Such a weird case of casing the joint in looking for clues when a mysterious CD turns up in the post. The kind that features music, that audio thing they play on the back of ice cream trucks and before the fingerprint slide show at the cinemas.

Look long and hard enough and in the right place, answers lie and they be there. Of course, it's all in the execution and perception of "the right place." As it always does.

On the topic of mail...

Just wanted to know how I can go about having a comic book mailed out. I'm interested in a comic/graphic novel being released this week.

Could you please email me a product price list for your mail order service?

I like to know the postage cost for 3 comic orders to Western Australia.

Yes, conglomeration is good, when making three emails into one chunk that carves a nice slice of cheese what melts on the hood of a sugar cube station wagon.

Back on topic, mail order service of the Comic Shop is a free service. Only costs to bear with paws are that of the actual comics themselves and the postage to ship them to the destination.

Order about with a request via email, fax or phone on the specific title as well as a delivery address.

Usual costs around Australia, for say about a handful of comics (be serious), is $5 on the postage.

With the cost of the comics to send and the postage, then comes the money order made out to "the Comic Shop" to be delivered to the PO Box. Address in this case being:

the Comic Shop
PO Box 3330
Liverpool Westfields NSW 2170

Then comes the short wait with Australia Post delivering the titles in question.

And there it is, a quasi subscription comics service we call mail order.

 

Effective pretty much immediately, well a couple days ago really, all standing order customers start picking up their comics on with a discount of 5 percent.

It's a free service and benefit of being a regular, committed customer. And it's that commitment to the love of comics that pays back.

And as long as the terms are abided by, a sweet deal really. Doesn't come slapping the cheeks with a charge in order to save. That's not the right kind of baked ham being served.

Better still, it goes on beyond comics and applies to T-shirts (them cotton good ones and such), action figures, statues, busts and all other sorts of merch.

As mentioned, there are terms and conditions. Such as one regular ongoing title and discounts not applicable to sale items or already discounted booty. And other things on the back of the card.

Drop by in store for more details and to start a standing order up today.

 

Downward feeling moment on the cards with a regular coming to terms of no longer being able to stay true to being a comic book fan. As such, the need for a standing order was no longer needed.

Shock and dismay from all within earshot. One even taking a few steps back in the motley horror of the news. It's the kind of reaction reserved for those who otherwise looked to have had their grave lots readjusted to buried their collection six feet underground.

And so there is no more fitting a follow on than to not only call it quits on the card, but to retire the standing order number complete.

With the last buy out of the comics remaining, a sad farewell to regularity.

 

One thing that the new store brings with it is the lack of brown paper bags to stash purchased comics in. No longer with that porno bag look, it's all about the white and the black and the branding.



And then there's the smacking of the ink and the rubber stamp on the little bags to keep up with the bigger version.

After an hour or two, it's the cracking of the wrists before the cracking of the rubber that makes the louder sounds.

 

Setting up a mailing list never looked like it was going to be easy. Sitting around for the better part of the sun outside in the day is testament to that supposition.

Triggering and tweaking variables and settings to no end, it's a lot of work trying to figure out what's needed and wading through user tips and guides from all over the place. Worse still when the looks of them on the surface are bounties with answers.

Closer inspection revealing less so and not everything out there to help does. Especially when server set ups have their own configurations and quirks that can't always be accounted for.

Hours later and the first mailing list announcement hits. A doozy too, making large news about the change in prices for new comics.

Most of them coming down, but for rare comics like Fell and Casanova, a little bump up. On the whole, great stuff for collecting and a bit of a blow for those who don't have enough space as it is. Hard to pass up more comics when buying more is made cheaper.