When Ryan Seymore isn’t on his comic review show, “Black White & Read All Over” with co-host Victor Dandridge, you can find him at his shop Comic Town located at 94 Dillmont Dr, Columbus. Find out a bit about what he loves about comics and what it’s like owning a comic shop.
1. What was the first comic you remember buying?
My first comics were picked out by my grandparents and they made some pretty solid pulls for me. Classic Spider-Man and Justice League that I read and read and read till the covers fell off. The first book I got to choose for myself is one they might have regretted moments after I yanked it off of the spinner rack. We were at a grocery store in rural Tennessee named Odoms, I remember this vividly, looking through the spinner rack when my childish eyes beheld some super metal D&D looking barbarian f ighting crab people and knew that this was the book for me. That book was Conan the Barbarian #99. Something about that cover spoke to me! Fun fact, I couldn’t track down a copy of issue #100 in the wild until close to 40 years later. When I finally found my Rosebud and broke down reading how the flying demon apes killed Belit and how bad it hurt Conan.
2. Where did you get your comics growing up and what made you want to run your own comic shop?
I got most of my comics from off of a spinner rack in a local convenience store in Elyria, Ohio. The weekly ritual of the kids growing up around me was to save up our allowance and ride our bicycles to that convenience store on the weekends to buy soda, Garbage Pail Kids cards and the coolest looking comics we could find. The idea of owning a store didn’t really germinate in my mind until my twenties. I had always wanted to work at a LCS (local comic book store), but not until the opportunity to buy one became available did I realize that it was something I could do. That it wasn’t some fanciful day dream, but rather a way to take one of the things I am most passionate about and share that love of comics with others while taking care of my family and growing a community of fellow comic book devotees.
3. How did you choose the name of the shop?
I started out working for Comic Town and wasn’t a part of that naming process. The name will never change as long as I am the owner, though. It has come to mean family, friends, and community during the 25 years I have been a part of the company.
4. What is the most interesting part of owning a comic shop?
Probably the most interesting part of the shop is the way it has grown. In my twenties, it was all about the books, but, over the years, that has certainly changed. I still love comics and get excited every Tuesday when we are processing that week’s new books. Anybody that has had a chance to watch our review show or hang out at the shop can attest to that. The big change, though, is how the shop has built up not just guests, but friends and family over the years. I have seen a couple of generations go by. A guest might be bringing their child in to buy some comics and they will point out how glad they are to see we are open because back in the 90’s THEY were brought here by their parents to buy Pokemon cards. My kids are old enough now to help out at the register and also now play D&D with the children of long time friends of the shop. I have met friends all over the country and across the pond through the shop that have enriched my life beyond words. The charity work we have been able to do would not have been possible without the shop’s existence. I guess the Town in our name really has evolved into representing the community that has grown up around the shop.
5. What is the prized comic of your collection? Is there a comic you would love to own, but don’t?
I will probably be buried with my copy of March Volume 1 Signed by Congressman Lewis, first appearance of Mary Jane Watson and Giant Size X-Men #1. If I had infinite money or diplomatic immunity, I would own a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15, the first appearance of my all time favorite character, Peter Parker aka Spider-Man.
6. What changes have you seen in the comics world over the years, both on the production and fan side of things?
Things are getting super DIY now. Creators can take their ideas to Kickstarter or one of the small press companies that let creators keep ownership of their creations and just let them go crazy. We went through a patch where smaller press didn’t sell too well and, if it wasn’t one of the big two, it was difficult to get people to try something new, but that’s all changing. The diverse new offerings are going to force the big two to tell compelling stories and not just grind out content. I’ve been through the indy 80’s, 90’s bubble, 2000 renaissance and I am loving the direction things are headed.
7. Who are some of your favorite national artists? Local artists?
The big nationally known creators that automatically get moved to the top of my reading pile and I need to resist ordering with my heart are Mr. Mark Millar, Tom King, James Tynion IV, Juan Doe, Cullen Bunn, and Al Ewing. Locally, Victor Dandridge Jr, Michael Watson, Richard Jones III, Matt Erhman, Todd Beistel, and Lisa Sterle are doing some amazing things.
8. Who is your favorite character?
Spider-Man/Peter Parker without hesitation. I have always related to that awkward kid that Parker is. You would need to talk to my therapist for a full breakdown of my love for that character.
9. What comic series/graphic novel/etc would you recommend to someone who was just starting to get into comics and why?
I try to figure out what new readers’ tastes are based on what movies they like and kind of create a bespoke list off of those preferences. If I am going in blind the most frequent go to TPBs (trade paperbacks) for me are Walking Dead, DC Super Hero Girls, Wolverine Old Man Logan (Millar), Dark Ark, Y the Last Man, and Lumberjanes.
10. What has you most excited about the future of comics?
This next generation of creators and the movement towards small press creator owned content has me really excited for the future of comics. Publishers like AfterShock, Scout, Vault, Behemoth, BOOM!, and Sourcepoint are letting creators come in and bring their own stories to life in a way that they don’t have to worry about upsetting the status quo or maintaining things so that the action figure sales aren’t hurt by the comics on the shelves. We are at a point somewhere around the indy golden age and Marvel Renaissance of the late 90’s early 2000’s where creativity will be exploding and major publishers will need to start taking chances with their books again.
Find more information about Ryan and Comic Town, go to worldofcomictown.com.