From: larocqu@gaul.csd.uwo.ca (JOHN LAROCQUE)
Subject: Canadian Distributors
Organization: Computer Science Dept., Univ. of Western Ontario, London, Canada
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1992 07:55:10 GMT


In his last post, Jim states:
> Certainly.  But Usagi Yojimbo doesn't REALLY sell.  Not even as well as
> Conan.

No, but marketed properly, its sales could increase tenfold. Think about
it - a well drawn funny animal comic with serious concepts. Stan Sakai
has worked for Groo. If your store carries 30 copies of Groo, it should
be carrying 15 copies of Usagi. There is a crossover of interest here
that should not be ignored.

> Is it any wonder why we stopped dealing with any Canadian distributors YEARS
> ago?

All four stores here in London deal with Andromeda or Styx. I don't know
why, but am intrigued. Diamond is #1 in Canada? I must be out in the boonies
here..... (we only have 300 000 people here, but London is a city full of
"old money")

> As for Eros...well...sorry, but I can't agree with your sentiment.  I won't
> carry them either, because I think that they're low quality and unacceptable
> for a family store. (except Ironwood).  And, personally, I don't want 99% of
> the type of people who buy stroke books as customers.  No offense, I hope.

Most Eros stuff is shit. All Aircel is shit. Every once in a while you get
a book like Wally Wood's Cannon, a macho comic produced for soldiers. A
Punisher-type character who also has sex with women. And extremely well
drawn by the great Wally Wood. Like I said, they don't carry Eros comics.
And while I would NEVER stock them on the shelves, I would recommend them
to clientele who would be interested - like some of the European stuff that
Eros does, or the abovesaid Cannon or Sally Forth or the Robert Crumb's
Id sketchbooks. (some people ACTAULLY like Robert Crumb - sell stuff them
to them and make them happy).

Gary Groth is a publisher who pays his artists very little of what they 
are really worth ($500 a comic) which is probably why Stan Sakai is moving
his Usagi to Mirage. That being said, Fantagraphics carries a lot of good
stuff. Monster Comics recently did Grant Morrison's colorized Dan Dare
adventures. They were fabulous. Just think - all the Doom Patrol fans who
missed out on the 4 issue Dare miniseries. And how many stores will be 
ordering _666 Mark of the Beast_ #12 from Fleetway, which features ALL
Alan Moore stories that month. (more griping and whining about badly
marketed indies with an audience)

> Not in Canada, either.  Every store in Victoria, and all the big ones in
> Vancouver deal with US distributors (even if they deal with Diamond in
> Vancouver, which by itself is Canada's largest distributor.)

Some people are smart. Say, I am going to ask some of the dealers here
about that. I may get back on the subject as well.

> Ummm...in general, neither Eros nor Caliber are GOOD indies, but, yes, point
> well taken.

I highly recommend (the now moribund) Tome line of Caliber. They reproduced
black and white art from famous European illustrator of the 19th century,
Gustave Dore. Really neat stuff. And they have published comics from Canada's
Day clan (Dan and Dave and sometimes dead brother/genius Gene Day). Gene
was perhaps the most promising comic artist that Canada ever produced. None
of the others who drew the same time he did (Steacy, Sim) could ever reach
the level of detail that he lovingly put into his art. Sample his Master of
Kung Fu back issues - they are a real treat. (Sim now is quite good, being
aided of course by his trusty friend Gerhard who draws in all the backgrounds)

[ Sim, in an obit in the Comics Journal, suggested that Marvel's treatment
  of Day was atrocious (although they were nice enough to put a piece in
  Epic). Day died of a heart attack in 1982 at the age of 31. He was just
  like Mozart - a genius who died young. Oh, the potential.... and to think
  that he and Doug Moench, sick of Shooter, were going to move to DC and do
  Batman.... sigh. Day was Sim's tutor and friend and a god of the Canadian
  comics community. A hero sadly forgotten. ]

> Probably.  But I can't blame Andromeda for giving in to the demands of
> censorship.

With the persecution of comic shops like Comics Legends in Alberta, Canada
is comics censorship capital, outflanking even Britain in the ferocity of
police raids. Some teen artist in Ontario was charged with indecency in his 
strip. He did a local comic - but they never understood the art - he got
dragged before a judge and was exxonerated, thanks to the Comics Legends
Defence Fund. Such potential, he is now going to art school. I hate the
police here, and the parents groups, feminists and the scum who call 
themselves civic leaders and religious types. Oh well......

As for "giving in to the demands of censorship", I do blame people for not
standing up on their hind legs and saying with a loud voice F***  YOU!
Squeek the Mouse, the very violent European parody of Tom and Jerry, is
banned here - fascists! Volume II will also get banned. I saw it in a French
French mag sold in London (Echo des Savanes) and it is more outrageous
than the first. Just think of Itchy and Scratchy on the Simpsons - but
on speed. Way cool - awesome strip - but BANNED IN CANADA. It is serialized,
so if a local magazine shop stocks Echo des Savanes - they should check it
out. Great French/Euro stuff, and Squeek the Mouse. Not very different from
the OLD National Lampoon but with loads more cartoons and serializations.
Too bad the cops don't know about the French version..........

-------
Scowling Jim Cowling
Professional Evil Person
Creative Writing Department, University of Victoria (opinions disassociated)
-------


-- 
***FEAR*AND*LOATHING*FEAR*AND*LOATHING*FEAR*AND*LOATHING*FEAR*AND*LOATHING***
**  John LaRocque       **  "If you're the new messiah... I'm going to be  **
**  marshall.law@uwo.ca **  the one to drive in the nails"   MARSHALL LAW  **
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