Comic Retailers: Casablanca Comics
Portland, Maine was a great one-day trip and I wish I could have spent more time. The food was great, the weather that day was perfect, and there was a sense of wanting to have gone to college here just because the people were so intriguing. There were plenty of cute girls, dressed in hipster clothing wearing sunglasses to stay mysterious. The town had a lot of lobstermen, and plenty of people in between. It felt very American, and the most American thing I could think of to visit were the local comics shops.
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Casablanca Comics
151 Middle St.; (207) 780-1676
www.casablancacomics.com
It has been a while since I walked into a store with a great vibe. A place that was friendly, professional, and most of all immaculate. Casablanca Comics is listed first on Google when you search for comic shops in Portland. It has served a long 30 years in the heart of downtown and continues to bring the widest selection of floppies, trades, and superhero related memorabilia.
I ducked into a Starbucks to try my luck at getting some internet. When that venture failed, I stepped outside and looked down the street. Casablanca was right in front of me! They were fortunate to have their bright yellow and blue sign prominently in front of all the other hanging signs. I went inside the building, rounded the corner, and walked through the shiny yellow door.
It was a small room that felt bigger than it was. There were plenty of books I wanted to pick up, especially the books that seemed to be brand new releases like Kazu Kibuishi’s Amulet. I also hadn’t ever seen a Perry Bible Fellowship Almanack anywhere in my local shops. This place had walls of new releases, and flaunted their DC Wednesday Comics. The customers were what you’d expect to see. A lot of comic book junkies getting their fixes and looking for back issues of famous runs. It was a better version of your run-of-the-mill comics shops, with updated technology and a friendly environment that males, females, and children would all enjoy visiting
I should also mention that Casablanca is also present in the community. They’ve held a mini-festival and regularly schedule artist’s signings. I always adore a store that does its part to promote the visibility of comics. Casablanca, you guys rock!
Next Week! I stopped into an intriguing underground vinyl store simply called “Strange”. They had some minis and I found vinyl starring the original cast of Saturday Night Live. I poked around and eventually asked about the local comics scene and was pointed in the direction of not Casablanca Comics, but a brand new store that opened up in June called Coast City Comics.
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