Nick Idell, a dedicated comic book collector, found his calling when he opened up Alleycat Comics with his wife, Selene Gill. The couple moved into the Andersonville area with their daughter a few years back and were exploring their new neighborhood when they stumbled upon an open space that was for rent. Nick said that the space was ideal, “Oh my god. That’s perfect. It’s right by a Starbucks, it’s on North Clark Street, it’s on the corner, it’s great, it’s by an ice cream parlor, it’s right by a pizza place. You can’t ask for a better spot to open a shop.”
Nick called up to make an offer. The woman over the phone said that a Potbelly had already taken the space. The woman over the phone said to Nick, “We have a garage in the back that we’re also looking to rent, if you’re interested.”
A couple of days later, the soon-to-be comic book shop owners headed to the garage to check it out. The place was down a slim little alleyway (that’s how they came up with the name “Alleycat Comics”). Nick said that the previous owner “had put a little bit of money into the spot. They had just redone all of the windows, the doors, and the ceiling. They had cleaned the walls.” But, the whole place was still made up of cement and the floor was tilted at an angle. There was a lot of back and forth in deciding whether to take the spot and if it would work out.
They ended up signing the lease and with that, they were going to re-do the whole place and turn it into what it is today! For two months, Nick and his dad worked almost everyday to whip the place into shape. The place had no lights, no electricity, no carpet; concrete had to be poured down, the works. Today, you would have no idea that the shop used to be a cement box.
Before opening day, Alleycat Comics did a fundraising event at The Sofo Tap. There was karaoke, raffles, and prizes. Not to mention it was a costume party, naturally. This event got people excited for Alleycat Comics and when opening day came around, there was a line out the door! (Check out the slideshow to hear a funny/nerve wracking story from Nick about opening day.)
Now, I know you’re all waiting for it… some advice from a comic book store owner himself regarding how to start your own business. Nick’s response was, “Location is very, very important. It’s one of the most important things.” He went on to say that if they weren’t on North Clark Street, they would’ve never made it. He also said, “Try new things. If its not working, don’t keep doing it. Stop doing it and do something else.”
As a shop that has a majority of repeat customers, Alleycat Comics really hits a home run. I’ve mentioned this before but I will mention it again, a true local business is one that thrives off of the neighborhood it lives in. Alleycat Comics really does just that. The dedication and sincerity of the staff is all that anyone could ask for when walking into a local shop.
A place that once used to be so drab and cold has been transformed by Nick, Selene, and their partner to make it a great comic book store with great people and comics to match!
I know what Nick’s favorite comic books are and this got me wondering how competitive the publishing market is in the comic book industry! Which publishers are the most popular right now?
I discovered a very recent list, from February 2015, on DiamondComics.com. This list gave me the retail market share percentage of the top comic book publishers right now. Check out the chart below to see for yourself.
Don’t live close to Alleycat Comics? Well, luckily I’ve pinned some locally owned comic book stores in the Chicago area on this map below!
Staying Local 