Media Hunters Mecca

Hitt Records Slackers

Books, games and treasures, oh my!

For the book worm, the collector or the gamer in your life, Columbia’s media mavens have what you’re looking for.

For more than 40 years, Columbia Books, 1907 Gordon St., has filled the wishes of readers and collectors near and far. This shop has an eclectic mix of 33,000 catalogued books on the shelves, from new releases to 400-year-old volumes. Predating the big online booksellers, the store began selling books online in 1992 and will seek out editions they don’t have for customers looking for specific titles. The shop also has a large collection of prints, maps and older periodicals available. While perusing the shelves, you might say hello to the resident cats, Mango and Taboo, who call Columbia Books home.

On the other hand, the owners at Distant Planet Comics and Collectibles, 601 Business Loop 70 W., #263, specialize in comics. The comics market can be separated into two: one is readers who consume new comics as they release, and the other is collectors who seek out vintage editions for their bookshelves. Distant Planet predominantly serves the former. Shelves are lined with new releases, graphic novels, trade paperbacks and collectibles suitable for all ages. This small shop also features a wide selection of independent small publishers and an inclusive inventory. Owner Brandy Cross says she prides herself in making comics approachable to everyone. If you’re new to comics, she says, they can pair you with a series that you’ll love.

Musical tastes are as varied as those in the comic industry, and Hitt Records, 10 Hitt St., has vinyl to suit any ear. Columbia’s only independent, locally-owned record store, Hitt Records specializes in new non-mainstream music (underground rap, electronic, world, experimental, ambient, drone, metal, etc.) but also has a vast selection of used vintage records—some 10,000 titles in all on average. The internet has changed the way people approach music, says Kyle Cook, Hitt Records co-owner, and they’re seeking out new, interesting, independent and fringe artists while looking for older standards like Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis. As a result, musical tastes are incredibly varied. Hitt carries it all and always

Logo keeps in stock a little J Dilla Donuts, whose popular collection of beats presents a kaleidoscope of instrumental hip hop. It’s a shop for anyone who loves music, he says, but especially for the curious minds looking for something they’ve never heard before.

Comic book characters have enjoyed an explosion in popularity over the last decade, and Rock Bottom Comics, 1013 E. Walnut St., has been providing readers with new releases, back issues and graphic novels for more than 45 years. The second comic book store in the state, Rock Bottom focuses on making each visit informative and rewarding, whether for a first-time comic reader or a knowledgeable collector. They speak superhero fluently but are also delighted to share noteworthy titles in other genres such as sci-fi, fantasy, horror, crime and comedy. One of Columbia’s newer book nooks is Skylark Bookshop, 22 S. 9th St. At Skylark, the proprietors are authors themselves and take pride in getting to know their customers on a personal level to make sure they leave with the right book for them. With the shop’s hyper-curated book inventory as a backdrop, these booksellers provide reading subscriptions and a reading spa to tailor services uniquely to each reader. In addition, the shop carries a wide selection of quirky book-related items, from Tshirts to mugs to pencil cases, for other book lovers in your life, and shoppers can now purchase books online through the shop’s website. For nearly 30 years, Slackers, 1010 E. Broadway, Ste. 101, has specialized in pop culture. This local business has grown to nine stores in the Midwest from its beginnings as predominantly a CD store that dabbled in early video games. Today, it carries any kind of pop culture item you can name, says Store Manager Stefan Sheffield, and if they don’t have it, they can find it. Slackers still stocks CDs, vinyl and cassette tapes for music aficionados, and there is a decent selection of older video games dating as far back as the late 1980s. But a large part of the store inventory now focuses on Funko Pop! and other pop culture items like action figures, stuffed figures and other types of collectibles that reflect the online gaming and pop culture industry. At Yellow Dog Bookshop, 8 S. 9th St., story seekers can find unexpected treasures. This small locally owned bookshop is packed with a curated mix of classics and modern favorites, and the booksellers seek out titles they feel customers will be excited to find on their shelves. Particular genres of note include fiction, science fiction/fantasy and history. In addition to books, Yellow Dog also features a small selection of magazines, journals and greeting cards and occasionally hosts local and Missouri authors to perform readings from their works for guests. So whether you’re on the hunt for a new book release, classic vinyl YELLOW DOG for that turntable you inherited, an introduction to a new-to-you BOOKSHOP medium or a classic from your childhood, there’s a shop for that in Artist Postcards Columbia.