October Has Some Great Comic Shows in Saint Louis

October is a wonderful month. It has the leaves turning colors, pumpkin-flavored drinks, Halloween, and happens to be when I met and married my wife (in different years). This October also has a bunch of great comic shows here in Saint Louis! I've already discussed how I'm excited for GalaxyCon Saint Louis when it kicks off this Friday, but there are two more fantastic shows on the way I wanted to discuss/hype up, too! With that in mind...

October 18th, Tatertot Con

Tatertot Comics and Collectibles will be doing their second Tatertot Con this October 18th (a Saturday)! It will be held at the Bud Dome (9711 Green Park Industrial Drive , Saint Louis, MO, 63123) and there shall be a bunch of vendors, artists, and live wrestling will occur in a ring during the show too--that sounds wild! I had fun at the first show and look forward to attending this one too! Doors open at 10AM--I'll see you there!

October 19th, Saint Charles Quad Con

The latest Saint Charles Quad Con will be held on Sunday, October 19th. Located at the event center known as Steel Shop Athletics and Events (49 Lawrence Street, Saint Charles, MO, 63301), I always love going to Quad Con as it has a wide-ranging variety of vendors and creators. Whether you're after comics, toys, games, or want to admire someone's crafts/self-published comics/clothing creations/etc. there is bound to be something snazzy at Quad Con that you will enjoy! Doors open at 10AM for this event as well, and again, I'll see you there!

"Chuck's Arcade," Sounds Enjoyable, But the Original Locations Have my Heart

 

"Chuck's Arcade," is a new interpretation of Chuck E. Cheese. It is designed for grown-ups as a sort of Dave and Busters with a huge slice of nostalgia. It has classic Chuck E. Cheese animatronics you don't see in the regular locations anymore on display, features cocktails, a bunch of arcade games, and has zero food at most locations. I suppose I get the appeal if you're a childless GenX or Millennial who would feel awkward at a regular Chuck E. Cheese, but why would you go otherwise? The regular Chuck E. Cheese has the food that I will continue to defend as delicious. A normal Chuck E. Cheese (in most states) does have alcohol available if you need to drink whilst your kids run wild. The general locations have tons of arcade games too, and while the animatronics are gone, there is plenty to enjoy. 

I have zero problem with Chuck's Arcade opening as I want the Chuck E. Cheese brand to succeed--I'm a fan! That said, I can always just take one of my kiddos to a regular Chuck E. Cheese anytime I want to play some games, eat some pizza, pick out a prize, and dance with my zero rhythm alongside Chuck E. Cheese when he emerges to greet everyone every hour or two. I'd check out Chuck's Arcade if one opens in Saint Louis (to my knowledge, the only one in this state is currently found around Kansas City which does have food), but at the end of the day a visit to a Charles Entertainment Cheese just doesn't feel authetnic without at least one child screaming in terror at the sight of Chuck's umoving, grinning face.

"Fiasco," Would Be an Understatement--Further Updates Regarding Diamond Comic Distributors

Diamond Comic Distributors declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. They were going to be bought by Alliance Entertainment. Until they said they wanted a different buyer and AEnt. sued for the first time (more on that clarifier in a second). Then, AEnt. suddenly terminated any plans to be the buyer. Now, it appears that termination stems from Diamond (allegedly) outright lying about a contract with Wizards of the Coast (who supplied Diamond with trading cards like Magic) that was set to end at the conclusion of April and not continue into the future--thereby drastically cutting Diamond's value. Then, moves were being made to possibly liquidate the company into Chapter 7 and a previously interested party has reemerged that just hours ago was approved to get Diamond--whilst the company deals with a new lawsuit from AEnt. among other parties. To call all this a, "Fiasco," would be an understatement.

It seems--barring any further twists--Universal Distribution and Ad Populum will split various pieces of Diamond Comic Distributors. This transaction is by no means closed and could contain further zigs, zags, swerves, and surprises. This isn't over; instead, "The long National nightmare seems to be entering another phase," as Heidi MacDonald over at ComicsBeat put it. At this point, I don't think anyone could predict what is going to happen. When all is said and done, will there even be enough left of Diamond for it to be worth all this fighting and lawsuits? At this point, it has become a soap opera, and I'm half expecting someone to declare they have amnesia or are a long-lost twin.

The Dust is Settling and Alliance Entertainment Will Own Diamond After All

About a week ago I wrote about how Diamond's attempt to sell the majority of its assets to Alliance Entertainment had hit a snag--namely, Diamond Comic Distributors itself wanted to accept another bid from a joint party that was lower but (allegedly) offered more cash upfront--Universal Distribution and Ad Populum. Lawsuits were filed and it looked like a huge mess was forming. Well, the dust has settled a bit with lawyers talking, and judges ruling, so it appears that Alliance has been confirmed as the, "Winner," of the bankruptcy with plans to have the sale finalized/closed on April 25th. 

