RIP Mel Thompson, comics retailing pioneer

One of an important figures within the enterprise historical past of comics has handed away: Melchior “Mel” Thompson, a guide who labored with comics outlets within the 80s and 90s to outline shopper habits and demographics. Thompson handed away on June twenty fifth on the age of 73 or 74.

As the pinnacle of Melchior Thompson and Associates, beginning in 1984 Thompson started working with comics outlets as actually the primary particular person to offer stable knowledge and enterprise finest practices to the then wildly uneven world of the direct market. He additionally developed Comtrac, the primary POS system that was tailor-made particularly to comics; at the least one retailer was nonetheless utilizing it lately.

There are a number of heartfelt tributes to Thompson which I’ll hyperlink to beneath, however from my very own expertise, Thompson’s steering on shopper analysis and knowledge was fairly revolutionary to these making an attempt to develop the market again in these early days. Comics have been nonetheless thought of a guerrilla medium, and {that a} graduate of Harvard and M.I.T. may apply actual world enterprise practices to it was extra like wizardry. He was a real trailblazer…and in addition a sort and humorous man, in response to those that knew him.

Mike Friedrich, one other direct market pioneer who labored in Marvel’s early direct market division, was comics’ first agent and co-founded MarvelCon, wrote an obituary for ICv2:

An opportunity encounter within the mid-1980’s with comics business skilled Mike Friedrich on the marriage ceremony of a mutual faculty buddy led to Mel serving the comics retailing and publishing fields for over three a long time. Mel initially offered buyer analysis for publishers and retailer location providers for brand new and increasing retailers. Later he singlehandedly developed Comtrac, the primary comics-specific Point of Sale software program.

Mel was an avid backpacker in his youthful days in addition to knowledgeable choir singer. He is survived by his spouse and three grownup youngsters. Donations may be made in his title to the Yosemite Conservancy.

Retailer David Wheeler additionally wrote a remembrance:

Mel got here into the comics business after a few a long time of demographic work for mass market retailers, together with house facilities, house furnishing shops, supermarkets, drug shops, amongst others. He introduced the information and skills that he exercised for these main retailers to our business and is believed to be the primary particular person to make use of these scientific instruments to assist distributors and comics specialty retailers acquire a greater understanding of who our prospects are.

Former DC President Paul Levitz wrote on Facebook (embedded above however quoted beneath) – many extra reminiscences within the feedback.

Just studying easy info like most of our viewers shopped weekly, and concrete details about their demographics was important to publishers making commitments to this new market. Before Mel, we had anecdotal data from retailers, however no true knowledge.

David Scroggy, yet one more direct market pioneer by way of his work with Pacific Comics and the Comic Book Expo, has a personal put up on FB, however I don’t suppose he’d thoughts my quoting it. The Comic Book Expo was an occasion previously held on the Wednesday of the San Diego Comic-Con (again when it was simply comics) that was a kind of commerce present for the business. Scroggy ran it for a number of years, and Thompson was a daily speaker.

He was launched to me, and your complete comics specialty business, by agent Mike Friedrich. Mel introduced lots to the desk: he was an astute assessor of the comedian store retail area, and recognized various areas the place he may enhance {the marketplace}. He rolled up his sleeves and dived in.

…He improved retailer point-of-sale {hardware}, and, maybe most importantly, developed and launched proprietary stock management and advance ordering software program for comedian e-book retailers. This was a turning level for a lot of outlets, bringing into focus the bewildering array of month-to-month titles, and the way they carried out in every particular retailer venue. It took the rudimentary cycle sheet system that the majority outlets used, and dragged it right into a extra enlightened sphere of effectivity. It saved a variety of bacon in outlets, chopping waste and directing sources extra profitably.

Thompson additionally labored with the Eisner Awards for a few years offering the vote counting providers.

All of this will likely look like way back and faraway, however simply in case anybody is engaged on a historical past of the comics medium, Mel Thompson is certainly a reputation that belongs there. His work helped flip a pastime right into a enterprise and right this moment, a strong business.

The above drawing is a portrait of Thompson by Rick Geary. The solely photograph I may discover at hand of him is on this photograph of the 1992 ICv2 Roundtable, within the second row.