In Your Neighborhood: Talking with Marvelous Comic City

The library is home to many forms of storytelling, but one of the most exciting and imaginative narrative vehicles in our collection is comics. The way prose and pictures collaborate in comics has captured generations' imaginations and now drives much of our popular culture.

It has also allowed some Canton residents to establish Comic City, a business that’s become a cornerstone of the community and a library community partner.  

If you’re someone who’s new to comics, you might have some questions about the medium and how to get started reading books on a regular basis. To help answer some of those questions, we chatted with Jill Smethers, who co-owns Comic City with her husband, Robert.

How long have you been in this business? What made you want to get involved? And what’s made you stick with it for so long?   

"This past June was the 33rd anniversary of Comic City in Canton. All those years we have been in the Canton Corners Shopping Plaza at Ford and Lilley roads, though we are in our fourth storefront in the center.

We opened the store for several reasons. Thirty-three years ago, comic shops were different from today, more of a guys' club, so to speak. We wanted a store where everyone would feel welcome and where everyone in the family could find something they wanted. We wanted it to be bright, clean and family-friendly. We always had a rather large all-ages section, which we have always been proud of.

We both had retail experience and felt we could really present our vision. We have stayed around for the same reason: we like the industry and our customers, and we are always hoping to improve."

In your opinion, what are some things that comics as a medium do better than other storytelling vehicles?   

"There are several aspects of comics that can satisfy the reading customer. First of all, you need a great story. The vision of the story from the writer to the artist, and then you have the artist fulfill that story.

But also, you can tell so much in a comic panel without words: the emotion on faces can tell you everything you need to know. Also, it takes great concentration to read a comic; you have to pay attention to the story and make sure you go to the right panel. That is especially true in the Japanese manga books, where you read from back to front. Again, you need to really pay attention.

Also, the fact that you can become the character you are reading and feel what the story is telling you. I mean, who doesn't want to be Batman or Spider-Man?"

What are some of the biggest misconceptions people have about the comics market and comic stores?   

"I think one of the biggest misconceptions of comics themselves is that they are not real literature.

There are so many great stories out there that I feel are "legitimate" literary books. Such items like Maus, a Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel of the Holocaust survival of the creator's (Art Spiegelman’s), father. And Pride of Baghdad, a story based on the bombing of Baghdad's zoo and a pride of lions roaming the streets to survive. Both of these examples are truly heartbreaking.

Another misconception of the industry is that it's just a hobby for some store owners. We work really hard to present a proper retail establishment. It's hard work, but fun."

You can preorder items in other mediums, but the concept of pre-ordering is especially important for comics. Why is that?

"Our initial orders are several months before the comics and graphic novels ship, so there is a system called Final Order Cutoff, the last time we can edit our orders. This is an important function so we can get our orders right, as we cannot return unsold items, like big box bookstores can.

We have a system where a customer can have an in-store subscription to the titles they collect and read each month, so they will not miss an issue. Again, important for us, especially with some of the smaller press companies. Our customers handle their subs online by themselves, and we know exactly how many to order."

What are some of the important days and dates for comic fans?

"The biggest day of the year for comic stores is Free Comic Book Day, which is the first Saturday in May. At this event, stores purchase specially printed comics to give away for free. We give three to each adult and five to each child. For a donation to a comic nonprofit called Hero Initiative, customers can get more.

Local Comic Shop Day is another day to highlight everyone's local store. In 2026, it is September 26. There is also Batman Day and Superman Day."

Any final thoughts you’d like to share? 

"Reading comics can be both fun and educational. There should always be something to interest every person in a comic shop!"