Not too long after the 25th, AEnt. takes over everything and things should be a mix of business as usual with improvements theoretically made to Diamond's business as well. Now, it has been no secret AEnt. is more interested in the opportunities the Direct Market provides for selling a variety of items along with comics than in the comic biz itself. A lot of this purchase was about toys, games, clothes, and so forth with comics just being an element AEnt. doesn't mind falling into, so to speak. A number of comic publishers moved away from Diamond, but I hope those who stayed with the company in some capacity (as their sole distributor or one of the options) are able to survive/function once all is said and done.

The Next Saint Charles Quad Con is Only a Week Away!

I always have a lot of fun at Quad Con when it takes place in Saint Charles. Located at the Steel Shop Event Center, it is always jam-packed with comics, collectibles, toys, unique art creations, games, cosplay, and more! Every time I go to Quad Con I see people I enjoy running into and I always meet someone new and really cool too. I've got my calendar marked for a week from now as April 13th is the next Quad Con that occurs locally! Running from 10AM to 4PM at the aforementioned Steel Shop Event Center (49 Lawrence Street), this latest Quad Con is sure to be as fun (or it could even be more fun) as the previous events I've had the pleasure of attending.

Alliance Entertainment Plans to Buy Diamond Comic Distributors

As we entered into 2025, Diamond Comic Distributors went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company supposedly planned to restructure and survive. It quickly became apparent that things were bad, however, and all the various entities that were a part of Diamond were to go to auction. One compay has swooped in to claim much of Diamond, interestingly enough. That operation is Alliance Entertainment.

Alliance Entertainment does a lot with music, movies, video-games, purchased a toy company called, "Handmade by Robots," and does a lot with, "Entertainment," as its name would suggest...except for comics. It seems AEnt is happy to work in the field of comics but the main aspect of Diamond's infastructure/remants that appealed appears to be that Direct Market for toys, games, and so forth. As Heidi MacDonald of Comicsbeat discusses in this article, we don't know much for sure as this is the early days and a court has to approve the sale, but there is some cautious optimism as well as folks not knowing what to make of AEnt. There will be a lot of questions these next few weeks, but at least we now know who will be the company where the answers all come from.

I Visited the Saint Charles Location of Endless Comics, Games & Cards!

I always like to check out a comic-book-related store when I hear of one opening in the Saint Louis/Saint Charles/South County/etc. region. I became aware of how Endless Comics, Games & Cards had opened a location in Saint Charles, so I drove over there yesterday with Clarkson after we got in some rides at the Saint Louis Carousel (Gibson was at home chilling with Samii). It was a nice large space with a bunch of new-release comics, some back-issues, and a bit of sports & pop-culture cards. There was a large space for playing tabletop games. A number of folks were doing so at the shop as they had a ton of those for sale too.

A well-organized comic area.

I was impressed with how well-organized all the comics were as I've been to shops before in my life that were hot messes to try and find anything within. All the comics at Endless were easy to locate, however, between the newest releases, recent issues, and backstock.

The front of the store.

Everyone within the shop was friendly too, from the store's manager to the patrons playing games. It made the store feel warm and inviting, like a spot you could spend some time at for a hang-out with friends. I'd recommend visiting the Saint Charles location of Endless Comics, Games & Cards if you have a chance to get out there Tuesday-Saturday, 11AM-7PM. They are located at, "10 Triad South Dr suite b, St Charles, MO 63304," and are a fun place to visit!

The Quad Con Today Was Superb!

 

Today I attended the Quad Con for October up in Saint Charles and it was an outrageous amount of fun! I kicked things off by chatting with my friend, Jack Thomas, of Fortress Comics. He had a ton of amazing older comics for sale. Then I had the chance to chat with the delightful Spike of Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles. After catching up with some folks the line to enter the show had built-up and everyone was let in. The crowd was pumped:

 The guys from Biff! Bam Boom! Comics had a both and I had a lovely time chatting with them and telling them about what was new with me--namely our new baby, Gibson! Tatertot comics and collectibles had a setup and I had fun browsing their wares. Brandon was kind enough to pose for a photo:

I met Galaxy Prop Productions and admired the awesome pieces of props/artwork for sale. Here's a picture:

STL Comics had a booth and I bought two comics from them! You can't go wrong with a first issue of, "Spawn," and a J Scott Campbell Spidey cover:

The owner of Endless Comics, Games, and Cards was at the show and we discussed how in addition to the Florissant shop location he would be opening a Saint Charles shop soon. I told him to keep me updated so I can make a post telling people to stop by once it has a grand opening! I snapped a pic of his booth too:

Bartertown Toys and Collectibles was kind enough to buy some comics I brought to sell or trade. They were really nice and posed for a picture:

I had a chance to admire the comics and fun props of Crystal Lake Comics. Here's a snapshot:

There were even more vendors and creators/crafters than I've mentioned--this is just who was eager to pose for pictures or didn't mind me writing about them! Quad Con was amazing with all the folks selling comics, toys, Funko Pops, vinyl records, things they created, and more. I can't wait for the next show in March of 2024 and will make sure to let all you readers know when it is approaching so you can plan on attending the next Quad Con too--this isn't a show you want to ever miss!