I thought this might be an interesting question to ask. What is the most interesting, best, or unique comic store you have been to and why?
-Trent
What's the most interesting comic shop you've been to?
Moderators: Mayhem, Steve Hubbell, Moderators
-
rowdydog4444
- Shugyosha<Student Warrior>
- Posts: 74
- Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2005 10:49 -0700
- Location: Brooklyn, NY
- Contact:
What's the most interesting comic shop you've been to?
"Once you come under the spell of Usagi Yojimbo, you realize, as I did, that they're the stuff of legends are made." -Stan Lee
-
rowdydog4444
- Shugyosha<Student Warrior>
- Posts: 74
- Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2005 10:49 -0700
- Location: Brooklyn, NY
- Contact:
Ok. I'll get this started...
A comic store that I’m fond to is Gecko Books in Honolulu, HI (in Kaimuki). It was my first comic shop. The store was maybe a quarter mile away from where I used to live and only across the street from my school. The shop is my most vivid of childhood memories.
My Mom bought me a pack of the old Marvel cards that would sometimes have a hologram in it from Gecko Books. Before that, one of my friends from school bought a pack of the Marvel cards and opened it up in front of the other kids and me. Looking at them he noticed he got a hologram card. Me being jealous and amazed, I told my Mom right after school about these amazing looking superhero cards from the comics I read and that it had a special card. A hologram. This was all included in a little package of cards. Being an awesome Mom as she is, she was excited about it as I was.
So the next day, my Mom goes and gets me a pack of these Marvel cards right before she gets me after school. I was very surprised that she got me a pack of cards mainly because we didn’t have money at the time. So this was really awesome. Opening the pack up and looking at the cool cards, I realized there was no hologram card inside the pack. I thought, as well as she, that there would be a hologram card in every pack. Nay. Again being awesome, my Mom takes me with her to the shop and describes the situation to the guy at the counter. I don’t know what the two said or what they agreed upon, but I was able to open as many packs until I got a hologram card, which I did, but didn’t get to keep the other cards. This was totally okay by me.
To be honest the other cards didn’t matter. What did matter was that I finally got a hologram. My Mom and I when home happy looking at the card and talking all about it. The next day I showed the kids in my class that I as well have a special card too. The hologram card is an Art Adams piece of the Hulk busting through a wall with his fist in the foreground all huge. I still have it today. Gecko Books and Comics moved out of the small shop space and right around the corner on that same block. Good times.
Love to hear more. Take care.
-Trent
A comic store that I’m fond to is Gecko Books in Honolulu, HI (in Kaimuki). It was my first comic shop. The store was maybe a quarter mile away from where I used to live and only across the street from my school. The shop is my most vivid of childhood memories.
My Mom bought me a pack of the old Marvel cards that would sometimes have a hologram in it from Gecko Books. Before that, one of my friends from school bought a pack of the Marvel cards and opened it up in front of the other kids and me. Looking at them he noticed he got a hologram card. Me being jealous and amazed, I told my Mom right after school about these amazing looking superhero cards from the comics I read and that it had a special card. A hologram. This was all included in a little package of cards. Being an awesome Mom as she is, she was excited about it as I was.
So the next day, my Mom goes and gets me a pack of these Marvel cards right before she gets me after school. I was very surprised that she got me a pack of cards mainly because we didn’t have money at the time. So this was really awesome. Opening the pack up and looking at the cool cards, I realized there was no hologram card inside the pack. I thought, as well as she, that there would be a hologram card in every pack. Nay. Again being awesome, my Mom takes me with her to the shop and describes the situation to the guy at the counter. I don’t know what the two said or what they agreed upon, but I was able to open as many packs until I got a hologram card, which I did, but didn’t get to keep the other cards. This was totally okay by me.
To be honest the other cards didn’t matter. What did matter was that I finally got a hologram. My Mom and I when home happy looking at the card and talking all about it. The next day I showed the kids in my class that I as well have a special card too. The hologram card is an Art Adams piece of the Hulk busting through a wall with his fist in the foreground all huge. I still have it today. Gecko Books and Comics moved out of the small shop space and right around the corner on that same block. Good times.
Love to hear more. Take care.
-Trent
"Once you come under the spell of Usagi Yojimbo, you realize, as I did, that they're the stuff of legends are made." -Stan Lee
-
Maka
- Daimyo <High-Ranking Lord>
- Posts: 3498
- Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2003 20:10 -0700
- Location: California
Hello Rowdydog,
I've been to Gecko books. I bought Dark Horse's collection of Eddy Current for $20. It was a nice store and staff was nice.
The most unique store I've been to is probably the old Gary Corner Bookstore in San Gabriel. http://usagiyojimbo.com/other/garys/ That place was so packed with comics in boxes, and stacks of comics on top of those boxes. It was probably a fire hazard. I remember having to tiptoe to reach far back and move comic stacks to look for back issues of swamp thing, miracle man, and watchmen. I got an beat up copy of Brady Bunch #2 there.
