Author: Kevin A. Boyd

Director of the Joe Shuster Awards. Comic Relations Director for Fan Expo HQ. Collector, Fan, Historian.

April Showers bring Comic Shows

hflNext weekend – April 11/12, the Comic Book Lounge will be setting up a booth at HERO FEST KINGSTON, a new 2-day show taking place in Kingston, ON. Featured guests in include TY TEMPLETON, DAN DAY, Dr. Who’s COLIN BAKER and Star Trek: The Next Generation’s DENISE CROSBY (who recently appeared on the Walking Dead).

The following weekend we will be setting up on Sunday, April 19th at the next TORONTO COMIC BOOK SHOW.

Don’t forget, between now and April 24 we are having a 40% off older trades and hardcovers clearance sale. All books on the bookshelves on the walls are on sale – after the 24th we’re packing up the remainder for show backstock and for online sales. New books are not on sale.

After that we really start winding down the retail shop, and on the following weekend – April 25/26 we’ll be moving a lot of the remaining stock and fixtures into storage for shows and online sales.

FINALLY on Wednesday, April 29th – an event three years and three months in the making — we are throwing a LAST WEDNESDAY/FINAL NIGHT PARTY and staying open until 11PM with special appearances by comic guests like LEONARD KIRK (artist on Fantastic Four – the last issue of Fantastic Four ships that day), TY TEMPLETON (Batman ’66 Meets the Green Hornet artist), and more. It’s doubles as our final Industry Night at this location and the following day, April 30th we bid adieu to 587A College.

Toronto ComiCON complete!

Thanks to everyone that stopped by to see us at the show this past weekend. We had a great time and are now looking forward to Fan Expo Canada in early September 2015!

We’re gearing up for our move at the end of April. As you know, our lease is ending on April 30, so we won’t be a full service location after April 30th (most of our existing inventory is being moved into storage for stock for online orders and conventions), but we are are going to have a small, (by appointment only) retail front at 484 Oriole Parkway, just south of Eglinton Avenue, east of Avenue Road, west of Yonge Street.

This location will double as our receiving and processing centre for weekly releases as we concentrate on our new delivery service model for those existing clients who would prefer this service, but the new location will be a true lounge, with an extended original art gallery, and we hope to have some pictures of the new location for you after the renovations are completed in mid-April 2015.

We’ve already begun to move some inventory off-site. We will continue our sale on selected graphic novels and books right until the end of April.

Unfortunately, due to family commitments on May 2 and the transition to the new system and location, we will not be a full participant in Free Comic Book Day for the first time in four years. Subscribers will receive a sampling of FCBD books with their first pick-up after May 3.

Look for us at the following shows:
Oshawa Comic Con – April 4
HeroFest – April 11/12
Toronto Comic Book Show – April 19

Update from the owner: March-April 2015

10500476_285421854962856_8804103666978402748_nLast date of operations on College Street: Thursday, April 30, 2015

CGC Update:
– all books sent before October 2014 are now graded. To be shipped up in advance of the Toronto Comicon 3/20.

Anniversary Sale Phase 2
– selected books, trade paperbacks: now 30% off US Cover price
– back issue sale – recent releases $2.99 = 1.99, $3.99 = 2.99, stickered comics and other higher priced releases: 30% off
– toys and statues, as priced – some discounted last month

Consignment Items to be retrieved by 4/30
– any items on consignment will need to be picked up from the shop before our final day of operations on College (Thursday, April 30). Any remaining items will be moved into storage and returned by appointment.

Inventory Move
Some graphic novels and back issues have been relocated as future show inventory already. Please note that most of our inventory will be moved into storage the week following the Toronto ComiCON. After March 27 we will have limited stock (mostly new releases) until our last date on College Street.

TORONTO COMICON Weekend (March 20-22)
– store will remain open during these three days.

EASTER WEEKEND – Closed on Friday and Sunday
– the Lounge will be closed on Friday, April 3 and Sunday, April 5. (Store will be open on April 4).

