Hey everyone! This episode was first heard by our Patrons, lovingly called the Powerful Friendz over at patreon.com/tumblingsaber! Become a Powerful Friend and you can gain access to this pod, and everything else we do early, ad-free, and sometimes even exclusively! We've spent a fair bit of time talking about comics and the comic book industry lately, but the rub is none of us actually work in the industry! We decided to rectify that gap in this episode by bringing in Carmelo Chimera, owner of Chimera's Comics in Chicago, and author of the graphic novel Magnificent. This is honestly one of best episodes of the podcast we've ever recorded and I want to give a shout-out to co-host and fellow Powerful Friend Rik for making this happen (this is Rik's LCS after all!). In this episode you'll learn a great deal about how comic book shops operate, the challenges they face on a daily basis when times are GOOD, but also the threats they face in light of our chaotic times. We hope you enjoy this episode! Let us know your thoughts, and maybe take a few minutes out to reach out to your LCS and let them know you appreciate them and that you'll be there for them when this all blows over! Cheerz!