Coliseum of Comics

[Satchmo Distel]

I just found out that Jacksonville, FL, has two of these and was wondering if other cities had them

https://coliseumofcomics.com/stores/jacksonville-beach/

[Ginger Yellow]

You mean a comic shop? Or that specific one? Because they list the cities on the website.

[Satchmo Distel]

Fair point. The listed stores are all in Florida so I was wondering if the plethora of such shops is specific to the state? The Facebook page of the website says its the biggest retailer of comics in the Southeast.

And are comic shops normally as big as the one shown, which looks more like a wholesaler?

[Ginger Yellow]

Doesn't look that enormous to me, though it's hard to gauge perspective in that shot.

Of pure comic shops, the two I'm most familiar with are Mega City Comics (photo here) in Camden (London, not NJ), which is probably smaller than that one, and Orbital Comics in the West End, which is probably at least as big. Photos here, but bear in mind it also has a second smaller room.

But there's also a chain of stores, Forbidden Planet, which is about half comics and half toys, DVDs, figurines and other tchochkes. They're pretty big (for city centre stores). and the London one is enormous.

[Ginger Yellow]

Scottish Forbidden Planet-alike plans rapid expansion.

Seems recklessly fast to me, especially with the current situation, but they should be able to get good rental terms at least. And I suppose doing it as a franchise offloads a lot of the risk to the franchisees.

[Patrick Thistle]

Judging by how many comic shops have started up (and failed) in Cardiff over the past 10 years a lot of people seem to have a dream of running their own comic shop. We have one chap who literally models himself on Comic Book Store Guy from the Simpsons, down to the paunch and surly attitude, who has shifted locations several times. It's a labour of love for him rather than a viable business.