I love hearing about comic creators who try to bring in new readers and serve young readers, while too many of the current “big names” seem more interested in a small demographic of current fans and gimmicks as a way to keep them. So when looking into today’s review I came across this:
And I’m sure you can guess who is involved.
From their “about” page:
Founded by Franco Aureliani, Art Baltazar, and Marc Hammond, Aw Yeah Comics celebrates and promotes everything that is wonderful about comics, toys, artwork, and the joy they bring to people. Our name says exactly how we feel about it. Positive and upbeat, we invite you to come in and experience our selection and atmosphere. As we grow over time we will be hosting a wide range of events, as well as expanding what product lines we carry. If you have children and have been looking for a family friendly store, look no further. Kids reading comics are a huge part of our reasons to open the shop. We want them reading comics as much as you do. Our ability to help you discover amazing comic works that you might not otherwise have seen is constantly evolving as we read as much as we can, travel to conventions, absorb as much news as possible, and interract with publishers and creators. If you are a creator interested in either seeing, signing at, or being carried here at AW YEAH COMICS, just head to our contact section and drop us a line. We’d love to hear from you. Located in beautiful Downtown Skokie, just a short train ride from Chicago, we are ready to provide the service you deserve and can’t wait to meet you and talk comics.
You often hear the horror stories about poorly-lit comic stores that are a mess when it comes to tracking down back issues with guys who either care too much about the money or about…well, if you’ve seen Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons..pretty much him. I’ve been lucky in that my comic store moved to a brightly-lit store and they’ve always been friendly to everyone and honestly care about comics. I’ve had great discussions with them about comics, old sci-fi shows and cartoons (plus current ones) with both the owners and other visitors. They even have all their kid-targeted and all-ages comics right up front so kids can find comics they can read.
You have to think that a comic store started by Art Baltazar and Franco, about as far from Kevin Smith as you can get (now THAT version of Comic Book Men I’d be interested in), would be interesting to visit. Not living in Chicago, I probably won’t get the chance. If you do live there, though, give Aw Yeah Comics a visit and tell me if its any good.
BW Media Spotlight 