TTC
– No College Streetcar service April 6-April 27 (3 weeks) due to an intersection upgrade at College and Spadina. College Streetcars are being diverted to Dundas Street at Bay and at Ossington. Access to the Lounge – pedestrian and vehicle access only. Transit users will have to walk to College from Dundas, Bathurst, Harbord or Ossington.

Upcoming shows:
Toronto ComiCON – March 20-22
Oshawa Comic Con – April 4
HeroFest (Kingston) – April 11-12
Toronto Comic Book Show – April 19

What next?

Updated February 19th – Last date of operations at 587A College Street – Thursday , April 30.

Current plans are for our 3rd Anniversary Sale (Currently 20% off back issues and older books) will continue until our final day of operation.

For new comics shipping in May 2015 and beyond, the Comic Book Lounge will be providing delivery services for preorders on Wednesdays and Thursdays, with pickup options on weekdays and weekends.

If you are interested in carrying on with the subscription and special order services, we’ll need to make arrangements with you individually for days/times for delivery and/or pickups. As well as discuss preferred payment methods and so on.

CGC Shipping Update

Dear customers with CGC books submitted at Fan Expo:

We understand you have been waiting patiently, and at last check, some of the books have been graded and are in Quality Control with the remainder “scheduled for grading”. I should be able to let you know grades soon, when that information is available to me online.

Any Fast Track and Standard Tier Submissions are already done and should be available for pick up at the store within a few days – the FedEx package was sent yesterday (Jan 14) – we will contact you when they arrive.

At this rate we are looking for the remainder of the Fan Expo books to be shipped up in early February.

Beyond the closing of the physical shop in the spring, we will continue to accept submissions and requests at local shows.

UPDATE: (March 1st) still waiting for one invoice to be finished but we should have everything in hand before the Toronto ComiCON on March 20th.

A Note From the Owner

SS 027After a lot of consideration and a review of other properties and possibilities I have come to a decision on the future of the Comic Book Lounge + Gallery.

It is that I will NOT be opening a new retail location when we leave the current spot at the end of our existing lease in the spring, however we WILL be continuing with our subscription service and will continue to exhibit at local shows.

2014 was a rough year for me. In early 2014 we were assessing these same options when my partner of five years, Debra, passed away unexpectedly from an epileptic seizure in her sleep. At the time the fine folks at the Temple of Toys helped me delay making this decision by coming in and leasing the space for an additional year after Guerilla Printing left, but unfortunately this has not proven to be a successful decision. Over the last three years I’ve been working essentially two full-time jobs and I’ve been running the annual Joe Shuster Awards, and to be honest, I need to take things back a notch, I just don’t have it in me at this time to commit to finding, renovating and opening a new retail store. We want to thank you for your support of the Lounge over the last few years. We will miss many of the benefits of having a physical location, especially the many fun events we’ve run over the last few years, but we hope to continue working with you going forward if you choose to continue ordering with us. We will continue to sponsor certain events (not conventions) in the GTA, so we hope to have some exciting news for you on that front after we’ve taken care of these immediate concerns.

SS 049The inventory will be put into storage after 4/30. It will be available for ordering, and as show stock.

Those people who currently have pulls with us will have two options:

1. Move your subscriptions to another retail store. We can help you with this, we can recommend stores that might be a good fit for you and help you transition so you don’t miss an issue.

2. Retain your subscription with the Lounge and we can
(a) arrange for delivery to your home or work, whichever location works best for you or (b) you can pick up your books by appointment on select days and times in North Toronto. This will be the new Comic Book Lounge + Gallery, but it will be less of a retail location and more of a drop-in centre by appointment, or (c) pick up at local conventions and special events.

Those people who choose to transition to our online ordering service will be given additional perks, discounts and specials. Delivery service in the GTA will be free of charge. We will have more on this as the details are finalized.

While we are disappointed to see one chapter end, we are excited about the future of the Comic Book Lounge in this new incarnation, and while we hope you will continue to work with us going forward, we do understand if you decide not to.

