My first Field Trip (of hopefully many) was over half-a-decade in the making.
A long time ago at a radio station far, far away, I was tasked with producing commercials for Jetpack Comics in Rochester, NH. The thing is, they were less like commercials and more like epic, sixty-second skits.
The Jetpack gang made my job fun. Their mastery of nerd/geek/comic culture was mind-blowing. And not only did they listen to my radio show everyday, but they followed me and the rest of the crew over to RadioBDC in 2012, putting us on in their shop and spreading the word.
This past Saturday, I finally made the trek to the Megastore in Rochester. My first impression was sensory overload. As a kid growing up in the 80s, comic book shops were always small and dark, their clerks like overlords who did more to intimidate than inspire
Jetpack is the polar opposite: big and bright and full of every manner of comic, trade, toy, and game–with a friendly, helpful staff to help navigate all of the awesome. And adjacent to the main shop? A game room that was buzzing with activity on a Saturday afternoon.
To call Jetpack a comic book store would be doing it a disservice. It’s a community hub, centered around comic culture. It’s a place to shop and hang out and feel welcome. Thanks to Ralph, Rich, Jon, Nick, Dustin, and the rest of the gang for welcoming me.
Jetpack’s wall is waaaaay cooler than the one in Game of Thrones, in my opinion.
Figures, anyone?
Front-of-store security provided by a certain Mandalorian.
All the comics, please.
Me trying to look super with owner Ralph and manager Rich.
