CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — When Troy Little walked into Lightning Bolt Comics on Grafton Street for the first time, he knew he had discovered a hidden gem.
It was the early 2000s. He walked down the staircase to a dimly lit room, filled to the brim with comic books, dusty action figures and board games.
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Being a comic book artist, Little was hooked.
“It was like going into a dungeon,” Little said during an interview with SaltWire on June 13. “It’s like the kind of comic bookstores you’d hear about in stories and tales.”
On June 6, Lightning Bolt Comics announced it would be closing at the end of June after 24 years.
Owner Dylan Miller told SaltWire during an interview on June 8 there are several reasons for closing.
“The price of food and fuel has made luxury items more of a luxury,” said Miller. “There is less money to go around for things like comics and games.”
Where it all began
Miller opened Lightning Bolt Comics in December 1999.
From the start, it was important for Miller to showcase work done by local artists. The local work has always been what Miller is most proud of, displaying it right in front of the door.
“I got into this business because my passion was for comic books. Being able to meet the creators and get to know them has been great,” he said.
For Little, this was what made the shop so special.
“Dylan was one of the first guys who would carry and put my book in his shop. That is something he carried on always,” said Little.
As the years went on, Little would bring his children down to the shop.
Often dressed as superheroes, the kids would cover Miller in stickers while he chatted with their parents.
“It was just the greatest place,” said Little.
Charlottetown resident Nico Carter Caseley first went to the shop as a child with their mother, telling SaltWire during an interview on June 8 it was one of the first shops they would regularly visit.
“I’ve been going there since I can remember, basically. It’s been open since before I was born,” said Carter Caseley.
As a teen, they would buy fantasy playing cards at the shop, but soon became attracted to the competitive game nights held on Fridays.
“It was very competitive. It was probably the most competitive of all the local stores,” they said.
After COVID-19 broke out, the game nights were cancelled. That said, Carter Caseley continued to visit, helping Miller sort out playing cards and comic books.
Most of the time, Carter Caseley wasn’t paid, which wasn’t an issue as they were mostly there to hang out.
“You’d just see all kinds of interesting characters from Charlottetown come there. It was really a gathering place for a lot of strange people with interesting stories to tell,” they said.
Lightning Bolt Comics has also been a popular stop for tourists over the years.
Mike Rooth, a comic book artist living in Oakville, Ont., made a point to stop by when he first visited P.E.I. with his wife in 2007.
“It had that real old-school comic book shop vibe,” Rooth told SaltWire during an interview on June 9. “Shops like Lightning Bolt are becoming harder and harder to find.”
He wound up buying a graphic novel written by P.E.I. artist Adam Landry, which Miller happened to be reading when Rooth entered.
“He just sold it to me,” said Rooth. “I immediately got the vibe that this is the kind of shop where traders can meet and make deals on things.”
Parting thoughts
For Carter Caseley, who was present at the shop helping Miller pack away comics when SaltWire visited, the main thing to be missed will be the good times.
“(Miller) was always very thoughtful. Just someone who would always let people, or at least me, express my creativity in a roundabout way,” said Carter Caseley. “That’s what I will miss the most.”
For Miller, the biggest takeaway from the past 24 years has been the community connections he has made.
“It’s all about the people I got to meet, the lives I got to intersect with, the friends that I’ve made and the family that has grown from that,” said Miller. “Those connections are pretty amazing to make.”
Lightning Bolt Comics’ last day of business will be June 30.
Rafe Wright is a reporter with SaltWire in Prince Edward Island. He can be reached by email at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @wright542.