Some good news for Ninth Street: The Regulator won't be the only "book" store on the popular shopping strip soon, though you might tend to best share that understanding if you are a fan of graphic novels as well as novels.
Local small biz Ultimate Comics is set to open a shop on Ninth Street, in the small yellow shop between Dain's Place and Charlie's, according to OWD and Ninth Street stalwart John Schelp.
The store will be the second in the immediate area, given the proximity of Northgate Mall -- where Ultimate Comics opened an outlet in 2007 -- to downtown. A call to a store clerk at Ultimate revealed, however, that both stores are expected to remain open and to co-exist.
No word yet on Ultimate's first date on Ninth.
Here's more in today's Herald-Sun...
Business Buzz: Ultimate Comics opening fourth store on Ninth Street
By Monica Chen, Herald-Sun, 6 August 2008
Make it Pop!: Local chain Ultimate Comics is opening its fourth store between Dain's Place and Charlie's Neighborhood Bar & Grill on Ninth Street.
Slated for opening Aug. 14, the location will be the chain's largest, at least twice the size of its Chapel Hill store.
Lee Newman, soon to be manager of the new store, said the location was chosen because it gets tons of walk-through traffic and is close to Duke University.
The store will have a greater variety of comics, including a larger independent offering, a bigger back issue room and a first for the chain -- a comic book set room where anything they have of a set will be showcased.
The larger space will also allow the store to hold events similar to the Free Comic Book day event in the spring.
Hollywood has churned out a number of blockbusters based on comic books in recent years. The highly anticipated film adaptation of "Watchmen," Alan Moore's acclaimed graphic novel, will be released in March 2009.
Newman said it's too early to go into details about possible events at the store, but added that sales of Watchmen at Ultimate Comics have surged since the release of the trailer in showings of The Dark Knight. It is possible that DC Comics would work with retailers on promotional events, he said.
For more information about the new location, ask for Newman or owner Alan Gill at (919) 960-8107. To check out the store's Web site, go to www.ultimatecomicsonline.com.
Posted by: John Schelp | August 06, 2008 at 12:58 PM