Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Dec 3, 2014 11:29:59 GMT -6
Perry Plush, the owner of Zanadu Comics in Seattle, has been in the retail business since 1975, but he’s anything but old school; his store has a modern sensibility, with a wide selection, helpful staff and such 21st-century touches as Ladies Nights and a weekly YouTube show.
dailyuw.com/archive/2014/12/03/arts-leisure/just-bus-away-zanadu-comics#.VH7uCkuKzGk
For newcomers, one of the greatest barriers to reading comics is the shops. Many local comics stores are so sparsely decorated they seem temporary and illicit. Customers often find themselves “greeted” from over the counter by a glaring and unhelpful employee. The Android’s Dungeon from “The Simpsons” is a painfully accurate parody.
Not so at Zanadu. This downtown oasis is one of the longest-running comics shops in Seattle, by virtue of also being one of the best anywhere.
The origin story
Perry Plush opened Zanadu in 1975. With wavy hair, broad chin, and an appropriately alliterative appellation, Plush might pass for a comics character himself. He came to the Seattle area from Denver during the mid-1970s recession and stocked comics in a used bookstore.
“The newsstands were really kind of just drying up,” Plush said. “A lot of these [early comics] stores were in what they used to call ‘head shops.’”
With the end of newsstands, direct market comics stores began to emerge.
Zanadu gets its name from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem “Kubla Khan, wherein “Xanadu” is the title character’s pleasure palace.
“That’s probably where it came from,” Plush said. “I did it with a Z. Little more flair, there.”
Earth’s mightiest heroes
In contrast with the archetypally dim and unfriendly comics shop of nightmares, Zanadu almost overwhelms in what it offers.
But take the chance, step through that door, and be transported.
Zanadu’s plethora of pop culture is intimidating, but the store’s staff is on call to help figure everything out. They can match die-hard fans for esoteric trivia — the bare minimum for comics shop employees — but their real gift is in breaking down the byzantine complexities of comics for customers at all levels of familiarity.
That engagement extends beyond the in-store customer service. Zanadu features a number of events — some regular, others more impromptu — including signings by touring creators, as well as an occasional “Ladies’ Night,” at which only female customers are allowed in, cupcakes are served, and a safe space for comics conversation is fostered.
Regular events include the “Discussions from the Longtable” on the second Wednesday of every month, in which customers come and discuss the latest storylines and industry developments with staff. Zanadu also produces a weekly YouTube show, “Comics Should Smell Good,” where staffers review the latest releases.
The YouTube channel is just one part of Zanadu’s embrace of changing times. They also feature a digital storefront and online inventory through their website.
“When I get in the younger guys and women … that work for me, they’re all gung-ho for that [new technology],” Plush said. “That’s the direction you need to go in to really get yourself out there.”
Into the breach
Customers are greeted by storefront windows chock full of superhero posters and figures. Next is a kind of foyer, with numerous action figures and the all-ages titles. Nothing on open display in the store is terribly profane, but this is the section to pick up safer titles, whether for yourself or the blossoming young comics fans in your life.
Past this, the store really opens up. A central station encloses the employees’ station and hosts the cash register. Hanging high on the walls are posters of iconic cover images.
Along the left half of the store are racks of new releases. Zanadu carries new issues of every ongoing series imaginable.
“There’s comics for everybody,” Plush said. “If there’s something that you’re kind of interested in, there’s probably a comic about it.”
The right half of the store features two main sections. The first is a large shelf featuring the work of particularly noteworthy creators. This is where customers will find beloved writers like Neil Gaiman, or artists like Frank Miller.
The second section is a large array of old back issues sorted by series, some going as far back as the 1960s. Did you forget to pick up issue #313 of “Thor” back in 1981? Start your search here. (If you can’t find it, don’t despair; check with the staff.)
Aside from those major divisions, the floor is filled with shelves of collected paperback editions and original graphic novels sorted by genre. Posters and other merchandise are readily available as well.
Zanadu actively partners with local artists to give them space to sell their work through a consignment program. The process is open to most submissions above a basic level of competence.
“You know, you got to produce art, comics and stuff, to get better at it,” Plush said. “It’s just a place people can bring their stuff, see how the reaction is to it, what they need to hear about it. And if they make some money, everybody’s happy.”
