Borders Bookstores are removing graphic novels from many of their stores. So, to combat declining sales, Borders decided to sell fewer books? Create fewer reasons to enter the store? That’s like if sales in McDonald’s were down to decide to stop selling French Fries. I for one love French Fries… and coincidentally love graphic novels. It’s one of the few reasons I go to Borders. So, why would Borders stop selling comic books; well, essentially they’re saying they don’t want my kind.
There hasn’t been a more egregious insult to the book reading public since the Nazi book burnings. Sounds funny, at first, but take in all the persecutions comic book nerds have endured. It might actually be more reminiscent of the 1948 comic book burnings when a group of priests, teachers, and parents took it upon themselves to burn hundreds of comic books. Of course, it also brings to mind Fredric Wertham’s Seduction of the Innocent, the book the helped create the comic backlash of the 50’s. Wertham claimed comics were immoral and caused anti-social behavior and even homosexuality (Batman & his ol’ chum, Robin, as proof). Have comic books ever really recovered from that stigma? On a smaller, more personal level, how many bullies have ripped in two an Amazing Spider-Man #315 featuring the return of Venom? How many mother’s have thrown away vast comic book collections. Almost with a sad desperation, comic book fans have tried to be taken seriously, have clung to the illusion of respectability. What Borders is saying is that comic books are not literature. What Borders is saying is that comic books don’t belong with the literary excellence of People Magazine and Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight. Personally, I don’t have a problem with Twilight or Harry Potter, but if Borders is going to sell Twilight necklaces they can damn well sell X-men comics. Borders isn’t calling for the end of comic books like Wertham, they’re simply labeling comic books as irrelevant. Perhaps, in a lot of ways that’s much worse.
Follow up:
Comic books have made incredible strides to be taken seriously. How many issues of Watchmen have been shoved into friends faces? “Look at this,” we say. “This is important.” Borders Books’ Chief Executive, Ron Marshall, however, might argue that it still needs to burn. We’ve pranced out the best we have to offer—Alan Moore, Art Spiegelman, Grant Morrison—and we’ve come far and we’ve come close. We’ve even managed to change the name of comics. No, the name “comic book” is far too childish, these are graphic novels. Novels that are just as good as Lolita or Catch-22 but with pictures. And perhaps the greatest achievement we’ve ever had was the inclusion of graphic novel sections in bookstores much like Borders. And how does it all end? Not with picket lines and angry mobs with horn rimmed glasses, but with ecstatic glee!
Shortly before Borders Group decided to quickly and quietly remove graphic novels, they offered us a pittance. A sale. And we gobbled it up. In January, Borders had a huge buy one graphic novel get a second graphic novel half price sale. They even advertised that it was the perfect way to complete collections or add collectible condition comics to your library. What they were really doing, of course, was burning through inventory. They don’t care if they take it on the chin because obviously they don’t want our money anyway. In their minds, they probably think they’re weeding out teenagers or the illiterate.
If they don’t want our money… then they can do without. Last weekend I was going to relax in Borders for an afternoon, browse through their graphic novels and by some books (both graphic and otherwise). However, when I saw Graphic Novels so slyly crossed off all the signage, I had a change of heart. I put the books back on the shelf, turned around, and left. If they don’t think my taste is up to snuff then I don’t think their store is up to snuff either. I’m boycotting Borders until graphic novels are returned, and I’m urging anyone else who is angry to do the same.
Feel free to email Borders yourself and let your voice be heard.
And I know what you’re thinking. Why not just go to a comic book store and buy whatever I want (that’s the place to do it anyway). That’s not the point. Yes, of course, we should continue to support the local specialty stores, but losing space in major bookstores is about more than just money. It’s about principle. It’s about an art form that I love, and keeping it that way… art.
In Borders defense, graphic novels have not been removed from all stores. Their biggest stores in the chain will most likely continue to sell graphic novels. Of course, graphic novels are also available online or through order.
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Let’s look at one more issue: Borders, as a chain, is about *this* close to closing its doors forever. If they replace line of items in their stores with items that sell better, they have a much better chance of surviving.
Am I sorry to see comics sold in one less major venue? Absolutely not. I love comics and want more people to read them. But if a big store that treats comics like third-class citizens (at best) decides that cutting them loose might help ensure their survival, I’m not getting too bent out of shape.
