Oxford comic book store thrives and looks to the future

While summer typically pushes students away from local Oxford institutions, a company from Uptown weathered the quiet storm.

Future Great Comics opened last May and sells comics, records, collectible card games and board games, as well as other gaming and hobby related products.

Brian LeVick, owner of Future Great Comics, said that despite the reduced student numbers during the summer, the store was doing well.

“[Oxford] was not a ghost town as people warned me – I certainly had a pretty good turnout from the people who stayed, ”he said. “I have been so busy [at the store] this summer i didn’t have a lot of time to do other than staying in Oxford so it was a happy surprise for me.

LeVick also said he was happy to see people of all ages stopping by the store this summer, a marked difference from the store’s former location in Hamilton.

“While people in their 20s to 70s went to the Hamilton store, here it’s young to old, whole families,” said LeVick. “Sometimes I see kids coming to the store on their bikes, and sometimes I meet a 78-year-old who’s back to collecting comics. I think that’s something every comic book store owner wants to see – a wide variety of people who love comics. “

While the store has performed well this summer, many customers are predicting it will do even better once the students return this fall.

JS Bragg is the Assistant Director of Student Activities at the University of Miami and a regular client of Future Great. He believes that based on student interest last May, the store will explode in popularity once students return to campus.

“I am absolutely happy [for the shop], and I think the best is yet to come, ”he said. “We saw him at the spring opening – at the launch he sold almost the entire store.

It will just be a constant flow once the students are there again, and it will be nice to see how the place continues to develop.

In addition to returning students to campus, some student organizations are already looking to partner with the store to organize unique events.

Isaac Nelson is a computer science graduate and president of the League of Geeks, a global organization for campus comics and gaming clubs. While away from Oxford this summer, Nelson was excited to start planning events at the store in the fall.

” I spoke with [LeVick] to know what [the League of Geeks] could do to support him and coordinate with him on different events as well as things of interest to people in the community, ”said Nelson. “We’re looking at what kinds of things he can sell that will make him make money and people get the things they care about.”

Like Bragg, Nelson also believed the store would do even better once the students returned.

“I think it’s going well so far, and I definitely think it’s going to be fine in the future, especially as people come back to campus,” Nelson said. “All my friends say to me, ‘Oh, it’s really good that there is a game store in town now to buy little things that are boring to buy online’, or they’ll stop there for a while. five minutes, or maybe plan to have a game night in a location that isn’t subject to any campus rules or regulations.

The store attracts more than student organizations – students like Mr. Bea Hosenfeld quickly turned the comic book store into a regular hangout. With a major in arts education, Hosenfeld said she loved the store for both its products and its layout.

“You can browse and browse easily, and I get manga, Pokemon cards, and sometimes dice there,” Hosenfeld said. “The shop is well organized, but just chaotic enough for you to explore and find something new – it’s kind of like a happy medium between super neat and super messy.”

Hosenfeld is also looking forward to the store’s growth once the fall semester begins this year.

“I think when the other students come back people will start to notice the store more,” she said. “Word will spread that it exists, people will walk in casually, and I think it could eventually be a place for students to meet and play games and be that kind of comic book store community. “

@hua_shr

moorese6@miamioh.edu