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Lisa Lopacinski
One year after our first wedding anniversary, to the day, my husband and I picked up the keys to a 1000 square foot store front in a strip mall in suburban Waukesha, WI. Two weeks later that spot would become Neptune Comics, our very own comic book store. I grew up in Slinger, WI, the child of entrepreneurial parents who owned their own dog breading and boarding kennel. The first in my family to graduate from college, I earned a BA from St. Norbert College. Prior to becoming a comic book retailer I was a stock broker, and then gave up that stress to own my own house cleaning business. Comic books were a small blip on my radar before I considered opening a store -- I did not have a collection stashed somewhere. But jumping into comic book retailing has been a great crash course in the ups and downs of the comic book industry. Being a woman and a comic fan, rather than a collector, I have no doubt that my opinions won’t always be that of the majority.
MAGAZINE CONTENT BY LISA LOPACINSKI (20 TOTAL)
Ordering Tips
I have been a busy store owner these last few months, with summer being one of our busiest times of year. Now things have settled down slightly so I have found the time to think… [more]
Be a Better Customer
For nearly a year now I’ve been writing these articles, sharing with fellow Sequart readers what it is like being a comic book store owner. In some articles I rant, in others I give advice.… [more]
Customer Loyalty
Because there are so few comic book stores around, there has been little study of what gets a customer to shop at one comic book store over another, and what might get them to change.… [more]
Direct Market Team-Up
I have written several articles on my suggestions for becoming a successful comic book retailer. In this column I’m going to fill you in on something a successful comic book retailer needs to do for… [more]
Customer Loyalty: Your Turn
Customer loyalty is an interesting thing in the comic book business. Some customers prefer to shop at a variety of stores, while others will shop at the same place year after year. Some people love… [more]
Comic Book Retailing Part 7: Common Questions Answered
I have had a bunch of people contact me during my series on opening a comic book store. Some of them asked similar questions, so I thought I would share the answers with everyone, so… [more]
Comic Book Retailing Part 6: Marketing
Of all the things I’ve shared with you so far on opening and running your own comic book store, this might be one of the most important. Advertising and marketing are the main tools for… [more]
Comic Book Retailing Part 5: Finding a Location
In my earlier columns, I explained what I think are the basics of business ownership: taking some basic business/entrepreneurship classes, understanding ethical business practices, and understanding the personal and financial demands. Then I discussed what… [more]
Neil Kleid on Writing, Drawing, Pitching, and Adapting Comics
A friend of Sequart’s Kevin Colden, Neil Kleid speaks candidly about growing up living and breathing comics. He talks about some current and future projects including a webcomic he’s publishing with Colden. Lisa Lopacinski has… [more]
Eric “Von Allan” Julien on Creating His Upcoming Graphic Novel
Von Allan was born red-headed and freckled in Arnprior, Ontario, just in time for Star Wars: A New Hope. The single child of two loving but troubled parents, Von split most of his childhood between their… [more]
Comic Book Retailing Part 4: Creating a Business Plan
Let me begin this column with an apology. I am sorry this is a few weeks late. We remodeled our store and purchased a very large collection from a customer at just about the same… [more]
Comic Book Retailing Part 3: Do Your Research
Two weeks ago I explained what I think are the basics of business ownership: taking some basic business/entrepreneurship classes, understanding ethical business practices, and understanding the personal and financial demands. Now, I will get into… [more]
Comic Book Retailing Part 2: Basic Business Ownership
In my last piece, I discussed why I became a comic book retailer, as well as why some other folks got into the business as well. There were a couple of key points in that… [more]
Comic Book Retailing Part 1: Why Do I Do This?
In my next several articles, I plan on discussing, in great detail, more about being a comic book retailer. This piece gives some insight into why I’m in this business of comic book retailing. Future… [more]
I Wanna Be In Pictures
Everyone who makes or sells a product wants it to become a part of “pop culture.” Wikipedia defines pop culture this way: Popular culture, or pop culture, the vernacular (people’s) culture that prevails in any… [more]
Retailer Ranting
After not writing a rant-out-loud column for a while, I thought I’d make it up to everyone with a column including a few good ones. Most of the time, comic book retailing is status quo… [more]
Free Comic Book Day
This May 6th will be Free Comic Book Day. This is a national event that has been taking place in comic book retail stores for the last few years. I believe this is the fifth… [more]
Getting More Women Into Comics
Recently, I had a customer ask me why there aren’t more women reading comic books, and if, because I am a woman store owner, we had a lot of women shop here. Let’s just say… [more]
An Entertainment Bargain
On average, I have someone come into my store about once a week who feels the need to point out the cost of the comic books. Some say, “I remember when they used to cost…”… [more]
The Truth about Selling Comics
Today’s article is not about me selling comics, it’s about those that try to sell them to me. Not the publishers, not the Diamond sales reps, but the collectors, former collectors, girl-friends of collectors, children… [more]