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.
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.
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.
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.)
Oh, and not far from FP is Gosh! and Orbital which are better shops but not quite so convenient to get to.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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)
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.
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).
I hope that's a pub call the Nelson and Batfink. That would be amazing.
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 09 September, 2020, 06:11:21 AM
I hope that's a pub call the Nelson and Batfink. That would be amazing.
The Nelson (if it was that pub) would have been a rock pub and Batfink was a goth night run by a friend of mine.
Oh The Nelson - gosh that place has changed its name so many times. Its still a music bar (well was pre lockdown) called The Rocking Chair... and to keep it on topic Forbidden Planet is just around the corner from there. Very much a subsidary comic shop in Sheffield for me. Its okay I guess.
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 09 September, 2020, 09:09:16 AM
Oh The Nelson - gosh that place has changed its name so many times. Its still a music bar (well was pre lockdown) called The Rocking Chair... and to keep it on topic Forbidden Planet is just around the corner from there. Very much a subsidary comic shop in Sheffield for me. Its okay I guess.
Yeah - a lot of the comic shops I used to go to appear to have been taken over or replaced by FPs. The afore-mentioned Ace had FP branding one time I went there but can't remember if it was still there last time I went a couple of years ago.
Meanwhile the decades-long gaps between visits to Fantasy World in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent mean I don't know if the Forbidden Planet around the corner from where it used to be is the same shop taken over or entirely different.
I go to Chaos City in St Albans. It's a lovely shop with great staff and the added bonus is that former art droid Dave Gibbons is a customer.
ACE went in with FPI for awhile but the partnership only lasted a couple years so they reverted back to ACE and are now in a much smaller shop
I walked past another comic shop in Plymouth this morning. It was in Cornwall Street, I think number 32. It had Marvel, DC, Dark Horse (is it?) comics. Pretty interesting part of the street for me. There was a computer gaming shop a little way down. I don't game, but it's useful for my work to know it's there. A little way up the street was a model shop. Apart from Hobby Craft, I don't know anywhere in Reading that sells Airfix models. I couldn't see any 2000AD in the comic shop, so I bought my copy at WH Smiths at the station, although I was aghast at the price. - 5 quid.
That's because it has more pages than usual. Down to £3.10 next week.
Quote from: AlexF on 07 September, 2020, 06:17:16 PM
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.
It's that the one at the bottom of the clock tower? Such an interesting setting, and closest to where I live.
I've never been inside, but I pass by it regularly. Being so small pot me off, aas I feel a bit self conspicuous going in, but maybe I should give it a try.
I asked my local comic shop to order my copies of 2000AD. I want to do my bit to keep the comic shop alive. Annoyingly, with the recent tier restrictions I was not able to get my copies. Then I got all five issues just before Christmas, but now it looks like the shop will be shut for God knows how long. Even when it was open it was frustrating because only one customer was allowed in at a time. For some reason they only sell the Megazine at WH Smith, which isn't shut because it's a newsagent. Of course I could have ordered straight from the website. I don't think think virus is going to help the comic shops much.
TBH I've had a dual sub for years now. With the kids and everything else life throws at us getting to a comic shop on owt approaching a regular basis has proven to be a non-starter.
Not to mention that the quality of comics shops around here isn't great. We've got a stall on the market but he tends more towards collectables. Cardiff isn't much better these days either. FP ... well, less said the better. Comic Guru's reputation leaves a lot to be desired. The stall in Jacob's market is probably one of the better options and then of course there is Troutmark which is hit and miss, depending on when he's had another splurge.
To be completely honest though I've pretty much lost it with American comics now. Possibly part of this is because I've collected all the ones that I really want. Part of it is there is just so much dross about, at stupid prices and insane frequency. So most comic shops don't hold much appeal for me. Especially since so many of them only really carry a very limited stock.
How many of them will survive the pandemic is anyone's guess. Those with a strong internet presence will probably manage. It's going to be bloody though!
Sub-City Comics on Dame Street in Dublin. Run by two great lads - Richard and Rob. I've had a standing order with them for 2000AD for some years now and they've never disappointed. Even though they had to close for much of the year due to Covid, they were Johnny-On-The-Spot when it came to getting my back-progs in, once they reopened. Very friendly and highly recommended.
I do occasional shop at the FB in Manchester, it's not bad once you get into the basement space where the actual comics are.
Travelling Man just down the road however is where it's really at, though true they've expanded their board game section recently you gotta chase that growing market I guess, their comics and manga selection is sublime. Staff are all absolute gems too.