Health & Fitness
Getting to Know... The Comic Shop
Come get to know a little more about The Comic Shop in San Leandro, who will be giving out free comics on May 4th and co-hosting Game Night at the San Leandro Public Library May 9th!
Full disclosure; I used to work for The Comic Shop up until a couple of years ago. I met owners Miryam Ramos and Jane Blea shortly after graduating high school. Our friendship began with me as an over-anxious customer pressing his nose against the screen door, watching Miryam process her shipment on Wednesday mornings. I was eager to be first through the door and Miryam appreciated having a helping hand to stick books on the shelves; thus was born a symbiosis for the ages. Eventually the unofficial became official and I was taken on as the Sunday guy at the shop.
While I haven't been a worker there for a couple years now, I am still a customer, and it's from the view of a patron that I sat down with Miryam to discuss The Comic Shop. Sitting in the back area of the shop on a sunny Sunday afternoon, Miryam and I chatted about what it was that made her store so special. Her response was immediate: "My staff. They follow my cues as a leader; we provide good customer service, keep the store organized, and most importantly, make it a fun place to work and shop".
I share her sentiment, as The Comic Shop is one of the nicest comic stores I've ever been to. The shop is spacious, packed to the brim with comics, trade paparbacks, manga, games, and toys. The selection in this new location is greater than anything she ever had on Bancroft and it makes the shopping experience infinitely better. Lining the upper part of the walls is an incredible mural of various superheroes, cartoon, and videogame characters by worker and painter extraordinaire Chris Prince. Seriously, a trip to The Comic Shop is worth it just to see the art on the walls.
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"We aren't neutral to our customers. We wanted to work past the stigma of a comic shop not being an all-inclusive place", said Miryam of the environment The Comic Shop strives to create. When you go to Jane and Miryam's store, it's a place where you feel welcome. I've been to plenty of comic shops where the staff is cold unless you can put a number on how many times Marvel has relaunched The Avengers. As a woman, Miryam takes pride in pushing past the stereotype of comics being a "boy" pastime, especially in the mid-nineties when she took over ownership of the store. Now, comics are captivating a broader spectrum of readers than at any point in the past, and The Comic Shop is at the forefront of providing accessibility for this new audience.
Miryam also takes pride in being a mainstay of San Leandro: "I grew up here, I've worked ambulances here. This is a city that has a small town feel without being a small town". It's this tightness that makes our city special and helps give the shop its identity. In almost a year since moving to their new location, Miryam says they've maintained 85% of their regular clientele and see new customers on a daily basis. "The Comic Shop is a place in San Leandro where anyone can come and enjoy a safe environment to talk about their favorite hobbies and feel secure".
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Miryam and Jane hope to strengthen their connection to the city via their upcoming collaboration with the San Leandro Public Library. Starting May 9th and continuing on the second Thusday of every month after, The Comic Shop and library will be hosting a Game Night targeted at San Leandro millennials. Taking place from 6:30-9:30PM, the goal is to provide a location for young people to get together and play games, network, and learn about the various services the library offers. It's a great community-builder and another example of the role Jane and Miryam's humble shop plays in our city.
If you haven't been by before or if it's been a bit since your last trip, The Comic Shop is more than worth a moment of your time. The selection is great, prices are fair, and whoever is behind the counter will make you feel welcome and answer your questions. Be sure to stop by on May 4th when The Comic Shop will be handing out free comics for the annual Free Comic Book Day event!
The Comic Shop is located at 699 Lewelling Blvd, in the Greenhouse Marketplace. Open 7 days a week. Sunday 11AM-7PM, Monday 10AM-7PM, Wednesday through Saturday 10AM-8PM. The Comic Shop offers customers the opportunity to reserve copies of upcoming comics and place orders for titles they might be looking for, so get in touch with them if you're sick of trying to hunt down the latest issue of Uncanny Avengers at other stores! 510/562-0205.