I’ve been wanting to write about my local comic book store for a while, and now, with their upcoming Holiday Comic Con, it seems like the perfect time. Saturday, December 12^th from 10 A.M. until 5 P.M., My Happy Place Comics is hosting an event with 10 different artists (who will be available for signings), a raffle, cosplay, and other fun. They will also be continuing their kids toy drive, and will be giving away raffle tickets for each donation you make. I’ll be covering the event for Agents of Game, and I hope to see you there!

And now, for the rest of the story…

I moved to Crystal Lake a few months ago (which may be another story for another day), and since I’ve been here, I’ve been meaning to check out some of the local comic book stores. For those of you who aren’t from here, Crystal Lake is one of the outlying suburbs of Chicago. It’s a relatively small town, but we are in close proximity to plenty of shopping in the other towns and suburbs. As such, there are plenty of choices for comic shops, but I finally found one where I can hang my nerd hat.

Yes, I recognize that it’s pretty tough for a comic shop to compete with Amazon, YouTube, or other outlets that sell or basically give away comics. But there’s something to be said for being able to go to a place that’s real, to have a conversation with an actual person, and hold a physical copy of a comic. Even though it’s very difficult for me to get out and about, if you can find the right places to go, it makes it worth all the effort.

I’ve been to a variety of comic shops over the years, so I’m well aware that not all are equal, especially when it comes to how they treat customers. As a white male, it’s never really been an issue for me, but I tend to rate stores on how they treat my wife, especially when I’m on the other side of the store and they don’t know she’s with me. Cory, one of the two folks who run the shop, not only was respectful, but also incredibly personable. He went out of his way to make sure both of us were taken care of, and could find whatever we were interested in, but also was happy to enjoy conversation with some fellow nerds.

I recognize that many people who peruse Agents of Game aren’t in the Chicago area, and that many of those who are aren’t in the suburbs. For those who can make the trip, I encourage you to give My Happy Place Comics a visit. Their tag-line is “Find your happy place at My Happy Place Comics” and I certainly did. And the rest of you? Find a good local shop, and give them your support.

A quick note specifically about the event; the artists who are scheduled to attend are Alex Johns, Scott James, Bill Reinhold, Linda Reinhold, Tony Santiago, Trevor Mueller, Bernie Gonzalez, Hal Betzold, Ashley Witter, and Ash Maczko.

We’ll be bringing you more details about the event, including plenty of coverage, as well as stories from the store.