Longtime Edmonton comic store announces closure

A long-standing comic book and collectibles store in Edmonton is shutting down.

The management of Wizard's Comics & Collectibles announced the end of a 25-year run on Monday.

"We want to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude for your unwavering support throughout the years. Your loyalty has been the backbone of our success, and we cannot thank you enough for your patronage," Dane and Megan McKay wrote on Facebook.

"We want you to know that our decision to close was not an easy one, but we believe that it is the best one for our team and our community. We are so grateful for the relationships we have built with you, and we hope that you will continue to support local businesses in the future.

"Thank you again for your loyalty and support over the past 25 years. We will miss you all and wish you the very best."

The post contained a photo of the store's founder, Jeff McKay, who died in 2020 from cancer.

Thieves broke into the Garneau business in January and stole an estimated $40,000 worth of merchandise and consignment items.

"We tried to recoup everything from it, but it didn’t really go as planned so that was one of the bigger reasons, and with COVID especially too. That didn’t help out through this whole entire thing," said owner Dane McKay, who took over the store after his father's death.

"Everything’s just a lot more expensive than it was before, getting everything in is a little bit more expensive."

People commenting on Wizard's Comics' news noted the local comic industry has suffered a few blows in recent years.

Edmonton's Happy Harbour Comics was closed in early 2019, only to be bought and re-opened by Wonderland Games. After being targeted by arsonists twice in March 2022, the store closed.

The Wizard's Comics store in Sherwood Park was closed in October 2022, although Mythic Comics and Collectables is taking over, Sherwood Park News has reported.

An expert from the University of Alberta's School of Business thinks the closures are in part related to a shift toward digital media.

"Print media or print anything right now is a really difficult business to be in," Heather Thomson explained. "Anything that people can download directly to their devices or tablets is going to make having anything in that business in a brick and mortar concept really, really difficult to compete with.”

Nathan Greenaway agrees but prefers books, the customer told CTV News Edmonton.

"It’s a different experience. I feel like you retain it better and you get to look at the art," he said. "I’ve actually got some comics framed on my wall because I think the art is beautiful.”

The Wizard's Comics store in Edmonton will sell its remaining inventory at half price.