Friday, March 18, 2011

The Comic Hunter nominated for a Joe Shuster Award

Article by Scott Tingley, March 19, 2011

I thought it would be a good idea to mention an honour that has been given to one of my  local comic shops.  The Comic Hunter (Moncton) has been nominated for a Joe Schuster Award: The Harry Kremer Award for Outstanding Comic Book Retailer.

From the Joe Schuster Award website:

Named after the late Harry Kremer, original owner of Now & Then Books (in Kitchener, Ontario). Shops are recommended by the general public and a separate Retailer Award Committee reviews all materials received and select a short list of stores that has shown merit in a variety of categories such as: (1) Support of a wide variety of innovative material, (2) Overall appeal of the store and usage of space, (3) Knowledge, (4) Community activity, and (5) Adherence to standard ethical business practices.

 
§                     AMAZING FANTASY (Red Deer, AB)
§                     AMAZING STORIES (Saskatoon, SK)
§                     ANOTHER DIMENSION COMICS(Calgary, AB)
§                     COMIC BOOK ADDICTION (Whitby, ON)
§                     THE COMIC HUNTER (Moncton, NB)
§                     COMIC READERS (Downtown Regina, SK)
§                     GOLDEN AGE COLLECTIBLES (Vancouver, BC)
§                     HILL CITY COMICS & GAMES (Thunder Bay, ON)
§                     L’IMAGINAIRE (Quebec City, QC)
§                     PLANÈTE BD (Montreal, QC)

I have frequented all three of the comic shops in Moncton, but what I have appreciated about The Comic Hunter is how Remi LeClair (owner) makes his shop work.  He regularly updates his “want list” page which means he is actively looking for books his customers want AND he is giving an opportunity for collectors to trade in some of their collection for store credit giving them an affordable means of getting more stuff. 

Stereotypically, comic shops are not necessarily comfortable places for newcomers to comics and I have personally been in the store to witness Remi and his staff interact with newbies of all sorts and been impressed with their attitudes. 

My kids enjoy browsing their selection of more all-ages comics and the material that is (in my opinion) not appropriate for them is, while not hidden away, is not usually at their eye level.  The store caters to people interested in gaming, comics and just about every sort of “genre’ interest.

I think that an award for one Moncton store can be beneficial for all of the comic shops in the town.  Increased awareness for one shop can bring attention to others.  So, way to go Comic Hunter.

Also, check out my other sites:
http://wefightrobots.blogspot.com/

Comment below or contact me at: comicsintheclassroom at gmail.com

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