Mike's Comic Shop Roadshow

For this episode Mike finds himself in the beautiful city of Madison, WI and Westfield Comics, which happens to be where he had a subscription service back in the 80s! Tucked into a nice shopping plaza, Westfield Comics West is the physical retail version of the business, and fortunately, the manager Josh was more than happy to be interviewed. While the mail order side of the business is as robust...

While visiting relatives in the Kansas City, MO area, Mike naturally found time to seek out a comic shop. He struck gold when he met A to Z Comics owners Debby and Steve Welch and their grandson, Damon. A to Z Comics is located in Blue Springs, MO, just outside of Kansas City, and has been in business for over 35 years by Debby and Steve Welch. It has some of the most friendly and knowledgeable st...

This episode Mike travels a whole 20 minutes and visits…and no exaggeration…the most beautiful comic shop he’s ever seen. See for yourself in the Facebook post! It’s Villainous Grounds in Perryville, MO, and upon entering the 140-year-old building in the historic Perryville town square, you will feel right at home at the coffee bar, at a table in the nook, or in the second floor Mad Hatter’s Room....

This episode we travel to our nation’s Capital, Washington DC and one of the coolest comic shops Mike’s ever experienced, Fantom Comics! Located on the second floor of a beautiful building in the historic Dupont Circle neighborhood in DC, Fantom Comics was everything Mike expected and more! The co-managers, Sarahti and Jacob, were just as charming as the area, and passionate about comics to boot!...

For this episode Mike goes to the theme park capital of the world, Orlando FL. While it was a grueling trip…delayed in St. Louis airport for 16 hours, then stuck in the Atlanta airport overnight due to wintry weather…Mike finally landed in Orlando 36 hours later and was able to arrange for an interview at one of the coolest comic shops ever, Blackbird Comics and Coffeehouse. Winner of the 2024 Spi...

This episode, we take a trip south to Dothan, AL, on the Alabama/Florida border. Mike struck gold when he found Knight Vigil Comics. Embedded in an antique mall, this shop has a humble presence, but what it lacks in size and flashiness it more than makes up for in style and old-fashioned comic goodness. The owner, Tim, is a consummate gentleman, has a deep love for comics, and he has a remarkable...

In this episode, we are back in Philadelphia, PA, and the shop Mike had the pleasure of visiting is Ontario Street Comics. Some comic shops defy expectations; some break the mold completely. That is what Ontario Street Comics did. This shop is a family affair, with the owner, Bill AKA The Captain, his wife, and their little dog Evie. It has a very homey atmosphere. Bill is one cool cat with a grea...

This episode, we are in Rochester, UK at the charming Get Ready Comics, and meet the equally charming owners, Paul and Katie. Get Ready Comics fits perfectly into the magic of this historic city. Rochester was Charles Dicken’s favorite city, and many of his novels are based on the area. As their Facebook page says, Get Ready Comics has been located on the Historic High Street for over 9 years and...

This episode we are back in Lubbock, TX, where Mike discovered Monster’s Lair Comics (a great name, by the way!). The owner, Rob, originally hails from Chicago, IL so he and Mike had lots to talk about. This comic shop has lots to pick from and since Mike got there a little early, he enjoyed perusing the shelves and chatting with the very friendly staff. Rob tells a great story and has lots to be...

This episode Mike makes his way from Philadelphia to Lancaster, PA and the appropriately named Comic Store and its owner, Charles Park. Charles is hands down one of the most interesting comic shop owners ever. No exaggeration, as the story he tells will attest. What started out as a Pitstop version of the Roadshow, where there is just a quick recommendation from the owner, turned into hearing a fa...

This episode Mike is still in the City of Brotherly Love, making the trip across town to Fat Jack’s Comic Crypt. The staff could not accommodate a full interview, but one of the staff, Lucas, had time to make a quick recommendation of a couple books for Mike to read. So, that made this a perfect opportunity for a Pitstop episode! Unfortunately, Fat Jack’s closed last year due to landlord issues, a...

This episode Mike travels to the City of Brotherly Love and Brave New Worlds, a comic shop that is smack dab in historic Old City! Only a few blocks from Mike’s hotel, he took a leisurely stroll and walked past one historical site after another, from the Liberty Bell to the final resting place of Benjamin Franklin! Brave New Worlds is as charming as the area in which it resides. Mike had the pleas...

