When it comes to fun businesses, selling comic books, games and toys ranks up there with the best of them. That is exactly what The Comics Club in Brandon has been doing since 1989. For D.J. Stamper, owner of The Comics Club, it just gets better and better with each passing year.
“It’s a golden age for comic books, comic book-related movies and television shows, and for entertainment retailers like me who get to be at the center of it all at our comic shops,” said Stamper. “Fans come in to pick up the latest issues of their favorite comics.”
According to Stamper, it was in early 1989 that he made the decision to start a mail-order business selling comic books to fans and collectors. Starting with 3,000 comic books from his own collection, Stamper grew the business year-by-year, accumulating an ever-growing inventory of comic books and other collectibles. When his inventory reached 20,000 comics in 1994, he launched The Comics Club into the retail world with a brick and mortar store.
Today, his inventory has expanded to more than 120,000 comic books, plus thousands of graphic novels as well as hundreds of games and toys.
“My love of comic books, especially the amazing artwork that the medium is known for, has been part of my life since I was a child growing up in Michigan. I have spent my adult life as a self-professed comic book pusher, trying to get as many people as possible involved in this great, fun hobby,” says Stamper.
That is no overstatement. Stamper uses his persona as ‘The Comic Book Pusher’ on his Facebook pages to help promote comic book reading and collecting, and he has even written a blog, ‘Confessions of a Comic Book Pusher,’ at www.comicbookpusher.com to relate his experiences of selling comic books to the masses.
In celebration of 30 years in business, The Comics Club has been offering monthly discounts on select merchandise at 30 percent off, the sale changing to offer different items from different categories of merchandise (comics, games and toys) each month.
Upcoming events will take place; Demo Day and Free Role-Playing Game Day on Saturday, June 15 and during Halloween ComicFest on Saturday, October 26.
The Comics Club is located at 714 W. Lumsden Rd. in Brandon. Visit www.facebook.com/TheComicsClub or call 653-4111 for information on all upcoming events.
