Opening in the winter of 2022, Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy® is the newest hobby shop to pop up in the Columbus area. They have a great selection of comics and graphic novels, but the real draw is their fantastic array of games and RPGs. Get to know owner Philip Siewert and find out what he loves about comics.
1. What was the first comic you remember buying?
The first comic I remember buying was Conan the Barbarian in about 1978. I was around 7 years old. My family was on our way home from an event and stopped at a gas station, which had a spinner rack of comics.
2. Where did you get your comics growing up and what made you want to run your own comic shop?
I primarily bought my comics at KB Toys inside the Port Plaza Mall in Green Bay, WI; which is where I grew-up. After leaving home for college, my main store became Capital City Comics in Madison, WI. From there I moved around quite a bit until settling in Columbus about 20 years ago.
I decided to open Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy® as part of my “retirement” planning. There is an adage about monetizing one’s hobbies. I’ve been playing RPGs, tabletop miniatures, boardgames, and reading comics for a long time. I love the communities around those interests and through the store, I hope to stay connected to them. The pandemic gave me a window to work on starting up the store while no longer traveling for my “day job.” I plan to leave my day job within the next 10 years or so and transition to working at the store full-time.
3. How did you choose the name of the shop?
Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy® is actually a franchise. I bought a license from the franchisor and own the local store. The marks and logos are one of the benefits of being part of a franchise.
4. What is the most interesting part of owning a comic shop?
At the time of this interview, the store is only 6 months old, so we’re still new and figuring things out. That being said, I find the range and diversity of comic book readers fascinating. I love that! Meeting readers, talking to them about their specific interests, helping them find books, and hopefully providing a welcoming and inclusive place for them to spend some time is very fulfilling.
5. What is the prized comic of your collection? Is there a comic you would love to own but don’t?
My prized book is actually a graphic novel that I picked up at The Laughing Ogre. It is Kabuki: Circle of Blood. Shadowbox Live was performing “Circle of Blood” as a rock opera which is why I wanted to read the graphic novel. I managed to get several members of the cast to sign the book.
Regarding books that I wish I owned, but don’t, at some point I lost my collection of Classics Illustrated titles. I had Zorro, Three Musketeers, Count of Monte Cristo, Last of the Mohicans… the list goes on. I loved those comics as kid. I wonder where they ended up. Hopefully they are in good hands.
6. What changes have you seen in the comics world over the years, both on the production and fan side of things?
It has been great to see comics and comic characters becoming increasingly mainstream. I think back to the Batman 1989 movie and can mentally trace an increase in comics being “cool” through to the “recent” impacts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Boys, Big Bang Theory, Stranger Things, etc. I also love the crossover between comics and games as well as anime and the growth of manga. In parallel, we’ve all seen the increase in digital platforms for comics which absolutely competes with us for sales. However, there is also a bit of retro nostalgia in comics, kind of like the return of vinyl records. Our store is still new, so this next comment is a bit anecdotal, but we seem to see just as much interest, if not more interest in independent tittles, as well as LGBTQ+ characters/stories, as we see in “traditional” characters and stories from the major publishers.
7. Who are some of your favorite national artists? Local artists?
I love the work Jenny Frison has done on Wonder Women and am very much impressed by their Poison Ivy depictions; to be honest, I like all of their work. Locally, I really enjoy Michael Watson’s work at Freestyle Komics.
8. Who is your favorite character?
I’m sure everyone struggles with this question. I can narrow it down to two. Jessica Jones and Constantine. I love how Jessica struggles with being a hero, but is compelled to do good. The entire Hellblazer/Constantine occult detective “world” is, in my opinion, a lot of fun – despite the pessimism. In general, I tend to prefer street level heroes.
9. What comic series/graphic novel/etc would you recommend to someone who was just starting to get into comics and why?
I always start by asking questions about what a new reader likes with respect to genre, movies, TV shows, games, etc. From there I, or one of the store team, can make a recommendation. My go to seems to often be Saga (published by Image Comics). It has something for everyone.
10. What has you most excited about the future of comics?
I’m excited to see the diversification of representation in comics. By that I mean new characters better representing the range of “walks of life” in America, but also in older more obscure characters getting page time and story development. Ms. Marvel, America Chavez, Falcon, and even Iron Man are examples of this.
Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy® is located at 1222 E. Powell Road in Lewis Center. Find out more about their gaming events and tournaments at dlair.net/columbus-north or at facebook.com/dlaircolumbus.