Hope y'all enjoyed this run down of my favorite shops in Chicago! My favorite city in the world has some of the best shops I've ever been to and I hope to see ya across from me as I ransack the boxes to complete my OP promo, Milestone, Valiant, and Vertigo collections!
Just tell 'em yer a part of the Red Diamond Underground and they'll show ya the way (right out the door!)
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OverPower ads ft. Spidey vs. Wolvie there and they have a bespoke Milestone Comics section. This neighborhood has changed a bit as University of Chicago has continued to gentrify this historically Black neighborhood, but there's still a whole lotta history and culture to absorb. Hyde Park Records (a shop I have admittedly still not stopped in, total poseur shit) stands strong, Cafe 53 has a killer vegan meatball sub, w/ Can't Believe It's Not Meat is right across the street!
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There's a bunch of cool spots to eat nearby, including Schoop's Diner and Rancho Grande Tacos & Burritos, plus you can feast on Gayety's Ice Cream's absolutely bonkers celebration of American Depravity sized sundaes.
5) My final pick: First Aid comics in Hyde Park. Cool split level shop with the new releases up front, back issues and gaming up top. The employees wear Lab Coats and have a ton of cool things in stock. I found one of the chromium
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4) Here's where we start to leave the city, but I promise, the journey's worth the drive. Munster, IN's Screaming Monkey Comics is a great little bastion of nerddom just outside the city limits. They just hopped across the parking lot to a much larger space, where they now have ample room for gaming and even added a small arcade with a working X-Men vs Street Fighter cabinet. The boxes are extremely well stocked and organized and the owner loves to cut a deal.
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with the Lakeview Graham Crackers a short walk away. You can also drop into Bonus Round Gaming Cafe, home to Chicago's only @NullSignalGames night, stop for a bite at the original Chicago Diner, or, better yet, get the Thai Pineapple Soy Gluten Fried Rice and an avocado/mango smoothie at my personal favorite spot for vegan food on the north side, the almighty Yummy Yummy!
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If I ever dared to live near Wrigleyville, Chicago Comics would be primary shop. A great selection of Big Two comics, a staggering amount of back issues, a local curation that rivals even Quimby's Books (another tale), the aforementioned smut, and much more! While the shop itself serves as a reminder of a neighborhood that is almost unrecognizable from the seedy cool of 20-30 years ago, there's still some other cool stuff to drop in and check out in the neighborhood,
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and an LGBTQ welcoming atmosphere, plus weird ephemera and curiosities. Right down the street from the Andersonville Graham Crackers Comics, a queer friendly sex shop called Between the Sheets, and feminist bookstore Women and Children First.
3) Chicago Comics is an absolute staple, both for the city who supplies its namesake and yours truly. My dad used to take me as a kid and I'd have to cover my eyes because of the not small amount of smut present.
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gangway to get to it, but on the other side you'll frequently be welcomed by big discount sidewalk sales right outside the front door, and a great collection of stuff inside. They really seem to have a knack for hunting down indie horror fare and keep the shelves stocked with cutesy manga and local artists as well. They also boast a modest collection of games (generally the first or second sets of a game like Arkham Horror, for those just starting out) 3/
Latvian comic house "kus!" Right next to primo rekkid shop Tone Deaf (they had the Vidro LP last time I was there, a modern hardcore punk classic), old school (I mean comic guy old school, but still welcoming) comic emporium Maximum Distractions, and the great Migos tacos. A must stop for any visiting fanatic.
2) This is quickly becoming my top 5 in order, but what can ya do when Andersonville's Alley Cat truly is my second favorite shop in the city? Ya gotta walk through a 2/
I ain't no gatekeeper, let's talk my top 5 Chicago shops, presented in not exactly a particular order:
1) Howling Pages, which has contributed nothing to my OP collection, but is my personal favorite shop in the city. The curation is unique and covers a wide swath of styles and inclinations, while still feeling guided by a singular vision. The shop never feels disdainful of any one comic subgenre, but beckons you to give COPRA a try right alongside obscure one shots from 1/
The Red Diamond Underground