Los Angeles comics institution Meltdown Comics is closing at the end of the month after 25 years of serving the comics community in the city. In a tweet, Meltdown confirmed that the store would be open until April 1.

In a video shared on Twitter by Jamie Iovine, CRO of Meltdown, Iovine declared that “Meltdown is alive and well. We aren’t going anywhere. The brand is fruitful, we are crushing it.” Owner Gaston Dominguez-Letelier also appeared in the video.

“The brick and mortar shop, the one that has been open for 25 years on Sunset, has to shut down in order for us to progress into our new business model that we are launching very soon,” Iovine added. “Keep your eyes open. Very, very, very soon, we are relaunching.”

Iovine and Dominguez-Letelier didn’t offer further details on the new venture. Dominguez-Letelier announced the closing to customers and subscribers via email:

To The City of Angels,

As is the case with all good things, at some point they must come to an end. Meltdown Comics is no exception to this rule and so, after 25 years coveting every comic treasure we could lay our hands on, I’m sharing that on March 30th I’ll be closing our doors for the final time.

No business is easy, least of all one rooted in paper surrounded by brick and mortar, yet against all odds we survived just long enough to host, share, and celebrate some of the most creative and imaginative artists in the world. It has been my personal privilege to welcome so many incredibly talented minds through our doors giving them and their work a home in this great city of ours.

And what a wonderfully surreal run it’s been… we’ve watched every fad, trend, and next big thing come and go while customers became celebrities, children blossomed to adults, geeks morphed into moguls, and fanboys scored Oscars. Throughout it all, I’ve been most fortunate to be surrounded by my family and the best staff anyone could have ever wished for – through thick and thin you supported Meltdown and invested in me, I will never be able to repay you but know that I am eternally grateful and forever in your debt.

As I prepare to extinguish Sunset’s neon know that there is a new path for me (more later) and I close Meltdown without any regret. For 25 years I have been enriched by every inquisitive mind I have encountered on this journey and for that I humbly thank you, all of you.

In signing off, I urge you all to continue creating comics, buying comics, and supporting the comic book world that has given us all so much over the years.

For one last time, #LetsgoMELTDOWN!

Thank you, LA

Sincerely,

Gaston DL
Meltdown Comics 
October 26, 1993 – April 1, 2018

The comedy scene is also taking a hit as a result of the closing. Meltdown maintained the NerdMelt Showroom, a proving ground for a number of LA comedians, such as Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick), Jonah Ray (Mystery Science Theater 3000), and Emily V. Gordon (The Big Sick). The trio founded and hosted the Comedy Central series The Meltdown at the store. Meltdown was also where Chris Hardwick launched the Nerdist Podcast.