On this week’s episode of Off Panel, the owner of Big Bang Comics in Dublin, Ireland – John Hendrick – joins the show to talk comics and the world of retail. In a reversal, the show starts with five random questions about Sabretooth, Ireland, drinks of choice and more, before diving into the retail world. The pair talks Big Bang’s recent move last year, what makes the retail world so rewarding, comic shops as an extension of the owner’s personality, the proper balance in a comic shop, the Irish comics scene, the difference between marketing comics when Hendrick started in retail in the 90’s vs. now, the trickiness of ordering comics, the timing of comic releases around movies and TV shows, Marvel’s problems with trades and graphic novels, the power of signings, the darkness of Twitter, Big Bang’s weekly comic sales analysis tweets, his ComicsPro experience, Rebirth vs. Civil War II, how the controversy impacted Captain America: Steve Rogers #1, a demonstration of his incredible abilities of picking books for readers, and more.

Want to skip straight to the retail talk? Jump to right around the 20 minute mark.

You can find John on Twitter, his shop, Big Bang Comics, on Facebook and Twitter, and their weekly sales analysis every Monday on Twitter.

Have a question for Off Panel? You can reach David by email and Twitter.

Want to listen on the go? Download the show here. You can also subscribe to the show on iTunes or follow the show on its LibSyn page.

Header image is a look inside Big Bang Comics’ storefront. Intro music is Yo La Tengo’s “Periodically Double or Triple”, used with their permission (if they remember…I swear it’s true YLT!).