Sharpening the Sword is a regular column by retailer John Riley of Grasshopper's Comics, a 1300 square foot comic and game store in
My life came to a sudden stop this past week. As I mentioned before, we've been living in a house undergoing ten months of construction. For the past two months we've lived with no kitchen and only partial heat. It's been a strain. I've been doing most of the work myself, and haven't had much time for anything else including my own store and writing for ICv2. Last Monday I finally finished some major projects and returned to work eager to get back on schedule and get my holiday plans in action before Thanksgiving.
But that day my six year old son got sick. By the next day he was in the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital and attached to an oxygen tank. He had contracted a virus that had set off a massive asthma attack and his lungs were quietly shutting down, with one partially collapsed. Luckily we caught it very early, but as I write this on Friday night he's still in the hospital, although finally released from ICU.
When I agreed to write for ICv2 a year ago one of the things I intended to do was write this particular column. I never felt the time was right for it, so I kept holding off. But as I sat there with my son the past four days I knew it was time...because I felt guilty. Guilty because I knew that my son will eventually come home, whereas there were many other children in that ward that I wasn't sure would ever leave the hospital.
Each holiday season my store runs a charity auction to help children just like those other kids in the hospital--children with terminal illnesses who may be facing their last holiday season. We donate prizes (as well as collect them from our customers who usually donate more than we can use) and have a massive holiday party where we raffle everything off. We raise thousands of dollars a year which we donate to a local charity similar to Make-A-Wish, in the hopes that we can fulfill the holiday dreams of at least a few children stricken with a life threatening illness.
My dream these past few years has been to make this bigger, to make this something that we can do as an industry. Imagine an annual event in which all levels of the comics and gaming industry get together to fulfill the dreams of terminally ill children. Each retailer, manufacturer, distributor, and creator would donate just one item to the cause: something unique, perhaps a special signed book, or a page of art, or an artist proof statue. We'd then take this treasure trove of comic and gaming collectibles and run a week long online auction with all the money going to charity.
There are about 4,000 stores in the
We could call it the annual 'Gathering of Heroes' auction, and everyone could get involved. Manufacturers could create a limited item to donate, such as a one-of-a-kind paintjob statue, or a special miniature (which they would obviously get plenty of publicity for). Artists could create an original sketch for the auction (perhaps each year's auction would have a particular theme that each artist could work within to make that year's original artwork extra special). CGC could create a special label for each year's donated books, thereby establishing a pedigree for each year's items. Wizard could run articles about it, highlighting the ultra-cool items created for the auction, and help spread the word within the community, as could the many comic-related Websites, which could host lists of all the items up for auction. Retailers could each host a special party tied to the larger event and spread the goodwill. We could accept auction donations from our customers, with each store allowed to send in one item to the auction, and raffling off the rest in store at a special event. Perhaps some of the distributors and other organizations could provide some of the infrastructure to gather the items together.
Like FCBD we could make it an annual event where we all come together to promote the heroic ideals we all hold dear at heart. Perhaps Marvel and DC could do a joint 'Gathering of Heroes' comic each year, an anthology title with short stories by well-known creators, that we could sell and donate the proceeds to the charity, similar to what was done after 9/11. The week the book came out each participating store could hold a release party, generating more excitement for the cause.
As an industry we're often mired in our own politics, rumors, and feuds. We admire the ideals of Captain
If you need a 'business reason' for this just imagine the positive publicity the industry would receive for stepping up to the plate and helping make these children's dreams come true. The articles would just write themselves as 'Comic Retailers Become Supermen for Holidays.' With FCBD in May and this held in November/December, our fans would also have a massive event to look forward to every six months. And importantly, it's something that we can all feel good about. It's a positive association with our hobby. From experience I can tell you that my customers come together once a year for a cause that makes them feel good, feel a sense of community, and establishes a positive relationship with the store that is simply invaluable. It really is true that we receive more than we give.
Over the past year I hope that writing this column has at least gotten me enough of a voice to get this idea out there for your consideration. And I guess ultimately that's all I can do. Regardless of what happens we'll be pressing on with our in-store event, and trying to help those who no longer have hope. But I'll never stop dreaming of what we could all accomplish together. If this sounds like a good idea to you, let's start a conversation about it. Comment here on ICv2 to start. After all, FCBD was just a crazy brilliant idea that Joe Fields had a few years back. But who says we have to stop there?
