Despite its successful membership drive (see “200 Memberships for Brick-and-Mortar Store”), publisher Silver Sprocket has closed its retail store in San Francisco. The news was posted by owner Avi Ehrlich on the Silver Sprocket Instagram, where he said, that while the store had been profitable until 2023, changes in the area had presented new challenges: “The drop in foot-traffic, lower sales at all businesses on our part of Valencia Street, fewer tourists, rising expenses, and the general economic uncertainty impacting people’s spending made it impossible for the retail store to sustain itself.” Mission Local talked to Ehrlich about the history of the store as well as to some of its loyal customers. “It’s a real loss,” said customer Kip Ling Bassil. “Silver Sprocket is the epitome of a third space. An indie mecca that is especially important for the LGBTQ+ community.”
The newly opened Tabletop Bookshelf in Milwaukee, WI, is a game store with a difference: Its focus is on solo journaling games, in which players use the paraphernalia of tabletop games, including dice and tokens, to create a story. While that may seem like a solitary pursuit, owner Tom Gibes told OnMilwaukee that while the store started as an online business, his customers really wanted to get together in real life. “There’s definitely a desire for physical games and getting together to play them in person,” he said. “This is not just a shop, but a place for people to connect and create together.”
What does it take to stay in business for 50 years? Community! That’s what customers of the Comic Carnival in Indianapolis told the Butler Collegian. The store, which claims to be the oldest comic shop in Indiana, has been doing business since 1975 and has many longtime customers, although owner Tim Reynolds says they are bringing their kids in as well. The store has fostered relationships with many creators, including artist Stuart Sayger (see “Preview: ‘Archie X Army of Darkness’ #2”), who used to work there, and it also caters to students and staff at nearby Butler University.
Community is an essential part of the business for Brian Frederick, owner of The Eldritch Bazaar in Columbiana, OH, and he takes it seriously. “My business was founded on the principle that anybody should be allowed to game, regardless of restrictions or problems they have with socializing,” Frederick told Mahoning Matters. “As someone who’s on the spectrum with level two autism, I find social interaction very difficult on a digital medium, whereas in person, it’s a lot easier.” The Eldritch Bazaar started out as a gaming club and Frederick opened the brick-and-mortar store in 2023. “There’s not a lot of places people are allowed to just exist; it’s almost socially inherent that you need to spend money to go out,” he said. “A lot of our events are free. Yes, you want to bring your own things that you already own to engage more effectively, but you’re not required to pay a dime to just hang out. We have an entire public library and board game section that’s completely free to use here at the shop for that reason.”
The Comic Shop in San Leandro, CA, on the other hand, is struggling to make the 50-year mark. Current owner Eric Ott tells The Pioneer Online that he was dyslexic as a child and comics gave him both a way to read and understand stories and a community to share them with, and the store is a way to share that experience. “For me, comics helped me become who I am, and when I [took over] The Comic Shop, my goal was — and still is — to create a space where anyone can be themselves, explore their imagination, and find a voice,” he said. “This is a safe place for everyone, no matter your background, your abilities, or who you are.” Nonetheless, the store has faced challenges in paying their rent and even getting comics onto the shelves (thanks to shipping problems) and has set up a GoFundMe as well as holding a series of sales to help keep the business going.
Actor and bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno will be at Invincible Comics in Modesto, CA, on March 27, and the Modesto Bee recalls him waxing nostalgic on his last visit there in 2024. “When I was a kid, I would go into comic book stores by myself and I remember I didn’t have the money,” he said. “I remember the smell of the old-fashioned comic book paper. With comics, I learned about bodybuilders and I dreamed about being like the Hulk.” That dream came true years later, when Ferrigno played the Incredible Hulk on the silver screen.
After nearly 20 years in Bay Ridge, Galaxy Comics II closed its doors on March 1, PIX11 reports, another victim of dropping foot traffic and high rents. The sister store in Park Slope will remain open, however. The Bay Ridge store opened in the early 2000s after the closing of another store, Mutant Mania.
Comic Book Hideout in Fullerton, CA, hosted a Transformers: Energon art exhibit as part of the Fullerton Art Walk, featuring paintings of the characters by local artists, including art students from Cal State University Fullerton, the Daily Titan reports. “You don’t have to be into anything super highfalutin or helpful to the world,” said CSUF alumnus Pedro Maradiaga, one of the participating artists. “Whatever you enjoy that is fun, find a community around it, get involved and then these opportunities will literally come to you.”
Read more at this site