Editorials

Opinion pieces. Views expressed are not necessarily those of Sequart.

RSS for EditorialsRSS feed for Editorials

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]

Week 17: LOBO, Violence Convert or Violent Convert?

Before I start this week’s column I’d like to applaud what has been one of my favorite weeks of 52 so far. Week 17 definitely contains my favorite Secret Origin so far writing and art-wise.… [more]

Crisis from Infinite Tie-Ins (or Are We Facing Crossover Exhaustion?)

When Infinite Crisis was first announced, I was as excited as the next fanboy, eager to see what this would be about and what it would mean for the DC Universe. With a title harkening… [more]

Take the Superhero Test! (or, Excelsior!)

Land ho! It’s once again time to batten down the hatches and weather another installment of Tact is for the Weak, the column that did not buy a pirated copy of Mission: Impossible III from… [more]

American Thesis #4: Direct Distribution and Comic Book Culture

Direct distribution was a major turning point in the world of comics. It spawned the creation of specialty comic book shops resulting in a culture surrounding the medium, some of the components including conventions and… [more]

Comic Sense #3: The Art of Structure, Part II: Writing

Welcome back to Comic Sense. The first piece in this series discussed composition and its place in the larger context of story structure. This second piece will build on that discussion by exploring how writing… [more]

Psycho Icons: Freak Criminals and Super-Villains

“You don’t understand these things because you’re not under the influence of factor x.” Despite what you may think, this is not the deranged taunting of a primary-colored comic book heavy. This is an excerpt… [more]

The Unmasking of Our Attention Span

It was only a matter of time until someone in the comic industry remembered that outside media hype, in theory, should bring bigger sales. Perhaps they never forgot but simply chose to ignore it in… [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]

In the Beginning… #3

Search for a Superman When I started getting into comics, friends began recommending trade paperbacks for me to read. I was told I should read The Dark Night Returns, The Long Halloween, Batman: Year One… [more]

Could You Just Cover Yourself?

I started off so well with this column. I wrote two in the first month. Now, here I sit, nearly four months since my last piece, trying to figure out if I’m getting senile or… [more]

What a Difference a Year Makes #1

Greetings, and welcome to what I hope to be the first of many articles in this series. As the title implies, I will be discussing the events surrounding DC’s “One Year Later” (OYL). The events… [more]

Dissolving Comics’ Boundaries

Let’s face it: business has not been good in the comic industry during the last decade or so. However, despite this, there has been a swelling of diversification amongst genres, creators, and publishers, and maybe… [more]

A Fan’s Perspective: San Diego Comic Con 2006

In the mid 90s, I vowed never to return to the San Diego Comic Con because of the hours of waiting in line in the heat and the crowds. I decided to go this year… [more]

Will the Heroes Come?

The comic book world is truly a fortunate place to live in. In it, nearly every city of the United States, as well as many around the world, are inhabited by one or more costumed… [more]

Comic Sense #2: The Art of Structure, Part I: Composition

Welcome back to the article dedicated to enriching the world of comic books and graphic novels for new readers. This article will deal with an exploration of story structure. As the topic itself is vast… [more]

New Earth (or, If I Could Give the World a Makeover…)

Settle down, class; it’s time for another dose of Tact is for the Weak, the column that tested positive- for the truth (and herpes simplex A)! There comes a point in every man’s (and self-realized,… [more]

You Can’t Go Back Again

An unfortunate trend seems to have taken hold at Marvel Comics, which has slowly convinced me to give up reading my favorite super-heroes.

American Thesis #2: What are Comics?

It is easier to see how comics are related to their readers when the many different terms are understood. Defining comics is the first step. Several industry professionals offer their opinions of what the word… [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]

The Valiant Comics F.A.Q.

I am a rabid comic book fan and I’m not ashamed to say it. (Thank you, Hollywood.) One of the things comic book fans are often asked to do is recommend comics, and when I… [more]

In the Beginning… #2

It’s Miller Time In the last few years, Hollywood has been comic book crazy. You can’t visit your local multiplex without coming across a comic book flick or two, as well as posters and trailers… [more]

House of Marvel #2

WARNING: There are some SPOILERS AHEAD… Welcome to the second House of Marvel article, brought to you by me, Jake Willis, via the wonderful world of Sequart.com. As announced in the last column, this week… [more]

Looks Like Rain

Welcome to the series “Looks Like Rain,” which will end up being a detailed exploration of the Wildstorm Universe from its origins in Image through to its current position as part of DC. First of… [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]