Welcome back to my column COVID & Comics where I aim to shed a light on the effect that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the comic book industry. The first edition was on my personal experience and how my comic life has had to adapt and been affected y the pandemic. In this edition in speak to Martin “Biff” Averre, the owner of Ace Comics. Martin has been in the business of selling comics for 40 years, owning multiple stores across England. It’s safe to say that he has a wealth of experience and has seen many changes to the industry – from Marvel’s threat of bankruptcy to more recently DC and no Marvel dropping Diamond Comics Distribution. I couldn’t wait to get his perspective.
It is worth noting the impact that pandemic has had on small businesses across Britain. A report conducted by Simply Business in September 2020 estimated that 234,000 small businesses had already ceased trading at the time of the report, and that COVID-19 will cost small business owners like Martin an average of £11,799. These numbers will likely have increased since the second lockdown imposed by the government over the Christmas period.
Below is my interview with Martin where we discuss his “Comic Origin”, the start-up of his business, the effects of the pandemic on his business and some of the things that have been getting him through the lockdowns, with an afterword at the conclusion.
MV:
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your “comic origin” – How you got into comics, your first comic etc, and how have you been during the pandemic
MA:
I started reading the UK comics Smash and POW, Fantastic and Terrific. These all contained reprints of Marvel Comics. Then my father, a lecturer in a London College, had American students who lent him their DC comics for me to read. I was then hooked.
Wind forward to when I was 25 and wishing to start my own business, I decided to try my hand at selling American comics. This coincided, by sheer chance, with the start-up of direct selling to comic shops and I used TITAN Distributors to buy my stock.
I started with a small front room in a terrace house that had been converted to a shop front and after 3 moves ended up in my 5,000 sq. ft Colchester store. Along the way I acquired my Southend store, a store in Exeter, one in Scotland, one in Sudbury and one in Richmond.
As I approach my middle sixties I have sold off all but Colchester and Southend and kept the mail order.
MV:
Can you tell us a bit about your store? How and when you got started, demographics etc.
MA:
Founded in 1981 as ‘American Comics Enterprise’, ACE Comics is one of the oldest and most reliable suppliers of comic books and cult merchandise in the UK today.
Through our comic shops, website, comics subscription services, long-running comics standing order system, eBay store and Amazon store, we supply comic books, graphic novels and cult merchandise including action figures, statues, t-shirts, plushes, mugs and more to thousands of customers every month.
We have stores in Colchester and Southend, both of which have dedicated ACE Gaming Centres. These gaming centres often hold regional tournaments and are a great place to visit for gaming fans.
The original ACE Comics Advance Order service was created in 1984, providing customers with the option to pre-order their comics, graphic novels, magazines, books and merchandise every month. In 2010, we acquired Economic Comics, a pioneering online comic subscription service providing customers with the ability to manage their subscriptions and pull lists online. Now known as ‘ACE Comics Subscriptions’, this service has gone from strength to strength and continues to be one of the most popular comic subscriptions services available today.
We are very well known in Colchester due to our flagship charity event, Invasion Colchester which happens the first week of September each year, but not during Covid. This event with vehicles from films, over 100 costumers, and celebrities, brings in 20,000 people to the town, is free to attend and covers the whole of the town centre in a vast open-air event.
MV:
What effect has the pandemic had on your store, from day to day to long term? Has there been a rise or fall or both in sales in certain items etc?
MA:
The store closing due to the pandemic has caused us to focus more strongly on our mail order services and this has kept us strong and healthy. Sales have fallen, but we have remained profitable by selling more on-line. Our ‘brick and mortar’ regular customers we have served by having click and collect at both stores.
MV:
Has your store ever had to deal with anything as disruptive as the pandemic before?
MA:
We have never had to deal with anything like the pandemic. I have traded through 3 recessions, which was difficult, but nothing as testing as the pandemic.
MV:
What can you see for your store in the future, short to long term and coming out of the pandemic?
MA:
The future looks bright. We have a local audience waiting to come back in and a stronger than ever mail-order base. There are many new Movies, TV shows based on comic characters and great comics coming out, so I have high hopes for the next 5 years.
MV:
What has been getting you through the pandemic and lockdowns? Comics, TV, movies, video games etc.
MA:
As work has continued as normal, even during lockdown, the mail order being a 6 day a week job, covid was an inconvenience, not a problem. My family and my wife have kept me sane and happy.
MV:
What were your top comics of 2020?
MA:
Top comics during 2020 where Batman, all the X-Titles, Amazing Spider-Man, Something Is Killing The Children, Spawn, Once and Future, Vampirella, Blade Runner and many more.
MV:
Lastly are there any comics, films, TV shows or books you want to recommend and any that you are looking forward to?
MA:
My favourite book read during 2020 was ‘I AM PILGRIM’ by Terry Hayes and favourite comic series The Immortal Hulk. I would recommend Lupin on Netflix.
I am so glad that Martin sees high hopes for the future of his store, and I hope that all stores are feeling the same. At the time of writing non-essential shops such as comic book stores are now allowed to open their doors to customers once again which will undoubtedly help with sales. I feel that comic fans are a special breed, and that even if some have moved to digital reading for ease during the pandemic, they will still always be there for “their store” and will continue to support them in some way shape or form – I know that I do. Comics are a form of escapism, and right now we all need that more than ever, which is why I am confident that despite the drop in sales business will still continue and eventually pick back up.
I want to say a massive thank to Martin for his time, as well as the subscription service his store provides – I highly recommend them! You should check out ACE comics store if you’re in Southend or Colchester (safely!), visit their website https://acecomics.co.uk/ and eBay & Amazon stores!
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