Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Universe might wonder how they can get into the comics themselves.
Thankfully, Bloomington-Normal has the answer–Graham Cracker Comics, the largest comic store chain in the United States.
The Uptown Normal location can be found at 115 West North Street. They are open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturdays, and 12 p.m.-5 p.m. on Sundays.
Travelling to the store is easy via the Green Connect Transit Bus from one of the bus stops near campus, a thirty-minute walk on the Constitution Trail, or a car if you have one. The store is easy to find, situated between two record stores with a Batman logo above the window. A table often lies out front with boxes of $1 comics for your perusal.
When you walk in, you’ll find every section full of some comic-related product.
Whether it’s comics, plushies, Funko Pops, comic storage supplies, statues, action figures, pins or candy, there’s something for everyone. Often you’ll find passionate comics fans flipping through back issues, which there are plenty of in the middle of the store.
On new comic book day, Wednesday, a long line of customers will be waiting to purchase their weekly books. The staff are incredibly warm, ready to answer any questions and recommend whatever genre or character you might be looking for, making it incredibly welcoming to those wanting to casually get into comics.
Luke Simkins, manager of the Uptown Normal store, spoke on the responsibility they feel as a comic shop employee.
“I love comics, and I want other people to enjoy comics. I want to destroy the stereotype of the gatekeepy comic shop employee.” Simkins said.
From the entrance, new Marvel comics are immediately to the right, DC Comics are farther back on the right wall, the cash register splits up the two sections, and indie comics are around a small corner on your left. Graham Cracker Comics mainly sells at cover price, unless expressly stated otherwise.
This means you’ll find new comics on the wall racks typically costing $4 to $5, with some oversized issues costing more.
Collected editions, located in the back left corner for Marvel, DC, and manga, with independent books being found in the far back of the store, tend to range from $15 to $25 for trade paperbacks depending on size, $60 for compendiums, and $100 for omnibuses, which are the thickest a collected edition gets and are hardbacks.
You might wonder if it’s worth the trip or the money to read comics physically. Simkins said the value of purchasing comics in person is “being able to feel it in your hands and flip through it. There’s also the employee factor, being able to talk to someone knowledgeable about comics.”
For those wanting to go all in, you can set up a “pull list” with the shop, effectively a subscription list, guaranteeing you a copy of whatever titles you add to it set aside for you.
Simkins said, “I’ve read comics pretty much all my life. Star Wars, Spider-Man. Then in college I got into comics like Doom Patrol. I really connected to a lot of the characters. It helped me realize who I was as a person. There’s a comic for everyone–for every experience.”
