Help Wow Cool and Marc Arsenault through a rough patch
Donation protected
After fifteen years of running the current version of comic book publisher and retailer Wow Cool Alternative Comics, I have arrived at a point where the business can no longer sustain itself, nor can it support me. I will be pursuing different work after the holiday shopping season. In the meanwhile, I am in need or urgent assistance to remain housed and keep the heat and power on, as well as keeping Wow Cool viable as a part-time concern.
Wow Cool is bringing in about a third the gross sales every month as last year at the same time. The move across country this Spring drained most of my savings and was far more expensive than anticipated. The switchover to a new online shop system was not the success that was hoped for, but it did cut down operating costs by hundreds of dollars a month. Expanding into three new brick-and-mortar outlets in Upstate New York has helped a little, but not nearly enough.
I have tried securing freelance work with no success. Normally this supplements my income from bookselling. I’ve had no fresh work from old clients and two of them have not paid me.
On top of all this, my struggle with celiac disease and it’s various symptoms and side effects has turned much worse and it is currently limiting my ability to work as much as I normally do (12-14 hour days are typical). I am managing the anemia with nutritional supplements and I expect to turn it around again soon. I am in need of urgent dental work as well, and need to complete a set of crowns that I was not able to have done before moving.
My bills are not outrageous, but I cannot currently keep up, nor can I quickly pay what is past due. The need is truly urgent. I have cut my expenses as much as I can.
The breakdown:
- I am currently behind $1,750 in residential and $800 in business rent. I plan on radically downsizing and moving to a more suitable apartment or small house in the Spring.
- I will owe an additional $1,600 for December rent combined.
- I owe the power utility over $500 currently with another bill on the way.
- My home internet has been switched off for non-payment.
- I have several hundred dollars owed in private loans and debts.
- Wow Cool has been unable to continue advertising because of an unpaid balance of $250.
- I have taken out two small business capital loans that are being paid off by a percentage of sales on wowcool.com. I have paid off one small one, but I still owe over $1,470.
- It has been impossible to keep up the stock of essential supplies, nor have I had any funds to purchase additional books to keep the shop fresh.
Wow Cool is also home to the back catalogs of crucial small press publishers Alternative Comics and Sparkplug Books. I would like to be able to keep these publications available.
I had hoped to boost sales to the point where I could sustain things, but am now far past that. October sales were half of what September was. I hate asking for help, but it is nearly the middle of the month and I have to be realistic about my situation. I poured hundreds of hours into relaunching Wow Cool, and it just has not paid off. I also need to commit to a serious job search. Hopefully I can find some meaningful way to use my writing and design skills. Please help me and Wow Cool out by purchasing books or by contributing to this fundraiser.
This crisis situation solely concerns me and Wow Cool/Alternative Comics/Sparkplug Books and does not affect or have anything to do with our retail partners. Contributing will, however, help improve the offerings at those locations.
I am open to other business proposals as well regarding our published or distributed stock of books, graphic novels, comic books and zines.
I thank you with all of my heart for anything you can do.
Marc Arsenault
General Manager, Wow Cool
Organizer
Marc Arsenault
Organizer
Troy, NY