Comic Book Candy

The last month my blogging has slowed considerably, but no fear, I have not lost interest in comics. In fact, I've been reading more than ever! My increasingly busy schedule has been in part due to the fact that I have returned to the world of comic book retail. Since its opening in the Block 37 shopping center in early April, I have been a regular employee of Comic Vault Downtown . I thought it best to make an official statement in the interest of full disclosure, especially considering how frequently I write about the retail experience. The only major effect I foresee this having on my blog will be an increase in availability of reading material, and perhaps more frequent spotlights on events occurring at the Comic Vault stores. Thus far it has been a blast working with the Comic Vault crew, and I've had even more fun getting the chance to talk to other fans face to face about the books coming out each week, discovering new series, and being in the thick of it every Wednesday...

The Comic Vault is an inviting spot along a quiet stretch of Montrose near Clark. (This post is part of an ongoing series where I attempt to visit every single comic book store within Chicago city limits. You can read more about the project here! ) Location: 1530 W Montrose in Ravenswood Public Transit: Nearest buses are the Clark (22) and Montrose (78), nearest train is the Montrose brown line. Hours: Mon - Fri: 11:00AM – 8:00PM Sat: 11:00AM – 6:00PM Sun: 11:00AM – 4:00PM Website: http://www.chicagoc omicvault.com The Comic Vault is another North side store (there are a lot) and it is rather unimposing in appearance, but don't make the mistake of overlooking this shop. The Comic Vault may be slight in scale, but the substance of the store is more than meets the eye. Things must be going well, too since they will soon be opening a second store in the Block 37 shopping center downtown on April 1st. For a business entering their fifth year, ambitious might be an under...

Challengers as seen on the much warmer 24 Hour Comics Day this past October. (This post is part of an ongoing series where I attempt to visit every single comic book store within Chicago city limits. You can read more about the project here! ) Location: 1845 N Western Ave #2R in Bucktown Public Transit: Nearest buses are the Western (49) and Milwaukee (56), nearest train is the Western blue line. Hours: Monday through Friday: 11:00 to 7:00 Saturday and Sunday: 11:00 to 5:00 Website: http://www.challengerscomics.com Challengers Comics + Conversation presented a uniquely complicated task for Retail Therapy. My history with the owners makes me a little more than biased. I worked for co-owner Patrick Brower for several years before he opened Challengers, and I have remained close friends with him since. When my husband and I wanted to have a Star Trek theme wedding , Pat offered to officiate and host the nuptials inside of Challengers. How can I possibly talk about this comi...

(This post is part of an ongoing series where I attempt to visit every single comic book store within Chicago city limits. You can read more about it here !) Location: 2641 N Kedzie in Logan Square Public Transit: Nearest buses are the Diversey (76) and Milwaukee (56); Nearest train is the Blue line Logan Square stop. Hours: Monday: 12-7 Tuesday: 12-7 Wednesday: 12-8 Thursday: 12-7 Friday: 12-8 Saturday: 12-7 Sunday: 12-6 Website: www.g-mart.com G-Mart Comic Books has flown under my radar for several years, and I suspect that may be the case for many Chicago comic book fans. Geographically, it is not easy to get to for a Northsider like myself. Located in Logan Square, it took a good hour to reach, and even when I was in the neighborhood, I still managed to miss it despite being across the street. After wondering too far down Kedzie, I stopped at a local 7-11 and asked the employees if they knew where the comic book store G-Mart was located. Befuddled looks then led t...

(This post is part of an ongoing series where I attempt to visit every single comic book store within Chicago city limits. You can read more about it here! ) Location: 3244 N Clark in Lakeview Public Transit: Nearest buses are the Clark (22); Nearest train is the Belmont Red/Brown/Purple line stop. Hours: Monday: 12-8 Tuesday: 12-8 Wednesday: 12-8 Thursday: 12-8 Friday: 12-10 Saturday: 11-10 Sunday: 12-6 Website: www.chicagocomics.com I can still remember my first trip to Chicago Comics when I was a teenager visiting from the suburbs of Dayton, Ohio. This was not your small town comic book store. I was blown away by the many remarkable items on display; kitschy collectibles adorned with pulp pin ups, patches and pins, art books I'd never seen before, comics I'd never heard of at that point. My wonderment was soon accompanied by considerable feelings of inadequacy. I was 16, reading far too many X-Men titles, and surrounded by a whole world of comics I had not ...

