Does anyone have their own favourite or mosted hated comic book stores?
My own personal favourite was Gosh in London (top store circa 1992 (don't know what it's like now though) closely follwed by Terry's shop in the Indoor Market in Newport South Wales (Negative Zone I think it's called). Most hated is Forbidden Planet in Cardiff (terrible display system can't find anything and they are always out of stock of the good stuff), and the most dissapointing was Jonathon Ross and Paul Gambochine's shop (ignore spelling please).
God I must be bored to be thinking about this lot.
M.
ACE Comics in Colchester is one of the best I've ever been in and their service has always been faultless.
Regarding Cardiff FP, they took 20 issues of '79 off me at Comics '99 on a sale or return basis, never got any money and they never returned the copies, so they wouldn't be at the top of my list.
La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.
Link: ACE Comics
Millenium Comics which has a store in Northwich and a Market stall in Warrington. Good selection of comics - mainstream and indie - lot's of merchandise and graphic novels. Best of all they're run by a pair of enthusisatic, knowledgable cits - Mike and Danny - who go out of their way to provide extra service.
For instance because I shop there so regularly they gave me free copies of the missing issues of 'Cursed Earth' when I bought the collection.
They also have a basement stuffed full of literally thousands of back issues of 2k, Best of, the Meg and so on.
Hmmm. This will be embarassing if they see this...
Mega City Comics in London are pretty good...
I always thoughtthe staff in Forbidden Plant were rude and obnoxious over here, but then I tried visiting an FP in New York... Jesus Christ. I walk into the shop and start to browse the tiny, disorganised comics section and this guy comes running after me, utterly pissed off that I hadn't left the tiny, less that A5 plastic bag I was carrying at the counter. I do so, already setting m mind against buying anything in the store, and go back to look at comics. The guy watches me like a hawk the whole time I'm in the shop, as if I'm going to start stuffing buffy figurenes into my pocket the moment he takes his eyes off me, and then when I recover my bag he says something sarcastic and rude because I didn't buy anything.
I tell you, I'd dump a 747 on that fucking store.
Mega City Comics in London are pretty good...
Hey, thats the store I go to.
"Mega City Comics in London are pretty good...
Hey, thats the store I go to."
I used to go there all the time when I was living in Hendon (90 or 91 I think). I remember buying a complete run of Animal Man from there and was well chuffed with myself.
My girlfriend gets really pissed off whenever we make the trek from sunny Leicester to London as I still insist on a detour to Camdem to check out Mega City...
Forbidden Planet Southampton. I don't know if theres a Piss off customers policy in place there but the staffs conversations are ALWAYS more important than actually serving you, and when they do pay you attention it's with vast suspicion "What are you doing in our den?" Hateful place.
I think that's most Forbidden Planets...
The one in Notts can never seemed to be arsed to open until up to half an hour after it is supposed to. And it's 3/4 gonks.
Plus points is that they do play good music and (unlike Page'We are reordering' 45) they keep their stock levels up.
And the last time I went in, the bloke in Page 45 completely blanked me when I tried to have a conversation with him... What is it about about comic shops that half the staff have no customer skills at all...
There are exceptions to the rule but in general you have to wonder if there's some government scheme for those people sacked from all other retail jobs to be placed in comic shops. The Simpsons character is if anything too fond an image, whne I was about 12 I remember being intimidated out of FP Glasgow just by the sheer rudeness of the no mark on the counter when I naively asked about Batman, treating me as if I was an idiot for not knowing about DC continuity, when I dared to ask where to start as I'ld only read some UK reprints. It was a good four years before I went back to a comic shop. And people wonder why its a niche industry.
Oh the comic shop near Murder 1 in London (on the road with all the bookshops on it which I've just forgotten the name of) is very good. I popped in there during Dreddcon weekend and the bloke I chatted to was very helpful and freindly... if only other comic shops could be the same. The guys who run sf book shops all seem to be helpfull to potential customers why cannot comic shops be the same... as the man says no wonder it's a niche market.
And I'm totally sick to death of the 'of course we've not got it, you should order absolutly everything you may be the slightest bit interested in' attitude.
Readers World isnt a comic shop as such - moe a second hand books shop, with loads of mags and comics, but recommended all the same.
I think all new York shop staff are trained to act like that Arthur. When I went to Greenwich village on the hunt for rare singles, I had an almost exact same experience. After making a sarcastic joke about the (Richie Havens) single I was after and chuckling with his mate, he said all yes, he had some of his stuff, but all the singles were down in the basement. After asking whether he could get them, he huffed and puffed as if it would involve some extensive search of his stockroom. What it actually involved was pressing an intercom button and asking the guy in the stockroom to bring them up. Happily I too purchased nothing - Look at it this way, I would have left the store disappointed otherwise - This way, I left with a flourish and a F*** you. nice.
Oh god, record shops...
