Comic Book Store Clerks of America, No. 2: Los Angeles, California
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They have no super powers, but they are heroic: they are the store employees across America who sell comics and, like the guys in ‘High Fidelity,’ bicker with each other all day long about the true treasures of the discount bin. They are the Comic Book Store Clerks of America and we salute them.
Meet Chris Rosa, a 30-year-old dead ringer for ‘Green Lantern’ (circa John Stewart) who works in brighest day and blackest night at Meltdown Comics & Collectibles (7522 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, [323] 851-7223). Rose is mighty proud of the store’s pop-culture bonanza range ‘from vinyl toys to art books to a vast children’s section to weird imports back to comics’ and he bravely answered all our questions.
Be honest -- think about your life and tell us which stereotype about comic-book geeks applies to you?
I refer major moments in my life to events in comics. For example, my best friend and I both refer to our ‘one that got away’ as Dandel, the long-lost girlfriend from ‘Goodbye, Chunky Rice.’
Which comic book series is in desperate need of becoming a TV show?
Without question, ‘Scalped’ by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera. Done on either FX, HBO, or Showtime, it would be the next great American crime epic.
The Marvel superheroes just challenged the DC capes to a battle to the death. Was this a smart move for Marvel?
That would be a typically brash Marvel move. But unlike their great business successes, this would backfire terribly. Why? DC has Batman, and Batman always wins, even when he dies, as in ‘Final Crisis’ #6.
Which comic book star would you take on a date and where would you go?
Since you pose this as ‘comic book star,’ I’m going to take Lynda Carter, the great star of the ‘Wonder Woman’ series. I’d take her to see a movie at Hollywood Forever ... or someplace really nice, like the Music Center on Grand.
A customer walks in and tells you that ‘Ghost Rider,’ is their favorite movie of all time and that Jennifer Garner probably shoulda got an Oscar for ‘Elektra.’ What do you say?
I’d put my arm around them and say, ‘If you dug that, I’ve got some stuff for you -- the current Ghost Rider series, written by Jason Aaron (collected thus far in the ‘Hell Bent and Heaven Bound’ trade paperback), straight-up grindhouse insanity. You know you want to see Ghost Rider face off with a motorcycle gang made up of nuns. As for ‘Elektra’ -- take this here ‘Elektra Omnibus’ by Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz. Do not attempt to drive or operate heavy machinery after reading.
-- Michelle Castillo
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