The Only Local Comics Shop In A Country Of 160 Million

By Kevin Carter

If you've never heard of Bangladesh, I wouldn't be surprised. It's a small, third world country and about half the size of the State of Virginia. It has 160 million people inhabiting its lands. In all that chaos, there is a safe haven for comic geeks, somewhere someone can go and escape the hustle and bustle of this metropolis and live in DC's Metropolis, even for a few pages. Thus begins the story of Jamil's Comic and Collectibles, the only LCS in a country of 160 million people.

Opened in late 2010, Jamil's store sells all US comic products, from action figures to posters. Jamil's also provides a pre-order service, where anyone can come and request a copy of any comic. Customers pay a premium depending on the rarity or difficulty in getting the product. No matter how rare the product, the customer will get their money's worth in quality and service.

I had the chance to speak to the store owner, Jamil, about the history of the store. Jamil started this business because he's been a fan of comics since he was 6 or 7 years old.  "We didn't have the internet, we didn't have PC games, and we didn't have mobile phones" Jamil stated, going on to say that "The really nerdy people read novels while the other kids read comic books". Comics have been a large part of his life, and he wanted to share this passion with the current generation of comic readers.

Jamil gets all his comics from Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. During his teenage years he had access to a larger variety of comics. Now, as the only store in Dhaka, he finds it difficult to cater to the many different interests in his country. Jamil also has to contend with digital distribution and the fact that many people can get their comics on the release date by purchasing them digitally, whereas Jamil can only order and import comics which can take up to 2-3 months depending on the rarity of the comic. But where time is not on Jamil's side, buying comics online is not always as efficient as it's hyped up to be. With internet not being very reliable in Dhaka, physical issues are the better alternative, which puts Jamil and his store in the spotlight for customers looking to get their comic fix.

Those challenges notwithstanding, the small shop does have a large fan-base, and Jamil feels they are more than happy with the work Jamil puts into the store. This fuels his determination to serve his customers. My personal experience with the shop was a great and special one. Traveling around the world since I was 4, I rarely had ease of access to comic stores. 14 years and 8 countries later, Jamil's store is the first physical comic store I've been too, though I've stayed connected to the comic universe through digital issues and the internet.

While using the internet is a great tool to stay connected to the comic universe with digital editions, movies, and TV shows, there's a feeling of pride while holding a physical comic, be it vintage or modern, that makes you appreciate how far we've come and also appreciate the value of remembering where we began.

If you'd like to see what Jamil has to offer, check out the store Facebook page here and the store website here!

Follow Kevin on Twitter at @KevinCarter9!