Heroes Comics
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Headquarters | , |
Number of locations | 1 |
Area served | London, Ontario |
| Products | Comics, sports cards, toys |
| Owner | Brahm Wiseman |
| Website | http://www.heroescomics.ca/ |
Heroes Comics is a comic book retail store operating in London, Ontario, Canada.
The business is the biggest such store in the southwestern portion of the Province of Ontario and is cited as one of the most successful retail interests in London's downtown core area.[1] Its offerings in addition to periodical comic books include graphic novels and trade paperbacks (60% of sales), sports cards (15%) and toys (especially action figures) and genre collectibles (25%).[2]
The story was founded in 1991 by the Robinson family and is currently owned by Brahm Wiseman (who was hired on in 1998) since 2000 when the store had two outlets: one in the downtown core of the city and a smaller one in White Oaks Mall in the southern part of the city. In defiance of the general decline of retail businesses in downtown locations in Canada, Wiseman closed the mall outlet in favour of the downtown location. In 2006, the store proved successful enough to move to a nearby larger location at 186 Dundas St.
Considering the city has an unusually large number of equivalent retailers in close proximity for its size, owing in part to the city's large post-secondary student population (Which includes that of the University of Western Ontario, whose main library includes a 10,000+ comic book collection in its materials[3]) and technology industries personnel who often favor the comics medium, the store works closely with its retail competitors on Free Comic Book Day with local cross-promotions. However, their business does not include online retail beyond a simple company website, preferring to focus on making the physical store itself an attractive retail location with the majority of its stock on display as opposed to in storage for online customers.
In addition to its regular business operations, the business is deeply committed to public affairs, such as being a board member of local organizations such as London Downtown Business Association and Mainstreet London. The story cooperates with the London Public Library on events to encourage youth literacy through comics, such as Comic Jam which is held during March Break. Furthermore, Wiseman has held lectures at the Thames Valley District School Board's professional development seminars about the use the comics medium in education.[4]
Awards and Mentions
- 2013: Heroes Comics was presented with the Harry Kremer Award for Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Retailer, as part of the Joe Shuster Awards in Toronto.
References
- ^ Maloney, Patrick (April 21, 2013). "And You Are?: His passion for collecting like a well-tended garden". The London Free Press. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
- ^ Ibid.
- ^ Travis, Heather (January 07, 2010). "Lifetime collector donates comics to library". Western News. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ VanderPloeg, Scott. "2013 Harry Kremer Award Winner: Heroes, London ON". Comic Book Daily.com. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
External links
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