Comic book stores help keep genre alive

They may be a relic of the past or a fleeting childhood memory for some. But in certain corners of Lake County, comic books still are hot items and story-telling devices that can capture the imagination.

“Everybody likes something here,” said Charlie Balicki, manager of Dreamland Comics in Libertyville.

While some comic book stores have been unable to stay in business, Dreamland Comics has been a must-stop for readers of the genre the last two decades.

Dave Gray has owned Dreamland Comics for 15 of those 20 years. Although some people now buy and sell comics online, the atmosphere and expertise readers find in a comic book store cannot be matched by the Internet, he said.

“You don’t get any customer service on the Internet,” Gray said. “When you go to Amazon ... if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, how are you going find something?”

Just as in the past, story lines with action and superheroes still can be found inside many comic books, said Eileen Donohue, owner of Galaxy of Books in Winthrop Harbor. Used books make up most sales at the store, but new and used comic books also are kept in stock.

Zombie-based stories, science-fiction tales and even the popular Archie Comics still make up part of Donohue’s  inventory.

But the readership has changed, she said. Most customers that Donohue sees today are in their 20s and 30s or older.

“Over 20 years ago the store would be littered with 13-, 14- and 15-year-old boys. They are just not into that now,” she said.

As the ages of comic book readers has changed, the stories inside have changed as well. Many of the story lines in today’s comics are more complex than in the past, Gray said.

“The maturity of the stories is more geared toward [high school] and older [readers],” he said. “They still produce quite a few books for the younger kids, but that seems to be the age group right now.”

Yet even as stories have evolved, the most identifiable element of the genre remains a critical component of comic books.

Tim Martin, a part-time employee at Jay’s Comics in Grayslake, said it’s the drawings that accompany the story lines that keeps him interested.

“The artwork is really, really good,” Martin said. “It’s a different medium completely that expresses itself.”

The combination of words and pictures goes back to drawings made by cavemen, said Charles Fiala, a customer atDreamland Comics and a former comic book writer. In the hey-day of comic books in the 1950s, many people actually learned how to read by looking at comic books, he said.

“I think it’s a nice shorthand for telling a story,” Fiala said. “I’ve been a fan of the medium all of my life.”

Some people have begun to read comics online, Donohue said. But she still prefers the vibrant colors and smell of ink that only can be found with a hard copy.

“Fortunately there’s still a lot of people that like to hold a book or comic in their hands,” Donohue said.

“I think the artwork is going to be much better in print than watching it on a computer screen,” Gray said. “To me, it’s just not as appealing reading it off a computer screen.”

Above all else, reading comic books is about having fun and enjoying the story, Balicki said. They also can make for a great work environment.

“Who wouldn’t want to work in a comic book store?” he asked.

If you go ...

• Dreamland Comics is located at 105 W. Rockland Road in Libertyville. Visit www.dreamland-comics.com or call 847-680-0727 for more information.

• Galaxy of Books is located at 1704 7th St. in Winthrop Harbor. Call 847-872-3313 to learn more.

• Jay's Comics is located at 34161 Route 45 in Grayslake. Call 847-223-8711 for details.