This episode Mike swoops down to Dallas, Texas and Titan Comics, where he met and interviewed Jeremy Shoor, the owner and operator. This is not the Titan Comics publisher, mind you, but it is a comic shop that is titanic, both in size and in coolness. Titan Comics opened in 1991 and are in their fifth location since then, having grown from 1100 square feet to more than 4700 square feet. It’s a big...

We are back at HeroesCon for this episode where I met the owner of Time Tunnel Comics from nearby Hickory, NC, Jacob Edwards. Jacob had a booth at the show and had some treasury sized comics I was interested in. We chatted a while and he was gracious enough to agree to an interview after the floor at the con closed. Time Tunnel Comics has been around 24 years and has been owned by Jacob since 2018...

This episode takes us back to the Lone Star State, specifically, Austin, the capital city. Mike was able to land an interview with Brandon, the manager of Austin Books and Comics. Austin Books and Comics is quite unique. It’s more of a conglomeration of multiple geek culture stores. In addition to the main store, there is also Guza Gallery and Outlaw Moon, each specializing in a different part of...

This episode takes us across the pond to the UK where Mike was stationed for a few months. Naturally, he searched for comic shops almost immediately and found ACE Comics in Colchester, Essex. Inquiries were made and a quick train ride later Mike was at the shop on a beautiful Saturday afternoon for an interview with Martin Averre, AKA Biff. Biff has a deep history in the comics industry, particula...

If you like a longer than average, detail-oriented podcast episode, then this is one for you! Mike is apparently trying to make up for his missing October Roadshow episode with this “feature-length” presentation. Once again back in Salt Lake City, Mike visited the very first comic shop he went to when he moved there in 2017, Black Cat Comics. Black Cat Comics is owned by the multi-talented Greg (h...

Breaking with the usual pattern a bit, while at the 2023 HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC, I met some fantastic comics vendors, including Fred Wright, Jr. and his wife, LaTonya and daughter Bailee, who own Eastgate Comics in High Point, NC. This episode highlights Eastgate Comics and you will hear some great stories...of its origin and evolution. Theirs is a truly heartwarming and inspiring story. Pleas...

In this episode I am back in Columbus, OH and visited a very strategically located comic shop called Heroes and Games. The owner, Doug, and I hit it off immediately. We are about the same age, and except for the fact that he is a die hard Marvel fan and I am a huge DC fan, we share similar backgrounds. I mentioned “strategically located”. Doug has placed his shop literally in a convention center,...

In this particularly special episode Mike makes his way back to the Beehive State and to The Nerd Store in Valley Fair Mall. He got the chance to interview Roger, who along with his brother Charles, is an owner and operator. Roger has one of the most interesting and inspiring stories Mike has heard so far. This is a story of two brothers scraping and clawing their way to success, including survivi...

This time Mike zigzags his way across the US to Columbus, OH and discovers a cool shop called Comic Town. The owner, Ryan, was very accommodating, even though he was busy helping customers throughout the interview. It was great to see the level of attention he gave them, no matter what they were looking for. Unfortunately, this marks the first time a shop featured on the Roadshow has closed its do...

The vacation in Myrtle Beach continues as Mike takes a jaunt a bit to the north and visits the House of Heroes in North Myrtle Beach where he found two of the coolest cats he’s ever met, Shawn and Eric. They are co-owners of House of Heroes and together they told a great story about their shop and its history. House of Heroes is jam-packed with comic and pop culture goodies. It’s a cozy shop with...

It’s vacation time for Mike as he makes a trip to Myrtle Beach, SC. Immediately on the hunt for a local comic shop, he finds an awesome shop called Coastal Comics in Surfside Beach, just a few minutes down the road. Coastal Comics is a lively shop, and while it has it local base of customers, it attracts lots of tourists looking for their comic fix while on vacation. In business for 9 years runnin...

Join Mike as he takes a short trip to St. Louis, MO and one of the coolest shops around! Mike got a hot tip from Campus Comics Cast co-host, Shaad, about a hip comic shop practically in our backyard. That shop is Apotheosis Comics and Lounge, and if you thought going to comic shops couldn’t get better, wait until you go to one with a bar serving your favorite beer or seltzer! Apotheosis Comics and...

The third month of the year is named after the Roman God of War Mars, so join Mike as he leans into the month by marching himself down to the Gulf Coast. Join Mike as he ventures south to Sweet Home Alabama for a family vacation and of course, a trip to a local comic shop in Foley, AL! Serendipity abounded as it turned out Mike’s co-host Scott on the Campus Comics Cast was also on his own family v...