Many years ago, in the days of vinyl, I wanted to buy this 12 inch from a second hand record shop in Birmingham. Now this place sold mainly metal but while rooting around I discovered an interesting looking Ska remix. I then asked the yeti behind the counter if I could possibly listen too it before I bought it. He took one look at it and snorted "I'm not playing that shit"
There was the brief silence when I, stunned and well frankly enraged, refused to back down until the shop owner came over and said he's put it on... The Yeti stomped off into the back room, muttering to himself.
I know it's not a great job, I've been behind the counter myself, but even so...
Reddingtons perchance, Gary?
If so I'm not surprised - Terrible, shop, terrible prices. Swordfish is a great record shop in Brum, if you can convince the guy who runs/owns it to sell you the stuff!
There was a nicecomics shop in NY, quite close to teh empire states building, but i've forgotten its name. But still, not ALL comics shops are horrible over there.
My favorite ever international comics shop is Lambiek in Amsterdam, which claims to be the oldest comics shop in the world and has a fantastic collection of original artwork for underground comix.
Link: http://www.lambiek.net/
Also worth mentioning is Confounded books in Seattle, a very nice alternate comics shop with all kinds of cool stuff, with a very good recordstore next door. Ah, the joys of world travel...
Link: http://www.trashkids.com/
Readers World isnt a comic shop as such - moe a second hand books shop, with loads of mags and comics, but recommended all the same.
Readers World is indeed ace, on the proviso that you don't mind lugging the boxes off the shelves before you root through them. I came out of there with a carrier bag absolutely chokka, and the whole lot came to less than a fiver.
I have a tendancy to deliberately piss off 'comic shop' employees in Birmingham. The first was in FP when someone who worked there told me he'd never heard of 2000AD. I stood there and laughed...and laughed...and laughed.
The second, I think Watch witnessed the repercussions of later on when he went in afterwards. I asked a member of staff at Nostalgia where the comic shop that used to be there had moved to. He didn't look a very happy pixie as I walked out.
On a positive note, Kathies Comics in Bristol, who I get all my mail order stuff from, have performed a sterling service since I've started using them. They're genuinely nice blokes as well.
Sounds like you went into Comics Showcase on Charing Cross Road.Very good comic shop-spacious,well-organised,very good range of stock and,of course,all the 2000AD stuff is in a prime position on the wall:)
Natalie
Yeah, he's definatley on about that one. I went there during the Dredd-con weekend. The guy down stairs made me feel bad for even asking him one question, but the man upstairs was nice.
They had loads of set of the Batman/Dredd cross-overs if anyone's looking for them.
Well apart from the local branch of Forbidden Planet, which again seems to be staffed by paranoid security guards, I frequent a rather nice but incredibly tiny book and comic shop that goes by the surprisingly original name of "Books n' Comics".
I'm not kidding when I say it's tiny either, the phrase "Three's a crowd" must have been coined after a group of fanboys visited. However, the service is friendly and they do try to get what you ask for, and best of all, if you catch them on a good day you can haggle on some of the older stuff.
Anyway here's a link to their website, and I would appreciate it if anyone else could paste some links to any other comic and book related sites worth visiting.
Link: BOOKS N' COMICS
Forbidden Planet is a chain store, so like Virgin etc I suppose its inevitable that your sometimes going to get p*ssed off retail workers on minimum wage rather than happy geeks who love comics.
For the record my local comic store is Forbidden Planet in Edinburgh, and the staff there are a pleasant, friendly bunch.
The Comic Zone shop in Letchworth, Herts is cool, they were very disorganised a few years ago and the upper floor was literally a comic graveyard (woulda made King Troutman go on a beheading spree). But now they have moved over the other side of the Arcade they've got their act together. They may not have the greatest range but the chap who runs it always seems happy to see you even if you walk out empty handed
Talisman (as it once was called) in Belfast was a great comic shop staffed by comic fans (Mal, Neil, Franky Fuzz and John, though Frank has now moved on to the dizzy heights of B&Q, shame really, a more natural artist you will never meet, brilliant but very, very lazy and Mal has had material published by Fantagraphics - Holy Cross, great stuff, and he co-wrote stuff for Chrisis with Pat Mills - Falls Guy etc... check it out).
It recently becamee part of the Forbidden Planet group, which is fine except you now can't find the comics for the toys. Shame.
By the way - I'm compiling a directory of UK comic stores for ximoc.co.uk. Please forward any information about your local/favourite store to me at mail2ximoc@yahoo.co.uk.
Cheers
Link: http://www.ximoc.co.uk
on the web silver surfer have looked after me well. with international mailing and excelent online ordering system.
in my home town of plymouth. kathies comics two very pleasant chaps(true sci fi fan boys)and very helpful and knowledgeable. and purple haze. superb selection of everything under the sun.at some very very reasonable prices i may add.
