I’m headed off on tour with my band for a couple of months, so this column will go on hiatus for a wee bit. But I’ll be back in the late fall with more comics!
In the meantime, I wanted to mention some options for how to get your hands on comics. There are tonnes of amazing comics out there, but buying them new can be really expensive. Here are some more affordable options.
Comic Shops
Your local shop is probably the most obvious place to find comics, but it can also be the priciest. However, most comic shops have dollar bins, or quarter bins, where you can find awesome old comics that are a little the worse for the wear to sell at full price. Also, comic shops across North America take part in Free Comic Book Day, the first Saturday in May. In Halifax, our shop does it up right and we turn the day into a mini comicon, with artists doing sketches and interviews with creators. And we give away thousands of free comics.
Public Libraries
Most have a great selection of comics, and often get new comics in the week they come in. Halifax Public Libraries have everything from Manga to Superhero stuff to arty indie comics. Check your local library for comics – sometimes all graphic novels will get cataloged improperly and be in the kids or young adult section. If you don’t see a lot of comics at you library, demand them! Most libraries have a system where you can request books, and they’ll purchase them.
Batgirl was a librarian by day. I bet she could recommend some great comics.
Zine Libraries
The Anchor Archive in Halifax has lots of indie comics and self made comic zines. I’ve never been to the zine library in Toronto, but I hear it’s equally well stocked. Zine libraries rule because you get to read comics that you probably wouldn’t find anywhere else.
Downloading
Apparently, you can also download comics on this crazy interweb. Fans have scanned basically every comic ever and you can download them and read them on your computer. If you want to be a comic pirate, just google “comic torrents” and browse around.
On-line Comics
Awesome, accessible and free! Some of my favourites are:
100 Butches
Ice
Kate Beaton and
Why Me.
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four comments
Don't forget about the Bibliograph/e zine library in Montreal, at Cafe Cagibi, on the corner of St. Laurent and St. Viateur!
Have a great tour, Tiina.
Posted by Anna
August 5, 2008, 1:56 PM
Chica! I always forget that she was a librarian! That so ups her on the kick-ass-o-meter. I'll have to drop that into convo with the 5yo who is starting to find her way in the land of superheroes. Currently she's crushing on Wonder Woman.
Posted by Veronica
August 5, 2008, 3:26 PM
Oh yeah, the Montreal Zine library! What an oversight. Thanks, Anna.
Posted by Tiina
August 5, 2008, 6:58 PM
The Toronto Public Library has a fantastic collection of graphic novels and comics, the Lillian Smith Library has lots of rares and hard to finds, especially Canadian artists :D
Posted by Danielle
August 7, 2008, 1:53 PM
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