Retail Revelations: Nathan Machado (Blackhole Comics)

In what may be a first for the podcast, we talk to a real, live comic shop owner! It's Nathan Machado, owner and manager of Blackhole Comics in Norwood, MA. Nate shares his comic origin story and how he went from a manager at one of New England Comics' other locations to taking over and rebranding this one. He opens up about the realities of comics retail, from dispelling misconceptions about running a shop and navigating the challenges of ordering decisions to balancing pull-list customers with attracting new readers. We explore how to create a welcoming environment for intimidated newcomers, his strategies for recommending comics to first-time readers, and the importance of events like Free Comic Book Day and signings to build community around his shop. You can follow Blackhole Comics on Facebook.Support the show___________________Check out video versions of this and other episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/dollarbinbandits!If you like this podcast, please rate, review, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever you found this episode. And if you really like this podcast, become a member of the Dollar Bin Boosters on Patreon: patreon.com/DollarBinBoosters.You can follow us @dollarbinbandits on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky, or @DBBandits on X. You can email us at [email protected].___________________Dollar Bin Bandits is the official podcast of TwoMorrows Publishing. Check out their fine publications at twomorrows.com. ___________________ Thank you to Sam Fonseca for our theme music, Sean McMillan for our graphics, and Pat McGrath for our logo. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.