Artist Appreciation Day at All C's Collectibles

​Written by John Edward Betancourt

The Death of Superman was an important time in my youth for so many reasons. It was at the time one of the most epic storylines that I had ever laid eyes upon and while it taught me a thing or two about writing a compelling story, it was the first real reminder of why our local comic book shops are so extremely important.

After all, the day that issue came out I walked straight from school to my nearest comic shop to buy it because that store was a beacon to me. It was a place where countless stories awaited me and I was always in awe when I stepped through those doors. It's an experience that has faded over time. But once in a great while the magic of a comic book store returns, like it did for me yesterday at All C's Collectibles in Aurora.

It wasn't just the store, with its rows of endless action figures and statues and comics as far as the eye could see. That was what sparked the joy. But what set it free was the fact that All C's was host to an Artist Appreciation Day. Just off to the side of the store was a room filled to the brim with local artists, with their wonderful work on display for all to see and the smiles on their faces and on the faces of the families that were coming through the doors in waves allowed the wonder of the day to sink in. This was all a reminder that this is the kind of place where the imagination is ignited and stories come to life and there was a fair chance every artist there was influenced by the books on the other side of the wall.

That thought was reinforced by a couple of artists that I met, one of whom was eight years old. Young Bruce Wayne, yes that is his name, was happily creating art of the vigilante he shares his namesake with and he intensity with which he worked demonstrated his passion to make his art as iconic as the characters that inspired him. I also had the pleasure of meeting Alex Miller, a talented artist who specializes in Manga but appreciates the magic of comic books since she put together a Captain America motif that was so amazing, I picked up a print of it simply because of the care and detail that went into it, and her work is so top notch, I highly recommend you check out more of what she has to offer at: www.smudgeandfrank.com.

In the end today was a wonderful reminder that much of our love of pop culture stems from our local comic book shops. They serve as a celebration of art and a place to share in the wonder of stories and our community since Aurora Rise was also on site taking donations for their incredible cause and I thank All C's for making me feel like a kid again and reminding me of why comics and the art within, matters.

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