I’m a 40-year-old comic nerd who learned to read from his comic books and video games. At one point in my life I had to leave my class text books in my high school locker because my backpack was full of Dungeons and Dragons books and dice. I’ve been to a comic book/game store or two in my life.
In fact, in my younger days I used to overload my pull list, and I’d find myself unable to clear my stash with my allowance. It was my earliest version of being sent to collection, I guess. I apologize, Jamie, if you happen to find my blog. I never meant to be a bad customer. I was 15.
But now that I’m a grown up I can go to the comic shop and browse whenever. There are two places in Richmond that I semi-frequent. One is a great new comic shop called Comic Relief. I worry that he won’t get the support he needs to survive, but it’s a nice place. There’s also a cool game store downtown called Tabletop Adventures. I’d go there and hang out, but the owner has cats (plural) who roam the store. I’m all for pets in the workplace, but my cat allergies are actually lethal. Still, I enjoy a quick browse, and I’ve already bought more dice than I will ever need from the store (and will be back for more, because I like dice).
Yesterday, though, was International Tabletop Gaming Day (I didn’t know at the time) and I found myself in Hamilton, OH running a family related errand and Target run. There are two game/comic shops on the main drag in Hamilton, and they represent not just the best and worst of what you can get in terms of comics and such in Ohio, but they also represent the yin and yang of how comic and game shops work.
Let me start with the awesome place, a shop called Future Great Comics. They have all the things you hope to see in a good comic shop: clearly labeled new releases, longboxes of back issues, display stock of higher priced pieces (I bought a quasi-rare Venom with a Sam Keith cover during my visit), and lots of game and comic related swag. The place is clean and bright, with a comfortable, well arranged section in the back for people to game. There was a lively local DM running what seemed to be an amazing five person adventure while I was there.
The owner of the shop always greets me when I come in, even though I’m not there very often (and with my new glasses and haircut he didn’t realize it was me this time until I looked up at him, then he instantly remembered that I was the guy who bought the Joker picture last time I was there). He chats about new releases, about TV, asks how you’ve been. He and I had an extended conversation about a colored Spawn image (crayon) that one of his regulars had brought from his child as a gift. It’s a cool shop.
As we were driving home, my wife Julie noticed a sign for a place called Illuminati Games and Comics, tucked away in a shifty looking strip mall. I was feeling froggy, so I stopped and ran in (Julie remained behind to catch up on some Instagram, as she has an obligation now with her make-up consulting).
There’s this negative stereotype of comic and game shops. People think they are dark and sort of musty, that they stink of body odor because fanboys can’t figure out how grooming and deodorant work. They have dirty, mismatched, stained, tables in the back where rude people sit playing Magic the Gathering while occasionally taking a break to wander up and buy a single card to fix their deck. No one empties the trash. Nothing is marked with a price. If you’re not a regular, the staff can’t be bothered to stop playing Hearthstone on their iPhones to help you. There’s dust on their wall stock.
That’s Illuminati Games. It is the terrible stereotype that gamers try to avoid. I had to dodge trash barrels filled with discarded energy drinks and pizza garbage to try to look at their stock (which was lacking, unless you wanted to buy a MTG card from one of the 7 glass display cases packed with magic cards). The store smelled of piss. The dust wasn’t even in dust bunny form. It was in that form where it starts to look like gray moss. The stench of armpit was overwhelming.
They didn’t have anything I wanted to purchase, but because I like to support local, I was going to pick up a block of purple d6s. Except that even after I asked twice the guy who I think ran the place (I will never be sure) was more concerned with what I think was a game of Hearthstone to bother making money (he wasn’t talking like it was Hearthstone but he mentioned stacking jades, which would be HS). After four minutes of standing in the stink, I chose to just let this one go.
So if you live in Hamilton, OH or travel there, hit up Future Great comics. It’s a great place. And if you want to play stench-laden filth MTG, go to Illuminati. Maybe if you play MTG they’ll talk to you and take your money. I know it’s a chore.