CHICAGO — Atlas Comics will open a shop in Norwood Park next month, four years after the closure of its tiny storefront in suburban Norridge, its owner announced Tuesday.
John Stangeland sold new and vintage comics for 25 years before losing his lease at the Norridge store, then pivoting to a subscription-only service he operated from an office in Jefferson Park.
When a space opened at 5251 N. Harlem Ave., Stangeland "decided it was time to get back into retail," he said.
"All this time, we've had a lot of loyal customers coming into this office to get their books every week," Stangeland said. "Now we'll have extended hours, and they'll be able to come in and get them whenever they want."
Nearly twice the size of his original store at 1,200 square feet, Stangeland will open up his inventory to include more offbeat graphic novels from a wider pool of authors and artists, he said.
"The industry has been moving a lot toward inclusivity and diversity, and we want to reflect that," he said. "We want to cover the gamut of comics and graphic novels from around the world, by girls and women and men and boys, and across different demographic groups, so it's not just the same kind of boys' club."
Atlas Comics will host its grand opening from noon to 6 p.m. Sept. 30, Stangeland said.
A snapshot of renovation work being done on the new space, which measures around 1,200 square feet [DNAinfo/Alex Nitkin]
