Anyone want to take the Stripside Comics Employment Application Quiz?

[jasonadkins]

So I had my first hiring event today, looking for one full-time Manager and two part time employees. I put an ad on Craigslist on Saturday morning and got about 50 resumes sent to me despite not even really asking for resumes. About 30 of those were just people looking for a retail job without any solid knowledge of comics or sportscards, the other 20 had multiple lines of responses up to "It's been my dream to work in a comic shop my entire life."

I usually can get Sundays and Mondays off no problem from my steakhouse job on the Strip, but the Broadcaster's Convention is in town and we've been packed, so I couldn't get either night off to prepare for my hiring event (made good money though). So I slapped an application and quiz for Comics and a quiz for Sportscards together in about twenty minutes this morning just before the hiring event. Pretty easy by most of our standards, but not every single comic collector spends hours per day on a comic message board like we do, and rather than trying to make money on eBay with their comics, I guess they strangely just like reading them and enjoying the art (J/K).

Here's the test, tell me what you think:
1. Who is your favorite Superhero and why?
2. What comics do you read? (Marvel, D.C., Image, Other (specify))
3. Are you knowledgable in Magic the Gathering and other gaming?
4. What is your current favorite series and your favorite series of all time?
5. What is the Holy Grail of Golden Age Comics?
6. What is the Holy Grail of Silver Age Comics?
7. Name three great all time Comic Artists:
8. What Issue did the following characters first appear in? (Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wolverine, Deadpool, Gambit)
9. What Image comics releases from the last two years are extremely hot?
10. What are the recent issue #1 re-releases of DC and Marvel called?
11. What is the name of the industry standard price guide?
12. What numerical grades by CGC are the following conditions? (Near Mint-Mint, Near Mint, Very Fine/Near Mint, Fine, Very Good)
13. What is the highest price paid for a comic and what was it?


Tragically, to question #9, not a single person out of about 25 said anything but Walking Dead (which every single applicant wrote in) and two people said Thief of Thieves, but that's just because I had the Trade Paperback of it on one of the two tables to fill out the Apps on it to read while waiting. Heart-breaking, I know...

Here are some sketches I had done from applicants on the spot:

These two are from a girl who went for two years to the Las Vegas Art Institute, was a tattoo artist, and is almost done with her degree in Sign Language (these were not done from memory, she was looking at drawrings to do her sketches):






And here are some done from memory from a local artist who also publishes his own comics and does commission work at Cons (and he said he can do any character you can name):





Feedback, thoughts, concerns...

[natbornkiller]

no dna samples to check for mutations ?
dont forget a cup question for the ladies

[finn]

Did any ask what the employee discount was?

[LBSB333]

Hire a cute girl. During my trip to Frank and Son's, the guy who had a cute chick in a superhero t-shirt had plenty of people browsing his comics.

[kyleg40]

Yea just don't hire too good looking, you don't want to give the geeks a heart attack..It could happen..Take it from a geek

[Madrizzle1]

1. Who is your favorite Superhero and why?

When I was a kid I loved Spider-man. The idea of clinging to walls and swinging through cities was just incredible to me. Also he was always funny. I liked his little wise cracks a lot. Ironically enough now, considering his start, it's probably Punisher. I do enjoy a good anti-hero. Ultra violence is always fun to watch played out by someone as bad ass as Frank Castle.

2. What comics do you read? (Marvel, D.C., Image, Other (specify))

I enjoy the darker dc/vertigo stuff from the nineties, Sandman, Hellblazer, Swamp thing etc, in moderns though I prefer Saga, Bedlam, Rachel Rising, Peter Panzerfaust, Think Tank, Manhattan Projects...I could go on.



3. Are you knowledgable in Magic the Gathering and other gaming?

No sir, no I am not. Other than I know it is now so popular it is televised.

4. What is your current favorite series and your favorite series of all time?

My currant favorite is probably Think Tank, favorite of all time, Neil Gaiman's Sandman.

5. What is the Holy Grail of Golden Age Comics?

Action Comics #1 or Detective Comics #27

6. What is the Holy Grail of Silver Age Comics?

Amazing Fantasy #15


7. Name three great all time Comic Artists:

Neil Adams, Jim Lee, Jack Kirby


8. What Issue did the following characters first appear in? (Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wolverine, Deadpool, Gambit)

Batman - Detectice Comics #27
Spider-Man - Amazing Fantasy #15
Iron Man - Tales Of Suspense #39
Wolverine - Brief: Inctedible Hulk 180 Full: Incredible Hulk 181
Deadpool - New Mutants #98
Gambit - Uncanny X-men #266 (first full anyway)


9. What Image comics releases from the last two years are extremely hot?

Walking Dead (lol)
Saga
Nowhere Men
Peter Panzerfaust
Manhattan Projects
Etc etc etc





10. What are the recent issue #1 re-releases of DC and Marvel called?

New 52 & Marvel NOW!


11. What is the name of the industry standard price guide?

Overstreet Guide


12. What numerical grades by CGC are the following conditions? (Near Mint-Mint, Near Mint, Very Fine/Near Mint, Fine, Very Good)

9.8
9.4
9.0
6.0
4.0


13. What is the highest price paid for a comic and what was it?

I believe the currant one is $2.16 mil for Action Comics #1




Do I get the job?

[DigsUT]

As someone that has had to give interviews for a retail chain the past, I typically look for friendly and personable folks. Someone who is interested in selling, whatever it is, we are selling. Knowledge of the product can always be taught. Getting a person that can deal with a wide range of people personalities, especially in retail, is a must. Just my 2c.

[techtre2003]

Originally Posted by DigsUT

As someone that has had to give interviews for a retail chain the past, I typically look for friendly and personable folks. Someone who is interested in selling, whatever it is, we are selling. Knowledge of the product can always be taught. Getting a person that can deal with a wide range of people personalities, especially in retail, is a must. Just my 2c.

I will agree personality is a must. But I also think as far as selling something with a deep history like comics, knowledge is just as important. Just as an example, I was at my LCS last week and was buying a Batman 655. One of the guys that works in there was telling me about the story arcs around that issue and about 663 that was just done in all text and which writers he liked that did Batman. Anyway, point is I ended buying a nice little stack of Batman issues instead of just the one and I'll probably grab a few more this evening

[DigsUT]

Originally Posted by techtre2003

I will agree personality is a must. But I also think as far as selling something with a deep history like comics, knowledge is just as important. Just as an example, I was at my LCS last week and was buying a Batman 655. One of the guys that works in there was telling me about the story arcs around that issue and about 663 that was just done in all text and which writers he liked that did Batman. Anyway, point is I ended buying a nice little stack of Batman issues instead of just the one and I'll probably grab a few more this evening

I definitely do not disagree with having someone that is knowledgeable. However, that knowledge can be taught to someone, who is willing to learn. The ability to happily assist any and all personality types is a trait that all retail sales people should have and is not prevalent in most of the individuals that will likely be applying for this position. If you can find a combination of both, then score.