Longbox

There’s an idea that seems so blindingly obvious that I can’t shake off notion that it’s happening and I’m just not aware of it. And it’s this:

A comic shop loot crate service.

Simply, you subscribe for a monthly direct debit cost (say £20) and the comic shop sends you a box full of things – mostly comic things, but things inspired by your choices rather than being specific to what you’ve asked for.

So, for example, you might fill in an online form that asks “Favourite Genre” / “Artist” / “Writer” and, the shop will then fill you a box full of stuff they choose, and every month the box changes (but with some caveats)

It could contain a number of current title runs based on your choice of character/genre/publisher.

It could contain some back issue runs (based on your choices/relationship to the current set of main titles you’re receiving)

It might even contain the odd graphic novel.

Or possibly some tat.

And, hey, every twelve months you’ve been subscribed maybe you’d get a free longbox to put all of those comics in!

But it would be mostly about comics.

For me, I’d be subbing based on comic creators. So, Mike Mignola might end up getting me few months of Hellboy, or BPRD then switch it out for something else and every so often I’d be pleasantly surprised to find an old Mignola strip that I hadn’t expected in there.

Or I’d add Alan Moore to my list of creators I’m interested in, maybe that would end up with a sub to whatever Alan is currently doing, plus a sideways link to other horror genres and maybe some small press surprises.

The idea would be, comic shops get a fixed income and a potential way to get rid of back issue comics that are still great comics but are just sitting in bins, subscribers know how much they’re paying per month, and get a box full of comics – some they’re expecting, and some they’re not, but that they’d still enjoy.

Of course, I’m not stupid, this would be risk and a headache for any store that’s doing something like this, but it’s a service I’d love to see and one I’d actually subscribe to.

If you’ve any thoughts, leave a comment – does this exist? Is it a stupid idea? is it plainly genius but no-one is doing it? LET ME KNOW!