“Rowdy” Roddy Piper
Wrestling icon and actor
May 30, 2015Lancaster, PA · Since 1977
Our Story
Nearly 50 years of comics, readers and Wednesdays.
Since 1977, The Comic Store has grown with the readers who kept coming back. What began as a small Lancaster shop became a place for creators, neighbors and young fans to meet.
Nearly 50 years of comics in Lancaster.
- The Early Years1977–1993
We open in Lancaster.
The Comic Store began as a small Lancaster comic shop, opening just two days a week. Readers from across Lancaster County came looking for their next issue, and the shop gradually grew into a seven-day-a-week destination.
Joe takes the keys.
Joe Miller and his wife bought the shop. Joe would spend decades talking comics with readers and building the relationships that made the store part of the community.
We find our home by the station.
After several Lancaster locations, the shop moved to 28 McGovern Avenue, across from the train station.
Creators come through the door.
In November, The Comic Store announced a signing with comic artist Tim Truman. Creator visits have long been part of the shop’s story.
- Beyond the Shelves2015–2017
Free Comic Book Day gets national recognition.
Free Comic Book Day brings readers together to discover new stories and take home free comics. At The Comic Store, the celebration also helped raise money for Lancaster County libraries. In 2015, Diamond Comic Distributors recognized those efforts with a national Best Charity Award.
The store also announced a special appearance by wrestling legend “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, bringing a different kind of fan into the story.
We help make a comic of our own.
With Comic Store West and local creator Jeff McComsey, we commissioned FUBAR: War of the Roses, a zombie story built around the Lancaster and York rivalry. It debuted at Central PA Comic Con. That spring, Free Comic Book Day raised more than $1,300 for the libraries.
Comics reach beyond our shelves.
The Comic Store visited Warwick Middle School’s Comic Club to share the history of comics and their influence on today’s superheroes, encouraging students to explore comics as reading, art and storytelling.
- Through Change2020–2024
- 2020–21
We keep the books moving.
When we could not welcome everyone inside as usual, we offered curbside pickup, local delivery, shipping and individual shopping appointments. For Free Comic Book Day 2021, readers could pick out comics outside under a canopy. An AfterShock Day visit showed us gathering around comics again, with masks on.
The rain does not keep Lancaster home.
Free Comic Book Day came back under gray skies, and readers still filled McGovern Avenue. Together, we raised $1,500 for Lancaster County libraries to buy graphic novels.
Charles and Doug take over.
Brothers Charles and Doug Park took over the store after Joe Miller’s long chapter. Their ownership begins a new chapter for a store that has been part of Lancaster for generations.
AT THE SHOP
Special guests through the years
Artists, authors, performers, and fan groups have brought their creativity and enthusiasm through our doors, giving readers a chance to connect with the people behind the stories they love.
Brian Keene
Horror author who signed here for nearly two decades
August 6, 2016, and December 15, 2018Jim Steranko
Marvel and DC comic artist
December 7, 2024More visits through the years
- Tim TrumanComic writer and artistNovember 13, 1993, and Free Comic Book Day 2016
- Chet WilliamsonLancaster horror authorMay 7, 2016 · Free Comic Book Day
- Mike HawthorneDeadpool artistFree Comic Book Day 2016
- Jeff McComseyFUBAR creator and Lancaster artistFree Comic Book Day 2016
- Jason LenoxComic illustratorFree Comic Book Day 2016
- 501st LegionGarrison Carida brought Star Wars to McGovern AvenueFree Comic Book Day 2016
- Artisan FXJimmy Cosentino and team brought a full-size TARDISFree Comic Book Day 2016
- Mary SanGiovanniHorror author who joined Brian Keene2016
- Jerry DeCaireMarvel illustrator and live-drawing guestAugust 5, 2017
- Ben Wright-HeumanCartoonist and graphic novelistAugust 4, 2018
- Darin HenryTelevision writer and Sitcomics founderAugust 8, 2018
- Jeff ShultzArchie Comics artistAugust 8, 2018
- Glenn WhitmoreDC Comics coloristAugust 8, 2018
- Mike LombardoLancaster County horror filmmakerDecember 15–16, 2018
- Jason PiperbergComic illustrator and storytellerJune 15, 2019
- Greg CoxStar Trek and film novelistSeptember 28, 2019
- Lancaster GhostbustersJames Pinto brought the group’s car to the shopFree Comic Book Day 2022
- Mike ClarkeAfterShock Comics ambassadorFree Comic Book Day 2022
FROM THE ARCHIVE
The shop scrapbook.
Memories from behind the counter and beyond: special guests, shop milestones, familiar faces and the stories we’ve collected along the way.
Select a memory to take a closer look.
BEYOND THE SHOP
On the Record
Life with L'Dub · 2016A conversation with Joe about the early yearsA firsthand look at Joe Miller’s long relationship with the shop and the readers who made it home.Read article ↗Creator’s perspective · 2016The story behind FUBAR: War of the RosesHow a Lancaster–York rivalry became a zombie comic commissioned by two local shops.Read story ↗Library System of Lancaster County · 2018Lancaster libraries on the fundraiserHow the store’s Free Comic Book Day fundraiser supported new graphic novels for Lancaster County libraries.Read article ↗Mike's Comic Shop Roadshow · 2025Charles on the store's next chapterA conversation with Charles Park about comic retail and carrying the shop’s next chapter forward.Listen ↗
THE NEXT CHAPTER
Looking forward.
Charles and Doug Park are keeping the story going. Whether you’ve been coming here for years or you’re walking in for the first time, stop by, talk comics and find something you’ll love.