Heroes Comics

Heroes Comics is a comic book and genre collectibles retailer operating in London, Ontario, Canada. The business traces its origins to 1988, when it was established by the Robinson family. It later changed ownership in 2000, when Brahm Wiseman, who had joined the store as an employee in 1998, took over the company. Under Wiseman’s ownership, the retailer developed from a two-location operation into a larger single-store business serving London’s downtown core and the surrounding southwestern Ontario market. At the time of the 2000 ownership transition, Heroes Comics operated both a downtown location and a smaller outlet in White Oaks Mall in the southern part of London. Wiseman subsequently closed the mall outlet, concentrating the business on its downtown presence. In 2008, the remaining store moved to a larger nearby site at 186 Dundas Street. The company later expanded its retail footprint within that location, renovating the interior in 2016 to add a second floor of retail space in the rear. This expansion took place despite broader challenges facing downtown retail districts. Heroes Comics serves a broad comics-oriented customer base rather than focusing exclusively on one publishing segment. Its inventory includes mainstream superhero comics, manga, alternative and independent comics, graphic novels, and trade paperbacks. Comic books account for approximately 60 percent of the store’s sales according to the referenced account. The next-largest category is genre merchandise, including collectibles and toys such as action figures, which represents approximately 25 percent of sales. Sports cards make up the remaining approximately 15 percent. These figures describe the store’s historical sales mix and are not presented as current financial disclosures. The retailer operates in a competitive local environment. London has several comic and specialty retailers in relatively close proximity, a situation associated in part with the city’s substantial post-secondary student population. The University of Western Ontario also has a large comic-book collection in its main library, contributing to the city’s wider comics culture. Local retailers and the London Public Library have collaborated on Free Comic Book Day activities and cross-promotions, helping turn the event into a notable downtown community occasion. Beyond ordinary retailing, Heroes Comics has participated in local civic and educational initiatives. The business has been involved with organizations including the London Downtown Business Association and Mainstreet London. It has also worked with the London Public Library on programs intended to encourage youth literacy through comics, including Comic Jam activities held during March Break. Brahm Wiseman has delivered professional-development lectures for the Thames Valley District School Board concerning the use of comics in education. The store received national recognition in 2013 when it was presented with the Harry Kremer Award for Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Retailer at the Joe Shuster Awards ceremony in Toronto. The award reflected Heroes Comics’ standing as a prominent specialty retailer and its role in Canada’s comics retail community. The available reference material does not provide current revenue, employee numbers, a corporate legal structure, or a confirmed official website.

Heroes Comics is a specialty comic retailer in London, Ontario, whose history begins in 1988 with its founding by the Robinson family. The available historical account identifies the business as one of the city’s established comic-book stores and later describes it as the largest comic book store in southwestern Ontario. Its original business developed around the sale of comic books, but the store also built a complementary offering of genre merchandise and sports cards. A significant change occurred in 1998, when Brahm Wiseman joined the company as an employee. Two years later, in 2000, he acquired the business and became its owner. At that point, Heroes Comics had two outlets: a store in London’s downtown core and a smaller branch in White Oaks Mall in the southern part of the city. Wiseman later closed the mall branch, leaving the downtown store as the company’s principal operating location. The remaining location moved in 2008 to 186 Dundas Street, a nearby and larger downtown site. The move gave the retailer additional room to organize its inventory and serve customers in a market that included mainstream superhero comics, manga, alternative comics, graphic novels, trade paperbacks, collectibles, toys, and sports cards. The store’s reported historical sales mix was approximately 60 percent comics, 25 percent genre collectibles and toys, and 15 percent sports cards. No current financial information is supplied by the reference material. Heroes Comics continued investing in its downtown presence during a period when many traditional downtown retail areas faced pressure. In 2016, the business renovated the interior of its store and added a second floor of retail space toward the rear. This decision allowed the retailer to increase its selling area while remaining in the downtown core rather than relocating to a suburban shopping centre. The store’s development has taken place within a particularly active local comics ecosystem. London has several comparable retailers located relatively close to one another, with local demand supported in part by the city’s post-secondary student population. The University of Western Ontario’s main library also holds a collection of more than 10,000 comics, illustrating the strength of comics-related cultural activity in the area. Local comic retailers and the London Public Library have collaborated around Free Comic Book Day through cross-promotions and related programming, helping the event become a substantial downtown community activity. Community engagement has been an important part of the store’s public profile. Heroes Comics has participated in the London Downtown Business Association and Mainstreet London. It has also worked with the London Public Library on youth-literacy activities using comics, including Comic Jam during March Break. Brahm Wiseman has additionally spoken at professional-development seminars organized by the Thames Valley District School Board about the educational use of comics. National recognition came in 2013, when Heroes Comics received the Harry Kremer Award for Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Retailer at the Joe Shuster Awards in Toronto. The award recognized the store’s contribution to Canadian comics retailing. The supplied material does not establish a corporate parent, public listing, current website, revenue, or detailed executive structure. Accordingly, Heroes Comics is best characterized as an active, independently identified Canadian specialty retailer with a strong local and regional comics focus.

