When's The Shop Launch?

Since I’ve had numerous people on Threads ask as well as friends and family, “When is the shop going to launch?”

I figured i’d write this post. The answer is soon, I hope at least. I was trying to find a CPA/Business Advisor who could help me with registering the Coffee and Comics business here in Colorado, but I was unsuccessful. Instead I went with the same team my business partner and I use for Resin Refinery/Chronicle, our web agency and start-up, who is based out of Texas. I just got that filing sent out and am waiting to hear back.

Why am I going through all of this and registering the business? Well I don’t want to just start selling things online without any regards to what I need to do for taxes and then come tax time, get royally screwed by the IRS. So to eliminate the chances of that happening, I’m taking the time to handle all of that from the very beginning. Plus if I want to open a brick and mortar shop down the line, I’ll already have the proper paperwork setup.

There are two main “goals” I have with operating as an online shop right now; spread brand awareness and raise funds for an actual shop. If I execute a well thought out plan, I can go to a bank and use that data to show there is an interest and an extra channel of revenue besides coffee and comics. Should I be successful with that, I would hope that I can get a loan to start this shop for real. The online shop is only the beginning and there is so much more to go.

While launching and then operating as an online shop, I plan to learn as much as possible for this business. There is a workshop in September that will help me with writing a business plan, hopefully by then I can have a few months of data from the online shop. So in the meantime I will need to find a coffee wholesaler to partner with, a comic shop to partner with or just start building my own inventory of comics and maybe even start looking for a site location.

Finally, the shop. I don’t want to get stuck with boxes and boxes of apparel should I not be successful and can’t sell anything. Instead of doing that, I want to do limited drops in which I’ll only put up a few items at a time. My hope is to build excitement for each drop and entice people to purchase and rep the brand. I’ll be posting on social media about the limited drops but I’ll be using my newsletter as early bird access. So as a way to build an email list for when the brick and mortar shop finally launches, I’ll announce that subscribers to my newsletter will get alerted of the limited drops first and then social media the next day. The limited drops will help me with not having to front so much money at the start of this project. You know the saying, you need to spend money to make money, well I'm kinda running low at the moment so I have to be very careful with how I spend my money right now.

Here is a look at how a Limited Drop post on social media would look like.

Besides apparel, what else will be in the shop? Right now I’m working on custom comic bookmarks and stickers. The bookmarks have become quite fun and therapeutic to create and have been well received on Threads. There will be a few on there at the time of launch, I will continue making them depending on how they sell. There is a second design I have worked on that I included on the print screen I got. The design is of the saying “Just One More”, as in “Just one more comic” or “Just one more cup of coffee”.

Stickers + limited drops of hoodies and shirts will be available on the shop.

That design will be available on shirts as well as the canvas tote bags I’ve been creating. In Colorado, they have been going after the use of plastic bags at stores, making you pay for them each time. With a reusable bag you can go about your shopping business without having to worry about paying for plastic bags. I also want to make these bags or cheaper versions of them for comic shops to purchase on a wholesale basis to sell in their own shops. I’d even be open to shops paying for their own screen and I’ll print their logo on one side and the coffee & comics brand on the other. All of this will develop as time goes, I'm not sure if it’ll lead anywhere, but here’s to manifesting it into existence. 

These bags had the designs drawn on, but the bags will be screen printed from now on.

Thanks for following along on this journey and be ready to subscribe to the newsletter when it’s ready! Don’t worry, you won’t be spammed. I plan to only do 1-2 emails a month; to give an update on where I'm at with the business and announce the limited drops. 

Review: X-Men '97 #1

Finally I got to reading Marvel’s X-Men ‘97 comic run. Currently there are 3 issues out with the 4th issue releasing on June 26th. Since the animated show having ended, I’ve been putting off reading these issues as a way to expand the relevancy of X-Men ‘97. The first season was so good I didn’t want it to end. The comic certainly isn’t a 1:1 exact match to the show but it does share some similarities. 

Now initially I was unable to get issue 1 when it first came out and was pretty bummed. Instead I opted to just get issue 2 with hopes of finding the first issue somewhere else. A week or so passed and I decided I wanted to get another copy of issue 2. I went back to the shop and they had the reprints of the first issue available! I was stoked, picked it up along with the extra copy that I’m going to use to create some custom bookmarks.