Manga readers may be to blame, as in bookstores they seem to be manga _readers, not manga _buyers.
Frankly, I get all my books online these days. The big bookstore is a dinosaur; an expensive, unimaginative dinosaur 🙂
Here’s what we know for sure:
1) They’re closing down the sections.
2) They don’t like me.
It’s only natural to come to the inclusion that it’s a personal attack. It’s true that Borders is doing poorly, but of their 30 store sections they’re only losing Graphic Novels and Greeting Cards.
The problem very well could be the Manga section. Without any real industry knowledge they just buy anything (mostly movie or animated related). Makes for a lot of bad stock.
We should be sad to see it go though. The big chain bookstore, as Dinosaur as it may be, is a status mark. It shows that graphic novels have reached this level of respectability. The fact that comic books are the first thing that a dying chain is dumping cannot bold well for comic book industry as a whole. Are long is before comics are dead themselves?
One of their number crunchers probably found for the shelf space they occupy, they weren’t generating sufficient revenue. And thus the choice to replace the section with a more profitable product was made.
Although it’s probably of cold comfort for those wanting to find graphic novels @ Borders, it’s not like Borders is caving in to some “morality” group for their removal.
Borders and Waldenbooks are the only two to be avoided, and I’m not sure there are that many Waldens left anyway. So, already… good job on the boycott everyone.
They did give me a tip on how to determine if a store is still carry comic books:
To determine the availability of the Graphic Novel inventory at a local Borders store you can search online at Borders.com:
1. Locate the title of the book, music, or movie that you are searching for.
2. Once the title has been found in the system, you may enter your zip code at the top right corner underneath “Reserve in Store”, which can be found by the list price and under “Add to Cart” and “Add to Wish List”.
3. After entering your zip code and clicking on “Go”, you will see a list of stores that are nearest to your zip code and the availability of the item.
Step 1: Walk into store.
Step 2: Look for Graphic Novel section.
Step 3: Don’t find Graphic Novel section.
Step 4: Ask, “What happened to Graphic Novel section?”
Step 5: Teller explains, “They’re cutting back on Graphic Novels in select stores.”
Step 6: Leave in defeat.
If you would have read the entire article you would have seen that I said that the Graphic Novel sections were removed from some stores, not all stores. And I also provided pertinent information from Borders Corporate headquarters in a follow up comment. Everyone is also well within their rights to contact Borders themselves to find out further information.
This is a reason to boycott a chain of bookstores? It’s more like a cheap ploy to drive traffic to your website. Goodbye.
HOW DARE MCDONALDS STOP SELLING THEIR DELISHUS FRIESES.
BOYCORT BORDERS! BRING BACK THE MCDONALDS FRY GUYS! AND GRIMACE! HE’S SO PURPLE! DAMN YOU WALDENPONDS!
Borders is a distressed retailer dumping slow-moving product lines. What’s to boycott?
Borders, like many other retailers, is in serious financial straits. Graphic novels and Manga are high shrink sections of the store (meaning that they get stolen a lot.) If Borders can squeeze a few cost savings from some stores, they’ll do it. I assure you, Borders is not anti-comics.
BTW, a boycott will only worsen Borders situation, leading to more closings and inventory reductions. Seems kind of counter-productive, no?
Over the past 6 years, I have seen continual growth in most stores’ graphic novels section, including but not limited to Manga titles. This was a huge step by Borders to reach out to the community you claim to be.
In the past 3 years, I have also noticed a huge increase in the number of people sitting in aisles of my bookstore with huge stacks of manga and graphic novels. Reading? Yes. Buying? No.
SPEAK WITH YOUR DOLLARS, STUPID.
If you want to be taken seriously as a “demographic” or “market”, make yourself noticeable. If a business doesn’t make money off of you, why do you demand their attention? Borders is a business, and they stock books that sell. They’re expanding Kids sections and Cookbooks, know why? BECAUSE PEOPLE BUY THESE BOOKS.
They’re also reducing the CD and DVD sections, but you’re not complaining about discrimination against people with ears, are you? Douche.
Nice. I repeat, DOUCHE.