Is your local comic book shop still around?

[tzarinna]

The one closets to me is practically on a college campus, so I think they won't be going anywhere. The one close to my old high school use to be Geppi's and is now Alliance Comics and Games, I haven't been there since the change over.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

when I first started collecting comics, it would be from a local drug store on Archer Avenue and Natchez Avenue, but then they stopped selling comics in the early 70's... they're still there, but have had numerous owners...

for a couple of years, I got my comics thru a mail-order place called Styx Comics, that mailed the books in a burlap bag... I gave up on that...

then it was picking comics up at a newspaper stand in the Loop for a few years before I heard about a store specifically selling comics back in the late 70's... Frank Kraft's over on Clark Street in Downtown Chicago... he eventually folded... Frank and his buddy that ran the store were both a-holes...

then I frequented a comic shop close to my house, off Archer and Pulaski called Chaos in Print, run by George Macas, during the 80's which folded after about 12 years... the thievery that went on there on the part of customers AND employees was mind-boggling... how they survived that long is amazing to me...

then I frequented Comic Asylum over on Cicero Avenue, run by Mark Wendt, from the mid 90's till about 2000... decent store, nice guy running it, but the place was a disaster area... he folded eventually...

from then it was to my first comic store chain, Graham Crackers, off Michigan Avenue in the Loop, which was run by Pat Brower at the time... excellent store, lots of stuff and very expansive, but overly expensive in some of their merch... I stopped my comic collecting with them... they're part of a 7 store chain, I believe, and they're all still around...

and back in the late 60's and early 70's, I would pick up all my back issues at Acme Book Store on Clark Street, which was run by Sam LaChapelle, who referred to herself as a comicologist... she ran the place with her big Husky and some super-old dude named Noah, who I referred to as Beetle-brain... the place is LONG gone, but one customer that frequented it before he ever became famous was Roger Ebert...

wow, talk about going down memory lane this morning... good memories...

I used to go to Graham Crackers too! It was a great shop in my opinion. I moved to Phoenix about a year and a half ago though so obviously stopped going there. I found a shop in Phoenix, Atomic Comics, that was just down the street from my apartment, it unfortunately closed down very unexpectedly late last August. Looked in a couple other stores, but all I felt where just a little too far away, so stopped collecting just over a year ago now.

Before Graham Crackers though, I went through multiple comic shops that opening (and closed) in the '90s. There was one shop that always remained open though and I'd always eventually go back to them when one of the new places closed.

 

[bonoferox]

Indianapolis (and surrounding areas) I believe currently has 5 comic shops.
We used to have 8, but three (Comic Carnival) closed down, leaving only one location for that franchise.
My favorite is one in Greenwood called Comic Book University. Not the best prices, but probably the best back issue selection I've seen.

 

[Midnight Black]

Yeah Indianapolis!!!t:. I usually go to Downtown Comics or Comic Carnival. The one in Castleton or on Keystone.

When I was a kid I use to go to the one in broad ripple all the time.

 

[bonoferox]

There was one in Broadripple?
How long ago was that?

I work downtown right across the street from the DC downtown location, so that's the one I hit up for new issues.

 

[Midnight Black]

Man this was back in the mid to early 90s. It was where the Egyptian hookah place is now I think.

 

[SpideyForPrez]

I go to Golden Age Collectibles here in Seattle. They claim to be America's oldest surviving comic shop opened in 1971. A huge part of their success is their location inside the Pike's Place Market, one of the biggest tourist attractions and weekend activity spots in the state. So they get a ton of impulse business from non-comic fans who are attracted by all the shiny pop-culture stuff you can see from the entrance.

They have cardboard cut-outs of the Avengers, Big Bang Theory, Justin Beiber, Twilight, and other stuff. If I had a dollar for every time I noticed a group of people stop and say "Oh my god! What is that store? We have to check it out!" I wouldn't have to pay for my comics.

Price wise, they're alright. Posters, graphic novels, and small collectibles are reasonable priced, but they're action figure prices are nuts. Years ago I asked them about getting Spectacular Spider-Man action figures and they told me buy them somewhere else because they would have to charge too much. So at least they're honest. Overall it's a great store with great employees.

 

[CGHulk]

Is that for real? That's messed up, what happened exactly?

Everything was burned inside, the roof had holes in it and on the left side of the building on the white wall there was swastikas painted in red. So many treasures were lost! Mark Hamill used to buy Flash comics there when he played the villain on the Flash TV show. Guillermo Del Toro lives in my town, he'd be at the comic shop all the time if it was still around.

Was this the East Coast, West Coast, South or Mid West?

I'm just curious.

It was in the town of Thousand Oaks in Southern California.
http://articles.latimes.com/1992-09-19/news/mn-633_1_thousand-oaks

 

[Mace Dolex]

Has anyone been to the secret stash ( the comic book men's store owned by Kevin Smith)?

There's one left, used to be three.


The one that's left doubles as a movie rental store, which probably helps.

I think I know of the one your talking about in California, you're right it's mostly a movie rental place with a tiny back room for comics, I only searched for it out of curiosity, I only went there once since it's just too far from me.

