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RETAILER SPOTLIGHT
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SLG resumes its feature of cool, interesting or just plain friendly retailers. This month's featured store, BAT Comics of Chico, CA is run by Trent Walsh. Trent has been a friend of SLG's ever since we met him and his wife at a trade show a number of years ago. Well, that's the short version, the long version is that we did meet at a trade show in San Diego pretty briefly (as most of those kinds of meetings are) but then I ran into Trent and his wife at the airport as we were waiting for our flights. I sat in the airport bar with Trnet and we discussed business in a very productive way, probably the most productive meeting I had for the entire convention.
That meeting taught me two things; 1) All Trade Shows should be held in airport bars and 2) Trent Walsh is a really good guy who works hard for his customers, his family and his country. Read on and then go shop in his store. |
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Name of Store: BAT COMICS
Years in Business: In 2008 we will be celebrating our 15 year anniversary.
Store Addresses and phone numbers: 127 Main St, Chico, CA 95928. 530-898-0550
Web Addresses: www.batcomic.com
 Email contact address: bat@batcomics.com
Do you sell online?: We are adding a shopping cart to our web site in January and have an Ebay store BaT Comics
Please describe your product mix: We carry something for everyone. We carry a large variety of both mainstream and indy comics, Current and Back Issues. We have card games, board games, role playing games. In our Anime section we have DVDs, Manga, toys. Cosplay, how to draw supplies, imported snacks and other imported items.
What makes you different from your competitors: Our friendly, clean, helpful environment and large selection.
What is your favorite SLG Comic (not your best selling, your favorite): I love Roman Dirge’s dark comedy books.
Do you take special orders for your customers: Yes, we get them all the time.
Is there anything you would like to say to all of the SLG fans reading this?: We have been supporting Dan and SLG for 15 years and have a strong commitment to carrying a wide range of comics for everyone to enjoy.
What is the deal with the name of your store, does it have some special meaning?: When I first started I had a partner, Benny. So we just to his B and my T = BaT.
We always see you with your wife at conventions and trade shows, does she work in the store too?: Not really, she more likes to come in and steal whatever goodies catches her eye, which tends to be a lot.
Along with being a comic store owner you are a Captain in the United States Army and recently served in Iraq. Obviously being in a war zone is differentfrom running a comic book store, how did being away from your business for a year impact your store?: It was huge. Having employees run the store for 15 months really hurt. They just did not have the commitment to the store and customers that I do. We lost quite a few customers and did not gain as many new ones as we normally would have. It was a very bad experience for the store and I have spent the last 18 months trying to rebuild and have gotten us almost back to where we were 3 years ago.
That being said, it was a unique experience being over there. I got to do things and meet people I would never have here in the States. I got to touch history that is over 3,000 years old, Ziggurat of Ur and city of Babylon and meet people from an entirely different culture, both Shiite and Sunni. It was a real eye opener for how much of the world’s population lives and what we as Americans take for granted. I was put in situations where I got to really know myself and what I can do. I made some new friends and lost some too. I honestly feel I got to make some people’s lives better over there.
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