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Location: Blogs Atomic FalloutAt the Core |
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| Posted by: Jake Bell |
Monday, February 19, 2007 12:42 PM |
After a car smashed through the front window and a broken water main destroyed nearly everything inside, many of even the most loyal customers assumed Atomic Comics Mesa Superstore was as good as dead. With, fittingly, zombie movies playing on the big screens and vampiric bands playing live in the store, Atomic Mesa rose from its watery grave this weekend and proved it still had every reason to be called the flagship store of the Atomic chain.
Saturday's Fright Night 3, a thirteen hour event, brought more than one thousand people through the doors to see the magic of Thomas W, watch horror films, meet horror comic creators like Dan Wickline (30 Days of Night: Spreading the Disease, Unravel) and Jay Fotos ('68, Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer), witness the gruesome and bloody Cut Throat Freak Show, cheer on the pudding wrestling Dirty Darlings of Debauchery, and rock to the music of Calabrese, Family Secret, Limit Club, and Reliquary.
Oh, and to take advantage of a weekend-long sale by buying lots of stuff. Apparently, Ghost Rider set a Presidents' Day weekend record at the box office, and we're happy to say we did likewise in our store.
Between the troubles dealing with the insurance companies, having to shut down for weeks on end and working out of a tarp-draped fraction of the store when it was open, and losing untold sales during the holiday season, anyone who claims to never have wondered if the store would reopen at all is either the world's greatest optimist or a liar. Fortunately, we've managed to rebuild and make things bigger and better. If there is a silver-lining to having a teenager drive her car through your store, it might be the opportunity to finally do the expansion and remodeling you've been putting off for the past few years.
More exciting than anything, though is the warm reception we got. Everyone seemed to have a great time on Saturday and we're all blown away by how eagerly so many people were awaiting our return. Thanks to everyone who came out to be a part of the fun, both on stage and in the crowd. 
Atomic's own Thomas W. preforms magic for the kids. The adult show starts at 8...
Atomic Head Honcho Mike Malve tries to learn the basics of sleight of hand from Thomas
Dan Wickline poised to sign yet another issue of 30 Days of Night: Spreading the Disease
Tony Parker and Daniel Bradford balancing both sketching for fans and eating pizza.
Reliquary performs...
... while Night of the Living Dead plays in the background.
Family Secret takes the stage before the new comics wall.
Get your snacks before the movies start.
Please don't taunt the vampires, miss.
Musical headliners Calabrese shout out to the fans...
... and the fans respond.
Don't fight, girls! There's plenty of pudding for everyone!
What would Bill Cosby say?
Enjoy, Tobias. Every day of your life from here forth shall be compared--unfavorably--to this one.
Limit Club closes the show at one in the morning.
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