Mike Across America!
Originally serialized April - July, 2008
(Note: you can click on the pictures below to see a larger view!)A quick note, long-lost readers: I haven't lost the use of my hands, but we shifted focus from online reviews to those helpful in-store reviews you see posted around everywhere, so that's what I've been up to. As my wife and I are currently on a cross-country delayed honeymoon kinda deal, I figured I'd pop into some famous comics stores and locales and give you the lowdown, so you can learn all about this stuff while still being able to use your own toilet.
Panel 1: Isotope Comics in San Francisco, CA
Isotope is like no other comics store I've ever visited, the kind of place that could probably only exist in San Francisco. It's also practically worth the trip from Southern California, just on its own. Run by James Sime, who clearly loves his job more than any of us will ever love ours, Isotope is half comics store, half relaxed lounge, with comfortable chairs lining the walls. Hung above those chairs are what really makes this store stand out, even to an off-the-street customer who'd never been to a shop before. Isotope has a toilet seat museum, and you have to see it. A number of famous artists (and writers) have taken Sharpy to toilet seat for Isotope at in-store signings, and 52 of Simes' 150ish collection are currently strung across the store, near the ceiling.
There were a lot of eye-catchers, from Jim Lee's Dr. Strange to BKV's self-caricature, to more impressive works by lesser-known artists (who, judging from their commode work, should be morer-known). But the crown jewel was the seat that Warren Ellis scribbled a brief script to the imaginary 61st issue of Transmetropolitan on, with an accompanying seat illustrated by Darick Robertson. It's this great image of Spider…naw, you've gotta see it to believe it.
The seats are great, and the atmosphere is wonderful, but the coolest thing to me about Isotope was that they had both a local artists section, and a mini-comics lounge with an enormous collection of minis. My wife and I are both big fans of the new format, which I think is pushing the graphic medium to some cool places, and Isotope has done a lot to promote them, both by featuring them so prominently in the store, and by giving annual awards to the mini-comic of the year.
Anyway, I'm sure Mike wouldn't appreciate me driving his customers to San Francisco, but if you do happen to be in or near The City, Isotope would be well worth your time, if you're looking to see great art displayed in a unique way, relax with a book or a mini or, of course, if you want to be boring and just buy some comics.
<TOP>Panel 2: DreamHaven in Minneapolis, MN
DreamHaven is everything great and horrible about comics shops. We put it into our itinerary (on a Thursday no less, forgoing getting comics on the usual day because we were in North Dakota on Wednesday) because it's a well-known shop and because it's the semi-operating base/favorite haunt of my wife's favorite writer, Neil Gaiman, who lives in the area. If you want things signed by Neil, you send them to DreamHaven and they have him sign them when he comes in to periodically clear his desk. "Well," we figured, "a shop frequented by a generous and kind-hearted man like Mr. Gaiman must be a welcoming and wonderful place to shop." Not so!
We walked in to the stony stares and silence that I haven't known since beginning to shop at Pulp Fiction. Since the staff at Isotope had been just as inviting and friendly as PF, I forgot that this just usually isn't the case. The people behind the counter literally did not say one word to us, other than to tell me that in their enormous store, there was no restroom available for customers. But that was it: no thanks when we made our purchase, no offers to help show us around, just awkward, oppressive silence.
Aside from the staff, the place was just totally awesome. Their selection was huge, with lots of signed material and weird collectibles (ie, the Neil Gaiman is a Rat figurine). They're also a sci-fi store, so in addition to comics they had a wide selection of novels, as well as a fairly expansive "adult" section. What I think may have impressed me most, however, was a large Used graphic novels section, where customers have traded in old or unwanted books for store credit. There were a few books in there, too, and we walked out with our normal weekly books, a few signed Gaiman rarities for my wife, and my new prized possession: a reprint of the old Stan Lee/Kurt Busiek-edited collection of Spider-Man short stories, a prized possession of mine when I was a kid, but long since donated to the library during a comics drought.
I'd recommend DreamHaven to you if you're in the Twin Cities for some reason, as long as what you're looking for is a lot of comics, and almost no conversation. Otherwise, you may end up feeling as I did, missing Isotope, and missing Pulp Fiction's welcoming doors.
Next up: Chicago! <TOP>Panel 3: America's Real Gotham!
