Looks like my local funnybook shop, Al's Comics, is in financial peril. I really like this shop: not only is it walking distance from my apartment, it's also covered in tiny, bitter signs spelling out the many, many rules of Al's domain — an anarchronistic throwback to the comics-shops of my youth, which were presided over with the stern discipline of a loving parent. Al puts aside $50 worth of comics a month for me, and is always friendly and slightly intense as I browse his cramped, chock-full-o-interesting-stuff shop. Over on the Comics Journal, they're calling for comics enthusiasts in San Francisco's Mission district to go send some business Al's way.
Al's Comics has been the best comic shop in San Francisco's Mission district for well over a decade. Al has struggled to pay ludicrously escalated rent for his small but meticulously organized space, and the bad bay area economy has hit Al's comics hard. All the ex-dotcom employees who used to love Al's great selection of alternative and independent comics are long gone and not coming back soon…
Please, if you live in San Francisco or know somebody who does, encourage them to at least check the store out. You don't have to drop your current store, just go see what Al has to offer. He doesn't have a flashy hipster joint or a humongous space, but he's got a genuine love for comics and could really use just a little bit of your support.
(Thanks, Dan!)
