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Atomic Basement Comic Shop And Creator Lab Launch in Los Angeles

Published Thu, 02 Jan 2020 12:30:39 -0600

The Atomic Basement Comics and Creators Lab opened its doors to the public yesterday for New Year's Day – and New Comics Day – at noon on Long Beach, California. The shop is a combination of comic book retail store, event space and, as the name implies, comic book creating workshop and has a steady stream of events lined up for comic book readers and fans to enjoy throughout the month.

They kicked things off on Day One, with seven creators setting up to sign, sketch, Ray Anthony-Height (Miles Morales: Spider-Man), Fabrice Sapolsky (Spider-Man Noir), Vince Hernandez (Siria: Underworld Pimp Hustla), Don Walker (Agent Wild), Kaden Phoenix (Jalisco), Don Nguyen (Pablo the Gorilla) and Zen (The Circle).

Atomic Basement then wrapped up the first day with an after-hours vidcast of Drinking with Comics featuring Shawn Baker and Mike Wellman.

Next week, on January 11th and 12th, Atomic Basement Comics is teaming up with Long Beach Comic Expo for Atomic Basement Alley, featuring seventeen Los Angeles-based comic creators. In addition to a few of the creators mentioned above, the AB Alley will feature Brandon Easton (Marvel Action Spider-Man), MD Marie (Vindication), and more. And those who buy their LBCE ticket from Atomic Basement Comics between January 1st and 10th, get a free comic off the new comcis wall, up to five bucks. A two day pass gets two comics…

The store's grand opening will be happening on Saturday, January 18th from noon to 3 pm, with yet another gang of comic creators and Cosplayers turning up to help celebratas well as a DJ, free comic books and lasagna served up by their neighbours at Modica's Deli.

Then on Wednesday, January 22nd, award-winning writer/artist Rod Espinosa (Adventure Finders) and writer Brandon Easton (Marvel Action Spider-Man) will be signing in the evening before leading up the inaugural meeting of The Lab, a weekly comic creator workshop where both aspiring and professional published creators are encouraged to come and work on their creations, network and get advice and critiques from one another and create a support system that drives ideas to fruition.

Store owner Mike Wellman says "I have a lot of friends in the area that make comics for a living. And I see lots of folks with fantastic ideas, but they just need a little direction and encouragement to get themselves on track to making it happen. With The Lab, my vision is that people from those two different worlds can come together and make some really cool things happen."

And Atomic Basement is going to select one creator's finished and ready-to-publish work each year and handle the printing costs. They are teaming with Long Beach Comic Con, who will provide each year's winner a free table at their show in the Fall of 2020. Deadline for the finished work is August 1st after which all submissions will be reviewed by a committee of six professional creators and the winner will be announced on August 10th. The creator(s) will retain all of their rights to their property, the first print run will be published by Atomic Basement Comics and Long Beach Comic Con is September 5 & 6, 2020.

"Atomic Basement Comics is the convergence of everything I've done and been a part of in this industry in the last 25 years," stated Wellman, who left LA store The Comic Bug last October to create this new shop with longtime friend and business partner Anthony Davies. "I consider myself a fan of this medium, a retailer, a creator, an editor and a teacher (Wellman regularly lectures at schools, colleges and libraries around the LA area, often with his Guns A'Blazin' artist/co-creator Rafael Navarro and served a semester at OTIS College of Art and Design in 2019 as a Resident Mentor to their comic book program). This space will give me the opportunity to be all of the above, merging my love of comics and the opportunity to create at The Lab alongside fellow creators of all levels of experience!" The Lab will be open for free to anyone with a desire to create every Wednesday night from 7 to 10 pm.

"We have a lot more in the pipeline including the most ridiculous Free Comic Book Day idea ever!" said Wellman. "The East Village Arts District neighborhood is incredible and offers us many opportunities to have fun even off-site! Development Hell Table Reads at some of the local Art Theaters, festivals in the park, Drink and Draws at some of the stylish breweries… and everyone seems excited that we are moving to the neighborhood. Our neighbour, Roger, who owns Hops and Vines said "this area needs a comic shop" We are here to give it to them!"

The Atomic Basement Comics and Creators Lab is located at 400 East Third Street, Long Beach, CA 90802. You can reach them at (562) 294-4444 and learn more at their website. They can also be found on Facebook and Instagram as AtomicBasementComics

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