Drawn to Success

from Atlanta Intown - April 2016

by Rough Draft Atlanta: Atlanta Intown, Reporter Newspapers

Real Estate Briefs

may even have a celebrity encounter in the store if you’re lucky, as Steven Yeun from “The Walking Dead,” comedian David Cross and actor Sasha Baron Cohen have all been spotted perusing the aisles.

In addition to popular titles, Criminal also stocks small-scale and indie publications. Ludgood is thoughtful about the display and manner of presentation for these underdogs of the comic world, and by putting the independent works on the same display as the bigger name, he hopes to encourage sales of work by local artists.

“For someone who maybe has only ever heard of Marvel or DC, it puts them on an equal footing subconsciously; that way I can easily recommend it to them,” Ludgood said.

On the other side of town, My Parents’ Basement co-owners Dave DeFeo, Tim Ensor and Lawson Wright have built something a bit different. The restaurant/comic shop/bar concept opened last summer in the building that was once James Joyce Pub. The space features a woodpaneled bar, internal dining space, an expansive and covered patio with two fireplaces, and of course, shelves packed with comic books.

Die-hard comic fans can revel in their selection of classics and new releases, and parents can bring their kids to enjoy a meal and a drink while little ones tinker on the row of freeto-play arcade games.

“The real thing that got us started is me and Tim both worked at Leon’s [restaurant] together,” said Dave DeFeo. “He came in one morning and said, ‘Man, I had this crazy dream last night. We owned a comic book store, and there was a bar in it. It was called ‘My Parents’ Basement’ and it was awesome!’”

DeFeo agreed, and shortly after that fateful conversation, a friend of Ensor’s from high school announced that his comic book store had gone under and he was left with boxes upon boxes of comic books in storage. “His comics, coincidentally, had just been sitting in his parent’s basement,” DeFeo laughed. “And they said, ‘If you guys come and get them, you can have them.’ So we went and picked up 110 long boxes of comics, about 25,000 comics altogether.”

My Parents’ Basement began as an eBay store, and Lawson Wright was in charge of it. He found himself constantly on his phone and said he “giggled” at how successful they were just as an online entity. It wasn’t a quick transition from online to brick-and-mortar for the trio, however, and they spent three long years at pop-up shops and focusing on the web store as they built their brand and put together a business plan. Once the physical shop opened, My Parents’ Basement was embraced by the community, who made it a mission to support local and indie works. However, it’s not only members of the immediate community that frequent the barstools of My Parents’ Basement; the shop has also brought in some high-profile guests. “There’s this whole scene of ‘nerd bars’ popping up,” Ensor said, noting that the fanbase for comics and graphic novels is mostly comprised of adults these days, as having expendable income is a must for making fun purchases like comics and collectibles.

While their extensive comic book selection, recurring nerd trivia, and community events are enough to garner some initial interest, the shop didn’t hold back on developing a menu to keep their fans coming back for more. Guests can enjoy bar food like Lawson’s nachos, a rotating selection of vegan/vegetarian options and handmade hot pockets. Top those dishes off with a full bar and an array of 32 locally sourced taps, including two craft sodas and one iced coffee. Criminal Records, 1154 Euclid Ave. NE, (404) 215-9511 or criminalatl.com. My Parents’ Basement is located at 22 N. Avondale Road. Find out more at myparentsbasementcbcb. com or (404) 292-4607

Buckhead. $3,500,000 714 W Conway Drive NW 6BR/8Full 2half BA FMLS: 5649931 Shun Haynes 678.886.8413