Thank you for your support of the Comic Book Lounge.

Kevin A. Boyd

HOLIDAY HOURS – DECEMBER 11-JANUARY 2

Starting December 15th the Comic Book Lounge (but not Temple of Toys or Back Space Toronto) will be open on Mondays. This includes Monday, December 22nd and Monday, December 29th.

Other than that we will still be open every other day from Noon to Seven, except for Sundays (we close at 6 on Sundays).

We are closed on the statutory holidays – Thursday, December 25th (Christmas Day), Friday, December 26th (Boxing Day Stat Holiday), Thursday, January 1st (New Year’s Day)

Changes coming in 2015.

Friends and customers, we are officially leaving 587A College in early 2015. At the moment April will be the final month of operation at this location, unless another tenant is eager to move in before that. A ‘For Lease’ sign will be appearing in our window shortly and the space will be advertised as available on real estate websites.

The former home of the Whippersnapper Gallery, in the spring of 2011 the space was reopened as the home of Guerilla Printing (who moved to Spadina and College in Spring 2014) and the Toronto Cartoonists Workshop (which had it’s last class in early 2013).

It has been the home of The Comic Book Lounge and Gallery (which picked up the reins from Dragon Lady Comics and Paper Nostalgia) since February 2012, and has been our home for nearly three years.

Temple of Toys joined us in November 2013, and Back Space Toronto since May 2014 (taking over the back from Guerilla Printing).

Since the fall of 2011 we’ve hosted many comics related events – art shows, book launches, industry events, award shows and so on.

Unfortunately 2014 has not been a great year for Little Italy. Weather, traffic and construction, et al. have not been favorable for College Street businesses like ours. We certainly do thank our loyal regulars for keeping us going.

As for the future of the Lounge, we’ll keep you posted. For now it is business as usual until we select the crossover date at our new space.

Strangebeard book launch with Kelly Tindall – Saturday, November 8 – 2-6 PM

10745064_10154736233885417_1697628571_n
The Comic Book Lounge & Gallery is proud to welcome cartoonist KELLY TINDALL to the store on Saturday afternoon, November 8 to celebrate the launch of his crowdfunded graphic novel STRANGEBEARD VOL. 1: THE GHOST PIRATE’S GIFT!

http://www.kellytindall.com/strangebeard/

Comic Book Marathon – Special Edition: Saturday November 1, 2014

In January 2014 we lost our dear friend Debra Jane Shelly to SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy). Please join us for a Special Edition of the Toronto Comic Book Marathon in her honour.

The TORONTO COMIC BOOK MARATHONS are held several times a year, organised by Keiren Smith of Ty Templeton’s Comic Book Bootcamp, sponsored and hosted by THE COMIC BOOK LOUNGE & GALLERY and BACK SPACE TORONTO, bringing creators together in a community event to make their own comic story, to work together, to inspire each other, to network…producing a page an hour!

The event is open to all who are passionate about creating comics. You may register as an individual or a team. If you wish to collaborate with someone but don’t have a partner, we can assist you in finding one.

**IMPORTANT: HOW TO REGISTER AS A CREATOR OR SPONSOR**

We will be using the event to raise money for Epilepsy Toronto, so please consider making an optional donation when registering.

Space is limited so be sure to register if you wish to participate. Supporters of participating creators do not have to register and are welcome to attend!

CREATORS

Please email backspacetoronto@gmail.com with the subject line “Comic Book Marathon”. Indicate in your email whether you will be participating alone, with a partner (and their full name) or if you wish to be partnered with another creator and would like our assistance finding one (let us know if you are a writer seeking an artist or vice versa). We will send you a confirmation email, along with further details (including set-up information, regulations and tips).

SPONSORSHIP

Donations of food and other refreshments for the duration of the event are greatly appreciated. Please email us at backspacetoronto@gmail.com (subject line “Comic Book Marathon Sponsorship”) and we would be happy to discuss an event partnership with you.