It was my goal when I started these articles to not just review comics shops, but also to talk about comics locations. We recently drove through Chicago, the closest thing to Gotham City currently in America. The Gothic church architecture at the edges of the city instantly had us looking for a bat signal, a feeling that only intensified as we made our way downtown, where glimmering skyscrapers shade dark alleys you wouldn't want to be caught in if you were Thomas or Martha Wayne.
Only adding to the feeling that we'd stepped into a Bat Book was the fact that Batman Begins (and its upcoming sequel) were filmed almost entirely in the city, and we easily recognized several landmarks, including the Wayne Building (actually the Chicago Board of Trade Building) as well as the elevated train that's the site of Batman's climactic fight with Ra's in the film. There was obviously plenty of other stuff in Chicago to see, but it was pretty cool to explore a city that so closely parallels the coolest locale in comics; naturally, it got us salivating for New York! Hopefully Chris Nolan will include as many cool pieces of the city in The Dark Knight; I think the natural feel of Chicago comes through on screen in a way that is perfectly Gotham.
Note: Due to a death in my family, my wife and I are flying home for a week and a half, leaving our car in St. Louis, where we'll return to resume our trip with plenty more cool stops. There won't be a new column until then, unless you're interested in reading about buying comics in Long Beach, which, you know, I assume you already know about.
<TOP>Panel 4: Star Clipper in St. Louis, MO
Of all the shops we visited across the country, Star Clipper was the one that reminded us most of home. It was a clean, well lit place with shelves more reminiscent of Borders than the Android Dungeon, and the staff was friendly and helpful, with a clear goal of expanding comics readership into new areas. They sold Japanese candy, promoted local artists, and were running a successful business in a college-y part of St. Louis (known as University City).
When trying to describe what sets Star Clipper apart from other comic stores, it's easier to talk in terms of feeling than inventory. It really did feel more like a Borders (or maybe an upscale used book store) with its hardwood floors and track lighting and bright reflective wood shelves, which happened to exclusively hold comics and memorabilia. The staff, which rang us up on brand new iMacs (I mentioned it was a college area, right?) was friendly, and wanted to hear about our road trip, and to talk to us about what we were buying.
They directed our attention to the back of the room, where their in-store art gallery had some impressive pieces on display, including miniature painted sculptures of Booster Gold and Blue Beetle. This was what really set the store apart from others in the country: a rotating exhibit space for upcoming local artists, as well as more established names. It was the perfect finishing piece to a store that was already so unique, because of its feel and design-the look of the whole store had clearly been labored over intensely to give it the open feel of a larger bookstore, with plenty of room in the aisles, and a neat, organized way of stocking their books. Add in the fact that it was maybe the only place in the entire city which didn't have a picture of the Arch, and you have something very close to paradise away from home.
Next up: Superman's Hometown! (kinda.) <TOP>Panel 5: Metropolis (Illinois), Hometown of Superman
I don't remember how we found out about Metropolis; I think it's one of those places that you hear about as a rumor, then stumble sideways into if your trip is long enough and you've lost enough sleep. The town, in the very southern tip of Illinois (just across the river from the town of Monkey's Eyebrow, Kentucky) claims to be Superman's hometown-when you point out to a resident that Superman's actual hometown is Smallville, you get a stink eye that seems to imply they've heard that one before, and they don't appreciate it.
Metropolis is one of the most fascinating places I've ever been to, as uniquely American a place as there is. If you've never been to southern Illinois, you might not know that it's pretty much the South, so there are guys driving big F150s, with red necks and torn shirt sleeves-pretty much par for the Southern course. But these guys also have Superman tattoos on their biceps, and stickers on their raised trucks, one of them next to a Confederate flag. I'm sure none of them are buying comics every week, but still, it's weird to see comics logos up there with the stars and bars.
Every shop on the town's main street is named after something Superman-y, like the Kryptonite Tattoo and Piercing Parlor, or the Clark Kent Diner. The Metropolis Chamber of Commerce is more or less just a Superman store, displaying signed Alex Ross posters, homemade T-shirts and hats, blown up magazine covers sporting Christopher Reeve's mug, and souvenirs from the many Superman Festivals they've had in the city.
Next to the Chamber is the Superman Museum and Gift Store, with the world's largest collection of Superman merchandise and memorabilia. In the museum they have everything from a copy of Action Comics #1 to Marlon Brando's wig from the movie, and literally thousands of other items, including signed books, movie and TV props, weird toys and collectibles I'd never seen or heard of, and did I mention a Marlon Brando wig?! The gift store may have been cooler, though, with its two dollar bags of green rock candy, marketed as official Metropolis Kryptonite. The guy who owns the museum/store is a real die-hard Supes fan, of the comics, movies, everything, but since his market is pretty much limited to the casual fans and residents of Metropolis, many of the truly valuable items in the store were unbelievably cheap. The best example? We got a Batman sticker signed by Bob Kane for ten dollars.
