We felt that there was a gaping hole in the community. So we opted to do our darndest to fill it.
It’s a Saturday morning in May, and the parking lot outside Double Midnight Comics is crawling with comic book characters. It’s Free Comic Book Day, the shop’s biggest event of the year, and costumed customers are flocking by the thousands to the Manchester, N.H., comic book and collectibles store for free comics, prizes, and more. Brett Parker and brothers Chris and Scott Proulx opened the store in 2002 to fill what they saw as a “gaping hole” in the market, and it turns out, they were right.
Growing up in Manchester, N.H., Parker and the Proulx brothers bonded over their shared love of comic books, which at the time was not considered a “cool” hobby. When the area’s only comic store closed down, they decided to take matters into their own hands and opened Double Midnight Comics. This also happened to be a couple years after the first X-Men film was released, kicking off somewhat of a renaissance in the comic industry.
“I used to hide the fact that I read and collected comics,” says Parker. “Now, it’s not only accepted but it almost elevates your status. I never thought I would see it happen, but it’s awesome.” It’s especially surprising that even at times when the economy is terrible, business has stayed relatively steady for Double Midnight Comics. Even Parker had a hard time understanding why at first, as their product is “a non-essential.” But one recently laid-off customer explained it succinctly: “It’s a cheap escape to the nightmare that the world is becoming for me right now. I can be fully entertained for under ten bucks.”
With their success, Double Midnight Comics has opened a second location in neighboring Concord and hopes to continue expanding. Parker and his partners understand that to be successful you have to be ever-changing and prepared for anything. They also try to be pro-active within the community, and for every Free Comic Book Day they select a charity to donate a portion of proceeds to.
“There is nothing worse that you can do than go through the motions and be stagnant,” says Parker. “The community hasn’t seen everything up our sleeve just yet.”
Photos by Christina Clusiau