Comic Book Store Clerks of America, No. 10: Tempe, Ariz
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They have no superpowers, but they are heroic: They are the store employees across America who sell comics and, like the guys in ‘High Fidelity,’ bicker with one another all day long about the true treasures of the discount bin. They are the Comic Book Store Clerks of America, and we salute them.
It’s a bold statement to claim that you are the Pop Culture Paradise, but co-assistant manager Richard Marshall, 26, believes that his store lives up to its name. The Tempe, Ariz., shop (707 S. Forest Ave. Suite A, 480-557-6640) was part of the campaign to bring the ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ premiere to town and PCP also sponsored a comics marathon in which writers and artists had 24 hours to produce a 24-page comic book. ‘It was about 15 people eating pizza, drawing pictures and watching movies,’ said Marshall (in the photo at left with good buddy R2-D2) who manned the Midnight-7 a.m. shift. Now, on with the questions...
Riddle me this: If April showers bring May flowers, what should April O’Neil (from ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’) bring?
She should be bringing pizza! I spent countless hours being babysat by the television and the Ninja Turtles when I was younger.
How would you reimagine your favorite TV show?
My favorite TV show is ‘The X-Files.’ The only way I could reimagine the series is never to have the first ‘X-Files’ movie. Then David Duchovny would never have left. Ending it there would just have been a pure memory.
Who’s your go-to guy or gal in the Super Smash Bros. game?
Link, because he’s easy.
Wait, are you one of THOSE players who do the same move over and over again? Answer carefully...
No! I balance it out, but his moves are easy to pull off.
Confession time: What comic book are you embarrassed to admit you own?
‘Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane.’ It is a Spider-Man comic, but it’s definitely a girl’s Spider-Man comic. It focuses on their relationship and Mary Jane more.
What’s the easiest way to get rid of a World of Warcraft (WOW) addiction?
Get rid of the Internet: It’s the only way. I’ve tried. If you keep the Internet, you will always go back to it or choose another MMO. I played WOW for 3 1/2 years. I got permanently banned -- they called it ‘exploiting the economy’ or something like that. I restarted and just got back up to the highest point, and then I was bored. I play Age of Conan now.
-- Michelle Castillo
Want to meet more Comic Book Store Clerks of America?
Top photo: Richard Marshall. Credit: Courtesy of Richard Marshall. Inset photo: Link from Super Smash Bros. Credit: Nintendo