There aren’t many places left where you can walk in and be immediately met with old-school nerd culture. But at Houston’s comic book stores, there are the latest offerings from Marvel, DC, and countless smaller independent companies; bins filled with older discounted comics to sift through; and rare comics worth lots of coin displayed like trophies on the wall. Even as they vary, comic book stores carry those familiar markers, creating a refuge for fans.
Third Planet Comics, which has become a Houston landmark over its 50 years of operating, is huge; calling it a comic superstore is almost an understatement. The store seems to house everything nerd culture encompasses—comic books, manga, video games, Gundam build kits. You name it, Third Planet probably has it, or can get it for you. In the middle of a weekday, regulars and first-time customers ventured in and out, clearing out their boxes of comic subscriptions, browsing, bringing in old comics to see what they are worth, and parents passing on their own curiosities to their children.
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Having something for everyone is everything at Third Planet
Having a space that provides something for everyone was the founding principle of the shop, according to owner TJ Johnson. Johnson says that when the store was founded, comic book spaces were a “boys-only club” type of deal.
“We have something for everybody here,” Johnson said. “I have people coming in saying they’ve been to other stores and they can’t get things because that store doesn’t like the product.”
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Third Planet, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in September, has seen generations of comic book fans call the store theircomic book store. They make time each week for their personal pilgrimage to their nerd safe space, whether making a quick stop or a long look around, taking suggestions from the staff’s encyclopedic knowledge.
“I’ve got people that have been with me since day one, and their kids are bringing in their kids. I’ve got third generation coming in,” Johnson said. “We’ve got all ages, we’ve got all walks of life.”
Gulf Coast Cosmos is building community through comics
Third Planet is a huge space and extremely popular, but newer spots like Gulf Coast Cosmos Comics are filling the same role.
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Third Ward’s Gulf Coast Cosmos Comics, founded by owner Byron Canady in 2020, is reportedly the only Black-owned comic book store in the State of Texas. Canady, who identifies as queer, has created a welcoming refuge for POC and queer comic fans, using the comic medium as a way to build community. Gulf Coast Cosmos, which holds workshops and events that bring all different sorts of comic fans together, encourages everyone to come as they are.
“I wanted a place where all of us could gather, a safe space and a brave space. It’s a place that you can come in as your whole self, and while you are here, you and your whole self are okay,” Canady told Chron. “While you are here, you are seen, you are cared for, and elevated.”
The meticulously laid-out store is small but houses a seemingly never-ending amount of cool finds, from comics to knick-knacks and artwork and posters highlighting Black comic book characters. The space is designed to invite people to want to come in and spend time, whether as customers or participants in the many events the shop hosts.
The shop hosts an incredible array of weekly events, like “Geek Week,” a meet-up where a host, usually a volunteer, chooses a topic of discussion related to comic books or nerd culture, providing a space for discussion and camaraderie. The shop organizes meet-and-greets with authors and hosts journaling clubs, writers’ workshops, and several other events that create a sense of community and cultural exchange.
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“Comics are a tool for having discourse, whether it’s stories about your intellect, about bravery, about community,” Canaday said. “Comics speak to community, empowerment, education, learning things, new things that you probably never figured you would learn.”
Shops like Nico’s Comics have become hang-out spots
Comic book stores lend themselves to conversation and healthy arguments. Walking into a comic store like Nico’s Comics and Games located in the heart of Old Baytown, you would probably be met with a hearty conversation about comics, movies, or any cultural topic you can think of. Owner Nico Self has relished his local shop becoming an alternative hangout spot.
Smart, funny and sometimes unhinged look at the week that was.
“In a weird way, it’s becoming like the new kind of bar where everybody hangs out,” Self told Chron. “Sometimes we’re just a loud, giant loud hangout all day with a bunch of people arguing and having conversations.”
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Located about 30 minutes from downtown Houston, Nico’s Comics is filling a local need, not only providing a reliable place to buy comics and other goods, but also serving as an oasis of sorts. Self explained that a big inspiration for his shop is filling the access gap that a lot of people have with the arts, especially the comic book arts.
“I realized growing up that most people do not have that access or do not have parents who know enough about comics or the arts, or are interested in letting their kid learn about it,” Self said. “And in a lot of ways, a comic book store is a way to hand art and culture down to the next generation.”
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