Sad day on Jan 4th 2019 ...
On this day ... January the Fourth 2019, the Comicshop had finally went closed forever. After bit over 44 years in business since the first store opened in the 1970s, moved to its second location on 2089 West 4th Ave until 1999. Then went to move to its third location on 3518 West 4th Ave.
I went to pay my last visit on the last Saturday of December to get my last order. Walked around the store knowing this was my last time to see the classic yellow walls and wall racks. The credits goes to the employees who had kept the traditional look for many years. I made my first visit to the old Comicshop on 2089 West 4th. That happened after I saw their first TV commercial on one Saturday morning while I was watching my daily cartoons, I was a kid back then. I had to beg my dad to drive me to this store.
Upon my arrival, and walked to the store and saw the famous duck sign saying “Of Course We’re Open” outside by front door. Entered inside, I was high in my mind, eyes popped when I saw so much comics and stuff everywhere. I saw the second floor. On the first floor, the guy behind the counter ( the yellow counter which you saw in the photos below) greeted me with a smile. I went upstairs and saw even MORE comics in bins and on wall rack. I was so excited and started check out the comics. I told my dad I loved the store and wanted more visits here. He knew in signing and let me get my wishes. I had many good memories throughout the 1980s during my high school days.
I returned back to my old hometown, then to the new location and resumed my daily visits for the next 5 years to the end. I will miss the duck sign!
Below is a copy I found online. This article explains why I loved this store.
The Oldest Comics Specialty Store in Western Canada
In 2014, The Comicshop was the only store in British Columbia to be shortlisted for the Joe Shuster Award for Best Retailer in Canada, a highly esteemed honour within the industry. Original owners Ron Norton and Ken Witcher, both avid comic collectors, opened the doors of The Comicshop in 1974 to serve the city’s comics fans. Ron later bought out Ken to become sole owner in 1989. From its convenient 4th Avenue West location, the team at The Comicshop has helped Vancouverites with their comic collections for decades (and furthered its own, of course!).
The service is friendly and the selection is vast. Stepping into the shop, you’ll be greeted with a smile by The Comicshop’s manager Keith Bickford and his colleague Brent Stratichuk, who have been bringing in new titles every week and keeping the stock updated since the mid-1980s.
A comic collector’s dream, with new stock arriving every Wednesday, The Comicshop draws loyal customers who drop by on a weekly basis to pick up new issues and chat with Keith, Brent and the team. At The Comicshop, you’ll discover a wide selection of new and collectible comics, graphic novels, art books, toys, posters, t-shirts and all sorts of great stuff.
Living the Comic Collector’s Dream
An avid collector himself, Keith joined the team part-time in high school and never looked back. “It was a great way to make some money during high school and university, do something I enjoy, and help other comic fans. And now I’ve been working here forever!” laughs Keith.
“I still read a lot of comics like when I first started and it’s nice because so do our customers. We have customers who have been coming here since the store opened, so even longer than I’ve been here!”
Comics for All
The highlight of running the shop for Keith is meeting and helping comic fans from all walks of life. “Back when I started working here, it was really for nerds and geeks. These days, with shows like Big Bang Theory, nerd is the new cool,” says Keith.
“It’s really evolved over the years, the industry as a whole has become much more mainstream. Over the years, comics sort of grew up and these days the majority of our customers are adults who have been reading comics since they were kids. Our customers come from all walks of life – we have doctors, lawyers, white-collar workers, people working all around the world coming in, everyone really, so it’s really interesting that way.”
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