junji ito

Greenlight Comics is a local comic book store in my home town of Adelaide, Australia, and it holds a very special place in my heart. Not only do I have a great many memories of exciting books and friendly conversations, but it was also the place that let me publish my very first reviews! It’s thanks to them that I’m able to speak to you today, and I’m incredibly grateful for that fact… but today, I want to bring particular attention to their business model.

Unlike many other LCS’s that I know of, Greenlight is particularly special in that it prides itself on how it prioritises independent and creator-owned books over the likes of Marvel and DC. While there is the usual superhero shelf, it’s hardly bigger than the shelves you might see on local creators, biographies, crime and LGBTQ content. In presenting itself like a bookstore, I’m able to find content I never would have read had I visited another store, like Barrier or Animus. Image tends to be what sells the most at their store, from bestsellers like Saga or The Black Monday Murders. It’d take a lot to outsell the entirety of that company at a store like Greenlight. It’d certainly be absurd to think all of Image’s sales numbers are overshadowed by a single man.

So, let’s talk about Junji Ito. [Read more…] about Don’t Turn the Page: The Horrors and Joys of Junji Ito