Remembering The Comic Book Store

I haven't bought a comic book in over 40 years. I'm not even sure Disney (owner of Marvel Comics) and other comic book publishers even want to print comic books anymore preferring the easier (and much more profitable) digital media to push their characters and stories to PCs, smart phones, and assorted iPads and tablets via subscriptions  One of my favorite shows on TV is The Big Bang Theory where one of the enjoyable pastimes of the geeky gang of scientists is a regular weekly visit to The Comic Book Store. 

So it's been more than 40 years and I still remember my visits to the store where I bought my comic books conveniently situated on the way home from school at the corner of 21st and Mission, San Francisco. I'm sure they sold other stuff in the little convenience store - candy and soda come to mind - but I remember the comics, and being surrounded by 3 small display walls of some of my favorite characters growing up. You know... that little store even had a special smell, probably from all the news and magazine print ink. I still remember it.

The comic books I bought were all Marvel - Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Spiderman, the Fantastic Four - those I are the comic book superheroes I remember buying regularly at a price of about 15 cents I believe (I could be wrong but I know it wasn't much). It's funny how life comes full circle sometimes. My comic book buying days lasted maybe two years or so. Last week, I stepped in a movie theater to see Iron Man 3 while about 6 or 7 other Marvel movies rest in my DVD collection. It's almost as if Disney bought Marvel for people like me (along with a new generation of 10 year old boys), grown men who look fondly look back on reading the comic books of childhood.

With the massive success of Iron Man 3 at the box office, I owe Disney a 'thank you' once again for bringing back some of the great memories of being a kid. Then again, Disney probably knew all along there were plenty of people like me who are more than willing to part with some of their hard earned money to recapture their youth.

The first publicity still for Disney / Marvel Studios Captain America The Winter Soldier
Scheduled Release Date: April 4, 2014