Chapter 13

The overall effect was a little gaudy, but Rick had to admit that it waseffective. Just glancing at it told him exactly what to expect. With a grudging nod, he admitted, “Not bad.”

Marty winced. “It’s a little in your face, don’t you think?”

“It’s perfect for a comic shop. Tells you everything you need to know—hours, contact info, map—and there’s no doubt it’s kid-friendly. I mean, with colors like that.”

Marty laughed. “You’re just being kind. It’s obnoxious, you can say it.”

But Rick shook his head. “No, actually it isn’t. In fact, if you hire me—”

“If?” Marty parroted. “You got the job.”

“You haven’t even seen my proposal yet,” Rick told him. “Hell, I don’t even know what it is exactly you want me to do. So ifyou hire me, my first suggestion is to keep a similar look but just update it a little. Who did these graphics?”

Marty’s pale cheeks pinked. “Me. They look like something from a Geocities website back in the mid-nineties, don’t they?”