Mumbai Comic Con 2023: This Comic Bookstore exhibits the graded Ironman comic worth Rs 8 lakh

The coolest comic bookstore in Mumbai is ready to take Comic-Con by storm this season. Staged at the Jio World Centre in Bandra-Kurla Complex, the Comic-Con event will witness a prototype of the original Comic Book Store based in Khar, Mumbai. The stall will house T-shirts with superhero prints, posters, and a hand-picked selection of classic comics for the comic geeks.

For those who are into buying comics as collectibles, the comic bookstore is exhibiting editions starting from Rs 5 lakh and going way higher. The most expensive comic on the shelf is going to be the first appearance of Ironman, a graded comic book from 1959.

In a candid conversation with Midday Online, Hamza Syed, the founder of the comic bookstore reveals that he is excited to launch a store for comic buffs in Bengaluru in the upcoming months. The store will be recreated in the form of a vault to exhibit the higher-end comics that range anything between Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh as collectibles.

The Comic Bookstore is turning one next month and expanding to other cities like Bengaluru and Delhi. Photo Courtesy: The Comic Bookstore

The bright yellow comic bookstore at the Linking Road raises brows as one navigates the vendors and whizzing fragrances in the market. The insides are buzzing with preparations for the upcoming Mumbai Comic-Con. Hamza recounts the events that have led to his mounting success as a comic bookseller.

Love for comics as a teenager
As a child, Hamza was absolutely smitten by comics. His love for comics was stirred by the animated Justice League series that did rounds on the Cartoon Network channel in the 2000s. He would spend hours gazing at batman and ironman cover illustrations that were placed on curated shelves in bookstores. That's when he got reeled into the charm of comic books and wanted to dig it further.

Recalling his teenage days, he shares, "Back in 2005, there were lesser approachable mediums available for comic buffs like me. Only dominant bookstores like Crosswords, Titles Waves, Landmark, etc. sold comic books at prices so exorbitant that I could only dream of owning one. Forget mobiles and laptops, even the internet was inaccessible for many kids like me."

Hamza resonates with the sentiment of several comic book lovers from the early 2000s. These comic buffs used to be desperate to possess comics but were turned away owing to the steep prices. Back then, a comic book would cost around INR 1000 which acted as a deterrent for many. However, Hamza's knowledge could not be questioned as every single edition that existed in western countries was on his tips. Despite the absence of single-edition comics in India, the idea of owning them kept him going.

Such was his longing for comic books that shaped his conscience while he was growing up. Hamza is a prodigal child who had his epiphany of creating a comic book heaven when he was only 21 and a fresh college dropout. While his dream was crystallising at the back-end, he worked as a digital marketer to provide for his family.

Braving hardships to launch an online comic bookstore
"I dropped out of college and started working at 17 to support my mother. I had to lie on my resume as nobody would hire a dropout. I went door to door asking for a job. There were times we didn't even have Rs 10 to feed ourselves. Managers would tear my resume in front of me. I walked 8 km in scorching heat until my feet bled for a job interview at RIL because I didn't have money for the bus. After many failed attempts at starting my business, working two jobs, and being constantly broke and destitute, I'm grateful for how things turned out" recounts Hamza in a LinkedIn post.

With the pop-culture renaissance era coming back to life with ironman, the MCOs, and the western culture in the form of TV shows, his dream of opening a comic bookstore struck once more. His passion was sparked again at the age of 23, and he quietly began working on his idea. At this stage, he was resolute to turn his dream into a concrete reality. Thus, he quit his job and poured his entire life savings into his goal.

Hamza's comic bookstore came to life online in 2019. His workplace was his living room and a laptop. With little experience at hand, he encountered several challenges in the beginning. His biggest challenge was the curatorial one as he was unaware of what to order and how to order. The major setback came with the first stock where he suffered a loss of funds during the import as he did not know the formalities around it. However, he continued to make mistakes and learn.

Pandemic: A blessing in disguise
But what kept him going was the downpouring of love from comic geeks across India. It was during Covid-19 that his online store hit its peak patronage solely through word of mouth. As the world turned to digital outlets for stimulation, his store served as a rescue for many comic book lovers. "Covid-19 came as a blessing in disguise for me. The rage for comics only went higher and higher and I moved from a one-person company to a bigger team and space. I rented a small office where I began stocking my comics and conducting sales."

The online operation went on for two years when Hamza witnessed an upsurge in his customer base. The orders began mounting up, both in quantity as well as variety. This was the tipping point where Hamza felt a real urge to launch a comic bookstore to cater to the ever-rising demands of comic readers.

Hamza Syed, the founder of the comic bookstore has been awarded Top 30 Under 30 for his venture. Photo Courtesy: The Comic Bookstore

"Three years ago when I pitched the idea of starting "India's first comic book store", people said I was crazy! "Who reads or even cares about comics in India?" or "Find me a single person who reads a comic!". Well, I found hundreds and thousands of them!" ." With hard work and zeal, Hamza's destiny turned serendipitous when he launched his first comic bookstore in March 2022.

The Comic Bookstore as a cultural hub
What started as a kid's pristine love for the Cartoon Network channel has now turned into a full-blown comic bookstore of all ranges and varieties. With his bookstore, Hamza aims to democratise access to comics for the geeky ones. The space is meant to bind together and engage a community that thrives on the love for comics and superhero discourse.

"There was an idea, to bring together a bunch of remarkable stories under one roof to see if they could turn into something meaningful. To see if it could bring people together culturally and socially. We still believe in that idea, in comics. And it's great to see that a lot of people share that mutual belief."

Hamza aims to launch digital subscriptions by the end of 2023 for those who prefer digital copies.

Five best-selling novels from the shelves of the comic bookstore:
1 Watchman by Alan Moore

2 Sandman by Neil Gaiman

3 Maus by Art Speigelman

4 Marvel comics: Spiderman

5 DC comics: Batman

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