We have a presence as the “comic zone” at the THRIVE! Dream Factory Community Center in Phoenix. It is located at 2501 N. 7th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85006 (NE corner of Sheriden and 7th St, just south of Thomas).

Although THRIVE! was created as a means of making others aware of the benefits of Kangen Water, their goal is to do so in a community setting. They sponsor all sorts of games, and plan to host video game tournaments as well as role-playing games, including D&D, Magic, and many more. To find out more about their offerings, call Erin James, Gaming Specialist at (303) 913-6843, or visit them (us) on the web at http://thrivedreamfactory.com.

This is an exciting opportunity for us to give back to the community.

As you can tell, we haven’t made a blog post since August, and it was shortly after that when we knew we needed to close. We kept hoping against hope that we could avoid it, and I think we did pretty well to hang on for another 9 months. But it hasn’t been an easy 9 months at all.

When I first realized we would need to close, I felt really sad and depressed for a couple of months. We kept calling people and trying to work out deals to keep the store going, even if we were not involved, or perhaps not AS involved in it. We had lots of nibbles, lots of ideas were tossed around. We even hired a business broker to try to sell the business for us, but in the end, nothing has panned out, and we had to make a decision.

After planning to close the store at the end of December, then the end of January, then February, then March, we finally set a solid date to stay open through Free Comic Book Day and close at the end of May.

And that time is now here.

As I look back over the past three years – we had at least six months of planning before we even opened – I can say that I am really glad we did it. It’s been an amazing experience and we have met some primo quality people… our customers.

In thinking back over the past two and a half years, I realized that we have never had a bad customer in our store. Comic book fans are the BEST people! Intelligent, creative, appreciative, polite. More than anything, I have valued our customers, and more than anything, my heart is heavy for letting them down by closing.

One of the reasons I personally wanted to open the store was so that my sons, my partner, and I could own a business together and learn some of the ins and outs of being entrepreneurs. On this count, I would say that all four of us benefited greatly. It gave us a different mindset to take into the world, and into our next ventures. And for that I am very grateful.

I am also grateful for the opportunity to have worked with my sons in such a setting. It’s a different kind of bonding experience. Oh, it wasn’t all milk and honey, but for the most part, we could discuss and settle our differences in a satisfactory way. Our strength was always our individual gifts. Between the four of us, we had it all covered.

In looking back as to what we could have done better, I would say that our marketing was always our weakest link. We all knew that, and in fact, had hired three different consultants to help us improve on it, but alas, at the end of the day, we didn’t do as well as we possibly could have. If I had it to do over, I would have approached it differently. However, back then, I didn’t know what I know now.

Monday is our final day. I want to end it on a good note. We will be open from 10 am to 6 pm. We will have huge sales all day. We will have pizza, just like when we opened.

I could get all sappy here about how it’s felt like home to be here, how this has been OUR creation, and the joy that I got from that… and how much I will miss having the store. But honestly, there will be time to lament after we are closed. For now, I just want to make the most of the two days we have left.

Hope to see you on Monday!!!

We’ve currently got every volume of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series from Oni Press in stock, so be sure to get caught up on what some are calling the next big fad!

Join the forum discussion on this post

Here is a video of Grant Morrison interviewed by Wired Magazine’s Adam Rogers. Grant discusses the story behind All Star Superman and other interesting tales. Grant also talks about Superman’s changes over the decades and his writing process.

http://www.wired.com/video/latest-videos/latest/1815816633/comic-legend-grant-morrison-talks-superman-and-more/490934997001

Join the forum discussion on this post

Please go read this cool article in the New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/27/books/27moore.html?_r=1

This is about Alan Moore’s new project called Unearthing. This is a very different thing for Alan Moore to do, in fact it is not even a comic book. Unearthing is a spoken word interview with weird music and photographs.
We also learn a lot about the history of British comic books.

here is the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMTWDYdVXV0&feature=player_embedded

Join the forum discussion on this post

Kansas’s Westboro Baptist Church arrived at the recent San Diego Comic Con to protest with a big sign that said “God Hates Nerds. Rom 9:13″

Here’s what one of them said:

They have turned comic book characters into idols, and worship them they do! Isaiah 2:8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made…

The destruction of this nation is imminent – so start calling on Batman and Superman now, see if they can pull you from the mess that you have created with all your silly idolatry.”

the full story is here:

http://nerdbastards.com/2010/07/12/westboro-baptist-to-protest-at-comic-con/

Luckily there is another group somewhere with a “God Hates Signs” sign:

http://ecopolitology.org/2010/04/09/westboro-baptist-church-gets-out-protested-in-west-virginia

laterz

-Avery

Join the forum discussion on this post

Avery here. This is a New York Post article about a guy who robbed a Chase Bank in Long Island dressed as Darth Vader. If Boba Fett tries to mug me that would be cool. when Ewoks start committing crimes then we’re in trouble.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/man_wearing_darth_vader_mask_robs_jrawp2Q3PbnsdKTz60DQ0L

Man wearing Darth Vader mask robs Long Island bank

A man wearing a Darth Vader mask and cape robbed a Chase bank branch on Long Island on Thursday, police said.

The thief entered a branch in Setauket at 11:30 a.m. and demanded money from a teller. But instead of using a light saber, “Darth” threatened the teller with a semiautomatic gun.

The teller gave the robber some cash from the drawer.

The Darth Vader thief, described as between 6 feet and 6 feet 2 inches tall, took off heading east through the bank’s parking lot.

To read more, go to MyFoxNY.com.

Suffolk County Police Major Case detectives are investigating the robbery of a Chase bank branch in Setauket by a man wearing a Darth Vader mask and a cape.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/man_wearing_darth_vader_mask_robs_jrawp2Q3PbnsdKTz60DQ0L#ixzz0v5mTZQcm

Heart of the City

On that note, we had someone bring in some vintage comic books yesterday – from the 1940s and 1950s. Even in bad condition, these comics are worth something! She is going to try and sell them on her own, but if she can’t, we will be working out a consignment deal with her.

Whether or not we get them in our store, it was very exciting to just SEE these comics and touch them! What rare finds!