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Comic shops in your area

Started by kev67, 06 September, 2020, 10:26:17 PM

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kev67

I hear from some of the angrier comic enthusiasts on YouTube that comic shops are in a dire position, at least in America. In Reading, I've noticed a new comic shop has opened. It's in Harris Arcade near the station if you're interested. I've not been in it. I've just looked through the window, but it looks like it sells mostly American comics. I have not spotted any 2000AD titles. I wish the owner well anyway. The only shop I've found that sells 2000AD was WH Smith by the station.

dweezil2

All the ones near me that I used to visit, Maidstone and Canterbury, closed down years ago! 
The closest  now is in Rochester, but I haven't visited.
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sheridan

Technically I think my closest one is Krypton Komics in Walthamstow though it's a bit out of the way and the only times I've been anywhere near the area it's been closed.

The one I actually go to is Mega-City Comics who have wonderful staff.

Possibly the most convenient for me to visit would be the main Forbidden Planet in Shaftesbury Avenue, but you can probably see why I prefer to go to Mega-City instead.

IndigoPrime

I've been into the Reading one once—he got in a TF partwork issue for me. Seemed a nice enough chap. Reasonable selection. Rare in the area, too, after previous ones in Reading shut. (There's also Dark Star in Cove, for anyone around the M3/M4 corridor.)

sheridan

Oh, and not far from FP is Gosh! and Orbital which are better shops but not quite so convenient to get to.

rogue69

I used to use Ace Comics in Colchester for nearly 30 years until I found out that copies saved for shop customers were being taken and sold online so you had to wait until they got more copies in weeks later. Things came to ahead when I ordered the 30th anniversary issue 2000AD when they kept telling me that it had not come in or I had not ordered it but found out they had it on their website at a higher price. When I asked them why this has happened they told me they care more about their website then their shop customers no matter how long they had used it for

sheridan

Quote from: rogue69 on 07 September, 2020, 01:53:01 PM
I used to use Ace Comics in Colchester for nearly 30 years until I found out that copies saved for shop customers were being taken and sold online so you had to wait until they got more copies in weeks later. Things came to ahead when I ordered the 30th anniversary issue 2000AD when they kept telling me that it had not come in or I had not ordered it but found out they had it on their website at a higher price. When I asked them why this has happened they told me they care more about their website then their shop customers no matter how long they had used it for

Shame.  Other than comic marts, I met my first comic creators there (Alan Grant and Barry Kitson, back in the eighties).  I also bought my last ever back prog there as well - i.e. the one that completed the run - from then on it was only new progs as they came out.  Can't remember which prog it was, but it must have been in the single digits or teens.

rogue69

I know, the staff were always great there, it was when the owners daughter took more control the place it started to go down hill. Before you could spend hours in there just looking and talking to the staff about comics and stuff.

I was also at that signing it was about the 4th one they ever did that I remember, the others being  for Marshal Law, Luther Arkwright and the outcasts, and they had 4/5 artists there around the same time to promote the launched of Deadline

AlexF

Just last week I stumbled into a comic shop I'd never heard of before, in Dartford on the route between the station and the town centre. It's classic old school tiny shop, stuffed to the brim with boxes of comics, toys, trading cards, all that good stuff. Staff were friendlier than some shops I've visited, too.

I've a feeling that Krypton Komics is basically shut except for certain days (maybe Saturdays) or by prior appointment.

Calamity Comics in Harrow, a super formative place for me, still survives, always nice to take a trip there when I'm visiting my parents.

And speaking of places where I completed my run of Back Progs, that would be Sheridan's favoured Mega City comics. A memorable day in 1994 when I saw they had a Prog 2 on the wall and I managed to scrounge up the necessary bundle of notes a week later to make it my own! And in those days I was able to do a Prog Slog of a mere 900 progs, only took a year or so to read it all! I don't think I can imagine doing a full slog these days.

moly

My nearest comic shops in Braintree and Chelmsford have closed down and I don't fancy going to Colchester to pick up the occasional comic, the one in Chelmsford was small but very enthusiastic but had to close down due to increased costs

gurnard

If you are ever in Gent (Ghent if your english) in Belgium swing by Worlds End Comics.
Loads of stuff mainly US but also some European and Manga.
Not much on the Rebellion or 2thou front though it really is not that known over here.

Also you can drink beer in the shop and table top game if you so wish. Is in a cellar by the canal so very atmospheric too.

AlexF

Sounds amazing! Worth a trip to Ghent just for that (although maybe not worth 2 weeks of quarantine, unless I buy a LOT of comics to read at home)

Colin YNWA

Sheffield Space Centre. Its a good old fashion cramped nerd cave - celebrated its 40th birthday a few years ago. Great staff, thought alas two are still on furlong. Been chatting to the boss and he says they are doing okay. Its not what it was prelockdown but its okay. I suspect they miss the extra convention income as well as they are regulars at lots of shows.

If you've around Sheffield I would recommend it - but suspect you are well aware of them.

Oh and they used to advertise regularly in the Prog.

sheridan

Quote from: Colin YNWA on 08 September, 2020, 04:47:40 PM
Sheffield Space Centre. Its a good old fashion cramped nerd cave - celebrated its 40th birthday a few years ago. Great staff, thought alas two are still on furlong. Been chatting to the boss and he says they are doing okay. Its not what it was prelockdown but its okay. I suspect they miss the extra convention income as well as they are regulars at lots of shows.

If you've around Sheffield I would recommend it - but suspect you are well aware of them.

Oh and they used to advertise regularly in the Prog.

Yeah, I remember the adverts - didn't realise they were still around.  Last time I was in Sheffield I think I went to the Nelson and Batfink (this was a decade and a half ago).

Colin YNWA

I hope that's a pub call the Nelson and Batfink. That would be amazing.