Retail realities

The Boston Globe talks business with George Suarez, co-owner of New England Comics:

Only 1 to 2 percent of a comic book retailer's annual budget goes toward marketing, according to John Jackson Miller, editorial director of Comics and Games Retailer magazine.

Suarez has seven retail stores in Greater Boston, and he said they continue to attract new customers despite a tiny marketing budget.

"I'm not going to get into numbers," said Suarez. "But it's not one of my bigger expenses to do advertising."