Author Archives: observationsinretail

TBT: Hazmat (Original)

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Here is the original drawing I made that would become “Hazmat”, the sequel to “Sweaty Money”. Thankfully, it is freezing here today, so I don’t have to think about the disgusting Shopper phenomenon that is sweaty money. Honestly, I think I may like this version better, but that is the price I pay for drawing on lined notebook paper. You live and you learn. Enjoy!

-The Retail Explorer

Not Black Thursday

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Today is the day before Thanksgiving, a day which once was a national holiday. It still is, you say? Well, you do not have to venture far into the retail world to know that, well, that is just not true. More and more stores over the last few years have been allowing their Black Friday hours to encroach into Thanksgiving hours to become what many have dubbed “Black Thursday”. This year, though, there has been a movement away from this practice and back toward allowing employees to spend the holiday with their families. These retailers should not be applauded for doing what they were supposed to do in the first place. None the less, they deserve at least a little recognition if for no other reason than the fact that they belong on your list of places where you can shop with a somewhat clear conscience. Go check out The Black Friday to see which retailers are going to be getting presents from Santa Claus instead of coal.
 
-The Retail Explorer
 
P.S. The regular comic will be up in a couple of hours on here, so fret not.

Throwback Thursday: Black Friday

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throwback-thursday-black-friday-completed

Here is another early retail comic sketch that I did a couple of years ago, before I fleshed out the characters and the store dynamic. At a small shop like Aviation Supply Company, they would probably not participate in the Day Which Shall Not Be Named. There is not much reason for it, since it is a small shop, and most Shoppers abandon the smaller stores in favor of big box retailers offering ridiculous special pricing. It just would not fit the current dynamic in the webcomic as it currently sits. But, since we are nearly to the Day Which Shall Not Be Named, I figured I would share this with all of you. Note that the only character who has remained the same is Poe. I went ahead and framed it up for y’all to give you a better idea of how it was supposed to look. Enjoy, comrades!

-The Retail Explorer