At the end of Main Street is the city's real attraction: a fifteen foot tall statue of Superman, fists on his hips, chest thrust outward, a shining figure of hope and idealism. There is a slow but constant stream of people there to take photos with it, a stream we were all too happy to join. The statue, apparently, is fairly new. The old statue was made of a cheaper material, and when drunk high school students would come at night to find out how bulletproof Superman really was, whole chunks of the statue would fall off. This is a true story. So now they have a brand new, actually bulletproof Superman to marvel at. Or to DC at? Sorry, I know that's corny, but it's Metropolis, Illinois, "the hometown of Superman"-what else do you expect?
Next up: The nation's capital, where hopefully all the famous buildings are still standing. <TOP>Panel 6: Washington, DC
Firstly I would like to report that the White House is still standing despite attacks by Ultimate Magneto, Lex Luthor, and that weird team of invaders from Ultimates 2. However, due to heightened supercriminal terrorist activity, you can't get within three quarters of a mile, so I had to rely on the guards' words to bring you this update.
Having never been to DC, I was overwhelmed by how familiar it was, having seen its monuments and buildings in so many movies, TV shows, and comics, as well as by the history and significance of the entire place. There also happened to be some pretty cool comics shops there, too. The one we visited is called Fantom Comics, and they have a few branches in the area. The location we stopped in on was located in historic Union Station, a transportation hub with gorgeous interior architecture, and a main hall long enough to fit both the Washington Monument and the White house inside of it, and still leave enough room squeeze around the edges.
Fantom's suburban store was supposed to be much larger and more ornate, but we didn't have time to leave the main area, so we instead checked in on the much smaller and less ornate Union Station shop. It was definitely small, but it was cool to see a shop like that exist (and survive) in such a historic, high-rent spot. The cashier was friendly, too, and knowledgeable, so we yakked with him for a while before heading off to the Supreme Court.
Two days later, on our last day in the area, we were in search of the difficult-to-locate National Cathedral when we spotted a theater playing Iron Man, which had just come out that day and which we obviously hadn't seen. We decided the Cathedral could wait, and stepped inside a nice, enormous one screen theater in the Cleveland Park area of DC. Obviously the movie was amazing, even more so for us since we happened to be three thousand miles away from home, tired, hungry, and broke, and thus in need of some diversion. We were probably the only people I know who got homesick while watching the movie, since it was filmed in LA and Long Beach (actually a few scenes were filmed right outside my wife's work several months back).
In an amazing coincidence that helped to alleviate our homesickness, we ran into the cashier from Fantom in the lobby of the movie theater after, handing out business cards for their stores. He hadn't seen the movie yet, so we answered his eager questions, talked for a bit more, and then headed out, happy and feeling a little closer to home than we had before the movie.
Next up: In search of Gwen Stacy's final moments in New York, NY! <TOP>Panel 7: New York, NY Superhero Capital of the World
Obviously, I could devote a few novel-length columns to New York's comics history, from famous landmarks to huge comics stores to the official Marvel/DC company tours. But we didn't actually stop in New York for more than thirty seconds, since we were planning on being there during the weekend the Pope was in town, which meant that hotels were 900 dollars a night and parking was even scarcer than normal. It meant we didn't get to use our Marvel Superheroes Guide to New York, but we made our piece with it.
But my elephant-memoried wife did, in a flash of brilliance, remember as we were driving towards Manhattan that Gwen Stacy was thrown off of the George Washington Bridge, which we were going to be crossing. We were relieved that we'd have something comics-y to write about New York, but that relief dissipated into the surrounding fog when we got to the bridge and I realized that the bridge we were on didn't look anything like the bridge Gwen died on. What the eff?
A little online research that night revealed a particularly odd comics factoid: apparently in the script for Amazing 121, the issue where Gwen dies, the bridge is referred to as the George Washington Bridge, but the artist drew the Brooklyn Bridge. Decades later, Stan Lee claimed credit for the mess-up, saying he was the one who mistakenly labeled it the Brooklyn Bridge after the art had come in.
So we ended up leaving New York without actually seeing anything superhero-y, as much because of the thick fog to either side of the freeway as to Stan's typo. Now that I think of it, though, in a city that filled with heroes, isn't it way more impressive to not see something? Or am I just deluding myself? Oh well.
