Two months ago, I told the guy who runs our Monday clubs program that I’d like to run an outdoor education program on Mondays for kids who don’t get enough exposure to the wild just beyond our athletic fields, and would like to. He thought it was a great idea. I told other kids who approached me about comic book club and skateboarding that no, I wasn’t going to do those clubs, because — hey, I’ve got a dog to exercise, and all that. Plus, I don’t really like the idea of sitting behind the wheel of a van for endless hours to browse the same comic book boxes week after week after week.
Do you sense where this is going?
Imagine my surprise when, five weeks ago, I found myself in charge of the Monday comics club. OK, whatever. Go with the flow.
The flow, in this case, is utterly dam(m/n)ed. It turns out that our local comics store here in the local market town is closed on Mondays. OK, so we hung out in town, and I did a Google search for the next closest. Turns out they’re closed on Mondays, too. So, on our second Monday club, we drove to Wayne’s Comics and Cards. Wayne’s, in Greenville, RI, used to be open on Mondays, but now they’re an Internet-only store, and you can only be a walk-in at their new store if you still have outstanding subscriptions with them. Oh, and the one in Johnston, RI, which seems to be quite difficult to find, is also closed on Mondays; found that out when we tried to go there after Wayne’s. Lacking any other options, we went to Barnes & Noble for two weeks, but then I figured, “hey, I’ll try Music Quest in Worcester!” We went there today. The guy in Worcester has the decency to put a sign on the door that says, in effect, “upstairs tending my aged mother; call this phone # and I’ll come down and open the shop.” Except he didn’t answer the phone, and didn’t open the shop.
Keep in mind, this is with a busload of kids in the school van, sitting in the parking lot, each time. Collectively, they had $90-$100 in their pockets, aching, burning, yearning to buy comic books. Is there a comics store somewhere within an hour of school that’s open on Mondays? It seems not.
We wound up at Millbury, where I took the kids to Cold Stone Creamery and then unleashed them in Barnes & Noble for half an hour. We have two more weeks of comics club, and I have no idea where to go or what to do any more. And no, this is not a gaming crowd, ironically enough, so I can’t just take them to Rising Phoenix games, either. I offered that and was roundly shouted down today.
Not sure exactly where you are, but if you have a Newbury Comics a reasonable distance away, you could try that. They have a slightly bigger section of new releases then Barnes & Noble.
Re: Off topic:
My thought exactly. And wouldn’t it be a trip to be re-introduced to that community in that way? 🙂
How was RT?
Re: Off topic:
that;s funny, it is probably the people we see at Pandora’s box -yes?
Re: Off topic:
I think I know the people, and yes. I could feature that night.
Off topic:
Hey, are you possibly available to feature at GPL on July 29? A CT cable access show wants to do a taping there that night, and it’s a Pagan themed program — be good to have you for both the mythic/pagan aspect AND the CT connection.
Which is fine to say. But I called two other shops, which shall remain nameless here, and said. “Hi, are you open on Mondays?”
And one said, “yes, just call us when you get here and we’ll open.”
And the other said, “yes, we’re open”… but then when we got there said, “well, we’re open but only to old subscribers.”
So I’m going to call, and run through my checklist again.
I believe they only close for Christmas and New Year’s. I believe they close at 6pm, but otherwise, they’ll be open and ready for you.
later
Tom
Thanks for the suggestion.
I will second this recommendation.
later
Tom
It’s a good suggestion. Now I need to call them, and confirm, and double-confirm, and re-confirm, and confirm again, that they’re open — that I can walk through the door — that I can bring kids — that they’re open on Monday afternoons … because all of that which I thought was so obvious turns out not to be, when it comes to Comics stores on Mondays.
That’s Entertainment is on Park Avenue near the intersection of Elm St. I’ve had a box there since 1991, so if it’s not too far, they’re good people. They have an excellent comics selection, make good recommendations & have used books as well.
Worcester:
http://thatseco.ipower.com/