Midtown Comics

Midtown Comics
Company typePrivate
IndustryRetail
Founded1997
Founder
  • Angelo Chantly
  • Thomas Galitos
  • Gerry Gladston
  • Robert Mileta
Headquarters
New York City, New York
,
United States
Number of locations
3 stores (2010)
Area served
Worldwide
Products
Websitemidtowncomics.com

Midtown Comics is a New York City comic book retailer with three shops in Manhattan and an e-commerce website.[1][2] The largest comic book store in the United States,[3] the company opened its first store in the Times Square area in 1997. Its second was opened on Lexington Avenue in 2004,[2] and is known as the Grand Central store for its proximity to Grand Central Terminal.[4] Its downtown store was opened on Fulton Street in the Financial District in November 2010, and its Astoria, Queens outlet store opened in March 2020. It also used to operate a boutique inside Manhattan's Times Square Toys R Us.

The store is noted for appearances by celebrities known outside the comic book industry,[5] for its friendly and energetic staff, and for being the most media-friendly comic store in the United States.[6] It was named by The Village Voice in 2012 as the Best Comic Book Store in New York,[7] and has been hailed by CBR.com as "the industry's leading retailer of comic books, graphic novels and manga."[4] On July 13, 2012, the National Geographic Channel premiered Comic Store Heroes, a reality television program set at Midtown Comics. In 2013, it was ranked number 44 on Bleeding Cool magazine's Top 100 Power List of Comic Books, due to its geographic proximity to the then-headquarters of "Big Two" of the American comic book publishing industry, Marvel Comics and DC Comics,[a] and the relationship between the store and industry professionals.[6]

  1. ^ Gustines, George Gene (May 8, 2019). "As Comic Book Industry Grows, Smaller Publishers Learn to Adapt". The New York Times.
  2. ^ a b Gustines, George Gene (November 16, 2005). "Some Caution Helps When Selling Fantasies". The New York Times.
  3. ^ Kaplan, Don (June 25, 2012). "It's a geek drama". New York Post.
  4. ^ a b "Olivia Munn Signs Her New Book at Midtown Comics". CBR.com. July 2, 2010
  5. ^ Gustines, George Gene (May 4, 2007). "Superhero Worship, Gotham to Riverdale". The New York Times.
  6. ^ a b Johnston, Rich (November 2013). "The Top 100 Power List of Comic Books". Bleeding Cool magazine #7. p. 62.
  7. ^ "New York Best Comic Book Store: Midtown Comics". "Best of New York". The Village Voice. Retrieved November 4, 2012.