 

[Lord Valumart]

Yeh, mine is still around, no idea what it's called though and I've been going to it on and off for the past 7 years. I don't always have the time to take the train down and usually order off the internet. I do check out FP and A1 Comics when I'm in Glasgow. FP has lots of cool stuff, but the people in A1 are just so nice. I hid in there from the rain for ages and had a nice conversation with them.

I did have one open up in the town I work in about 3 years back and it lasted just over a year. I liked it, it was like 2 minutes away from my work and the guy was always up for a chat about anything. God, I hope he's not dead...

 

[squeekness]

Here near Cape Cod, I have a Newbury Comics two towns over, but I got to a New England Comics branch that is closer. I never have tried an online subscription service though I've heard that others like it. I prefer to go in each week and browse. Of course lately I've been cutting back on titles since the cost has gone up so I go less and less now.

 

[Matt Mortem]

There are a few comic shops near me, including one across the street from my apartment. I'm so broke these days I can't really afford to buy new comics though so I rarely shop.

 

[Darthphere]

Nope. I've lost like 3 comic book stores in my area.

 

[bullets]

There's a local comic store but it's a hassle to visit. The entire mid-section is full of guys playing some type of D&D game. They have cards ,figures, and playset. It's a nice set-up but you can't look at comics without bumping into one of them because the place is always full. There's also a pizza place next door and they have a back room to take their food. Maybe it's good for business but it keeps me from going in there.

 

[OctaviusINC]

My local comic shop has been going since the late 80s. I can't say I frequent there often. I'll go there maybe 2 or 3 times a year. It's only a 4 minute drive from my place. But the owner is pretty unfriendly and it doesn't have the greatest selection. To be honest I still don't know how it's in business. I never see anyone go in or out of the place since I was a kid. And when I'm in there I'm the only one in there. But if it ever went I'd be sad to see it go.

I personally subscribe to my titles and buy TPB off amazon.

 

[warhorse78]

Yep, still there and still going, or at least it looks like it everytime I pass it. Not sure how they stay in business. I go there once in a blue moon (it's right next to the dry cleaners, I'll go in there and check it out while waiting for the dry clean) and there's usually not that many people there. But then again, they do offer online purchases, and also offer some unique things like news papers and comic books from around the world. It's a neat store, and I have gone there to buy Ninja Turtles stuff now and then.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

There's a local comic store but it's a hassle to visit. The entire mid-section is full of guys playing some type of D&D game. They have cards ,figures, and playset. It's a nice set-up but you can't look at comics without bumping into one of them because the place is always full. There's also a pizza place next door and they have a back room to take their food. Maybe it's good for business but it keeps me from going in there.

This is a problem with some comic shops. They're cluttered and dirty. And they've become very unprofessional. It's the only business I know where the customer is always wrong and they're free to condescend you if they think the comics you're buying suck.

Order my comics online, get TPBs in bookshops or download them digitally.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

The one from my childhood is closed now but I have a shop right down the street from me where I live now

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Nope, Neo-nazi's burned it down because the owner was Jewish.

I thought that was a bad joke at first. That's really messed up. Can't believe that crap still goes on in this country.

 

[Darthphere]

This is a problem with some comic shops. They're cluttered and dirty. And they've become very unprofessional. It's the only business I know where the customer is always wrong and they're free to condescend you if they think the comics you're buying suck.

Order my comics online, get TPBs in bookshops or download them digitally.

Yeah. I really don't get this complete lack of understanding behind the idea of customer service at a comic book store. I mean, it's not like it's Macy's and losing a few customers isnt' going to destroy your business. You lose 2-3 customers, that's another pull list gone, that could be anywhere from $2-400 a month depending on how many comics they buy.

Also yes on the complete lack of cleanliness. Would it hurt to pass the vacuum or mop every once in a while?

It's why I miss the last store I used to go to. It was clean, dude who owned it was real cool. Recommended stuff to me, didn't judge your comics etc.

 

[Maximus One]

The only one in town here is in the shopping center right behind my apartment. Such an awesome and convenient location

 

[PyroChamber]

Like a couple have mentioned, I go to Graham Crackers comics whenever I have the chance; it's where I get my Heroclix. That is if I don't go to Barnes & Noble.

But one I use to go to when I was still living in the suburbs was Tenth Planet. And they how a get selection of comics, action figures, DVDs and even clothing; and it sucked when one day I went there only to find out they closed.

 

[Fading]

I've stopped collecting comics (I go in cycles, give it another year or two, lol), but kinda. The one I went to as a kid in my old hometown (was more of a hobby shop, than purely comic book store) went under before I started high school. So I started going to the one 30+ miles away in a slightly bigger city when my mom didn't mind taking me, or I went with friends. Which would have been Comic Quest. Problem is they seem to move locations every few years, so I'm sure they're still open, but no clue where at, lol. Now I live there (the slightly bigger city), and occasionally go to the Book Broker, which has comics, and lots of other collectables. It's still open, and even has weekly card events, book reading, and other events (not that I went to any of them, even when I collected cards).

Arcades are what I've seen go away and not get replaced. I think I've seen one small stand alone business, and the rest have been games in the theatre lobby. I don't even think the local mall has an arcade anymore.

 

[Aesop Rocks]

Nope, mine closed down about a year ago. Good thing, too, the service was terrible and always smelled like pee in the store.

 

[squeekness]

I would definately stop going to a place that smelled like pee. Mine is really clean with friendly people.