The East Orlando Sun

The owners of EPIC Comics in Waterford Lakes wanted to make their shop the opposite of every stereotypical comic book store they had ever been to.

With freshly painted white walls, organized shelves for the books and tall glass display cases for the collectables, Justin Essad, Almando Rodriguez and Danny Haas feel they’ve done just that.

“This store is kind of our love letter to comics,” Rodriguez said.

The trio, who opened the shop in September, used each of their lifelong loves of comic books and their distaste for their day jobs to come together to design a store that they wished they’d had growing up.

They combined the relaxed comic book store vibe with an art gallery twist to give kids and adults alike a modern, social place to come and share in their common comic bond.

Art appreciative

When you walk into EPIC Comics, the first thing that’ll draw your attention isn’t the books themselves, but the walls.

What from far away appear to be larger-than-life black and white outlined decals of classic comic book characters, upon closer inspection are revealed to be individual murals of each superhero hand-drawn 100 percent in Sharpie marker.

“It took me 96 Sharpies and two and a half days,” co-owner and artist Danny Haas said.

Between the mural drawings hang framed prints of some of the guys’ favorite comic book art. On the opposing wall, Rodriguez says they’ve opened wall space for local artists to hang their work for free.

“We wanted to give the place sort of an art gallery vibe, to highlight the sometimes underappreciated artistic craft of comics,” he said. “And we want to help promote local artwork and create an East Orlando vibe.”

Social scene

In addition to the art vibe, Rodriguez said, they wanted to make the shop a home away from home for their customers, where they can fit in whether they’re a ‘flights and tights’ comic fan, indie reader or gamer.

“We know what we like, but we want to know what you like,” he said. “The look of the store is all us, but what’s inside is all for the customer.”

In the back of the store there’s a couch, wide screen TV and Xbox 360 where Rodriguez says kids can come and bring their own games or other systems to play and hang out.

“I want you to come in to buy your comics from us, but also sit down and talk about them with us,” he said. “We want to give kids a place where they can be themselves.”

Already, Essad said, they have kids who show up every day, whether it be to read comics or use the store’s free Wi-Fi and do their homework on their laptops.

Robert Vega and John Erick Sanchez, both Valencia College students, have been coming to the shop nearly every day since it opened.

“Unless I have stuff to do with my family, I’m here,” Vega said. “This is legitimately the first place of business I’ve ever come to just hang out at.”

The pair had never met before visiting EPIC Comics when it opened a few weeks ago, “And now we’re like best friends,” Sanchez said.

“This is just the best place ever,” Sanchez said. “I was joking the other day, that if I ever end up getting married, I’d want to get married here.”

Whether hosting a wedding is in their future or not, Essad says the shop does encourage local clubs and groups to contact the store if they want to host any sort of gaming event.

Geek-chic

The trio say back when they were kids, they were all closet nerds - hiding their comic book fandom to keep their ‘cool’ factor. Rodriguez said the popularity of all the comic-based movies has changed that.

“Now if you’re a geek it’s socially acceptable,” he said with a laugh.

“Now there’s all these hipster nerds saying ‘I was a nerd before it was cool,’” Haas joked.

Regardless of your cool-factor, age or length or fandom, he says all are welcome in the store - whether you’re a little kid who still dreams of being Superman, or a husband being dropped of while your wife shops at Michaels or Kohl’s.

“I hate that people feel like they have to fit into a certain mold,” Rodriguez said. “No matter who you are, we want this to be a place where you can fit in.”