If you are in India, and you’re interested in comics other than the Tintin-Asterix-C&H variety, you ought to be aware already that there aren’t too many bookstores around that stock or sell graphic novels. Yes, for the metro-folks, there is Landmark and to an extent, Odyssey. But seriously – full price for graphic novels? That totally blows. Take into account the fact that the stuff you are interested in might never even hit bookstores in India. You know that you have the urge to buy a graphic novel just because it’s among the few available and you need something to kill the craving – so yes, you pay full price anyways. Shipping from Amazon is a disaster, unless you have someone who’s travelling from the US and willing to accept books for you.
Something’s in the works. Someone I know is thinking of setting up an online store here in India to provide just those services that are lacking in India as far as graphic novels are concerned. I am involved in this to an extent – we have been bouncing ideas off each other, and I need a bit of help. It’s going to be a controlled start – just testing the waters, in a way, and he’s going to be offering, in order, very good discounts, a subscription-based model, a recommendation system, and a steadily-increasing catalogue, among other things. Second-hand content might come, based on buyer interest. Books in stock will be mostly graphic novels and trade paperbacks, and not 22-page comics.
22 page comics? why not?
Stocking them is a MAJOR problem. Also, they need to be boarded and bagged to ensure “collectibility”.
And why would anyone want 22 page comics if the same storyline gets collected into complete trades?
But it’s NICE to have 22-pagers. Feels original. It’s also MORE LIVE. I don’t have to wait 6 months for a TPB if I can get a 22-pager every fortnight or month.
I can read the same storyline in scans too, no?
TPBs are for philistines.
Salivating at the very idea!!!
BTW Emami new bookstore Starmark does stock graphic novels and gives healthy discounts.
How healthy is healthy, btw? And how’s their stock? really curious to know!
Typo…should read ‘Emami’s new….’ and not as mentioned.
Hai, nice to hear about setting up an online store for graphic novels. What you say is true that many titles I wanna read are not available even in the biggest bookstores here, and I am hesitant to order online from Amazon or any other for the fear it may not reach on time and the shipping charges. I wanna buy Watchmen International Edition now and have many titles in mind. If you can provide them, please mail me at ahimaz@gmail.com. Thanx