Bengal News Reporters
When
you picture a comic book you think of Batman, Superman or Spiderman. But have
you heard of Totoro? Did you know that the film “Fight Club” has a sequel…in
comic book form?
Many
non-traditional comic books exist, and you can find them at Gutter Pop Comics.
Located at 1028 Elmwood Ave., the shop opened in June with the focus of
providing slice-of-life and other titles that are not so common.
“Gutter
Pop is a comic book store with a focus on the whole breadth of comics,” storeowner
Stephen Floyd said.
These
slice-of-life comics feature characters in everyday life rather than muscular
heroes with superpowers. The shop has everything from these slice-of-life
comics to Japanese manga to books that feature classic cartoon characters.
Stephen Floyd, on opening a comic book store:
“I’ve always wanted to see a comic book shop in Buffalo that showcased everything I felt comic books had to offer,” Floyd said. “A lot of people come in here with a certain perception of what to expect but come in and discover something they have never seen before. They see that people create comics to show their own experiences.”
Floyd,
32, was born in Atlanta but moved to Buffalo in 2010. He credits a publisher in
his hometown for forming his love of comics that show real life situations. He
was a fan of X-Men and other superhero comics before the publisher changed his
interests for good.
He
worked for the bubble hockey maker ICE Super Chexx in Clarence when he decided
to make the jump to become a small business owner. Floyd had a background in
the comic book industry before he decided to open up the shop. He has co-owned
a small comic book publisher called One Percent Press for a decade.
Floyd
was turning 30 years old and felt that it was time to make a move. The process
of opening the shop took a few years but after finally opening with the help of
non-profit organization SCORE, the store has received a good reception thus
far.
SCORE
is a free non-profit that helps people who are
starting a business come up with a plan. It tells them how to stay below
budget, how to market themselves and the ins and outs of business.
“We
like to say it's always a good time to start a business! Small business is
essential to a thriving economy, and organizations like SCORE and the Small
Business Administration provide information and other support to businesses
that face challenges, but more importantly, as they pursue opportunities,”
SCORE Buffalo-Niagara Chapter Administrator Letasha Montgomery said.
Floyd’s
close friend Caitlan Hogan comes into the store on her off days to help out.
She says the store has really helped her dive into comics more than ever.
“I
didn’t get to read quite as much before but now that I’ve been helping Stephen,
I’ve been able to read all of this new and exciting stuff that is coming out.
Every time I come in I leave with something new to read,” she said.
Opening
up the store has helped Floyd create a relationship with his neighbors and
people from all scores of life even in the short time it has existed.
“One
of the things I love about comics is that you can open up a comic and get a
sense of the aesthetics or the story you want to see as opposed to a normal
book where someone has to recommend it to you. You can carve out what you want
to see,” he said.
The
best part about running the shop Floyd says: “Seeing kids come in and discover
new things that they never even thought about before.”
