Hits and Misses will feature comic retailers sharing what’s working in their shop as well as the roadblocks they’ve been running into.
Current Comics has two California locations, and both are having incredible years, according to owner Travis Pratt: their Salinas location is up 32% year-over-year while the Monterey store has grown by 20%. Customers are excited about the comics that are coming out, namely DC’s Absolute line, Ultimate Spider-Man, and Transformers, and that’s led to an uptick in sales.
It’s what he hoped for from the beginning. He started at Current Comics as a 10-hour a week employee at the Monterey store in July 2011 after graduating with a Business and Information Systems degree from Fresno State. He immediately saw untapped potential in the store, which first opened in Salinas back in 2003.
“I knew I could make the stores better,” Pratt said.
His opportunity to make changes came quickly. Current Comics’ owner pitched Pratt on buying the shop in late 2013, and it was his by the new year. Pratt co-owns both stores with his father, and its product mix is conventional. Single issue comics, back issues, graphic novels, manga, and collectible card games like Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon TCG lead the way. New comics are the headliners, though, representing around 65% of the Salinas store’s sales, but closer to 40% at the Monterey location.
While the product mix didn’t change significantly, Pratt had designs on improving both shops. Did his plans work? Some hit and some missed, and he’s still finding answers 14 years in.
Hit: Being Open to Change (or… “Hit: A Powerful Point-of-Sale”)
Current Comics used MobiPOS as its point-of-sale system until late 2018. It worked well enough, but didn‘t have the functionality Pratt wanted. Where he found that was ComicHub, a point-of-sale system with tools he believed would make his life and the lives of his customers easier.
“It‘s a point-of-sale, but it‘s also great for comic subscriptions, which can be handled in-store, online, or through the app,“ Pratt said. “ComicHub stores get a new website with real-time online inventory, which has allowed customers from out of town to order books from us.“
That functionality appealed, so they made the move, and Pratt believes it‘s made a difference. It‘s easier for customers to keep their pull lists up to date, which ensures they get what they want and the store’s orders are more accurate. Its online store functionality also expanded the potential customer base while helping Pratt achieve some of his marketing goals. ComicHub‘s ability to send emails to customers has given Current Comics a powerful sales and awareness tool.
“We can do targeted emails to suggest the new Batman title if they get the current one or the next volume of a series if they bought the first volume,“ Pratt said. “We can see who bought or is buying recent comics by Daniel Warren Johnson and market his new independent title to them.“
While migrating to a new point-of-sale system was a significant amount of work, it’s been worth it for Pratt.
Miss: Ordering Too Much… or Too Little
Getting orders dialed in is an ongoing challenge, and it isn‘t always for the reason you might expect. Pratt relayed how he once accidentally ordered six cases of an all-ages Free Comic Book Day release when he meant to order six bundles. It worked out, as it gave them something to give to kids and teachers for free. But it‘s the kind of thing that happens when you either misread or misjudge what you‘re ordering.
It‘s also much less common than the typical issue, which is determining how quickly something will move.
“The other problem is underestimating, or even worse, overestimating how fast a new title will sell out. There are some titles we order at a quantity we think will last a week and it sells out in one or two days,“ Pratt said. “Then there are titles we think will be enough to satisfy preorders and potential walk-ins but it’s on the shelf for a few months.“
Sometimes that’s a good problem to have. Pratt said Absolute Batman sells out quickly despite the shop increasing its orders every month as the audience grows. They’d prefer to have enough for everyone without overburdening themselves, but it’s a fine line to walk. That’s why they constantly communicate with customers to get a better sense as to where that line is.
“We do all we can, like talking up new series to customers in-store, sending advertising emails through ComicHub, listening to what customers say, attending Zoom calls put on by publishers and ComicsPRO, checking social media posts and emails by publishers and creators, and paying attention at FOC time,” Pratt said.
Pratt is trying to ensure Current Comics has orders as correct as possible, and it’s getting better. But it’s something he’s always trying to improve.
Hit: Staying Flexible with Floor Space
Neither location is very large: Monterey is around 1,050 square feet while Salinas is close to 1,000, with different layouts at each. It‘s tight enough that floor space is at a premium. That‘s why flexibility with fixtures and layouts has been crucial.
In 2021, Pratt made a decision to get new shelving units for back issues at the Monterey store. Pre-existing options would have worked, but they wanted something that specifically fit the shop’s needs. That‘s why they invested in custom shelving units, which have been a boon for the store.
“They‘re at a perfect height, each can fit six long boxes and have pull out drawers on the bottom level with room for long boxes, short boxes, or whatever,“ Pratt said.
Each also offers storage space for supplies like shopping bags and collections they‘ve acquired but haven‘t priced yet. These custom units allow Current Comics to use its square footage more efficiently.
Another example connects to a move they made shortly after Pratt took over. A gaming store near the Monterey location had permanently closed, and its customers came by wanting to host Friday Night Magic games at the shop. Seeing an opportunity for increased sales and foot traffic, Pratt moved quickly to accommodate these potential new customers.
