Lots of new shops have opened up recently (or been recently discovered, whichever).
Here is what happened in comic shops across Canada this month. Note: this information was gathered by perusing the retailers websites, as well as email I’ve received from stores across Canada. If you have an event to promote, let us know! Send an email to retailers@joeshusterawards.com. And if you have an upcoming event that isn’t listed here, then I was not able to find it on your website. If I can’t find it, your customers can’t find it.
Le 5 Hobbies, located in the military town Petawawa, ON, has moved and morphed into Hydra Hobbies and Comics.
New Store! Just By Chance Games is a new shop that opened in Waterloo, beside the RIM offices. This is a gaming store which stocks a very small amount of new comics, manga and TPB’s. Inventory takes time and money.
Comic Cave, a long time store in Brockville, ON, has closed up shop, but reopened as Sequence, with an expanded product line.
New Store! Local Friendly Gaming open in Sault Ste Marie — mainly a gaming shop, they stock manga.
New Store! Sir Games A Lot open in Barrie — mainly a gaming shop, they stock manga.
New Store?Gamedom in the Milton Mall, is supposed to carry comics.
The Dragon put on and sponsored the Kazoo Fest Zine & Comic Expo in Guelph, ON and recently podcast about the end of the Wildstorm Universe.
Comics and More has a few things to say about online retailers, specifically Amazon.
The Beguiling
- hosted Zach Worton, Pascal Girard and Joe Ollman at an off-site event
- teamed with Zach Worton, Scott Chantler and the Toronto Public Library on Keep Toronto Reading
- sold books at the Joe Sacco event at U of T
Librairie Planète BD continued with three strong events in April. In conjunction with the Goethe Institut Isabel Kreitz appeared. Jean-Paul Eid appeared, promoting his new book Jérôme Bigras : le Fond du trou. Marcial Toledano appeared in support of his Ken Games series.
New Store! Chez Geeks in Montreal [Facebook]
New Store! Hey, Le Comic! in Laval [Facebook]
The Comic Hunter hosted their 2nd Comix Jam in April.
The Gamezilla chain are promoting their Free Comic Book Day events on the radio. Not sure that I like their catch phrase ‘giving boredom a wedgie’, but perhaps this appeals to the ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’-kids. GAMEZILLA-DEMO-ONE-APR6-11.mp3
New Store! Opening May 1, 2011Giant Robot Comics
Address: 114 Woodlawn Road, Dartmouth, NS, B2W2S7
Telephone: 902-401-5794
Email
This is a video interview with Sean Ezekiel, owner of The Lair in Corner Brook, NL
Pat Thompson, owner of 8th Street Books & Comics, appeared on CTV Saskatoon and talked about local creator books and Godzilla crushing his shop.
Unreal City hosted an art gallery event for Green Wake #1, featuring the art of Riley Rossmo.
New Store! Animehypercubed has a second location in Grande Prairie.
Address: 10026A – 100 Ave, Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 0V3
Telephone: 780-672-1763
Happy Harbor had a couple of events in April:
- Nat Jones has moved to Edmonton and is an instructor at Guru Digital Art College. Nat appeared in HH v1 to sign copies of the Zombies in Viet Nam story ’68 #1, published by Image Comics.
- Nick Thornborrow, Matt Goldman and Joy Ang, creators behind the release of Anthology Project 2, appeared at HH v1 to launch the new book.
Big Pete’s Collectibles is having a “Help Big Pete Pay his Income Tax” Sale! Want to help Pete meet his obligations to the CRA?
New Store! Wiser’s Collectibles
New Store! Dragon Cards, Games & Collectables
Lucky’s Comics hosted Joe Ollman and Pascal Girard as part of the book launch tour.
THE JOE SHUSTER AWARDS 
[…] Robert Haines has posted his most recent Retailer Roundup, checking in with new and old comic shops across the […]