B-Bop - Kansas City, MO

There was plenty of Google maps surfing involved in order to decide which LCS I should hit up before leaving Kansas City. B-Bop was actually my third choice but since the first two didn't pan out for various reasons, that's where I went.

And it wasn't a bad decision.

This is a pretty nice little shop. Everything is neatly organized into sections along the walls and some islands of long boxes in the middle with back issues. What surprised me most though was the varied prices on books. There was something in everyone's price range here. Some popular trades were marked half-off and there were some 50c bins to dig through.

The staff was very helpful without being in your face. Just the way I like it! (If you know what I mean....)

I spent about 20 minutes there mucking around, sifting through a little of everything. There were some figurines to look at as well but it was clearly not the focus of the shop.

I definitely liked how the comics were organized to accommodate different customer groups, in the sense of one shelf being adult, another straight up superheroes, all ages, recommended etc etc. Confusing at first but I quickly realized this is a much better way to cater to the inexperienced comic reader. Me likes.

The location also gets a +1, as at a glance the neighborhood was cozy and parking was easy to find.

I have no problems recommending B-Bop comics really. Check it out if you're in Kansas City, MO/KS/everyotherstateintheUS.

Long Beach Comic Con

The second installment of Long Beach Comic Con has seen the light and I was there on opening day. There was a little ceremony which I missed most of because the line to the pre-purchase tickets were quite long.

The floor was set up to have the artist alley in the middle and then the vendors had set up shops around it. Image, Top Cow and Boom! had big booths at the very entrance and was pretty much the first thing you saw.

Initially we raided the trade boxes which were 70-90% off and really found some awesome stuff. The comics selection was great overall and I'm just happy I managed to pull off before spending every dime I owned. Which could easily have happened since the ATM was close and conveniently located.

The program was pretty good with Jeph Loeb and Mike Mignola doing signings and a whole bunch of known and unknown artists hammering out stuff in the alley.

Unfortunately I couldn't attend the rest of the weekend but I was happy what I got out of the 5 hours spent there. Next year I hope to plan ahead better!

Official Website

Frank and Sons, Industry CA

If you live in LA county and are interested in comic books or toys or sports memorabilia or Magic: The Gathering or- well you get the idea, then you probably know of Frank and Sons.

Twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays, there is a convention at a warehouse in City of Industry east of Los Angeles which people flock to in lack of anything else "big" happening like San Diego or even Long Beach. This Saturday they had a big Magic tournament.. We were there for the comics and figures however. Overall, considering this is more like an ongoing convention, the selection is quite impressive. Odds are pretty good that you will actually find those issues you were missing as well as that elusive figurine at a good price.

Hawt.

There's food and drink available for purchase along with vendor machines and ATM's. In other words, you'll be all set here.

I have to be honest and say, Frank and Sons is great. I mean, what's not to like? I guess the trade paperback selection could be better but you can still get lucky and find some of the ones you are looking for at 50-60% off book price.

This is a must-go-to place if you live in the major LA area.

Since I had been running behind on Brightest Day and Green Lantern, most of those issues were my top priority. I was happy to find all of them at a still slightly discounted price. I also grabbed quite a few Jonah Hex issues from '09 and '10 for 50 cents per piece.

If you are looking for more detailed information check out their official website. They do have events, signings and all kinds of good stuff happening regularly.

Official Website

Los Angeles Comic Con - 9/19/2010

Sunday morning. It took me about 15 minutes to get past downtown to the Shrine Auditorium for the LA Comic Con. Who ever said LA traffic was bad..?

Parking was affordable at $7 per spot. It looked like you could actually swing free street parking but I'll have to wait for the next one to try that out. The entrance fee was $8 but if you wanted first stab at what the dealers were offering you could get in an hour earlier (9am) for $12.

The selection was pretty good for a smaller convention; a slice of everything. We checked out pretty much everything but I spent the most time going through the newer issue 50c boxes. It is safe to say I came away with a pretty big pile.. Overall there were great deals to be made. There weren't a super abundance of trade paperbacks but I still managed to get a couple for either $5 or 50-60% off book price.

Some dealers were more popular than others and it got pretty crowded in some places. People were waiting in line to get at some of the 50c boxes. The mood and atmosphere was great and the auditorium itself definitely added to it. Excellent vibes.

I won't list all the pretties but here were a few of my favorite pickups:

• Artifacts #1 (First printing, Cover B) - $0.50
• Captain America: Red Menace vol 1 - $6.00
• Thor the Mighty Avenger #2, #3 - $1.00
• Y: The Last Man vol 1 - $3.95
• Showcase: Green Lantern vol 1 - $5.00

Maybe not a convention you travel across the country for like SDCC or NYCC but if you are in the LA area for some reason and it happens to coincide with the LA Comic Con, then head on over. You won't be disappointed, there's definitely something for everyone!

