On a hot Saturday afternoon at
Up Up & Away! Comics in Cheviot, owner Kendall Swafford discusses his recent trip to California with a long-time customer. The man, middle-aged with white hair and beard, leans on his cane as Swafford tells him about this year's
Comic-Con International, the crème de la crème of conventions for comic books, graphic novels and everything related to them (toys, games, movies, etc). The shop owner stops mid-sentence to answer some questions from a younger man who speaks with what sounds like a Russian accent.
Swafford has the gravitas of a man who is deeply in tune with his trade, which is what one would expect from a shop owner who's business was graced with the Oscars of comic book stores – the prestigious
Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award.
The five-year-old store – neatly filled with rows of boxes of comic books meticulously organized alphabetically and stocked with T-shirts and posters, and figurines under glass, is spacious and well-lit, an unexpected find among the fast-food restaurants and auto parts shops on Harrison Avenue. You'd miss it if you weren't looking for it.
Like most shop owners, Swafford has been a comic connoisseur since he was a kid. He landed his first job at a Price Hill comics store at the tender age of 11. "I was the kid who wouldn't leave, so they hired me," he says with a smile. "I've had a lifelong passion for the medium."
And like other independent comic book store owners in Greater Cincinnati, he's in the business of sharing that passion with the masses. In the age of e-readers and iPads, he satisfies die-hard fans and cultivates new ones by nurturing a sense of community.
Steve Struharik, owner of
Arcadian Comics & Games in Newport, says it's relationships he and his staff have fostered with his customers that keep him in the business. He ran Clifton Comics & Games for nearly seven years before moving his business to Newport last month. "We like to talk about comics, we like to discuss what books are good, and we're willing to listen," he says. "We do whatever we can to accommodate people's wants. Knowing names like Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, Gail Simone, Mike Mignola, Ed Brubaker, Warren Ellis and others is crucial to understanding what customers are looking for, even if they don't know it yet."
The independent comic book market here is similar to other cities its size, like Indianapolis, but it fills a very specific niche, explains Jeff Suess, leader of a monthly graphic novel discussion group at the
Mercantile Library.
"Comics used to be sold in grocery stores and convenience stores for real cheap, and kids could pick them up or beg their parents," says Suess, who frequents
Rockin' Rooster Comics & Games in West Price Hill. "Now they're on better paper and are generally more sophisticated, and comic book stores provide a whole world of books, figures, posters and T-shirts – a lot more than a spinner rack can hold. The downside is that kids aren't likely to stumble upon comics anymore. They have to seek out a comic book store."
Struharik agrees. "Exposure is key to getting books to market, just as demand is what fuels an artist to create more," he says. "I don't see why there couldn't be a great underground scene in Cincinnati."
These days, comic book readers generally fall into three categories: die-hards who buy mainstream (read: superhero) comics from independent shops; adults who tend to favor more mature graphic novels and make the bulk of their purchases at bookstores or online; and those who, for good or bad, only know comics from movies and cartoons.
In Swafford's eyes, the explosion of movies based on comics has been a real boon for local shops and made reading comics a pastime that adults don't have to be ashamed of. "Before comic book movies, we had a lot of closet readers," he says. "They were happy to shop here, but not share their passion with co-workers, friends and family. It's never been more socially acceptable for adults to read comics."
Recognizable area talent also helps boost the profile of local comic book stores and readers. Cynthania native Tony Moore's comic
The Walking Dead was turned into a TV show and became a breakout hit for the A&E channel last fall. And University of Cincinnati instructor Carol Tyler's
You'll Never Know, a series of graphic novels about her father's Army experience during World War II, earned her high praise from industry bigwigs.
"Since Book I was published in June 2009, I have had so much positive feedback, especially from soldiers and families," Tyler says. "They love that I took on a topic that's never talked about. It has started important conversations because this book is not just a narrative about my dad. It's about emotional damage caused by war and unfortunately many people can relate."
The autographical style of Tyler's novels is one example of the diversity that abounds in comics these days. That diversity also reflects in the consumers who purchase them. From pre-teens, high schoolers and college students to young professionals and retirees, comic book readers come from every walk of life.
"The range is wider than people assume," Swafford says. "My oldest customer is 83 and my youngest is about 4. And a great deal of women shop here, too."
Suess's group, founded by English teacher/writer Edmund Osterman in 2007, grew out of Osterman's desire to use comics as a tool for engagement. And it's working. The widespread acceptance of comics as a medium for both learning and entertainment has spawned lit courses at universities, and has graphic novels popping up on the reading lists of local librarians.
"I like to say we have a very educated crowd," Struharik says. "People know what they want, and are familiar with creators they enjoy. There's definitely a social atmosphere where people can express their opinions for and against different comics. It's very rewarding to have such a great crowd that I see every week."
Join the conversation!Photography by
Scott Beseler