Written by Riley Kane, Photos by Patrick Cox
On Saturday, May 4, a crowd waited patiently on Bull St. as Neighborhood Comics was on the verge of its grand opening. By 9:30 a.m., Star Wars characters appeared, and employees served a steady dose of PERC coffee to those who needed it. At 10 a.m., the crowd turned their attention to the owner, Lee Heidel, who welcomed and thanked everyone for coming. When the store opened its doors, people’s immediately ran to get free comic books.
While the store wasn’t huge, the spectacle was seeing attendees share space as they moved from shelf to shelf. “Star Wars” themed music played softly through the speaker and rare Marvel toys stood in a glass case near the front. Lee, the small town, honest nerd, introduced himself and answered any questions. The mood was set, comic book fanatics and passerby’s had no problem feeling right at home, as Lee intended it.
Neighborhood Comics came about after a five-year search for real estate. Lee kept requirements simple: numerous shops, near restaurants he and his friends enjoy and easy for students. Opening in a spot near Forsyth Park gives families a perfect getaway after a long day of play or students after class at Arnold Hall. Lee wants both groups to feel satisfied and is open to ordering series upon customer’s request.
“You don’t have to like superheroes or a specific licensed property. There are plenty of original stories made by other creative people of all sorts of backgrounds,” said Lee. The discovery of new comics is not only to see the talent within but the inspiration throughout. Lee wants the shop to be a stepping stone for pursuing creativity across generations and luckily, there’s outstanding variety at Neighborhood Comics. Eventually, Lee hopes to blend this philosophy with SCAD’s Sequential program so students can set their work up in the store.
The day was far from finished, afternoon activities included free sketches from Sonic the Hedgehog artist Tracy Yardley and henna tattoos from Purrvana Cat Café. The shop plans to host other events, including a summer book club focused on graphic novels. Lee’s “local shop for locals” is fueled by engaging the community in something culturally important. As a joke, Lee shared the rest of his ambitious plan to me. “Phase One is to be a comic shop,” he said. “Phase Two is to take over the world.”
Keep up with Neighborhood Comics by liking their Facebook page, following their Instagram or checking out their website.