• 2016

  Retail space expands

  [1]Heroes Comicsen.wikipedia.org

  The store renovates its interior and adds a second floor of retail space.

• 2013

  Receives the Harry Kremer Award

  [1]Heroes Comicsen.wikipedia.org

  Heroes Comics receives the Harry Kremer Award for Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Retailer at the Joe Shuster Awards.

• 2008

  Downtown store moves to a larger location

  [1]Heroes Comicsen.wikipedia.org

  The remaining store relocates to a larger nearby site at 186 Dundas Street after the mall outlet had been closed.

• 2000

  Ownership changes hands

  [1]Heroes Comicsen.wikipedia.org

  Wiseman takes over Heroes Comics from the Robinson family.

• 1998

  Brahm Wiseman joins the business

  [1]Heroes Comicsen.wikipedia.org

  Brahm Wiseman begins working at Heroes Comics as an employee.

• 1988

  Heroes Comics is founded

  [1]Heroes Comicsen.wikipedia.org

  The Robinson family establishes Heroes Comics in London, Ontario.

A community-oriented specialty retailer combining comics, graphic literature, manga, collectibles, toys, and sports cards, with an emphasis on serving the southwestern Ontario comics community.

• Comics

  Comic books

  The store’s core category includes mainstream superhero titles as well as alternative and independent comics. Comic books historically represented approximately 60 percent of the retailer’s sales, making them the central component of its merchandise mix.

• Comics

  Manga

  Heroes Comics carries manga as part of a broader comics selection. The available source identifies manga as one of the store’s principal content categories but does not specify particular publishers, series, or formats.

• Book-format comics

  Graphic novels and trade paperbacks

  Collected comics formats, including graphic novels and trade paperbacks, form part of the store’s literature-oriented offering. These products complement individual comic issues and support customers seeking longer-form or collected stories.

• Collectibles

  Genre collectibles and toys

  The retailer sells genre-related merchandise such as action figures and other toys. Collectibles and toys historically accounted for approximately 25 percent of sales, making this the second-largest reported category after comic books.

• Trading cards

  Sports cards

  Sports cards form an additional merchandise category at Heroes Comics. The cited historical sales mix attributed approximately 15 percent of sales to sports cards.

• Free Comic Book Day

  London, Ontario

  Heroes Comics participates in local Free Comic Book Day activity alongside other comic retailers and the London Public Library. The collaborations use cross-promotions and public programming to support comics readership and downtown visitation.

  Outcome. The event has grown into a major popular activity in London’s downtown core.

  Source
• Comic Jam

  London, Ontario

  Heroes Comics works with the London Public Library on Comic Jam programming during March Break, using comics-related activities to encourage youth literacy.

  Outcome. The program supports public-library outreach and literacy engagement through comics.

  Source

• 2016

  Expand the downtown retail footprintStrategy

  Background

  The store continued operating in London’s downtown core despite wider difficulties affecting downtown retail businesses.

  Action taken

  Heroes Comics renovated its interior and added a second floor of retail space at the rear.

  Aftermath

  The renovation increased the store’s available retail area without moving out of the downtown core.

  Source

• 2008

  Relocate the remaining store to a larger downtown siteStrategy

  Background

  After the mall outlet was closed, the downtown store required a larger location.

  Action taken

  Heroes Comics moved to 186 Dundas Street.

  Aftermath

  The move expanded the retailer’s downtown operating space while retaining its central London location.

  Source

• 2000

  Concentrate ownership under Brahm WisemanStrategy

  Background

  Wiseman had joined Heroes Comics as an employee in 1998, and the business operated two outlets when ownership changed.

  Action taken

  Wiseman took over the company from the Robinson family.

  Aftermath

  He subsequently closed the smaller White Oaks Mall outlet and focused the business on its downtown London store.

  Source

1. 1Heroes Comicsen.wikipedia.org