The San Diego City Attorney’s Office has charged actor Ray Buffer with one misdemeanor count of petty theft stemming from an incident at Southern California Comics last fall (see “Shop Talk: It Takes a Village to Catch a Thief”). The Los Angeles Times reports that Buffer, whose TV credits include The West Wing, CSI: Miami, and ER, pled not guilty to the charge at his arraignment on January 18. Buffer is accused of stealing $854 worth of comics from the San Diego store; owner Jamie Newbold told the LA Times that the actor’s attorney was seeking a diversion that would allow Buffer to go free by paying restitution, but Newbold wants the case to go to court, saying that his was not the only store where Buffer attempted to steal comics and that the stores “will not see full restitution until Buffer is put in front of a judge.”

Following up on another case from last fall, Comic Collection of Feasterville in Bucks County, PA, is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of two men who assaulted and tied up owner Dave Schwartz and robbed the store (see “Two Sought in Savage Beating of Comic Shop Owner”). Schwartz told Newsbreak that while his physical injuries have healed, he has not been able to rest easy since the incident, saying, "I'm always looking behind me to make sure no one is following me and that kind of thing." The store’s customers helped him raise the reward money; the local police say that while the forensic evidence found at the scene has led to several leads, an actual name or address would help propel the investigation forward. And despite his injuries, Schwartz said, “They’re not getting my dignity. I’m not letting them.”

On a happier note, Robert Young, owner of Borderlands Comics and Games in Greenville, SC, told the Greenville News that business is booming, especially since the store moved to a new, much larger location in November 2022. Acquiring and renovating the new store took three years and cost $1.3 million, but, Young, said, “I felt in my gut that if we could create … someone described it as a department store for geeks … If we could do that in a friendly, welcoming way, it would change everything – in a good way.” Indeed, year over year sales were up 50% in January, and last year’s sales were the best in the store’s 33 years. This profile is worth reading just for the story of how Young built his business, starting out working in a comic shop at the age of 21 and ultimately buying Borderlands from its previous owner, Stan Reed. “I tried to buy the store every year. Stan would let me buy dinner. Then he’d turn me down,” Young told the News. Finally in 2010 Reed agreed to sell, eventually telling Young “I knew you’d die before you quit.”

Mike Tikal, owner of Oak Leaf Comics in Mason City, IA, tells The Gazette that he has been promoting reading for as long as he can remember, which is a long time, as he and his father opened the business in 1977. Tikal hands out free comics on Main Street on Thursdays, takes part in the town’s National Night Out, stocks the reading shelf at the local youth center, and turns Free Comic Book Day into a festival that takes up a whole city block.

Andrew Salter always wanted to own his own comic shop, and his dream came true on March 3 with the soft opening of The Hero’s Tale in Preston, Ontario. Salter told Cambridge Today that he left his job as a power grid specialist and part-time professor to open the store, and he is determined that it will be welcoming and accessible to everyone. "This place will be a fully inclusive space for readers of all kind," he said. "Whether that be for black and indigenous comics or readers from the LGBTQ+ community, all will be welcomed and celebrated." He also intends to hire local people and pay them a living wage. "My success is their success and they shouldn't have to just scrape by from working here," he said. The store will hold its grand opening on April 15.

Short Takes

• Bill’s Bullpen of Hollister, CA, just celebrated its 35th year in business, and owner Bill Mifsud told San Benito the tale of how he and his father bought the store in 1987 as well as how it has grown since then.
• The Rome Daily Sentinel profiles Al Dorante, who purchased the Ravenswood comic shop in New Hartford, NY, from its previous owner last year.
• Miranda Nordel and Sam Bolenbaugh tell Baltimore Fishbowl how their shop, Dreamers & Believers, went from a pop-up shop to a full retail store.
• The Shelby County Reporter has the scoop on Top of the World Art and Collectibles, the newest comic shop in Alabaster, AL.