SUPPLYING OUR MARVELOUS TROOPS WITH EXCELLENT COMICS!

ITEM! It’s that time of the month again, heroes! Time to hand out another Excelsior Award for Comic Shop Excellence! While the prior winners of the existential Exy award have been West Coast comic book shops, not this time, Tiger! When we started handing these things out, Ol’ Smiley threw out the challenge to any Mid-Western MMMS members-at-large to report back in to Soapbox Central on any comic book shop that met the Merry Marvel standards for excellence. A couple of weeks ago Yours Truly received the following from MMMS member #7892, otherwise-known-as FedEx Eddie:

“If ever there was a comic book shop that deserves the Excelsior Award, it’s the Bookery Fantasy located in Fairborn, Ohio (right next to Wright-Patterson Airforce Base and just outside Dayton. Their store is so big it’s broken into two shops directly across the street from each other — one for comics, pulps and collectibles, the other for games. Besides having one of the best back-issue inventories in the country, the Bookery is huge on old pulp magazines and genre paperbacks. Last time I was there I was able to grab the Twomorrows’ Kirby Unleashed portfolio, a copy of Blake Bell’s "I Have to Live With This Guy," and that Streetwise book with the Kirby story in it. All that and my regular books!

They have a massive selection of graphic novels, trade paperbacks and collectibles. A few weeks ago I walked in and they were conducting an Iron Man costume contest just prior to the movie premiere (see included photos). If you ever need anything there, all you have to do is ask Jessi — she knows her comics! In short, the Bookery seems like the kind of comic shop you’d find in downtown Manhattan, but it’s right here in the middle of Ohio!

Make Mine Marvel,

FedEx Ed, R.F.O., K.O.F."

Well there yah go, pilgrims! That’s how it works. Congratulations to Bookery Fantasy owner Tim Cottrill and his comic-crazed crew for winning the Excelsior Award for Comic Shop Excellence! Stand a little straighter and walk a little taller, Bookery-ites! Your excellence no longer goes unrecognized!

Nearly every city, hamlet and burg has a good comic shop... but do you have an exceptionally excellent comic shop in your vicinity? Is your rascally regional retailer recognition-worthy? Then what are you waiting for? A Skrull invasion? Send your Exy nominations straight to the ol’ Sock It To Stan emailage box, sunshine! You’ll feel better for doing it!

Excelsior!

Smiley