They breezed in one Sunday afternoon, wide eyed and cheerful. Both must have been in their late 70s or early 80s. I watched as they casually walked the floor, browsing and whispering to one another. The one thing that immediately struck me was that they were holding each other’s hands. I remember thinking about how […]
Our store lives on a main thoroughfare in the heart of an active city. Over the years, I’ve watched the neighborhood grow, change and grow some more. Corporate buildings going up, houses being built, storefronts expanding. With the growing diversity of infrastructure comes the growing diversity of our neighbors. Race, religion, political bent, wealth, destitution. […]
In walked Dave, towering and foreboding. His arms were muscular, tattooed from shoulder to wrist. Dragons and monsters adorned them, colors blazing. They dared viewers to glance at their majesty, but also intimidated them enough to look away. As with any new customer, their story is important. I can’t pair the book with the man […]
They looked like a nice young couple. I’d never seen them before, but it was a casual weekend afternoon and there were lots of new faces milling about the shop. I’m proud to say that we’ve become something of a “couples” store. By that, I mean a store that’s welcoming to both men and women. […]
“Can I help you?” the receptionist said. “Yes.” I replied. “I need to speak with the person who writes Green Lantern.” A smile made its way across the receptionists face. “I’m guessing you don’t have an appointment?” “No.” I said, matter-of-factly. “But it’s important. I just want to say a few things to him. It’ll […]
YEAR ONE His walking stick preceded him. It was the size of a small tree. He didn’t seem to really use it, but it made him look regal. Majestic. His red-haired queen followed closely behind, keeping her place. She was in her early forties, he in his late. Both were well-groomed and dressed in immaculate […]
When you were young, you imagined your future self. Bold, handsome, golden-eyed. Emulating the heroes in your comic books, you became someone special. Perhaps you found the cure for cancer or discovered a brand-new element. Maybe you flew into space and counted yourself among the lucky few to set foot on a planet other than […]
When we decided to start our business, we always made community service a part of our business model since we never viewed it as simply local outreach. Comics are a worldwide pop-culture experience. Our belief and hope is that our local activities can inspire others to service their own communities. Like the larger retailing companies […]
Gene Colan was undeniably one of the greatest artists of the Silver and Bronze Ages of comics. He had a hand in the creation and development of some of the most iconic of Marvel characters. He was beloved and widely praised. And he scared the living shit out of me. I wasn’t a child of […]
The Silver Age of comics. Writers and artists just plain having fun. If they had a crazy idea, the editors joked about it, made fun of each other for coming up with the crazy notion and then? Well, they spent a bucket of money and published it for millions of readers to see. Batman becomes […]
Carlos is an intelligent, soft-spoken man. Well dressed, manicured and obviously educated. A teacher by trade and a family man. He’s got two kids, a boy and a girl. Diego attends Cal State Northridge University and is aiming for a Ph.D. someday. Pilar is still in high school and struggles with her grades. No matter […]
Hell’s Kitchen. Midnight. The sounds of the city hover in the air like dark messengers, bearers of things that go bump in the night. This is where Matt Murdock calls his home. This is where the downtrodden of the city come to seek shelter. This is where Matt comforts them as a lawyer in the […]
I met Ray Bradbury in a dark basement in the suburbs of Long Island. He hit me on the head with a tremendous force and sent me reeling backwards through a plywood door and into an old washing machine. I sat stunned on the floor of my mother’s laundry room, listening to the growl of […]
