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Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Dec 16, 2014 21:16:42 GMT -6
Brookings, South Dakota, has a new comic shop: Uncanny Comics, opened Dec. 5 by brothers Matt and Chad Vis www.brookingsregister.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=76&story_id=23071Afficionados can ‘nerd out’ at Uncanny Comics Matt and Chad Vis stand outside their new store, Uncanny Comics, opened Friday, Dec. 5. They said their store focuses on carrying a wide variety of comics along with related merchandise. • Got a yen for Superman? Or maybe the latest Batman? New store caters to your graphics needs BROOKINGS – Brothers Matt and Chad Vis have always had a love for comic culture, but they'd been content helping with the family business, Zesto. But nowadays, when customers walk through the neighboring business's front door, a Star Trek "swoosh" sound accompanies the opening of the door, with either brother waiting behind the counter. That neighbor is Uncanny Comics, a comic book store that opened Friday, Dec. 5. The store, owned and run by Matt and Chad, also offers a variety of other superhero and pop-culture memorabilia. Here, they hope to provide a place for the people of Brookings to "nerd out."
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Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Dec 16, 2014 21:17:24 GMT -6
BROOKINGS -- Brothers Matt and Chad Vis have always had a love for comic culture, but they'd been content helping with the family business , Zesto. But nowadays, when customers walk through the neighboring business's front door, a Star Trek "swoosh " sound accompanies the opening of the door, with either brother waiting behind the counter. That neighbor is Uncanny Comics, a comic book store that opened Friday, Dec. 5. The store, owned and run by Matt and Chad, also offers a variety of other superhero and popculture memorabilia. Here, they hope to provide a place for the people of Brookings to "nerd out." Fans will love this store! The Star Trek door "swoosh " is just one indicator of the kind of place Uncanny Comics is; in case customers don't catch that, the large Batman symbol tile work at the front entrance will almost certainly grab their attention. Chad is the one who initially proposed the idea for the store. While in Tennessee to visit with his in-laws , his son and his father-in-law were hanging out one day and found 10 Fantastic Four comics from the '60s. Couldn't fall asleep "I think that's what sparked my thought process on it," Chad said. "When we got back a week or so later, I couldn't fall asleep. I just lay in bed and thought, 'What if?' It got me thinking; I was up until 3 in the morning writing ideas of if we could open a store, what could we do and how could we do it?" He then approached his brother Matt about the idea around June or July. Then they approached their father and other family about the idea. "When we told (our father) what we wanted to do ... he was kind of flabbergasted, dumbfounded that you could sell comics and that people still bought them," Chad said. Matt explained, "He was happy we were doing a new business, of course. But people of a certain age group like the landlord here don't get how big it is culturally because they're not connected to it." Even their banker reacted similarly. "He thought it was just something that used to be but wasn't around anymore. I even had a few customers in Zesto when they found out we were connected with it say they didn't know they still made comic books. If you don't go watch the movies or aren't into that stuff, you might not even know it's still a thing," Chad said. "I think people would be surprised that people would spend money on this, but obviously, they do." Big business in paper books And they do so in big numbers; comic books and graphic novels are a multi-million dollar industry, generating $870 million domestically in 2013. That number will likely only increase in upcoming years with comic book giants Marvel and DC already scheduling a total of 29 superhero films in the next six years. "We figured with all that, this is probably the best time to get into something like that," Chad said. The store emphasizes its comic book selection, with shelves filled with them lining the walls. They also carry the popular Pop! figures which are vinyl figurines of various pop culture characters that otherwise aren't carried in Brookings. Other action figures and merchandise depicting various heroes and characters are found throughout the store, and they hope to continue to expand this part of the store. Customer requests accommodated They're also willing to accommodate customer requests, too. Even though they don't carry much manga (which are basically Japanese comics), or if someone's interested in a particular series, they'll be glad to look into it and try to bring it into the store. "It'll be a learning process here this month and what people want, whether we have it or don't and adjust either way," Chad said. Matt said it's the storytelling that draws him and others to comic books. "That's where I start out. Everyone likes a great story, whether you like novels, TV shows, movies; everything starts out with great writing. The bonus with comic books is you get great art with it, and it can be more accessible to people who don't want to sit and read a whole novel." For those new to the comic world or just want to give it a try, they've set up a section in the store with early issues of comic book series that are a good place to start. New series start regularly to choose from, and even with older ongoing series, there's typically a section at the start of the comic book that helps get the reader back up to speed on what's happening. They also encourage simply asking for help. "If you know nothing, we're not going to talk down to you; we want to help you and get you started," Matt said. "And if you're smarter than us on some things, we're glad to learn, too." Chad added, "We're more than happy to give them advice on where to go to get their start." They want to have a welcoming atmosphere at Uncanny Comics, where people feel like they can come in and just talk. Next to Zesto Theirs is the first business to occupy the space next to Zesto. By being next door to their family's business, Zesto, they hope to have a kind of "cross pollination" happen. They still work for Zesto, and they are considering different promotions with both businesses, like buy an avalanche, get a comic, but nothing is set yet. Since Uncanny Comics' opened, the response has been encouraging. "People have said they're happy there's a legitimate just comic book store in town finally, and that it's cool we have all of this stuff," Chad said. Matt added, "I was helping a guy who said, 'It's about time this town got something cool.'" The store is open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
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