In singapore. ALRICS.first true western comic shop. ran by a sad comic fan boy. stocks 2000ad and related merchandise.marvel darkhorse etc.
he also thinks alan moore is the finest scribe since shakespeare.
The shop has poster of Halo Jones framed on the wall.
he deserves note as the first to open such an enviroment after the restrictions on such materail where relaxed last year.
Nice, I laughed out loud at that. I actually got my only bought piece of original art from there (Nostalgia) back in '91. A page of Alan Davis first issue of Batman & the outsiders. lovely to see all the little things that dont reproduce well.
All comic shops are crap unless you are completely at home spending an hour in there, buying nothing and still learning loads about stuff.
The only time I have been into a shop recently was FP brum as I was trying to fill a few gaps in the 2000 collection, and I had to ask where the comics were! Shocked man, shocked!
I have driven past readers world dozens of times and never gotten in, that will have to change. Thanks Watcher.
My favourite is the Comix Shoppe in Swansea, where I work. the staff are very nice, dashingly handsome and have the best taste in background music.
mat
Ground zero in my home town of Mansfield was a perfect comic shop, run by two lovely chaps called Paul and Stu, back when i lived there I used to go into the shop and just hang out for hours on end chatting to Paul, Stu and other regular customers, it was more of a social club than a comic shop, and Dan Abnett used to hang out in there as it was his local comic shop also.
FP in Nottingham, whilst being a good shop choice wise, yet again had staff you just wanted to punch in the gonads, especially the manager who was this obnoxious eastern european midgit, I used to go in there for 2 hour stetches just standing there reading books and mags and then not buy anything just to piss him off and give him a sarcastic "thank you" on my way out, he once said to me "this place isn't a library you know" - total arsehole, I hope his precious "career" hasn't nosedived since I last went there in about 94.
Well the current Notts FP manager is a bit of short arse... but I don't think he's Eastern European, just on the outside miserable bastard, but strangly enough a bit of laught if you can get past that.
A papershop in my local town has actually put up several "This is not a library" signs on the mag shelves... needless to say I never buy anything from there, but do browse if I've got 5 mins to kill...
well ive probably only been a comic shop twice in life... very strange & frustrating ( no money ever to spend ) it was. but the 'bookncomics' seeneester mentioned were a great help to me online. good on that man!
uncle umpty
and any one else intereted
this is the link to kathies comics plymouth.
a nicer couple of sad comic fan boys you could not wish to meet. knowledgeable and pleasant. heavily into sci fi. and role playing games.
but enough of their personal life.
worth a look,
top of range attitude. always happy to help.
sadly the other one i mention purple haze is not on the web.tehy have a really great selection and a very good buch of chaps working in there.
Link: http://www.kathiescomics.co.uk/main.html
has any boarder EVER seen a female in a comic shop?
i mean on her own actaully looking for something, not whinging at her male partner and trying to drag him out she she can look for a new pair of shoes.
You get the odd goth types picking up Sandman and the like, but on occasion in Talisman (now FP), if you're lucky you can catch a glimps of a real babe. I, of course don't know her name but take it from me, she's a corker. Slim, blond, pitete (spelling?), I'd go as far to say that she's as close to a flesh and blood Ian Gibson female as I've ever seen.
sigh..
well there was me in edinburgh circa 1986 once & then Glasgow fp around 2000... & i was looking for myself honest... is this why the assisants nearly spat out their coffee & split their anoraks when i asked for something, never seen wommin much ?
Forbidden Planet and Nostalgia were fantastic until they became soulless toy emporia. Denmark Street and Queensway. Dammit, I want that underpass put back where it belongs! I want a Readers' World with protective grilles on the windows. I want a public toilet next door where all us comic fans can gather and get beaten up by small children. And that FP in Manhattan is nothing more than a glorified jumble sale.
I've seen quite a few women in comic stores myself, and actually had a conversation with one once, so it wasn't just a mirage.
Another reason I hate the FP in Cardiff (aside from the lack of stock, the late, happazard opening, and the 'what do you want, this is our private little club' attitude) is that when they take delivery of new stock they actually REFUSE to serve you and REFUSE to let you take any comics off the shelfs until they have put togther the 'comics to be collected' pile. As I don't work in Cardiff and therefore have to make a special journey to visit, this really P*sses me off.
Can you tell that they didn't have what I was looking for this weekend (LOEG Graphic Novel)! My wife is fed up of me coming home mumbling, 'I hate that shop, I will never go there again......'
M.
This fish heartily recommends Future Shock in Woodlands Road, Glasgow.
It's hideously disorganised but is a bit of a treasurehouse of over-ordered back stock, still sitting on the shelves with its original price on.
And Neil, who owns it, is a very nice chap.
- Trout
Kate came into FP New Oxford St with me once, and rather than nag me & drag me shoe shopping she was content to read a film magazine while I searched for any UK published comics/GNs, convinced that the one shelf they had couldn't be it, could it??