70 years of Marvel

Today I enthusiastically wrote about the Marvel Anniversary Parties. I researched and wrote three pages of questions for the Q&A held at a Barnes & Noble by me. Well not so close, because of LA traffic, but what should be close in terms of millage.

When I showed up at Barnes & Noble no one working there had any idea what was going on. A live of five people were on one side of the room and two of us were on another. Finally someone comes over and says we need a wristband to be in line. Where do we get said wristband? From the cashier on the floor we were on. Wrong. No one was at that counter and we’re told that we have to go down to the first floor to get wristbands.

I get online with the customers actually buying books getting a little aggravated. It doesn’t help that the mother in front of me is letting her two little girls grab everything on the counter. She then turns to me and asks me to put the items away. Uh, those are your brats that you can’t get under control and you want me to clean up after them? No. Who am I kidding though, of course I put the items away. But inside, I wanted to say that to her.

I get to the counter and ask for my wristband. The nice guy behind the counter tells me that I have to buy a book first. I tell him that Marvel didn’t say anything about buying a book for the Q&A in the press release. He says that’s the rule. I ask any book, thinking that I’ll just pick up something interesting since it is a book store. But of course not, you have to purchase one of four graphic novels in order to sit in on the Q&A. These novels are listed on their event page but were not listed as a condition in the Marvel press release. In fact, many others behind me had no idea they had to buy a graphic novel either. These novels were not cheap, ranging from $20 to $30 (prices in store completely different than online).

At this point, I walked away. I just attended San Diego Comic Con where I bought all the graphic novels I wanted and I didn’t need to be forced into buying one. Unfortunately, I can’t blame Barnes & Noble. The event page shows the book as part of the event at the store. Their policy is that visitors have to buy the book to get into the artist event. I blame Marvel for not being forthcoming with that knowledge. For not putting it in the Press release. I apologize to anyone out there that might have visited a Barnes & Noble after reading our article only to have to pay for something unexpected. If Marvel had stated that at Barnes & Noble events one would have to buy the novels and listed the novels then readers can decide before traveling to the store if they are willing to pay. Instead of being forced into a position of choosing to buy or leave the event. Way to celebrate 70 years of Marvel.