Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comic Book College, comic shop, comix experience, dr volts, Fantom Comics, josh johnson, Mission Comics, Odd Mart, Rick’s Comic CIty, the daily show
Daily Show’s Josh Johnson Spotlights More Comic Book Stores on Tour
Josh Johnson spotlights Odd Mart, Rick’s Comic City, Comic Book College, Mission Comics, Comix Experience, Dr. Volt’s and Fantom Comics
Article Summary
- Josh Johnson’s comic shop tour is giving indie retailers free exposure, with surprise visits filmed for his social channels.
- Recent Josh Johnson comic shop tour stops include Odd Mart, Rick’s Comic City, Comic Book College and Mission Comics.
- Comix Experience, Dr. Volt’s and Fantom Comics also get the spotlight as Johnson highlights standout local stores.
- Johnson’s tour runs through 2026 and 2027, with comic shops in upcoming cities watching for an unexpected drop-in.
The Daily Show correspondent and stand-up comedianJosh Johnson has been quietly becoming one of the best friends to comic book retailers. While touring, the Louisiana-born comic has made a habit of dropping into local shops, filming short Instagram, Facebook and YouTube videos, and giving the stores genuine exposure to his large audience. Josh Johnson has said he tries to visit a comic shop in every city he plays. The stops are unplanned and unpaid, and shop owners have noted that staff often only realised who he was after he left. Recent visits have included the following stores:
- Odd Mart at 2520 Lyndale Avenue South in Minneapolis where he shopped and even tried making buttons. It calls itself the “store of the strange” and mixes indie comics, local art, vintage goods, and the owner’s own brand. It opened in October 2023, founded by Twin Cities illustrator, animator, and clothing designer Brad McGinty and grew out of GLORP Gum, a mail-order project he started around 2012, gum that comes with a “free” T-shirt. After years of online sales, stickers, and apparel, McGinty fixed up the Lyndale space himself and turned it into a physical store for the things he likes, monster art, eyeballs, oddball characters, and underground comics.
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- Rick’s Comic City at 2720 Old Lebanon Road, Suite 104, Nashville, Tennessee opened in 2000, moved in 2008 to a larger store in the same plaza and shifted to the current suite in 2018 to make room for the Donelson Library. Owner Rick Parman expanded to Clarksville in 2015 and claims one of the largest selections of new comics and trade paperbacks in Middle Tennessee.
- Comic Book College in 1430 County Road C West, Unit 800, Roseville, Minnesota, which he called one of the most impressive shops he’d seen on the road. Owner Tim Lohn has called it the longest-running comic book speciality store in Minnesota, dating back to 1974 and spanning several owners and locations. Tim Lohn took it over in 2003 and moved from Minneapolis to Roseville in 2022.
- Mission Comics on 2250 Mission Street, San Francisco. Owned by Leef Smith after he was made redundant in 2008, combining a comic store with an art gallery inspired by the Mission’s art scene, Buddhist practice, and ideas about local, sustainable business. In 2026, Smith announced a second location at 5196 Mission Street in the Excelsior.
- Comix Experience at 305 Divisadero Street in San Francisco, California, was founded in 1989 by Brian Hibbs and is widely described as the city’s oldest comic shop still in its original location. Early on, it leaned toward mainstream comics plus some indies and zines; over time, it shifted toward graphic novels and collections. The store is known for curated shelves organised by creator and interest, staff recommendations, signings, and a monthly Graphic Novel Club. Brian Hibbs later posted that the visit was completely on Johnson’s own initiative and that he had been off that day.
- Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection/The Nerd Store at the Gateway. 79 S Rio Grande, Salt Lake City, Utah. Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection is Utah’s oldest comic shop and now shares a downtown Salt Lake City space at The Gateway with The Nerd Store, a pop-culture chain owned by the same family. Brothers Roger and Charles Prows bought Dr Volt’s in 2021 and, in 2024, moved it to a larger Gateway storefront. Josh browsed Brubaker titles, graded comics, and a full run of Something Is Killing the Children before picking up several books.
- Fantom Comics at 2010 P Street NW, second floor, Washington, D.C., which opened in 2005. Current manager and co-owner Jacob Shapiro joined around 2014, after which the Washington City Paper named it Best Comic Shop in D.
In interviews, Josh Johnson has talked about his current reading, citing James Tynion IV and Darryl Cunningham, and noting a preference for Image’s creator-owned work while still appreciating DC and Marvel characters. The short videos have been well received by both comics fans and retailers. For independent shops, the free publicity from a high-profile comedian with a strong social media following is welcome. Josh Johnson is continuing his Comedy Band Camp tour through the rest of 2026 and into 2027. Comic shop owners in upcoming cities may want to keep an eye on the door, and their Instagram comments, where he regularly asks for recommendations. Here are his current tour dates…
- Madison, WI October 16, 2026
- Milwaukee, WI October 17, 2026
- Vancouver, BC October 23–25, 2026
- St Louis, MO October 30–31, 2026
- Philadelphia, PA November 6–7, 2026
- Seattle, WA November 20–22, 2026
- Honolulu, HI November 27–28, 2026
- Detroit, MI December 11–13, 2026
- St. Petersburg, FL December 16–18, 2026
- Orlando, FL December 19, 2026
- Miami, FL January 8, 2027
- Fort Lauderdale, FL January 9, 2027
- New Orleans, LA January 15–16, 2027
- San Diego, CA January 23, 2027
- New York City, NY January 31, 2027
- Austin, TX February 6, 2027
- Atlanta, GA February 12–13, 2027
- Wilmington, DE March 6, 2027
- New York City, NY March 7, 2027
- Houston, TX March 13, 2027
- Charleston, SC March 20, 2027
- Augusta, GA March 21, 2027
- Denver, CO April 3, 2027
- Oklahoma City, OK April 9, 2027
- Dallas, TX April 10, 2027
- Charlotte, NC May 1, 2027
- Indianapolis, IN May 8, 2027
- Boston, MA May 15, 2027
- Portland, OR May 22, 2027
- Grand Rapids, MI June 12, 2027
- Kansas City, MO June 19, 2027
- Baltimore, MD June 26, 2027
- Birmingham, AL July 9, 2027
- Memphis, TN July 10, 2027
- Little Rock, AR July 11, 2027
- Richmond, VA July 17, 2027
- Pittsburgh, PA July 24, 2027
- London, UK August 18, 2027
- Chicago, IL October 2, 2027
- Buffalo, NY October 9, 2027
- Louisville, KY October 23, 2027
- Providence, RI November 6, 2027
- Durham, NC November 13, 2027
- Cleveland, OH December 3, 2027
- Los Angeles, CA December 11, 2027
- Phoenix, AZ December 18, 2027
Josh Johnson screencap
Josh Johnson screencap
Josh Johnson screencap
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