Next up: We check up on the rebuilding efforts in Stamford...seriously. <TOP>Panel 8: Stamford, Connecticut: The Rebuilding is going well
I'm happy to report back that the rebuilding of Stamford is going well, as the citizens here are getting their lives back together. I worry that they're suffering from some kind of denial, though. I asked several residents if they'd lost children when Nitro exploded, and most of them just looked at me like I was insane, and one even threatened to call the police on me. Sheesh, you'd think I was a New Warrior or something.
Anyway, I learned something cool during our ten minute stop in Stamford. There's a comics shop there, A Timeless Journey, whose sign (which conveniently sports Spidey logos) was actually drawn into the rubble of the explosion. The store stocks tons of copies of Civil War and tie-ins, and has apparently had great success selling it to the surrounding community (which produced comics great Jeph Loeb). It was pretty cool. But I wouldn't send my kids to school there, just in case.
Next up: One of the biggest comics stores in the country in Denver! Sweet! <TOP>Panel 9: My, My Mile High!
I've been to Comic-Con in San Diego three times now. I start the column with that thought because my visits down south were a big part of why I was anticipating our trip to Denver so highly. Let me explain: one of the mainstays of the biggest comics convention in the world is the presence of the biggest comics store in the world (maybe). Mile High Comics, based in Denver, shows up in force every year, with an inventory of pretty much every in-print comics title you can think of. They even bring internet-ready computers so people can order stock from their online inventory (shipped free of cost during Comic-Con).
Mile High is an enormous presence in the Denver comics scene, figuratively as well as literally. Founded by Chuck Rozanski, Mile High was originally based out of his parents' basement. It went on to expand into 13 Colorado stores before the company trimmed back to four brick and mortar stores, and a massive online presence. Browsing online, we made the-incredibly easy-decision to visit the Megastore, the crown jewel of the Mile High Comics legend.
Imagine the enormous Boeing Hangar on Lakewood and Carson filled with comics merchandise, gaming areas, t-shirt racks, and staffed by a mere two knowledgeable employees and you'll have a good sense of the enormity of the job those two employees had. Granted, we were there on a Monday afternoon so the place wasn't exactly filled with customers, but still-they knew where everything in the store was, which in that store was no small feat. At the back of the store was discounted old merchandise, including such cool finds as Preacher temporary tattoos, a Sandman mug, and Kabuki masks. The statue cases held every statue I'd ever seen or heard of. The graphic novel shelves had everything. The back issues bins seemed infinite in capacity. They had t-shirts of every comics character you've ever heard of, as well as a few you haven't (don't worry, DC will likely be doing a mini about them anyway). Browsing the "recent releases" section, we were able to fill in all the spotty gaps that a few months of traveling had produced in our collection, because everything was overstocked. There was art on the walls, and floating Spider-Man balloons up in the corners.
One of our hardest tasks on the trip was not spending our remaining gas money on discount treasures there, or packing our car so filled with stuff that we'd be unable to get home. By a miracle of self-control, we succeeded at both, barely.
<TOP>Panel 10: It's Good to Be Home
In my opinion and experience, there is nothing better than traveling. Except for coming home after a long journey, that is. Mail, phone messages, restaurants with no surprises, and a freeway system that makes sense to you: these are the things that greeted us on our way back into southern California. And, of course, our comfortable, familiar old Pulp Fiction, with our own pull list and our own proprietor, who we don't have to explain our weird comics tastes to.
A lot of people asked us along the road why we were driving across the country when gas prices were as high as they were; our response was always, "Well, right now is the cheapest they'll maybe ever be," which may sadly turn out to be true. It's still a cheaper and more fun way of getting around than flying is, and we got to see so many cool little attractions and stores we would have missed if we'd simply flown to the east coast. I can't imagine what the trip would have been like without our stop at Mile High Comics or Metropolis, IL, or the two visits we made to Star Clipper in St. Louis, once on our way east and once on the way back west.
If you've never gone on a road trip, I would have to beg that you do as soon as you have available money and time. The open road has, to me, always been the biggest advantage of being born in this country, and it's something that should be taken advantage of at every available moment. And after two months of travel, we have an enormous store of memories and great times spread out across the entire country. As quasi-honeymoon/graduation/start of the next chapter in life trips go, it was pretty amazing. But I'm not anxious to get back out there for another while. Maybe another long while.
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