Two Of LA’s Oldest Comics Stores Are Closing Down

Not even a superhero could save two of Los Angeles's oldest comic book stores.

Torrance's Geoffrey’s Comics and Hi De-Ho Comics in Santa Monica are closing at the end of the year.

Owner Geoffrey Patterson II said that ever since the pandemic, many comic book fans moved from purchasing their comics in person to online. For his stores, that meant losing half of his customer base and more than half of the profits.

But the pandemic was just the last straw.

“It's also just as it has become mainstream, that other places are now selling comic books that weren't selling them before,” he said, citing big retailers like Target. “It went from being only in comic book stores to everywhere. So the customers now have 100 choices for where they pick up a comic book story, and that just kept shrinking and shrinking our customer base.”

The stores

Geoffrey’s Comics was first started by Patterson II’s father, Geoffrey Patterson Sr., in 1979. Patterson II shares ownership of Hi De-Ho Comics which was founded in 1977, with some of his friends.

Geoffrey Patterson II passing down his love of comic books to his son, Geoffrey Patterson III, as they work together with pricing a new comic book collection.

(

Courtesy of Geoffrey Patterson II

)

The stores have been around to host some of the comic scenes’ greatest legends like Stan Lee, Geoff Johns, former CCO and President of DC Entertainment; Rob Liefield, the co-creator of Deadpool, and many others. Patterson II recalled a fond memory of comic book fans lining up outside of the stores when the man of steel passed away.

“When Superman died, we literally had a line that was half a mile long down the street. And people just needed to get that comic book. It was the craziest the store has ever been.”

Patterson II also recalled when they had Robert Liefield hold a signing at Geoffrey's Comics for the first issue of the Youngblood series.

"One of my very good friends Danny Miki was working for us at the time, and he showed Rob his art, and Rob hired him on the spot."

Since then, Miki has hidden Geoffrey's Comics as an Easter egg within the background of various comics like in X-Men, Hulk, Spawn, and others.

Their lasting influence

Latinx comic book writer Henry Barajas held his first big comic book signing at Hi De-Ho to celebrate the release of his comic, La Voz De M.A.Y.O.: TATA RAMBO, a graphic memoir about his great-grandfather.

"It's really hard to see that shop who has treated me so well, and has supported my work as a Latino/LatinX comics writer, while there are not that many of us. They really spotlighted me and in ways that I can't really find elsewhere. And selfishly, I will be very sad to see them go.”

Loyal customers are also mourning the loss. Patterson II said that a customer told him “it was like a part of his childhood was closing down.”

What's next

Though the physical locations will close down, the online store will remain along with their eBay shop and pull services, where customers reserve books to be picked up or delivered to them every month. Patterson II also plans to start hosting pull parties where customers can come in person to pick up their books and hang out and chat with fellow comic book enthusiasts.

“That's always been my favorite part of the business, just talking about these fun and bright, colorful stories that we sell,” Patterson II said. "My dad liked to say that everybody who came into the comic book store went out happier than they came in. And that's something that we always believed, and probably a part of the reason that we ignored the writing on the wall about how different the economy was.”

Though Barajas said he is disheartened about the loss of these comic stores, he said that L.A. is one of the best cities in the U.S. to find local comic book stores.

“Thankfully, there are other places like Golden Apple Comics, Pulp Fiction. I am confident that at least in Los Angeles, that the other stores within the surrounding area will pick up the slack and keep comic book readers in tuned in to what's happening.”

Hi De-Ho Comics and Geoffrey’s Comics are set to close on Dec. 31. Books are already on discount at both locations, and Patterson II said he plans to hold a party at each location that week for a final goodbye.