“We need to find a way to make people come into the store and talk comics beyond new comics Wednesday,” Robert said, noting that the industry has decided to make one day of the week the star of the show.
While each area offers different avenues of discussion, especially when it comes to board games and collectibles, Robert was quick to point out that in order to develop a strong comics community the goal should be to keep people in the store for longer, talking about comics. The more diverse the items on the shelves the better the conversations that are struck in-store. Robert started by immediately recognizing that comic stores should offer as complete a pop culture experience as possible. I talked to Robert Lefevre, the manager of Brave New Worlds, about the store’s identity and how it looks to adapt to stay relevant in the era of digital sales. This, coupled with those one-dollar comics, became the beginning of my comics education, my origin story within that universe. The next story I picked up thanks to the staff recommendation on top of the discounted price was Darwyn Cooke’s New Frontier. I remember buying Marvel’s initial Ultimates run along with Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing at discount price and knowing I would come back the following week for more. This is one of the reasons why Brave New Worlds became the store that converted me to comics. This approach to sales and discounts allows for newcomers to ease their way into deep reading with top-tier titles available at half-price or lower. The store boasts a large selection of discounted trades, one-dollar single issues, and features a small section more comic book stores should invest in: an used comics section. They are clearly displayed as the reason why the store exists. Upon entering the store, one is immediately struck by a general sense of balance, of superhero comics and indie comics coexisting on an equal playing field amongst collectible figures, board games, trading cards, and Japanese model kits. 2 nd Street, in the Old City section, a minute’s walk away from Christ Church, which included amongst its congregation 15 signers of the Declaration of Independence (Benjamin Franklin amongst them). One great example of a locally owned comic shop fighting the good fight in keeping the comics store experience from fading, and adapting to new audiences, movements, politics, and trends can be found in Philadelphia, under the name Brave New Worlds.īrave New Worlds is located in 55 N.
Local Comic Shop Day not only aims at reminding comics buyers of the benefits of print, but it also reinforces the idea that comic book shops are meeting places that strengthen the comics community more than online services that are not necessarily focused on fostering social gatherings.
In other words, digital does not translate into collectible.Ī digital comics collection is not the same as a physical comics collection that can branch out into books sales at conventions, book exchanges between readers, and creator signings. Comixology and its new culture of digital discounts offer a welcoming hand to those running on a tight comics budget, but the tradeoff seems to be too much for some. The debate between physical products and their digital versions have carried over the last few years with little ground given to either side, especially in terms of market dominance. The official website for the event characterizes comic shops as “the primary fire-starters for pop culture,” a bold statement that certainly does capture the potential reach of a place specialized in story exchange, art, and comic creator meetups.Ĭomic book stores are faced with an aggressive and insistent cluster of market changes that threaten the relevancy and even existence of physical spaces dedicated to periodicals that are more readily accessible in digital format. This Saturday, Local Comic Shop Day celebrates its fourth year, shining a much-needed spotlight on the comic book store experience and its place in a rapidly changing retail culture.