Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to one of the best comic shops in the Midwest. In celebration of Legend Comics moving across town to expand their shop, I met up with owner Dave DeMarco to talk about what’s new with Legend, including a feature that I’ve never seen offered with comics and what made him come back to the comic book industry after leaving many years ago.
Owners DeMarco, Jason Dasenbrock and Wendy Pivonka have crafted a genuine community atmosphere in Omaha, Nebraska and they’ve highlighted this in their new location with a downstairs room completely devoted to gaming and an area for homework or writing. Locals interested in gaming have plenty to choose from; Legend hosts regular tournaments including HeroClix, Magic and more.
“Adding value to the experience” is something that Dasenbrock prides himself on. It’s easy to see why customers are excited about Legend; although they aren’t the oldest shop in the city, they are certainly one of the friendliest I’ve visited.
DeMarco gave me a tour of the entire shop, including the storage area which houses 550,000 back issues. He was sure to point out the bathrooms too, which we both agreed are the nicest comic book store bathrooms ever.
Speaking with DeMarco, it might seem fairly obvious that he was meant to run a comic shop but that wasn’t always so. He gave up on comics and stopped collecting in the 90s. Then Alex Ross pulled him back in. “Astro City’s Tarnished Angel storyline is the reason I’m doing this. Alex Ross’s cover of that steel man looked so sad that I had to buy it. I probably would’ve gone away from comics if not for that.”
Legend’s adjoining coffee bar is receiving its final touches and will be ready in time for the grand opening on November 19th. I got a sneak peek while the shop was still under construction and it’s pretty impressive. Legend welcomes writers and artists, with plenty of room to house creative folks working on projects or customers reading a trade while sipping a cup of coffee or an old-fashioned phosphate.
If you’re wondering which comic shop to give your precious pull list to, look no further. Even if you’re online, Legend offers a special deal to pull file customers: 50% off their back issues and that’s an everyday price.
Speaking of pull files, you can now get your titles in the drive-thru window. In a rush and want to just grab and go? Drive up, have your comics delivered through the window and you can be on your way.
Espresso and The Amazing Spider-Man sounds like my new favorite combo.
Jen is working on a young adult urban fantasy called Slacker Heroes and a collection of pop culture essays. She makes room in her heart for both Bobby Drake and Batman. You can catch her on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
lumpy
November 7, 2011
Do they fancy coming to the UK and opening one here sounds like the best shop ever or maybe o should just move
Jennifer Joseph
November 7, 2011
You should just convince the gf that Omaha is the place to be!
Scapegoat
November 7, 2011
Actually Mannheim, Germany is the place to be.
Carlos Salinas
November 7, 2011
It’s nice to read a story about a comic book store that cares about customer service. I’ve heard too many horror stories of girls going into stores and being treated like freaks. Other stores where the employee just sits behind the counter and reads comics and ignores the customer. Fortunately the stores here in Dallas like Keith’s Comics and Lone Star Comics go out of there way to help you find exactly what you are looking for and recommend new stuff based on your likes. Legend Comics looks awesome. if I’m ever in Omaha…
Jennifer Joseph
November 7, 2011
I’ve been in shops where I just get ogled and they act like there can’t possibly be any reason for me to have gone in the store. It’s insulting and annoying as hell.