Reminder of how these blog posts go:

• Cover Art

• Story

• Overall Rating 5 star rating system from Comic Geeks App

Cover

Unfortunately as I mentioned previously, I was unable to get the first issue, but I did manage the second printing of it. Overall I like the cover, the colors, the sunset mood, it’s all great. The only thing that makes it seem a little out of place is Jubilee drinking a beverage and eating popcorn. Had the setting been within the mansion, then I think that would make a lot more sense. But it just makes her seem a bit out of place cause the rest of the X-Men are all striking a pose. The little bits of detail like Gambit’s card aura and Bishop’s purple veins were sweet little additions.

Pretty fun action packed intro that made me question if this was actually going on…

Story

So the main question that a lot of people had with this is does the animated show have any tie in with the comic run? As of right now, I can’t really tell. From what I’ve seen on social media is that this is all leading up to where the show starts. So it kind of makes sense, since the little overview message at the beginning states that we know Henry Peter Gyrich has attacked Professor X. 

Then we jump right into it. I was really surprised because I thought the comic was going to be like a retelling of the animated show. But not quite. There is some good action that starts off with Wolverine breaking formation and trying to take on Magneto by himself. He is tossed aside like a ragdoll. The entire mission is a failure as Cyclops also struggles to keep control of his team and take down Magneto. Jean ends the Danger Room session because she is worried someone will get hurt. 

Right away we get an understanding that the X-Men are having a tough time trying to keep it together and clearly lack the leadership of Professor X. Cyclops and Wolverine are fighting, while everyone else doesn’t know who to follow. At this point the main plot of the story takes place, Dazzler has been kidnapped and it was caught live on TV. The X-Men meet up with Rogue and Gambit to take on a terrorist group of Friends of Humanity. They end up rescuing Dazzler just in time for her to perform the memorial concert for Professor X. We get our first introduction of Valerie Cooper as she shows up to arrest the Friends of Humanity punks. Wolverine though is suspicious about an agent named Denti, I wonder what that’s all about. 

Wish we got more of Wolverine and Cyclops fighting…

The rest of the issue pertains to more struggles of leadership as well as Jean unable to get some time alone with Cyclops to let him know she’s pregnant. Storm can obviously sense there is something wrong with Jean and opts to stay behind instead of going to see Dazzler perform. Jubilee ends up taking Bishop while Storm goes to comfort Jean. 

Absolutely loved the fact that Wolverine and Cyclops go head to head and fight. They clearly have a bone to pick with each other, I just wish we got to see more of it. Cut to the performance of Dazzler and we encounter another group trying to take her down or kidnap her. Luckily the X-Men are there, Bishop, Jubilee, Rogue and Gambit all spring into action to help out Dazzler. They end up getting away and we find out they were working for Mister Sinister. Who then punishes them for trying to apprehend Dazzler in such a public space. 

Mister Sinister ends with saying he needs to enlist some new help. Who will it be?...

Overall 4 / 5

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Recent Posts

X-Men '97 | Tolerance Is Extinction - Part 3

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Wow. Wow. Wow.

I honestly didn’t think we’d get something this awesome for a season finale. It was so damn good. I figured I would write a blog post and get my thoughts out without spoiling it for people on Threads that are just checking their feed in the morning. So if you’re here and haven’t watched the final episode of Tolerance is Extinction, turn around now! If you have, let’s discuss.

I really liked how in the last post I did a “burst” of first thoughts that came to mind of the episode, so let’s do that!

• Seeing Professor X and Magneto as their younger selves?! 

• Portrayal of Magneto’s mind was creative

• Prof X Mind Hijack was sickkkk

• Love the cameos, done very tastefully and not just thrown in

• “How’s your mommy Sebastion?” LOL!

• Phoenix! Hell yeah!

• Bastion character design and evolution looked badass

• Cyclops & Jean farewell, so heartfelt

• Cyclops tearing up after saying bye

• The X-Men are dead?!

• Bishop! Where you been man?!

Phew lots to take in and quite frankly I’m sure I’ll be rewatching this episode over and over. 

Loved seeing them discover being mutants

I felt like all of the cameos we saw were in great taste and nothing like, “oh that was stupid” type of cameos we are so used to getting in some MCU movies. The creative ways they go about portraying mind, emotions and conflict have been so cool to see and experience. For instance the way they make Magneto’s mind an enclosed area taking on water. That was dope. 

I was not sure what was going to happen here.

The entire evolution and the reasoning for Sebastion was very well done. The actual character design when he evolves after taking on Cable’s arm was clean and not some ridiculous looking design.

Great variety of awesome cameos like this one of Pyslocke.

