Local Comics Store Spotlight: Acme Comics
11/09/2017 05:45 pm EST
Acme Comics (Part Two)
One benefit of a long existence is that it allows Exum and his staff to take a long view of the comics industry. As retailers they've been invested in creating new markets for the medium, and have seen that pay off in the past few years. "Kids under twelve are once again interested in reading as part of their entertainment portfolio with comic books and graphic novels. Boys and girls." says Exum. That's especially exciting given that for more than a decade the market was dominated primarily by adolescent and adult men. Acme Comics has cultivated a wide-range of comics that suit children's tastes and that have an aesthetic appeal for parents. It's a win-win as parents get their kids to read and kids get some great stories.
It's not just a growing market for young readers either. Exum has observed the number of women creating pull files growing each year. New comics like Saga and reinvigorated classics like X-Men are both attracting an increasingly diverse audience to Acme Comics.
Exum is reluctant to chalk up Acme Comics success and longevity to luck. There's something special about what he and his co-workers have accomplished, and Exum proposes it's because they're a "Third Place" within the community. He describes the idea of a Third Place as a spot between work and home that people want to travel to whenever possible, even though they don't have to. It's a special location that adds a boost of energy and positivity to your day; that's what Acme Comics is to Greensboro. Transforming the store into that Third Place has helped to build a strong community about it. "The reason we have endured is that an incredible community unlike anything I know of anywhere else" says Exum.
When asked about what the future of the store holds, many years of success have not dulled the aspirations for tomorrow. Exum acknowledges the wide variety of roles a comics store can play in a community and thinks all of them hold a significant role in what comes next. In the future Acme Comics will be a "tastemaker", "support system", "network", "reliable business", and so much more. It will be a place that nurtures young readers and sustains longtime fans.
Exum points out that "Acme" is not just a word from a Tex Avery cartoon. It's definition in the dictionary is "The point at which something is at its best or most highly developed." That definition is important and it's how Exum defines his perspective on the store and community he loves. "Acme will continue to be a work in progress and we never stop trying to be the best we can be for our community and the comics industry" he says.
Click ahead to see full details and photos of Acme Comics.
Acme Comics (Store Info and Photos)
Store Info
Name: Acme Comics
Address: 2150 Lawndale Drive
Greensboro, NC 27408
Phone: (336) 574-2263
Website: Acme Comics
Twitter: @acmecomics
Facebook: Acme Comics
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