Open Spaces
I got this email about a month ago always meaning to turn the story into a comic. So, first, thanks so much for emailing me this, Dave! Second, sorry, Dave, for not emailing back for a while! Third, the amount of time it took to finally get caught up on emails and draw up some comics from shared stories or requests was kinda crazy. This just shows how insane retail jobs can get during holiday hours. …That and I’ve decided to challenge myself to draw three Bookseller comics a week now. It seems to be paying off. Also, how are the new inks I’m using looking?
Dave shared a story with me. This story: “During the remodel to bring “educational toys” to our store, we had a large area with no gondolas and very little furniture. A typical Saturday night always brings in the loafers and this day was even worse. As I started my shift, I saw four to six girls spread out on the floor (laying on the floor actually) with a lot of magazines and books all spread out. They took over a huge chunk of floor space and blocked several bays of books to boot. The managers (spineless chumps that they are) didn’t want me to say anything so I was just to keep an eye on them.
“Sometime later I went back to check on them and found the girls gone but all of the mags and their clothes were still covering the floor. I picked up the merchandise and put the clothes into a pile as I didn’t see the girls anywhere. I went back to putting away my recovery.
“When I had to put a few books away in the area of the missing girls, I found that they had returned and took over even more floor space than before. This time though they brought back Chili’s take out (from next door). One girl was eating corn on the cob over a new teen vampire trade cloth dribbling as she ate. Another was reading magazines with BBQ rib stained hands. “But we’re going to buy these” they told me as I scolded them. I put the mags and books in the damaged basket when they finally completed their carpet picnic. (darn spineless managers).”
It’s another one of those, “Isn’t that always the case?” type of instances. The customers never congregate in the areas we wouldn’t mind having them in, no, it HAS to be the busy area and they HAVE to take off their shoes and eat their chili cheese fries they brought with them from Johnny Rockets. ALWAYS!
And yes, those guys are playing Connect Four. I spent a lot of time with that game when I was younger.
