Downtown Comics owner not kapowed by cancelled Carbonear event

By Olivia Bradbury/Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

St. John’s business Downtown Comics is diversifying its merchandise in the hopes of serving more people.

Located at 141 Duckworth Street, Downtown Comics has been in business for 27 years. It was opened by Jason Conway, who ran the store until his death in 2020. Afterwards his daughter, Kerri Neil, took up the mantle.

While comics are the biggest part of the store’s business, Downtown Comics has branched out in terms of the merchandise it carries. Along with board games and collectibles, it also now carries fiction and non-fiction novels.

“There aren’t any fully independent bookstores in the city anymore,” Neil said. “So, (we’re) trying to fill that gap.”

While they are still working on building up their stock, Neil said they are happy to order books for people, as well.

“We can do shipping to different areas, and if folks want to combine shipping with their friends we’d be happy to try to accommodate that,” she said. “Definitely we want to do our best to get books to the people.”

Neil said that they also try to reach more readers by acting as a vendor at different events, including “geek markets” such as comic conventions. The store was supposed to vend a book fair in Carbonear last fall, but the event was cancelled as there did not seem to be enough public interest. Neil explained that it can be difficult to send out staff and set up a fair, so they need to know beforehand that people are going to attend.

“But it’s definitely something we’re looking at again, and hopefully do more advertising, and get people excited about books,” she said. “I think that those (fairs) are really important for communities outside the overpass because there aren’t a lot of bookstores in those areas.”

While some pharmacies and grocery stores have book sections, Neil said, they are often limited and when it comes to comics, most single issues can only be purchased at dedicated comic stores.

“So going to these events I think is really valuable for giving people the opportunity to try out a comic or find a new book,” she said.