Official Website

America’s 10 Greatest Comic Stores (Flavorwire)

There is a post about "America’s 10 Greatest Comic and Graphic Novel Stores" over at Flavorwire that was at least semi interesting. I would not put too much weight on what is said for each one.. their choices and motivations doesn't really play well with my own but still, it does feature 10 LCS' so I'm all for it.

http://flavorwire.com/119588/americas-10-greatest-comic-and-graphic-novel-stores

Comic stores vs. the economy (ROBOT 6)

There's a post over at ROBOT 6 reporting on the economy in relation to comic stores both local and online.

"Economic forces continue to take a toll on comic retailers — online stores and brick-and-mortar shops alike — a gloomy reality illustrated by two recent developments."

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2010/09/comic-stores-vs-the-economy-a-grim-tale-of-two-retailers/

The Fantasy Factory - Lakeland, FL

Let's say you're somewhere between Tampa and Orlando and looking for an LCS, where do you go? It's very simple really, go visit The Fantasy Factory in Lakeland!

I was staying in Bartow and managed to get this shop on my route heading to Tampa Int'l Airport. It was pretty easy to find (the GPS didn't mess with me this time) but it could really use a sign by the entrance or similar. Looks like there might have been one up at some point though, have a look at the picture.

Parking was great, plenty of customer parking spaces.

I really didn't expect much but as soon as I stepped through the door it was a genuine EUREKA! experience. This place was huge with a ton of comics, figures, movie and game related items. I was utterly compelled to go through everything... eeeeeeverything. I love that feeling. Their comics selection is very good with the only gap being back issues. They have plenty of new releases and trades along with posters and shirts to fill it with though.

I picked up The Magdalena #1, the Hasbro Series 2 Thor action figure and a Thor by Coipel & Djurdjevic poster.

I had a blast here, check it out if you're in the area!

Google Maps Directions

Dale's Planet Comics - Midland, TX

So I'm in western Texas. Odessa to be exact. I have a couple of hours before my flight leaves so I decide to scope out the LCS. From what I could find there's only one store that serves both Odessa and Midland and it's called Dale's Planet Comics. My trusty GPS got me to within a block of the store location.. but that was it. Or rather, in true GPS fashion it said I had arrived at the destination but all I could see was a gas station and a convenience store. Naturally I start circling around but give up after 15 minutes and call the store.

Turns out it was just on the other side of the intersection. Sometimes I just want to chug that British speaking GPS out the window and shout KEEP LEFT as it's obliterated under a semi.

Anyways, the store had a very cool facade mural thing depicting a large comic book character cast. Very neat; I took a picture of it. Upon entering I quickly realized that these folks don't exclusively deal with comics. The left portion had the comics on tall shelves and then on the right it was more about print and sign jobs. On the inside it basically felt like a print place that also had a storefront. They had a good selection of new books and back issues for current series.

Picked up Kato #1

If you are in the area and looking to pick up the latest issue, go here and show your support.

Google Maps Directions

House of Secrets - Burbank, CA

It's Saturday morning, the better half is in Canada, horse riding date not until 1pm. What do you do?

Get your comic book fix!

I decided the next stop on my local LA tour would be House of Secrets in Burbank. Close and convenient. They don't have customer parking but Olive Ave is wide open for the taking (albeit only for an hour).

So I jump out of the car and head for the entrance. Or at least what I thought was the entrance. Apparently House of Secrets have a horror/gothic type of art gallery right next to it. Totally failing to realize I was not in the right place I kept a straight face and spent about 10 minutes looking at some of the most obscure pieces of art I've ever seen. And some of the coolest as well, I might add. I pick up a book for 5 bucks and head out.

As I exit I suddenly remember seeing another store front door on the corner driving by so I go check it out just in case... Well it's safe to say I finally found my way to House of Secrets and was a happy camper.

The girl working there on weekends is really nice and knows her stuff for sure. Awesome! Store is of decent size and jampacked with books, figures etc. Everything is neatly organized and easy to find. They even have a lounge like area with a couch and coffee table. Me likes.

My pickups were the Azrael: Death's Dark Knight TPB and volume one of Preacher TPB.

If you are ever in the area, check House of Secrets out!

Reviews

Official Website

Google Maps Directions

Hi De Ho - Santa Monica, CA

If you are in Santa Monica and looking for comic books, Hi De Ho is the place for you. Their location at Santa Monica Blvd, close to 3rd Street Promenade, is fantastic and can't be missed. There were no customer parking area so we just grabbed a spot on the street around the corner.

The store is fairly large and they have an awesome inventory of both new and old books but they also carry t-shirts, figures, toys, cards and more. The atmosphere was great and the staff very friendly.

My pickup of the day was Thor: Ages of Thunder TPB.


Reviews

Official Website

Online Store (eBay)

Google Maps Directions

THOR is coming!

Greetings!

Who could be more worthy to grace the first post than THOR?