There was hardly any room to walk in the place. The new comics were in shelves at the end of the store (imagine one long hallway) on two shelves. "Hot" back issues were in bags hung on the walls, maybe with push pins or clothes pins. That's probably just my wishful memory, I don't know if that is true.
When it was hot in there, I remember an old electric classic fan that rotates. It was so crowded and dusty but it had a nice selection of independent comics as well as the traditional marvel and dc. I looked forward to driving there to pick up new issues and search for back issues in 1989-early 1990's.
The video interview that Todd did gives you a visual of that store but I think it looks much more clean than I remember it being. I don't remember him having those nice black comic shelves behind Stan. Maybe I stopped going before this interview date. hmmm.
http://www.usagiyojimbo.com/downloads/m ... erview.mp4
I feel nostalgia thinking about that store. It wasn't the biggest, cleanest, or fanciest but it was my comic book store at the beginning of my comic collecting days. Thanks to Todd for keeping that video on-line. That was cool to see it again. (and nice bone shirt, Stan)
Peace, maka
I've been to Gecko books. I bought Dark Horse's collection of Eddy Current for $20. It was a nice store and staff was nice.
The most unique store I've been to is probably the old Gary Corner Bookstore in San Gabriel. http://usagiyojimbo.com/other/garys/ That place was so packed with comics in boxes, and stacks of comics on top of those boxes. It was probably a fire hazard. I remember having to tiptoe to reach far back and move comic stacks to look for back issues of swamp thing, miracle man, and watchmen. I got an beat up copy of Brady Bunch #2 there.
There was hardly any room to walk in the place. The new comics were in shelves at the end of the store (imagine one long hallway) on two shelves. "Hot" back issues were in bags hung on the walls, maybe with push pins or clothes pins. That's probably just my wishful memory, I don't know if that is true.
When it was hot in there, I remember an old electric classic fan that rotates. It was so crowded and dusty but it had a nice selection of independent comics as well as the traditional marvel and dc. I looked forward to driving there to pick up new issues and search for back issues in 1989-early 1990's.
The video interview that Todd did gives you a visual of that store but I think it looks much more clean than I remember it being. I don't remember him having those nice black comic shelves behind Stan. Maybe I stopped going before this interview date. hmmm.
http://www.usagiyojimbo.com/downloads/m ... erview.mp4
I feel nostalgia thinking about that store. It wasn't the biggest, cleanest, or fanciest but it was my comic book store at the beginning of my comic collecting days. Thanks to Todd for keeping that video on-line. That was cool to see it again. (and nice bone shirt, Stan)
Peace, maka
-
Stan Sakai
- Sensei
- Posts: 4896
- Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2002 12:21 -0700
I've been to Gecko Books many times. I used to live in Kapahulu, which is Diamond Head of Kaimuki. I used to love that crack seed store just around the corner, on Koko Head.
The old Gary's is my favorite. You never knew what kind of treasure laid buried there (and I mean that literally). The French books stores are just incredible, and the Japanese ones leave even those in shame.
The old Gary's is my favorite. You never knew what kind of treasure laid buried there (and I mean that literally). The French books stores are just incredible, and the Japanese ones leave even those in shame.
2?
Dear Readers,
I have 2 stores I love to visit.
Comic Relief off of University Avenue in Berkeley California USA is my favorite. If you are looking for something they almost always have it.
http://www.comicrelief.net/
The other is Collectors Ink in my home town of Chico California. It is run buy a wonderful family.(They do mail orders....)
http://www.collectorsink.com/
It is also my favorite store because it is where I get my Usagi Yojimbo books!
Best wishes to all!
go
ps. Canters is one of my favorite places to eat!
I have 2 stores I love to visit.
Comic Relief off of University Avenue in Berkeley California USA is my favorite. If you are looking for something they almost always have it.
http://www.comicrelief.net/
The other is Collectors Ink in my home town of Chico California. It is run buy a wonderful family.(They do mail orders....)
http://www.collectorsink.com/
It is also my favorite store because it is where I get my Usagi Yojimbo books!
Best wishes to all!
go
ps. Canters is one of my favorite places to eat!
-
Krogu
- Shugyosha<Student Warrior>
- Posts: 273
- Joined: Tue Mar 20, 2007 16:48 -0700
- Location: Szczecin, Poland
In Poland, comics are very unpopular, and there are very few comics shops. Im living in Szczecin [About half a million people in city] and theres no even one true comics shop. The alternative are Empiks - multimedia shops with books, cds, games as well - Still, they are offering not many comics, and theyr almost only polish ones (I used to buy UY in Empiks, but then i started beeing too much impatient for waiting up to 2 - 3 weeks for UY books after premiere and I started ordering it via "Komikslandia" - Comics Shop in Warsaw, which also possess an internet-shop section.)
"A mogło być zupełnie inaczej..."