Here are my favorite parts of the show. Feel free to use these screenshots for your posts just be sure to also include spoilers if you are posting early. You can get those here and here.

Iron Man and Captain America show up briefly!

Daredevil looks sick!

Black Panther!!!!!!

Doctor Stranger, why aren’t you fighting??

All really great cameos that I was extremely pumped about seeing. I want more hahaha.

The goodbye from Scott to Cable was another good emotional scene that offered closure and really spoke to me.

Emotionssss

Cyclops fighting after saying goodbye to his son, feelings

How’s your mommy Sebastion?” LOL

This was pretty epic

Once we cut to the board showing the missing X-Men I had no clue what was going to happen.

The X-Men are gone..

Bishop!

Hell yeah! Bishop is back, but what is going on? The X-Men are lost in time??

Apocalypse is coming

One cameo I did not expect at all. Apocalypse is coming.

Can’t wait for the next season.

Overall 5 / 5

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Recent Posts

X-Men '97 | Tolerance Is Extinction - Part 2

This is my first time writing a blog post about a show because holy fuck that was amazing. It’s currently 2:18 am and I’m in bed still processing what I just watched. I figured I would write a blog post and get my thoughts out without spoiling it for people on Threads that are just checking their feed in the morning. This way, if anyone wants to read ahead they can!

Ok, so gun to my head these are the first thoughts that come to mind of the episode!

• HULK! Fuck yeah that was so awesome to see him!

• Did NOT expect Roberto/Sunspot to join Magneto and Rogue

• The old suits fucking SLAP!

• Saw Wolverine in yellow & brown in WWIII yesterday, now in animation, wow

• HOLY FUCK MAGNETO DID THAT!

Ok, Ok let’s take a deep breath. That was AMAZING! Like many other millenials I grew up watching all the X-Men movies produced by Fox and the reign that Hugh Jackman has over Wolverine. Though I did not watch the animated show growing up nor was I into comics or superheros as a kid. I was a Dragon Ball Z kid growing up, so what am I getting at?

Well all of this is extremely new to me. The show runner Beau De Mayo, recommended reading a certain comic issue called Fatal Attractions in which Magneto removes the adamantium from Wolverine’s skeleton. I sure am glad I didn’t do that because watching it without knowing that was absolutely epic. “This feud is over.” CHILLS.

First off, absolutely loveeee the new outfit for Storm and finally see a good still of it since it seems like Storm has been flying around for what seems like a whole episode.

Storm is serving up looks this episode.

The episode starts off with the human sentinels continuing to threat the mutant population. Storm and Forge arrive to help out Jubilee and Roberto/Sunspot. Professor X surveys the destruction and chaos at the mansion, including his hoverchair that leaves him to use a wheelchair to move around.

Magneto looks so badass confronting the X-Men

During the time that the X-Men are figuring out what to do, Magneto is lifting a giant ass asteroid out of the ground and seems to want to use it as a weapon. The Master of Magnetism confronts Professor X and the X-Men at the mansion and pretty much says enough is enough, join him.

I did not see this coming!

To my surprise, Roberto/Sunspot joins. I totally saw Rogue joining not Roberto, but after the treatment he received from his own mother, I can see why.

Jubilee going back to her original black jumpsuit just fits

The X-Men retreat to a new base and gear up to go take on Bastion. We get a glimpse at some of the original X-Men suits, like Wolverine’s yellow and brown getup. While one team confronts Bastion, another team heads to fend off Magneto and talk some sense into him.

Hulk Smash! Morph Smash*

When the team takes on Bastion and his army of sentinels, Morph turns into Hulk and Morph Smashes! Haha that was awesome to see.

HULK BABY! Great “cameo”

Both teams are struggling to get their objectives complete. Storm and Forge are blasted out of the air by Sentinels. Magneto is holding off Professor X but not for long as Wolverine gets his helmet off for Professor X to take control.

I felt like this was the climax of the show.

We get some awesome sequences of Wolverine fighting Magneto, removing the helmet, stabbing Magneto, then Professor X using his mutant powers to over power Magneto.

This was such a sick sequence!

But at that moment Cyclops blasts Professor X because Gold team still needs time to complete their objective. However this was a horrible decision because Magneto goes super saiyan and puts his helmet on Xavier’s head and proceeds to crush it.

Oh man, I was at the edge of my seat here.

I got some major “Krillin’ is about to be exploded by Freiza” vibes when I saw this still of Wolverine. It was a look of helplessness. Brutal.

