Fan fiction, cos-play, comic books and anime. What dark fetishes lie in the hearts of (some) men? All joking aside, if one wants to indulge their creative side, or wear the odd superhero tights on their day off, well that’s their choice, and I won’t think anything less of them. Listed below are some of downtown Toronto’s finest comic and fantasy related shops.
Bakka-Phoenix (697 Queen St. West) is Toronto’s oldest science fiction bookstore. The shop recently hosted events for Toronto’s “Alien Abduction Festival” even where participants got crafty building tinfoil hats and flying saucers.
Conveniently, and recently, relocated, next door upstairs is 3rd Quadrant Comics (685 Queen St. West). The owner is the spitting image of The Simpson’s “Comic Book” guy. Stop by for the real comic book shop experience and don’t forget to check out their bargain room dungeon in the back.
Magic Pony (694 Queen St. West) is “a shop for curious animals.” While not steeped so much in sci-fi as in fantasy, the store is best known for its art books and vinyl art or “urban” vinyl collection from the likes of KidRobot or Toy2R.
The Silver Snail (367 Queen St. West) is an international mecca in the hallowed halls of comic-bookery. It’s also a great place to stock up on action figures, and dusty old Dungeons and Dragons books. Does anyone remember their Yonge & Eglinton location?
Back in it’s hey-day, Yonge Street south of Bloor would not have been complete without greasy little comic book shops or X-rated book stores. 1,000,000 Comix (530 Yonge St.) and The Hairy Tarantula (340 Yonge St., upstairs) filled that void, and still do today.
