Welcome to this edition of Shop Talk, where we delve into the heart of comic culture by spotlighting the vibrant personalities and innovative approaches of various comic shops in North America as part of our Mad Cave Store of The Month initiative! In this installment, Ana Escalera sits down with the incomparable owner of Arsenal Comics, Timmy Heague to explore the origins, mission, and future aspirations of the dream he made possible at just 22 years old!
Owner: Timmy Heague
Q: Where did the name of your store originate from?
Timmy: When I was building my business plan, I had fallen in love with Green Arrow on a whole new level and just knew I had to incorporate the character into my store. Choosing the name Arsenal was a reference to his sidekick and from there I continued to pay tribute to GA by making my store’s color green.
Q: How did Arsenal Comics come to be in business, and how many years have you operated?
Timmy: Arsenal turns 10 years old this September! I opened up on my 22nd birthday in 2014! I had started reading and collecting comics at age 8, started working at my local comic shop at age 15, and by age 20, I decided I wanted to dedicate my life to my favorite medium of storytelling by owning and operating a store of my own. I dedicated my life to making it happen by working multiple jobs, flipping collections I found at estate sales, garage sales, swap meets, crafting my business plan, and getting a business plan that was so sound, it would get me a business loan to help finalize making it happen.
Q: What do your stores specialize in?
Timmy: New Comic Books, subscription pull box service, back issues, graphic novels, collectible cards, store signing events, and top notch customer service!
“ I always wanted my stores to be a comic shop that Spider-Man would be proud of and I’d like to think with all the community outreach we’ve done through the years, hopefully we’ve accomplished that.”
Q: What store achievements are you most proud of?
Timmy: While being nominated for the Will Eisner Spirit of Retailing award five times over is a big monumental achievement, something I never thought would happen let alone once, I think just having my stores be known for their community work definitely takes the cake. I always wanted my stores to be a comic shop that Spider-Man would be proud of and I’d like to think with all the community outreach we’ve done through the years, hopefully we’ve accomplished that. School outreach events, food drives, and working with local nonprofits that work with individuals with special needs has been an extreme highlight of my career.
Q: What do you hope Arsenal Comics provides to your community, and what is your approach to providing the best experience to your community of fans?
Timmy: When I was a kid and teen going to my local comic shop, times were different, the world of Pop Culture was not introduced to the MCU yet so going to this store was my only place to talk about all things comics with others that loved them just as much as me. No matter how big the world of comics becomes or how up/down it goes in the grand scheme of things, I always want my stores to be that place where someone can always go to talk about comics with others in an environment that is safe and fun for all.
“No matter how big the world of comics becomes or how up/down it goes in the grand scheme of things, I always want my stores to be that place where someone can always go to talk about comics with others in an environment that is safe and fun for all.”
Q: What is the legacy and future of Arsenal Comics?
Timmy: A lot can change in a decade. I still love my stores the same as I did when I first opened and I’ve accomplished a lot more than I ever thought I would when I started this journey, truth be told I don’t think I ever thought I’d ever leave my little store to expand into a bigger location, and now here I am with two great sized stores that have hosted many of my best memories. For it’s legacy and future, in a perfect world I definitely want things to remain the same but unfortunately with these weird strange times for the industry and our economy (which Southern California luxury retail is especially hit with), I am constantly debating and torn to downsize into one store which is a decision I need to make by the end of this year. I’m a big believer in chapters and ten years is quite the chapter. I want Arsenal to exist as long as comics are always being printed but I think expansion and growing Arsenal will definitely be put on hold. In the last year I have started new ventures as being a comic book writer, offering marketing services for fellow comic creators (such as Tony Fleecs and Patton Oswalt), and also been working on developing a TV show based on one of my favorite comic characters of all time so needless to say I don’t know if I could juggle growing the stores anything beyond where they are now which I am more than fine with, but hey you never know what the future holds!
Q: As a member of the industry, what do you hope to see for the future of comic book stores everywhere?
Timmy: Growth and the ability to get through the next year. We’re all in this together!
What are your best-selling Mad Cave, Maverick, or Papercutz titles?
Timmy: Our best selling Mad Cave title to date has been Dick Tracy! Our community went nuts for that series, that comic is truly something special! The creative team knocked it out of the park!
Q: What do you hope Earthworld Comics provides to your community, and what is your approach to providing the best experience to your community of fans?
Nick: Our biggest thing has always been our shop being people’s “safe place”. It wasn’t always cool to admit you read comics, or maybe you just didn’t have friends that read comics, so coming to the shop was the place that for a half hour, you could talk about the stuff you love, with the passion that it deserves, with people who have that same love! We’ve always carried tons of alt/indie/underground/lgbtqia+ books, so our customer base is super diverse and we wouldn’t have it any other way!
My main goal is not trying to “yuck anyone’s yum”, too often shop employees can get elitist or snobby about books that aren’t for them, when in reality THAT IS THE BEST PART OF COMICS! Not every comic needs to be for every reader and that’s okay! My favorite thing is being able to find someone’s “hook” into what makes a perfect book for them, and seeing them get sucked into a fantastic new story.
Q: What is the legacy and future of Earthworld Comics?
Nick: I think the legacy of the shop is what my dad always wanted it to be. A place where everyone can go to get their funnybooks and have a place to hang out.
Jordan: The legacy is what Nick and the team are directly contributing to every day by keeping the doors open. This was my dad’s life, his joy, and we all got to live it with him as a family business. It was always his dream to have Nick at the helm in the future, and I wish he were here to experience Nick as a leader and a business person. I think we’re actively creating the future of Earthworld now, modernizing what needed a little freshening up, keeping the most important core parts of Earthworld the same. We all have children ourselves, and we are trying to set Earthworld up for success for them to take over in the next 30 years.
Favorite genre and why?
Horror! There’s just something special about turning the page of a comic and feeling a shiver down your spine seeing the terror that awaits you!
Who would win in a fight (choose your fighter)?
Green Lantern Always. Willpower always!.. Except when the color yellow is involved!
In your opinion, is there an existing remake movie that’s better than the original?
Evil Dead from 2013 all the way!!!
Make up your own! Whatever fun hot-topic conversations you’ve been having with your customers are always good ideas:
Crossovers are big right now and we’re all having so much fun with them! Asking customers what crossovers they’d want to see from any two publishers is so much fun! We worked up Archie Comics meets The Muppets the other day and I still can’t stop thinking about it!
ARSENAL COMICS & GAMES
3431 Telegraph Rd Ventura CA 93003
1610-1 Newbury Rd Newbury Park CA 91320
arsenalcng.com
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