While it is not written in stone, there is a standard fare for comic book shops. The week’s comics, some collectibles, and maybe some adverts are placed to advertise to customers. However, other than the person behind the counters enthusiasm, there is a distinct lack of panache and representation expected from a medium as vibrant and diverse as comics.

What if there was a shop whose walls reverberated with the same excitement and color found in the very comic book pages they carry? What if there was a shop who not only sold magazines, but embraced the culture that comes with it by featuring up and coming artists who live and breathe comic book culture? Enter A Shop Called Quest.

The year was 1992 when A Shop Called Quest opened its doors for its first location on State Street in Redlands, Calif. They have since moved that location to the corner of Citrus and Cajon. Back then, the shop went under a different, yet similar name. The Director of Activities and Public Relations for A Shop Called Quest, Ray Duran said, “The original name was Comic Quest. It’s a 90s sounding comic shop. If you look on Google, there is a Comic Quest in Orange County. There is a Comic Quest in the Philippines, there is one in the Midwest. As we understood that we wanted to branch out to Claremont and create a new shop, we understood that we had to differentiate ourselves from all the other shops and Comic Quest.”

“A Shop Called Quest (the name) was kind of born out of a joke. It’s smooth and it works well, but once we understood that we wanted to adapt and brand ourselves, it just felt natural to use that and move forward with the name.”

Located in the Claremont Village, A Shop Called Quest’s second location makes it very clear what kind vibes and stuff they are putting out with comics and original pieces framing the display window. Inside, the shop greets customers with colors flowing from all the comics and art chillin on the shelves and walls. Plenty of collectibles from all eras entice nerds to give their inner child their wallet.

What really catches the attention, however, is all the original pieces adorning the walls. Taking in all the different original prints, a sense of artistry captures the customer’s imagination. “From the beginning, we’ve had KidRobot Munny shows. The Munny’s come blank, and we get different artists to customize them and make them their own. Having little wall space to actually put up original pieces of art, we understood that we could use the blank canvas from the blank Munnys and use them to make art pieces” said Duran.

“When we were building out our Claremont store, we understood that we wanted to do more art and original pieces that could hang on the wall.”

The shop is also known for taking an interest in fostering local talent, as well as putting on art shows for these artists. “Were meeting new people that are like, ‘Hey, I’m an artist as well and would love to be put into the art shows.’ It’s kind of natural that we support our local community” said Duran.

The shop does this by putting on several different art shows and festivals throughout the year. One of the biggest ones is the Inland Empire Zine fest. “We support the d.i.y. art community, so we host an annual event at the Redlands spot which features anywhere from people who have been doing zines their whole life to just people who say, ‘Hey, I like taking pictures and want to put it in a zine format.’”

The next event, Avengers Group Show, will be taking place during free comic book day on May 2. During the day, the shop will be giving free titles away that were created by several different publishers specifically for this day. Then at 6p.m., the Avengers themed art gallery begins and will feature many different artists displaying original pieces created specifically for the Avengers Group Show. The shop will have refreshments, as well has having a DJ spinning the tunes for the duration of the show.

Currently, the shop features some works by Bob Mowton, who has created a collection of hero inspired felines in hilariously playful poses. An Iron Man inspired piece answers the question of what if Tony Stark had a cat. “Spider-man Cat” shows a cat in classic Spidey garb, dangling from a web line. The prints are whimsical and are something that should not be missed.

A Shop Called Quest also separates itself from its peers by creating a strong social media presence. Said Duran, “It’s very important. I find that if you don’t have anything up on your social media sites, you kind of look like you’re bland, and that you’re not very exciting.”

“You have to understand that the comic universe, as much as it has been a smaller niche culture, it is now popular culture. So you have a little of everything for everybody, and that’s how you should address your social media presence.”

Aside from the shows and the art, the shop is still very much a comic book retail store. The shop carries all kinds of comics, from the well-known titles from DC and Marvel, to smaller and more obscure publishing houses.

When asked about what comics he is enjoying at the moment, Duran said, “With the big two (Marvel and DC), I go on the fence. I’m a big fan of Scott Snyder’s Batman.”

“With some of the more indie titles, Space Riders just came out this week and is a pretty good read. It will only be four issues, so it will be a short run, but none the less. Saga, Manhattan Project, East of West, those are still good books that I enjoy reading.”

Whether you come for the comics, or stay for the art and the friendly, knowledgeable employees; A Shop Called Quest creates a vibe that is hard to find in this industry, and has customers coming back asking, can I kick it?

Photos by Katia Tyra