Some 35 comic book lovers, many of them longtime patrons of Mission Comics and Art, showed up at a community meeting last Wednesday to brainstorm ways to revive the struggling comic store.
Sitting in chairs donated by Mom Chairs down the street, participants threw out ideas, or even volunteered to lead projects. Ideas included bringing back events such as the graphic novel book club, and reworking the store’s layout and window display.
“There was a recognition that an event or two is not going to change the course, so we need some longer-term involvement,” said Leef Smith, owner of Mission Comics, located at 2250 Mission St. “The way that people wanted to take ownership of projects wasn’t something I’d really expected.”
“I’m feeling much more encouraged this week,” he added. “There was a real appreciation that I wasn’t just deciding to close in silence.”
Indeed, some want to contribute with their professional talents. A customer who works as a videographer offered to help with the store’s marketing, making Smith’s TikTok debut. A cartoonist at Fleetwood proposed designing T-shirts for publicity and fundraising.
“We need to do things to sort of bring people into the store on a regular basis,” Smith said.
A follow-up meeting to check on their progress will take place on Jan. 17. Smith said they will reflect on the first month’s work and hear potential new ideas.
The comic store has faced challenges after a modest post-pandemic recovery, which Smith blamed on a decline in foot traffic, safety concerns on Mission Street and the shift to reading and shopping for comics online.
The discussion also went beyond saving this one particular business in the Mission.
“A lot of people have been lacking community in their lives,” Smith said, referring to the isolation and lack of connection since the pandemic, which participants discussed at the meeting. “They are not getting together as frequently as they used to.”
Smith echoed Laku’s owner, whose social relationships developed around her handcraft store on Valencia Street, and Smith said that, especially during the pandemic, the store helped him maintain social relationships.
“I was glad to have the store, to come to and see people,” Smith said, as he put a few comic books in two plastic bags for a customer, for fear that they would get soaked in the downpour outside.
Smith worried a lot about the rain too, as the rainy winter last year greatly decreased the foot traffic on Mission Street and thus the sales at the store.
Thanks to the holiday season, people roamed in and out of the store on a recent Monday, despite the rain. Someone in a black raincoat picked up two boxes of comics. A mom asked for recommendations for her 14-year-old, Marvel-obsessed daughter. Someone bought “how-to-draw” books for her niece while picking up two Pokémon cards at the register on a whim.
Above all, the meeting made Smith start to believe again the store could survive thanks to the community’s engagement. As the business struggles, it’s easy to turn the setbacks into a reflection of oneself, Smith said, which then becomes “a lot of shame and disappointment.”
“Much of the year, I’ve just been hoping that sales would get better,” Smith said. “But I do feel better now.”
