World’s Greatest Toys!

This past Monday, my company moved to our new office in “Beautiful downtown Burbank” (as The Tonight Show once referred to it). We’ve spent all week getting acclimated, getting phones and internet set up, and so forth.

Today at work, I got a call on my mobile, from LEGACY COMICS, the comic book shop nearest my house in Glendale, CA.

“Ummm… Mr. Holcomb? Yeah. We got your order in today. Uhhm… Your book? The one about Mego?”

“R-R-Really?” I stuttered. “You have it? It’s out?!” I asked.

“Ummm… yeah. We have it. You can pick it up any time.”

I immediately ran downstairs. Literally, next door to our new office is ASTOUNDING COMICS, run by the legendary Bruce Schwartz (who produces the Los Angeles Comic Book and Sci-Fi Convention). I introduced myself to Bruce a few days ago, as we were moving into the new office. Telling him about the Mego book, Bruce proudly revealed that he had ordered five copies of the book (I must confess, based on the overall sales at U.S. comic book shops, I didn’t actually believe him).

Bounding excitedly into Astounding Comics, I found Bruce talking to a customer. I paused in the doorway. Bruce looked over the customer’s shoulder and we locked eyes. Holding up one finger to his customer (the universal sign for “wait one second”), Bruce acknowledged my presence, standing to say, “I know what you’re here for.” Bruce pointed toward the third aisle.

It felt somehow processional, as I walked slowly past Bruce and the customer, who clearly had no idea what the fuck was happening.

I rounded the corner of aisle three, and there it was: Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys!

My 256-page, hardbound ‘love letter’ to Mego beckoned to me, and I slowly walked toward it. Lifting the top copy from the shelf, I held it up to Bruce, as if to say, “you mean this?” As if to say, “You think I came to see this stupid thing, the final result of four year’s worth of blood, sweat and tears?”

Bruce smiled.

“There’re only four copies there, because this one’s mine,” Bruce stated, holding up the fifth copy he had ordered for his store.

The customer cocked his head to one side, somewhat confused, like a dog hearing a distant can opener. “That’s the book we were looking at just a few minute ago,” the customer said, intoning confusion.

I melted into the book’s pages as Bruce explained the situation to the customer. And when I say ‘melt,’ I really mean it. I felt the world crushing in around me, surrounding me… swallowing me.

But in a good way.

I finally snapped out of my hedonistic spell to find the customer asking if I would be willing to sign a copy for him.

“… Really?” I asked, not quite sure what was happening. “Yeah, absolutely.” I said. “Let me run back up to my office to get a Sharpie. I’ll be right back.” I ran upstairs and back into our office.

“Was it there?!” Millie hollered anxiously. Millie is an amazing friend and co-worker, and she also maintains the official MySpace Web page for the book.

“Fuck yeah,” I countered. “Get your shit, let’s split.” (I’m kind of sailor-mouthed when I get excited)

Millie and I ran back downstairs to greet the book’s very first customer. “This is Millie,” I announced. “She runs the MySpace Web page for the book,” I explained as I began inscribing the book. Upon completion, the book’s first customer (a sweet guy named Michael, by the way), asked Millie if she would sign her name by her mention in the book’s acknowledgments. Millie was surprised, but happily obliged. Millie’s an awesome, ‘just-go-with-it’ kind of gal.

And just like that, I witnessed two incredible things at once: The very first “end-user” sale of my book, coupled with the humbling request that I inscribe the book I worked so hard to finish. And I got to share the experience with someone who has been there throughout the entire process, putting up with the roller coaster ride this book has provided.

It was all quite magical.

If you ever want to know what “Cloud Nine” actually looks like, shoot me an Email. I’m pretty sure I can describe it to you now.

Benjamin