Fun fact, this scene of Krillin is tattooed right by armpit, ouch

But as Magneto is torturing Xavier, Wolverine comes up behind him and SLICE, the sextuple puncture wound, as Deadpool would call it. Magneto is stabbed by Wolverine but just as we thought things would settle down, Magneto turns around and RIPS the adamantium from Wolverine’s skeleton! FUCKKKK.

Can’t wait for the next episode.

Overall 5 / 5

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Recent Posts

Review: X-Men Class of '92 House of XCII

Behold, the first X-Men comic on Coffee, Cannabis and Comics. This is one of the issues I picked up when I first went to my local comic book shop and with issue #2 coming out shortly I felt it was a good one to do next. For this one I smoked Sugaree Mama from my local shop, Callie’s Shoppe while reading and while writing this post. A reminder I will be reviewing the following:

• Cover Art

• Story

• Overall Rating 5 star rating system from Comic Geeks App

At the beginning when I was trying to figure out what comics I wanted to read or start reading, I had in the back of my mind to find a X-Men comic. Part of it has to do with the version of Wolverine that is featured in this run. So leading into the cover, here are the main things that stood out to me and got me to pick it up off the shelf.

Cover On the cover of this issue we have Professor X/Charles Xavier in the front of the group. Behind Professor X we then have Cyclop/Scott Summers, Jean Grey, Magneto/Erik Lensherr and Wolverine/Logan. It was pretty dope to see them all on the front together. I wish the hover wheelchair that Professor X looked a bit cooler but his Cerebro mask looks dope(at least I think it’s his cerebro mask)

But what REALLY drew me in was the way Wolverine was illustrated. I absolutely love this version of him with his yellow spandex costume and huge winged mask. Reminds me of the cartoons from awhile back.

I’m really digging this punk ruck neon color intro page.

Story We are brought right into the action in the first page of the comic with the X-Men fighting the Sentinels(pretty much mutant hunting robots) Storm, Jean, Cyclops, Wolverine, Gambit and Rogue are all kicking ass but also trying to not blast the walls because they are actually out in space! WTF! As we see in the spread below, Trask is mad at himself for renouncing his campaign against the mutants. But Wolverine seems to be hell bent on revenge. But we don’t know why and who they are grieving about. All of the sudden, Gambit throws his whole deck and blows a hole in the station. We don’t know who’s dead but Jean said she can’t sense Rogue, Beast or Gambit anymore. Right then, Cyclops/Scott is obliterated by a Sentinel.

Wolverine is so badass!! Man I love this illustration and seeing him go ham!

Trask is found by Wolverine and Wolverine talks too much shit that it allows time for Trask to send his data to another research facility. Jean can sense Trask’s relief and realizes they are too late. Rogue tells Jean to “Call him, Jean. Tell him the mission is in his hands now” but we don’t know who “him” is. The next panel we see Magneto destroying the station after saying “You have my word, Ms. Grey. Magneto shall end this.

I thought this illustration was great to show the power that Wolverine possess.

Meanwhile we are brought to Earth and end up at the Krakoan Embassy, New York City. Psylocke is giving a tour to someone and they are talking about if the X-Men are gone who will defend the people rush their doors. Psylocke sends a telepathic message to Cable asking for help. Cable sends three of their finest and they fight the angry group of people outside. As they are walking ,there is a huge explosion in the sky and they wonder if the X-Men were successful in destroying the newest Sentinel program.

The next spread shows Professor X with the group and Magneto. They talk about completing the mission and then that the Resurrection Protocols worked all thanks to The Five. Wolverine is pissed as someone died but was not brought back. They let him go grieve in his own way. We then get an explainer about Krakoa and that its a refuge for all mutants.

Then at the end we find out who was killed and not brought back, Jubilee. They didn’t know how to back up mutant minds using cerebro when she was killed; but we also find out that it was her death that united them all so she needed to be kept hidden/thought to be dead.

At the very end of Issue 1 we see Jubilee, has she been hiding this whole time??

Turns out that she was able to escape death at the last second but if she dies now, everything will reset. She then says that they needed to make sure the Orchis Protocols don’t come online, cause if they do everything will end. We then see Wolverine sniffing the cave and thinking it’s possibly Jubilee.

Overall Rating I give this a 4/5. The action, the illustration and the colors were all so good. It was a thrill to go through each page but I found myself having to Google quite a few things because I didn’t know back story on it all.

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