Geek and Gamer Heaven: My Favorite Comic Book Stores in Tampa Bay

I grew up reading all sorts of comics, from the old Archies comics to the Incredible Hulk. As a teenager, a younger friend introduced me to the wonders of X-men and I was hooked. Before long, I began reading all kinds of comics...something that continued into my adult years (I admit it - I loved Chastity. She was a super-cool vamp chick). To this day, I still enjoy looking at comics and I am particularly fond of the collectibles that I can often find in various comic stores (I have a great Spawn and horse collectible that I think is super cool, but I guess that's another story).

Unfortunately, it's really hard to find a good comic book store these days - Quite often, they're here today and gone tomorrow. Either that or they are tiny, dusty shops that don't carry much of anything good. It's so frustrating to see those, as they tend to remind me of things like video game arcades, which eventually faded into obscurity.

Here, however, are three great comic book stores that are established and have a lot of great things going for them. If you're looking for graphic novels, comic book collectibles or great role-playing games in the Tampa Bay area, be sure to check these guys out (listed in no particular order):

1. The Comics Club - 714 W. Lumsden Rd., Brandon, FL 33511
(813) 653-4111

With so many comic stores here today and gone tomorrow, The Comics Club stands out as being a reliable source that has been in business since 1989. Originally starting as a mail order comic store, they eventually began selling wholesale comics to retailers and opened their first physical store in 1994. While this one was originally opened in Ft. Lauderdale, they brought The Comics Club to the Tampa Bay area in 2001 and we couldn't be happier! With one of the largest selections of graphic novels, comics, trade paper backs and gaming supplies in the state, they are a must-see if you're a fan of comics.

My own personal lure? Tim Burton collectibles - My daughter was a huge fan of Jhonen Vasquez and we began the crossover from comics to collectible figurines with his Fillerbunny and Squee! toys. Another addiction of my daughter (and myself) is Tim Burton. Let's face it - if you're a fan of Tim's, Oyster Boy is a MUST HAVE. Call me immature, but I love the busts, bobbleheads and various toys at this store. Now the only thing that could make it better was if they carried White Wolf RPGs. Wait...they do? I'm doomed.

2. Comic Critter Too - 625 Grove St. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 896-9305

This was a favorite store of both of my children - not only for the comics, but also for the critters. We used to visit their smaller store in Largo, FL, and it was here that my daughter got her first tarantula and my son got his Cuban Knight Anole. It was always a fun store to visit - The employees were casual but very helpful, and we enjoyed the overall feel of the store. Whether you were looking for RPG materials or you wanted to learn about blue-tongued skinks, they were more than happy to answer your questions and help you out.

Sadly, the Largo store closed down and we've yet to get to their main store, located in St. Petersburg. If it's anything like the smaller store, however, it's a definite must-visit. We're still curious if their legless salamander broke the world's record yet.

3. Emerald City - 9249 Seminole Blvd., Seminole, FL 33772
(727) 398-BOOK (2665)

Emerald City Comics offers a wide selection of goodies for the comic book fan, the toy collector or the gamer. With regular gaming held throughout the week and a wide selection of games to get involved in, it's a great environment and a great way to explore different games - from Warhammer to Dungeons and Dragons, there's a little bit of everything here. One of my personal favorites? Magic the Gathering!

In addition to the gaming supplies and standard new comics, Emerald also offers great $1 Back Issue specials and they carry a lot of older comics that are harder to find (gotta love those classic X-Men). A great newsletter really helps to keep you up to date on releases, sales and what's going on in their Seminole and Clearwater locations.