Central Phoenix's Samurai Comics opened a temporary location in Mesa this Wednesday -- and it's right next to Atomic Comics' former Mesa location.
"It's been insane," says Samurai owner Mike Banks.
On Sunday night Banks got a call from Atomic Comics owner Mike Malve, who said Atomic was closing. Banks says he was on the phone
with Malve's former landlord on Monday morning, devising a plan to open
a temporary Samurai location in the same complex as Atomic's Mesa
outpost.
"I can't believe it all came together," Banks says. "This is a short term fix for now, but we're actively looking for long-term solutions."
Banks says Samurai will occupy the space for the next few months, but he wants to open a permanent location in Mesa or Chandler soon.
Staff at the provisional store includes two former Atomic Comics employees. "We've spoken with a few more," Banks says. "We're hoping to put the band back together."
For Banks, it's representative of how strong the Valley's comics community is. "Mike Malve's dream is gone. And he came out this morning for new release day."
The makeshift Samurai shop is located at 1120 S. Country Club Drive. For more info, check out the Samurai Comics website.
