blog is about book and record buying so I will save you of my random thoughts about Lovecraftian references in 2000ad*, what I bought today was 47 Ronin. It is not a movie tie-in (I asked almost as soon as I saw it too), it is in fact drawn by Stan Sakai. Stan is awesome, Usagi Yojimbo is one of my favourite characters, and his art is full of emotion and displays of character. I waited about a month just to buy this one book and each page is worth it. The story is of Japan's "enduring national legend", an epic tale of loyalty and revenge.

Back to talking about narrative delivery, have you ever read The Unfortunates by BS Johnson.

47 Ronin by Mike Richardson and Stan Sakai (book)
OK Comics, Thornton's Arcade, Leeds

* And not to mention the almost weekly wonder of this week will be the week we say goodbye to Joe.

Postscript. Saturday 3 May 2014 is Comic Store Day, and aside from lovely stuff happening in OK Comics, next door is the equally lovely Hepworth Deli is worth a coffee and cake filled visit.