Valentine's Day Gift Suggestions

Diamond sends their accounts a monthly catalog called "Dialogue," that gives retailers some information on upcoming products - basically highlighting and categorizing items in the most current Previews. The December Previews would have items arriving in February, so they had a page of "gift suggestions" for retailers to order and suggest to customers for St. Valentine's Day. The page is below, you can click to enlarge. (It was too amusing for me not to share it.) Then tell me, which one of these is not like the other?


Let's see, we have Archie - an all age book typically purchased for kids
A non-fiction book examining the history of American Romance Comics - could discuss some rape situations depicted back in the pre-code era, but on the cover it looks harmless
Grey's Anatomy Magazine #7 - a magazine about a prime-time network TV show - not for kids but probably work safe
Two manga, one called Mamotte Lollipop and mentioning young girls in the description and the other called Monkey High that would probably appeal to teen girls
And then there's Love & Beauty Full Color Portfolio - Jim Balent art work featuring Tarot and Raven Hex.

I am wondering what man buys this for his wife? Or what wife would go into a comic book to buy it as a gift for her husband? I am sure they are out there, but I bet they are few and faaaaaaar between. We only carry Tarot upon special order because we won't shelve it. And in all the times we have ordered it, it has been men getting it for themselves. Jim Balent is a fine artist, and he loves his wife, but, well, ummmm... look at the prints...

The page just made me laugh at first glance. Here are all these fun and relatively safe looking items and then the Balent art stuck in there looking oh so out of place. Then I showed Craig - he quickly glanced at it and had a similar reaction. What a weird selection of Valentine's Day gifts! I could just imagine putting together a Valentine's Day gift display with these exact items - it would definitely get some attention. I am wondering if these were just sold as ads in a special section. If not, then I question weather or not the person putting these suggestions together actually knows anything at all about comics, and maybe is also blind.

But, if you DO want to order the Love & Beauty Full Color Portfolio for your loved one, I have people standing by to take your order. Just give us a call! But I don't recommend buying it WITH Archie - mixed messages there.