The651.com

Want to impress your kids?  Take them to a comic book shop.  Seriously.  It’s just that simple.  By taking kids to a store that is filled with Jedis, SpongeBob, Fantastic 4, Scooby, Superman, The Simpsons, and Spidey, you can officially no longer can be called “fuddy-duddy”.   And pound for pound, the best comic book store in the city is Uncle Sven’s Comic Shoppe, which is located on St. Clair Avenue in the Mac Groveland neighborhood. 

Not too long ago, comics were considered to be strictly the domain of nerds.  That is no longer the case.  Like a two-faced, power hungry, hooded villain running havoc over a mysterious metropolis, comic books have taken over our American pop culture landscape.  The art of comics has now saturated every aspect of our media.  From movies (Star Wars, Batman, Iron Man, G.I. Joe, Transformers, X-Men), books (the saga of Harry Potter is a cultural juggernaut), and television (hello, Cartoon Network),  pop culture is now super charged from the fantasy goings-on of idiotic yellow sponges, robotic cars, futuristic soldiers, and mutants with bone claws.  (Note:  During my research for this story, I noticed that the single advertisement above the Box Office chart on Yahoo! was for a new Captain America comic book.)  So now is the time to let your inner geek out.  Come on.  You know you want to.  There is no better place to start than Uncle Sven’s.

The place is old school.  The store is tiny, but feels just right.  A man in a Hawaiian shirt and bucket hat sits behind a counter near the entrance.  When you walk in the front door, bells jingle.  The man greets you as if you are the only customer who matters.  Which of course, you are (this isn’t Best Buy).  Your kid’s eyes will light up when he sees Yoda on the wall.  Then you walk a little further and you see Wonder Woman.  There is no need to worry about finding adult material here.  Even though stories of apocalyptic meteorites and henchmen fill the racks, the place is as clean as a church on a Sunday morning.  In the back of the store, Colonel Dave’s .25 bins offer boxes of affordable comics.  Both DC Comics and Marvel Comics have tailored made comics for young kids: These comics have softer art, zero violence, and go by the name of “Team Titans” and “Super Friends”.  Boys and girls will equally have more than enough material to choose from.  Up near the register, pick out some lemonheads or jawbreakers while the man in the Gilligan hat adds up your loot.  Uncle Sven’s Comic Shoppe actually stocks awesomeness.  And by taking your kids there, you’ll look like the biggest hero in the bunch.

What:  Uncle Sven’s Comic Shoppe          651.699.3409

Where:  1838 St. Clair     St. Paul. MN  55105 

Hours:   Wed-Sat `11am-8pm      Sun        12pm-5pm