Merchandise Keeps the Owners of Comics Store Entertained

Two years ago, Lisa Richardson went shopping and bought two comic books.

A few months later, Richardson went shopping with her husband, Richard Grinnell, and bought the comic book store.

Comic books became so important from that initial purchase that “we were basically spending her paycheck on them,” said Grinnell, noting that the books each cost 75 cents to a $1 or more. “But it was our entertainment. It was like going to the movies.”

Added Richardson: “When I brought the first comic books home, it struck a chord, and then we kept going out and buying new ones. We spent quite a bit of money, but we enjoyed them, and before we knew it, we had accumulated between 2,000 and 3,000 comic books.”

And Richardson, 27, marveled at the fact that comic books of today are so different from the ones she read and saved as a preteen.

“When I bought those two comic books, I wanted to see what my old friends were doing today and what new characters there were,” said Richardson, a scuba-diver and environmental science enthusiast. “Now I have a store with 25,000 comic books and can read everything.”

Grinnell, who still works as a copy machine repairman and on Saturdays tends the couple’s store, Comic Quest in El Toro, said his wife’s comic book purchase hit them right.

“At about that time, we were looking for a business to own,” said Grinnell, 28. “It seemed like a comic book store was right for us. We also felt we had plenty of time to start over if anything was to happen.”

But business has been good. They already have paid off the bank loan for the store--which deals in new comic books--and last year grossed $50,000.

They first researched the comic book phenomenon and found that many parents are happy their kids are reading comics because it might be all they are reading.

“Now comics take on political issues, talk about racism and even AIDS,” said Richardson, a former corporate librarian who runs the store during the week. “Kids read all this and get to interact with each other and discuss these topics. It’s better than being cooped up with a television.”

She also noted that many of their customers are professional people and college students. “The latest poll we saw showed that the average comic book reader was old enough to vote,” said Richardson. “In Japan, everyone reads comic books.”

Grinnell already is thinking about a second comic book store and being able to spend all his time in his own business. “When you work for a big firm, you get your same paycheck,” he said. “But when you have your own store, you have a chance to do better.”

There are people out there who feel uncomfortable going to jail even for charity. At least that was the dilemma this year for the Orange County Chapter of the American Cancer Society’s annual Jail and Bail program. It fell $3,000 short of last year’s $95,000 pledge mark.

“It’s difficult and uncomfortable for some people to contact family, friends and business associates to raise the money,” said Larry Clapp of Anaheim, who chaired the event. “We had a number of non-returning arrestees this year, and I think a lot of them were away on vacation.”

Those “arrested” had to raise “bail” as a charity pledge to get released.

Besides raising money for research, Clapp said, “the annual program also helps alert people to the dangers of cancer and the services available to combat it.”

“Besides,” he added, “it helped put some fun into fund-raising.”

The mini-Indy 500 race car is 7 feet long, and its white paint is embellished with blue pinstripes. It is a swell prize for Adam Villasenor.

He won the car, worth an estimated $1,000, in a drawing from the Anaheim Hilton and Towers while vacationing there with his family.

But Adam may have a significant problem. He’s only 5 years old and may be too short to reach the pedals.

His father, Ed Villasenor, of Milpitas, Calif., reported that Adam was thrilled just the same.

And so was Adam’s twin brother, Christopher.

This year’s theme for the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce annual anti-drug campaign during Red Ribbon Week in October is “Be Smart, Don’t Start.” And chairman Doug Gibson wanted a new design for the 5,000 ribbons that will be distributed to business, church and civic organizations.

So he went to Anaheim postman and art hobbyist Frank Doll, 41, who has painted wall murals at the new post office in Anaheim and at the Anaheim Hilton and Towers, and asked him to draw the design.

His drawing shows three teddy bears saying, “Hugs, Not Drugs.”