Just saw the crowd at my local shop change in a year

A year back, the Wednesday crowd at Comics Plus was mostly guys my age, maybe thirty and up, talking about back issues and story arcs. I went in yesterday and it was totally different. There were way more high school kids, a lot more girls, and they were all talking about the new animated shows and the movie crossovers. I think the big change was that Marvel and DC stuff got put on those streaming services everyone uses. It's easier to get into the characters now without reading fifty years of books. The owner said his sales for new #1 issues with young heroes have doubled since last fall. It's cool to see, but it does feel like a different place. Has anyone else's shop seen this kind of shift in who shows up?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_emma22d ago

Our shop started a teen book club last year and it totally changed the vibe.

the_alice22d ago

Yeah, my local spot went through the same thing. The owner started running beginner nights, just simple talks about where to start with certain characters or teams. It stopped the old regulars from gatekeeping and gave the new kids a way in without feeling stupid. The place is louder now and they sell more energy drinks than coffee, but it's packed every week.

holly_wood22d ago

Stock some of the popular manga titles too, it pulls in that new crowd without pushing the old guys out.