Zanadu Comics is located at 1923 Third Ave. Take the 255 to Westlake Station. Walk along Pine and turn onto Third Avenue toward Virginia Street.
dailyuw.com/archive/2014/12/03/arts-leisure/just-bus-away-zanadu-comics#.VH7uCkuKzGk
For newcomers, one of the greatest barriers to reading comics is the shops. Many local comics stores are so sparsely decorated they seem temporary and illicit. Customers often find themselves “greeted” from over the counter by a glaring and unhelpful employee. The Android’s Dungeon from “The Simpsons” is a painfully accurate parody.
Not so at Zanadu. This downtown oasis is one of the longest-running comics shops in Seattle, by virtue of also being one of the best anywhere.
The origin story
Perry Plush opened Zanadu in 1975. With wavy hair, broad chin, and an appropriately alliterative appellation, Plush might pass for a comics character himself. He came to the Seattle area from Denver during the mid-1970s recession and stocked comics in a used bookstore.
“The newsstands were really kind of just drying up,” Plush said. “A lot of these [early comics] stores were in what they used to call ‘head shops.’”
With the end of newsstands, direct market comics stores began to emerge.
Zanadu gets its name from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem “Kubla Khan, wherein “Xanadu” is the title character’s pleasure palace.
“That’s probably where it came from,” Plush said. “I did it with a Z. Little more flair, there.”
Earth’s mightiest heroes
In contrast with the archetypally dim and unfriendly comics shop of nightmares, Zanadu almost overwhelms in what it offers.
But take the chance, step through that door, and be transported.
Zanadu’s plethora of pop culture is intimidating, but the store’s staff is on call to help figure everything out. They can match die-hard fans for esoteric trivia — the bare minimum for comics shop employees — but their real gift is in breaking down the byzantine complexities of comics for customers at all levels of familiarity.
That engagement extends beyond the in-store customer service. Zanadu features a number of events — some regular, others more impromptu — including signings by touring creators, as well as an occasional “Ladies’ Night,” at which only female customers are allowed in, cupcakes are served, and a safe space for comics conversation is fostered.
Regular events include the “Discussions from the Longtable” on the second Wednesday of every month, in which customers come and discuss the latest storylines and industry developments with staff. Zanadu also produces a weekly YouTube show, “Comics Should Smell Good,” where staffers review the latest releases.
The YouTube channel is just one part of Zanadu’s embrace of changing times. They also feature a digital storefront and online inventory through their website.
“When I get in the younger guys and women … that work for me, they’re all gung-ho for that [new technology],” Plush said. “That’s the direction you need to go in to really get yourself out there.”
Into the breach
Customers are greeted by storefront windows chock full of superhero posters and figures. Next is a kind of foyer, with numerous action figures and the all-ages titles. Nothing on open display in the store is terribly profane, but this is the section to pick up safer titles, whether for yourself or the blossoming young comics fans in your life.
Past this, the store really opens up. A central station encloses the employees’ station and hosts the cash register. Hanging high on the walls are posters of iconic cover images.
Along the left half of the store are racks of new releases. Zanadu carries new issues of every ongoing series imaginable.
“There’s comics for everybody,” Plush said. “If there’s something that you’re kind of interested in, there’s probably a comic about it.”
The right half of the store features two main sections. The first is a large shelf featuring the work of particularly noteworthy creators. This is where customers will find beloved writers like Neil Gaiman, or artists like Frank Miller.
The second section is a large array of old back issues sorted by series, some going as far back as the 1960s. Did you forget to pick up issue #313 of “Thor” back in 1981? Start your search here. (If you can’t find it, don’t despair; check with the staff.)
Aside from those major divisions, the floor is filled with shelves of collected paperback editions and original graphic novels sorted by genre. Posters and other merchandise are readily available as well.
Zanadu actively partners with local artists to give them space to sell their work through a consignment program. The process is open to most submissions above a basic level of competence.
“You know, you got to produce art, comics and stuff, to get better at it,” Plush said. “It’s just a place people can bring their stuff, see how the reaction is to it, what they need to hear about it. And if they make some money, everybody’s happy.”
Zanadu Comics is located at 1923 Third Ave. Take the 255 to Westlake Station. Walk along Pine and turn onto Third Avenue toward Virginia Street.