The store still has their original display cases.  (This post is part of an ongoing series where I attempt to visit every single comic book store within Chicago city limits. You can read more about it here !) Location: 4602 N Western Ave in Lincoln Square Public Transit: Nearest buses are the Western (49B), Montrose (78), and the Lawrence (81); Nearest train is the Brown line Western stop. Hours: Monday: Closed Tuesday: 12-5 Wednesday: 12-6:30 Thursday: 12-6 Friday: 12-6 Saturday: 12-4 Sunday: 12-4 Website: None, but if you have questions their number is 773-334-2550 Visiting Variety Comics made me a little nervous. Words like dark, dank, and haphazard were thrown around by those who had been there. The store's owner had a reputation for being testy, and the hours were known to be sporadic. It is now too late for me to form my own opinions of Rick. He passed away last year after having owned the store for 30 plus years. The new proprietor is Vinny, a lifetime...

Owner Mark Beatty with one of his two dogs, Koko. (This post is part of an ongoing series where I attempt to visit every single comic book store within Chicago city limits. You can read more about it here !) Location: 4835 N Western Ave in Lincoln Square Public Transit: Nearest buses are the Western (49B) and the Lawrence (81); Nearest train is the Brown line Western stop.   Hours: Monday: 2-8 Tuesday: 2-8 Wednesday: 11-9 Thursday: 12-9 Friday: 12-9 Saturday: 11-7 Sunday: 11-7 Website: http://www.darktowercomics.net/ I miss living in close proximity to Dark Tower Comics & Collectibles , a homey store that quickly puts one at ease. With their flexible hours and extensive $1 back issue selection, this was one of my favorite stores for bargain hunting on lazy Sunday afternoons. (When you have a 9-5 job Tuesday through Saturday, you  appreciate the businesses that stay open on Sunday and Monday. Many-a comic book stores and Thai restaurants have broken my...

  (This post is part of an ongoing series where I attempt to visit every single comic book store within Chicago city limits. You can read more about it here !) Location: 6928 N Glenwood Ave in Rogers Park Public Transit: Nearest buses are the Sheridan #151 and Clark #22; Nearest train is the Redline Morse stop. Hours: Monday Closed Tuesday - Saturday Noon til Close Sunday Nine til Close Website(s): http://www.evilsquirrelcomics.com/ Evil Squirrel Comics is another shop here on the North side of Chicago, and it is one I've been curious about for several months. I work in Evanston, so everyday on my way to and from work, I see this store from the Redline. It's located just next to the train tracks, and it's nestled in between an independent theater and a greasy spoon diner. I found the area was even more charming in person than it looked from high on the L train. Across from the storefronts are large, vibrant murals that extend the length of the street and wrap a...

    Location: 6234 N Broadway in Edgewater   Public Transit: Nearest bus is the Broadway #36; Nearest train is the Redline Granville stop. Hours: Monday Closed Tuesday 11:00 - 6:00 Wednesday 11:00 - 7:30 Thursday 11:00 - 7:00 Friday 11:00 - 7:00 Saturday 11:00 - 7:00 Sunday 12:00 - 6:00   Website(s): http://www.thirdcoastcomics.com/   Third Coast Comics was a great place to start my comic book store project (more details here ). It's a well lit, well stocked store with friendly staff. First off, I did not inform employees of the project until after I'd had a good browse around. Doing this gave me a better impression of how any customer off of the street would be treated as opposed to the girl carrying a massive camera and asking lots of questions (that comes later). I came in on a Thursday, a relatively quiet day, but several customers came and went during my walk through. You won't get a better impression of a store than by seeing how customers a...

January tends to be a very slow time for retailers, and this year comic book publishers are attempting to give readers extra reasons to brave the cold and visit their local stores. The much talked about price cuts from DC will be going into effect this January, along with the Point 1 initiative from Marvel (cheaper intro books intended to attract new readers to low-number flagship titles), but many have noticed that there will be less books coming out in January and February than in past months, particularly from the largest publisher, Marvel. Less books = less incentive to come in. Those pull boxes tend to fill up during the winter months while readers wait, often for weeks at a time between visits to purchase their books. Post-holiday months have historically been leaner, but with so many record low sales for several months this year (at least three consecutive months failed to see a single book cross the 100,000 mark), there won't be much of a nest egg to cover operating costs....