PWCW on POS at Baltimore; Rozen Aso next Japan PM?

I believe Chris Butcher has found the true solution to all of our comics-related problems once and for all…

All comic book stores should be 8 stories high.

The first floor can be devoted to superheroes.  The second, “alternatives.”  3~8?  Porn comics.  Then all will be right with the world.

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And here’s why we really had to get those UPC numbers… PWCW reports extensively on the full rollout of Diamond’s POS software system at the Baltimore retailer summit.

The new system allows comics shops€”many of which do not use computerized inventory systems and rely on paper and pencil cycle sheets€”to use barcode scanning to automate inventory control, sales and reorder activity.

(snip)

Diamond is paving the way for future scanners in shops by requiring all the products it carries to have barcodes and UPC information by January of next year.

For a long time, Diamond has threatened gently warned new publishers that there may come a day when UPC/ISBN barcodes are prerequisite on all comics.  Well, this is it, guys…

Edit: The Comics Reporter has a whole lot of additional info on the Diamond POS system, from retailer Dustin Harbin.

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Neat article on the Geppi museum as metaphor for the direct market.  Hey, the museum seems to be finding its rhythm.

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Weird… various websites are reporting that the resignation of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe caused most stocks in Japan to drop, except for “otaku” oriented companies such as anime/manga producers and retailers.  The reason… foreign minister, nationalist firebrand, and self-avowed otaku Taro Aso is the frontrunner to replace Abe.  Not sure if this is necessarily good news for the Asian region (his tenure has been controversial, to say the least), but otaku in Japan must be cheering right now.

I also don’t quite know if all of this quite justifies such a bullish jump in otaku stock (a staggering 71% for Broccolli), but this is a good excuse to invest in some of those Rozen Maiden Pullip dolls, just in case.