“We did a huge sale on back issues to make room for tables and chairs in the middle of the store so we could do the games,“ Pratt said.
It was a huge success. That is, until the pandemic. Knowing that events would be more of a challenge and that comics were surging, Pratt converted the game space into more bookshelves and displays. That too was the right move.
“While we still sell cards, getting that floor space back helped sales tremendously,” Pratt said.
It’s now used for call-out sections for specific writers and Skybound’s Energon Universe, displays for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and DC’s Compact Comics editions, and a six-foot table for long boxes filled with key comics. Will it be used for that going forward? Maybe not, because Pratt knows that one key to success is staying flexible.
Miss: Making the Right Marketing Moves
From the beginning, marketing was a focus for Pratt. His earliest moves were focused on promoting the business. That meant redesigning the website, starting a weekly email newsletter about new releases and store events, posting on social media more consistently, and other outreach. Pratt maintains regular presences on Instagram, Facebook, and X, and occasionally advertises on those platforms to users near either location. But it doesn‘t feel like enough.
“I think we‘ve missed out on some marketing opportunities through the years which could help sales,” Pratt said. “We have had great success with carefully targeted ads on Facebook and Instagram, but we haven‘t used that as often as we should.“
Between that and its slow adoption of platforms like TikTok and Threads, the retailer feels he‘s fallen behind. It‘s no different in the offline world either. While they advertise in a popular Monterey newsletter, Pratt knows more outreach is needed to connect with the area’s transient populations.
“We haven’t done enough marketing at local colleges and military bases, which is an 18 to 40 age group,” Pratt said. “That‘s a lucrative demographic for the comic industry.“
Those groups have been impactful for Current Comics in the past. They find the stores, become customers, and spread word of mouth when they do. Many soldiers and students even stay in the area for good and become long-term customers. Pratt knows the return on investment would be there. It’s just an ongoing challenge to determine which marketing moves are the right ones to make.
Hit: Expanding Beyond the Tried and True
New comics and graphic novels dominate both locations. That was the case when Pratt took over, and still is now. That might be why he was initially unsure how much he wanted to expand beyond the tried and true.
“I was hesitant to order certain things for the shelf the first couple years, just because I wasn‘t sure if it would sell,“ Pratt said. “But as the book formats changed and demand grew it became clear we needed to dedicate more room for new lines.“
The shop opened a Penguin Random House account for the first time in 2019. In recent years, other book market distributors like Simon & Schuster, Scholastic, and Hachette followed. Those additions have expanded the shop’s product mix and made a real difference for both locations.
“We‘re still going to stay graphic novel focused,“ Pratt said. “But being able to expand our manga and kids/teen sections with those accounts has really improved the store.“
Pratt still emphasizes the primary product lines, but he experiments when he sees opportunities. That’s come recently in the form of a variety of products from Ty, the company most famous for Beanie Babies. Products like Beanie Bouncers, which are like Beanie Babies but in the form of soft, bouncy balls, are new to the store. The goal was to have an appealing low-cost option for holiday shoppers, one that features top-selling properties like Marvel superheroes, Transformers, and Bluey. It’s worked already.
“We got the display rack after hours on Tuesday night and I finished putting everything on it Wednesday morning,” Pratt said. “We sold some soon after.”
The key is figuring out which products are the best use of the shop’s budget and space. It’s a constant challenge, but one they’ve hit on more than they’ve missed.
Miss: Not Finding Balance
Pratt quickly learned something after taking over.
“There’s a lot more work involved with running a comic shop than most realize!” he said.
While he has one full-time employee, his father/co-owner helps on Saturdays, and Salinas is closed from Sunday to Tuesday, Pratt still finds himself stretched thin between working at both shops and managing all the behind-the-scenes work. He knows that needs to change.
“I could help myself and the store by not working so many 10-to-12-hour days,” Pratt said. “The number of hours needed has grown as the number of suppliers we work with has. It seems like the tasks are never-ending.”
While he tries to learn how to better manage the job from his peers through online groups and ComicsPRO, Pratt feels significant pressure to constantly be available and on top of industry news. It’s exhausting, and it gives him little time for himself.
“My days start before I get to the store because I check emails and posts from creators/publishers first thing,” Pratt said. “I’m used to being on call on my off days.”
He’s trying to find a better balance. One way he’s done that is by starting more days with exercise. That’s helped. But he also realizes he’s living his dream. He owns a comic shop in his hometown near some of Monterey’s most iconic settings in Monterey Wharf and Cannery Row. That helps him manage it, even if he knows he needs to make a change before he burns himself out.
“Even on the long days, I think about how lucky I am to be in this business and that 2025 is one of our best years ever,” Pratt said. “Even on a bad day, I have that.”
Click Gallery below for images of Current Comics!
Source: ICv2
