Welcome to Store Tour, ROBOT 6’s weekly exploration of comics shops, and the people who run them; think of it as the retailer version of Shelf Porn. Each Sunday we feature a different store, and also get to know the person behind the register.

To discover a comic store in your area, visit FindAComicShop.com

This week’s stop has the distinction of being the easternmost comics shop in North America, Downtown Comics, located at 141 Duckworth St. in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. We spoke with owner Jason Conway.

ROBOT 6: Tell me about the layout of your store. How did you work that out?

Jason Conway: The layout of Downtown Comics occurred organically as the store grew to fill the space. I originally started out at another smaller location and when I moved to our present location, I had a lot of space which, over the past few years, became filled to the rafters with comics, toys, games and everything comic book- or pop culture-related.

What is your store's secret origin? How did you decide on its name and location?

Downtown Comics began at a local flea market, where I shared a table with my friend who'd just closed down his comic book shop. As his stock began to dwindle, my share of the space grew, and eventually I took over the whole table. I continued on for a few years and then moved into a small space in the historic downtown core of St. John's. The name, of course, came from the fact that we were in the downtown section and it just sounded really cool.

Why did you decide to get into comics retailing? What in your background do you think made you particularly suited for the retail side of comics?

I got into comics for one reason and one reason only: my love of comic books! I thought there was a void in St. John's for a store that was customer friendly and I decided I'd be the one to fill it. Too many comic book stores these days are like the Android's Dungeon and I wanted to give the comic book readers of this burg a welcoming place to buy and chat about the artform we all shared a great love for and to bring in as many new readers as I could along the way. I was also trained as an accountant but after a short time in that industry, I realized it was not for me. I wanted to work at something I truly enjoyed doing and could do so for the rest of my life.

Do you have a philosophy or strategy to retailing?

I like to sell comic books at a price I believe they are worth and which is less than what the item is listed for in the Overstreet Price Guide. I could price things according to Overstreet, but I find that they tend to hang on the wall and gather dust, so I always chop a few dollars off and find the books fly off the wall ... and bring me new customers once they realize how cheap we sell back issues.

What are your current bestsellers? What are your favorites that deserve to sell better at your store?

The bestselling titles at Downtown Comics are Batman, Amazing Spider-Man, The Walking Dead, Afterlife with Archie and Harley Quinn. The comics I think should be selling better are Stray Bullets, Minimum Wage and, of course, MAD!

What is your customer base like? How has it changed over time, if at all? Do you have a discount or loyalty program?

I have a wide variety of customers from all walks of life and it makes this job such a joy. Over the past few years, I've noticed a real increase in the number of women who are buying comics and I've had a real increase in gaming folks. I don't have any kind of discount or loyalty program as my prices are low enough to inspire loyalty all by themselves.

How do you reach out to new customers? How do you advertise?

I reach a lot of customers through word of mouth and use Facebook to help with getting our name out there in the world. We do a little bit of advertising now and then but stick to the electronic media for most of our advertising needs.

You have an active Facebook group. How do you feel that supports or supplements your store?

The Downtown Comics Facebook page has really helped us with keeping in touch with our customers. We post pictures of all the newest and coolest products we get in with our comic book shipment and by the next day, we find that people are posting and asking us to hold some of the new products that'd just arrived. We also use Twitter to post when the new comics are in as well as posting the news to Facebook. A lot of our customers love the fact that we also post all the latest comic book news to our page as it happens and many have said they go to our page for the latest in comic news due to the ease.

We also sponsor and run the Facebook pages for the local comic jam, the Breakdown Comic Jam and for the Library of Graphic Literature, which promotes and features everything about collected editions of comic books and comic strips and serves as a reference for the local comic arts community.

How has your store's experience been with digital comics?

Great! I find that digital comics are driving up the sales of paper comics. I've talked to customers who check out some comics online and if they like it, they come down to my place to buy, as they call it, the “real comic." Comics are not only about storytelling but they are also art objects that appreciate in value as opposed to the electronic version which have no possibility of increasing in value.

Do you have any events or programming, such as signings?

I sponsor the Breakdown Comic Jam that takes place on the first Friday of every month at the Anna Templeton Centre here in downtown St. John's. It's hosted by Wallace Ryan and Paul Tucker and I've been sponsoring them for the past 5 years and have also hosted many a field trip from the comic book classes that Mr. Ryan has been teaching at the Centre for over two decade. I get to reach out to a whole new generation of readers and am also helping to grow the comic arts community at the same time.

I've also had a couple of signings for some local artists and recently hosted a signing with Michael Walsh (Secret Avengers). I'll be hosting a signing this summer with local comic artist Paul Tucker who's drawing the comic book TET for IDW and when my Promotions Manager Wallace Ryan gets his cult comic Titus Mysterious out, we'll also celebrate that little baby too! It's a great comic...and it's very mysterious.

Downtown Comics prides itself on helping out not only the comic book fans but also the local comic arts community. I believe comic books will continue to grow and the internet will only help me in my mission.

Does your store attend conventions? Does it benefit from them?

I get to attend a comic book convention every so often in Toronto, and I patronize the local Sci-Fi on the Rock convention and will be attending the new Avalon Expo this summer here in St. John's.

What do you see as the biggest challenge in the comics industry today that particularly impacts your store?

The biggest challenge that I and other Canadian stores are facing these days is the falling Canadian dollar vis-a-vis the American dollar. Many Canadian stores have had to charge more than the cover price to help offset the losses caused by the discrepancy in dollar values.

Conversely, what is the industry's biggest asset that is helping you be successful?

The biggest asset to the comic book industry these days has to be the amount of movies and TV shows based on comic book properties. They not only whip up a frenzy within the comic book community but they also bring many new customers into the store looking to check out what the comics their favorite TV show or movie are based on and even usually pick themselves a copy of the same.

With all of the people that come through your store, I imagine you must have some great stories. What is the funniest or most memorable moment you've seen in your store?

My most memorable moment was when I bought a 20,000 comic book collection a year or two ago and watched as they slowly made their way out of our bins and onto the shelves of our customers.

Anything coming up at Downtown Comics that is a good excuse for someone to stop by?

Any day is a good day to come to Downtown Comics to buy a comic book. If it's a sunny day, it's a great day to buy a comic and read it in a park or outside a local cafe ... if it's raining ... it's a good day to buy a comic and stay inside to catch up on your reading. And if it's snowing ... it's an even better time to snuggle up with a loved one on a couch and share with them the greatest and hottest art form on the planet earth ... comic books!!!

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