A Special Note “All About” Alan and Marsha’s Retirement
To all our loyal, dedicated and sincerely appreciated customers and friends, Marsha and I have decided…and a very difficult decision it was… to retire this April. It’s time.
When we purchased our business, known as “ A Little Bookstore” in December of 1981, we were youngsters looking for a new venture. And brother, has it been an adventure for the last 38 years! Fun and rewarding, it has been a great ride, and an amazing place to raise our children, but now it is time to say goodbye to the brick and mortar side of our business.
We will continue to carry a full line of new releases of comics, trade paperbacks and specialty merchandise up to and including Wednesday, March 25th. We hope you will stay with us these next few months.
Going forward we will continue selling back issue comics from our vast one million back issue inventory through mail order and eBay (seller AMGIROUX). We hope you will continue to email us with your back issue want lists at Alan@AllAboutComics.com.
In the meantime we are offering big discounts on existing merchandise now through April.
We want all of you to know that this isn’t a “going out of business” scenario, but a Celebration of Retirement! Comic books are still a valuable and viable entertainment form and we will miss it greatly, but as stated in the beginning of this missive, it’s time.
After nearly 40 years of owning our business, Marsha and I need a little less “retail” responsibility…more time for traveling, and lots more time with our new grandbaby, due in June.
All About Books and Comics wouldn’t have been what it has been these last many years without Phil (the Professor) Mateer and his back issue brilliance or Eddie, the do EVERYTHING best all time AABC manager. We will forever be grateful to them, our great current staff members Abdiel, Gabby, Eric and Ken and the many wonderful staffers over the years (too many to name) that helped make AABC the place it is today. They are all part of our AABC family.
Thirty-eight years ago, we never thought that comic books and pop culture would be as vast as it has become today. There will always be a comic book market, so for anyone that has always wanted to own their own comic book business, from Millennials to Generation Y’ers to Z’ers, then live your dream. Just do it.
Marsha and I have had a great life with this, but we feel it’s OK…at least for these two middle-aged boomers, to ride off into the comic book sunset!
Though years have gone by since I got my mail order, and many more years since I drove in weekly for new comics, and many many more years since i was driven by my father for my allowance busting selections… AABAC has been part of my life for so long, and Alan and Marsha like those joyous special adopted family like in the theater, that time and distance dont diminish in your heart, you both have been wonderful players in the play of my life, people I love, a place I’ve always adored… and was jealous my little sister got to work at, I am happy you are where you are, and while the thought of no brick and mortar shop feels like a passing of a loved one, I celebrate with you your wonderful accomplishments and the many lives you enriched, mine included!
Congratulations!
I have visited your store once a week for the last 27 YEARS! Don’t know what I’ll do without you guys, but you definitely earned your retirement! Best wishes on all your future endeavors!
I am so happy for you two! Congratulations! All About is such a special place, and I am so thankful for the years I was able to work for you. It was one of the best times in my life to be able to enjoy comics and learn more about the medium and work with such wonderful people. Thanks for a great few years and for such being wonderful parts of the community.
With love,
Ashley
Thanks Ashley, we miss you! Stop by if you come back to Phoenix anytime before the end of April. We have photos of you on our memory lane wall:)
I hadn’t stopped by AABAC since the late 80s, but was driving by a couple of weeks ago and saw the sign and decided, “what the hell”. I got lucky, Alan was in the store and even though I am sure he didn’t remember me, he treated me like he always had, like he was happy to see me and we chatted a little about the old days. I ended up buying a couple of issues I would have brought back then from Alan Moore’s Swamp thing run and they were so reasonably priced I regretted doing all my purchasing on line for all these years. Just an old time customer, but love you guys and hope your retirement is as eventful and exciting as your time in the shop.
Thank you for the memories… and the books!
Hi. I’m a former employee from the early 90s. It was a fun job with fun corkers and I’m glad I was able to be a part of it. Congratulations on a well deserved retirement.