|
|
|
|
Ratiation Interrogation: Alejandro Najar
|
|
|
Location: Blogs Atomic Fallout |
 |
| Posted by: Jake Bell |
Friday, September 05, 2008 1:20 PM |
 This week we’d like to take a little peek into one of the minds behind Atomic Comics! Our current victim is Alejandro Najar, the Manager of the Chandler Mall Superstore. Alejandro (or Alex as we call him on Tuesdays and Thursdays) has been with Atomic since December of 2001. His turn-ons include: walks on the beach, The Carpenters and trips with Malve to Texas comicbook conventions.
AN: OMG! it’s been that long?! Man, working for Atomic Comics is like riding the Tardis blind.
IG: How does it feel to be the cornerstone, nay the very foundation, of the Atomic Comics mall prototype store?
AN: Crazy! Not only do we get the usual comic collector but we get a lot of window shoppers and first timers who have never even read a comic before. It’s way different from my old store in Paradise Valley, AZ.
IG: What’s the current record for bottles of Bawls consumed by an overzealous mallrat in one evening?
AN: heh – I think a six pack is the current record. It’s sometimes hard to tell because of the waves of mallrats that come in to buy our crazy drinks
IG: Word on the street is that Alejandro is a cover for your secret identity as El Chupacabra … what can you tell fans about your crime fighting capabilities?
AN: What’s there to tell? I suck the blood of goats….wait I fight crime?!
IG: So you get all kinds of movie goers at your store … how is it introducing them to awesome world of comics? Where do you and the staff start to get them hooked?
AN: Well, the hard part is getting the “deer in the headlight” look off their faces once they enter the store. After greeting them it’s all smooth sailing to collecting a series or a stack of graphic novels. Most of the staff here has read the big titles and current books on our “three month” wall. Being excited about a book and getting that customer pumped about it is just some of the ways we get them hooked.
IG: What’s your favorite manga title to read for personal enjoyment? What’s your favorite manga title to introduce new fans to? How do you pitch it to them?
AN: Eyeshield 21 is my current craze. For the pitch I usually ask what the last manga or book they have read and gauge from that. For kids: Eyeshield 21 or any of the new Pokemon manga. For teens: Naruto and Bleach are great. For teen girls: Ouran HS Host Club and Vampire Knight. For older guys: Black Lagoon and MPD Psycho.And for the ladies: Bride of the Watergod and Wallflower.
IG: So you’re a pretty scary, intimidating looking hombre, but yet you have a heart of gold. You really are an enigma! Are you schizo?
AN: WTF?! Heart of gold?! Isn’t that like a Crosby Stills and Nash song?! ….does anyone know who Crosby Stills and Nash where?
IG: Just the hippies … have we ever talked about the theory that hippies are to blame for all this country’s ills? No? Well, in a nutshell, they are the group who started the “political correctness” BS and avoiding the truth to not hurt someone’s feelings. They’ve eviscerated our teachers’ capability to control and hold our students to account for their work. If a teacher disciplines a student, the hippie parents call the principal and … can you believe this?!? … the teacher gets in trouble. In my day, we goofed off we got smacked or put in the corner or on garbage clean-up duty or whatnot. Our parents were like, “thanks Teach! That’ll learn the little troublemaker!” Ackk … rant off.
IG: If you could add any new line of merchandise to the Chandler Superstore what would it be and why?
AN: Lanyards! I have so many customers asking for Superman, Batman, or even anime ones for work, school or even fashion.
IG: What’s the current record of bottles of Bawls consumed by you personally in one evening?
AN: LOL four. Anymore and my eyes will pop out.
IG: You started off at the Atomic Comics PV store many moons ago. Describe for your fans the road of development into store Manager: the trials, tribulations and exaltations along this journey.
AN: wow…it was strafed with drama, intrigue, sexy time and many many drinks. Oh you mean work. I started out just like any n00b and with my great customer service and all around nice guy attitude with customers I climbed the steps of Atomic and made it to the top. It definitely is not what I expected from a stereotypical comic shop – it’s all worth it.
IG: So when stalking the streets at night as El Chupacabra, do you beat up the bad guys, or just scare the bejeezus out of them … or, and let’s be honest here … do you get beat down like the kid in Kick Ass?
AN: LOL Mark Millar needs to get me in that book as El Chupacabra. I think I would like to scare them to the point of crapping their pants
IG: What’s the coolest event you’ve been a part of during your tenure as leader of the Chandler Superstore? I know, I know, we have so many awesome signings and event that it will be hard to choose, but you can do it!
AN: omg…it is hard to choose >_< There was our recent Millar/Harris War Heroes signing…and our FCBD events kick ass, but I think the best one was our “Where’s your Bawls” scavenger hunt we did when I started here at Chandler. We had over five teams of mallrats go around the mall and collect, ask and even make items for fun and prizes. Lasted most of the day and everyone left happy.
IG: So you’re an ordained minister. Tell us about the process to get ordained and how it helped develop you spiritually as a person. Do you consider the Spawn comic to be blasphemy? Does the dichotomy of being both a man of the Lord and a hideous blood sucking monster cause any conflicts in your life?
AN: It was just a click away on the ol’ computer. I saw it on an episode Monster Garage on how easy it was to be one so I did. And the Spawn question, yes may he burn in the bowels of hell.
IG: Patron Silver vs Patron Reposado. And why does the Patron Spirits Company use a bumblebee as its logo?
AN: Patron Silver dammit! And uh sure? Honestly by the time I look that low on the bottle I’m on the floor….uh sure?
IG: What’s your favorite video game right now? Why? Are you a force or are you a noob?
AN: Call of Duty 4. Because at the end of the day it feels good p00nin n00bz. Force dammit FORCE! Deeds not words!
IG: Speaking of, the Chandler store is the proving grounds for dealing in used video games for console systems. How can a total noob like yourself get the staff informed and motivated to make this new venture successful so Atomic can roll it out at all locations?
AN: did you just call me a noob?! Ok Ill that slide because you distribute my checks… So I tell the staff, “Hey, you want that new HC that just came out and you’re a little low on the funds? Turn in those games and get some store credit!” So far we have cool games to start and we just had some games turned in for credit so we just need to keep it PUMPED!
IG: Alex, it’s been a pleasure. We’re all super pumped to stop by on Super Villain Day on October 18th and meet the real the Reverend El Chupacabra! Dammit…now I need to get a mask.
|
|
| Permalink |
Trackback |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|