SWITCHING TO DIGITAL

By: Holden Jack Orme

I love collecting comics and have done so for years, but it is time for me to stop... Every month it seems that a new book comes out, or there is a special variant cover, or there is a big crossover event. The methods the publishers use to lure readers in are very clever and often welcome to the comic book fan. Who doesn't want to read something cool that is also a collectors item? In the end, the issue of space wins out. Humans ages 16-30 tend not to have much space to put things. Between economic hardships and lack of adult level employment, most people have tiny living conditions. My situation isn’t half as grim, however the space issue is still familiar to me. I became aware one day when I was thinking of all the books I had on my sub list. I saw the exact number because i went with an online service when my local comic store shut down and neglected to tell the customers. The number at its peak was 72 books a month, which meant i was going to average purchasing 864 books a year. Just to show the mentally ill commitment  I have to be a Vigilant Geek. This was just too many books, and the thought of that many every year for the rest of my life had me freaked out. Thankfully, I can quit collecting the books and still be able to read them. The whole practice of collecting has to stop. Between Funko Pops and comics, I'm on track to become one of those dick heads you read about that was buried alive beneath his precious collection. Well, no longer! From now on I'm going to focus my energy on picking up my books digitally. Digital has its upside, with books becoming available the date of their release, and the obvious ability to save space. All you need is a decent cell phone, a laptop, or a tablet and you’ll be all set. The downside is it runs on batteries and you're screwed if you have no internet connection. Other than those issues, digital is looking good. However, this method won't be cheaper as the books cost just as much as a hard copy. Still, I cant put a price on my peace of mind at this point. I’m going digital and I will let you know how it goes....

- Holden Jack Orme, VIGILANT GEEK MEDIA analyst


..and as always...

STAY VIGILANT!!