Save Clifton Comics! - Update 2

Steve over at Clifton Comics needs our help. The Uptown Consortium have targeted his building for demolition. The's are the same jokers who razed everything along Calhoun St years ago displacing numerous businesses and have done nothing with it. The who and the what is still unclear in this, we're all assuming its Uptown Consortium at some level, but so far all his legal stuff has avoided using their name in any way. We do know what the project is - here is the site for it. The details should get cleared up at the public hearing.

Steve has been served notice to vacate papers through various 3rd parties to help Uptown Consortium avoid paying him any sort of relocation fee's, so this entire thing is a pile of BS.

How can you help? Sign the petition and visit the store. There is a public hearing soon where Steve can present his signatures and make his case, as can other businesses and people being affected. Visit the stores Facebook Page for the latest updates from Steve and follow the links below for both printable and digital copies of the petition.

Printable sheet

Link to the digital one Steve has created

Whether you're into comics or not, the issue is here is the continued bullying of local businesses by the Uptown Consortium and the destruction of small and local businesses. The land is being taken to put in some huge student housing complex that will be owned and operated by a company that isn't even local to Cincinnati. 

I'll update this page as info changes

updated 5/3/2011 - changed link to new form-based petition - if you signed previous versions you're still good, he's printing it all for the hearing

Yelp's Totally Bazaar at the American Sign Museum

The holiday season of 2010 has taken shop local to a new level for Cincinnati. There have been numerous event throughout downtown, OTR and the surrounding community nearly ever weekend since Thanksgiving. These events in OTR as well as Clifton hosting Crafty Supermarket all help embrace the shop local spirit and Saturday saw Yelp's Totally Bazaar event take over of the American Sign Museum to bring even more people out to meet all our favorite local shops and businesses.

The man behind all this was OTR's very own Alex Shebar, and he did a killer job of pulling this all together. There was a huge turn out and it was a lot of fun for everyone there, and hopefully beneficial for everyone involved.

The biggest exposure of the night was for the American Sign Museum, which was kind enough to host the event. They have a beautiful and extensive collection of American signs, sign making equipment, and just about everything else you could imagine that relates to signs and their impact on American culture.

The museum opened in the spring of 2005 and their collection of 3,800 cataloged objects quickly outgrew the current location in Walnut Hills. They are in the process of funding a move to a new building they have purchased in Camp Washington, which will eventually provide them with a total of 42,000 sq. ft. of floorspace to permanently house their collection. They own about half the space already and are in the process of funding the final phases of the build-out and relocation.

Something that struck me about the museum is that it's a bit off the beaten path. It seems unlikely you'd find it unless you're specifically looking for it. Their new location is very much the same in terms of location. Perhaps a nicer spot, more space, but it's still in a rather low visibility location.

Something Erica and I felt, and also something that I discussed with 5chw4r7z, is that this place would really thrive if it were located downtown, specifically in Over-The-Rhine. It's an incredible space, both due to the collection of interesting objects, but also because of the atmosphere all these signs create. Imagine a space like this being in OTR and being part of Final Friday or Second Sunday. I also think the museum would get a lot more exposure if it were in a higher traffic area. The OTR tours draw hundreds of people every weekend and a museum such as the American Sign Museum would benefit greatly from that, especially since the tour guys are so great a plugging all the merchants, restaurants and happenings OTR has to offer. There are tons of open spots in OTR, of varying size, and I'd think 3CDC would jump at the chance to bring such an attraction into our growing neighborhood.

I realize this may not ever happen, since the museum is already vested in their new location, but it's an idea I had to put out there.

If you've not checked out the museum it's definitely worth a trip. Visit their site for details and hours.

American Sign Museum Website: http://www.signmuseum.net/

the Yelp Totally Bazaar event page: http://www.yelp.com/events/cincinnati-yelps-totally-bazaar

Suders Art Store

I needed to visit an art supply store for a couple of the more hands-on Christmas presents I'm working on. Dan thought this would be a great opportunity to visit Suders, which is directly in our backyard (er, parking lot).

What a fantastic store! Suders is packed wall-to-wall with a rich variety of art supplies. Dan, as a student of Miami U's art program, has seen the inside of plenty of art stores in his career, and he seemed truly impressed by the little shop.

I say "little" but this shop is actually quite expansive. The main supply room seems small because it's so full of materials, but there is another room full of easels and the like, as well as a massive back room with work space.

The only problem we had came down to using one of the Gateway Quarter gift cards. These things have been a pain in my arse, if I do say so myself. The problem lies in how infrequently people use them-- ours was the first card that Suders had seen in nine months, so they had trouble activating it. This is not the first time we've run into this inconvenience: Senate does not take them "yet," and Little Mahatma doesn't accept them at all.

But that's hardly Suders' fault. The cashier managed to get it to work finally, and we were in no hurry. I still walked out with an armful of high quality art supplies and a high hope to return soon.

Suders Art Store: http://www.sudersartstore.com/

Crafty Supermarket

This is the sight that greeted you when you approached this year's Crafty Supermarket at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center: Cafe de Wheels!

We've been to all three Crafty Supermarkets so far, and I have to say: this winter's was far and away the best. I was amazed at how much this event has grown even since last time!

Dojo Gelato was in attendance, as were representatives from Picnic & Pantry, selling stew and other awesome lunch options. This is itself makes the event so much more accessible and compelling.

I've felt in the past that it was very hard to walk in and buy something-- the gifts were too esoteric (and often too expensive) to walk out with an armload.

This time around, I felt that there was a huge range of offerings that would fit many different styles. Jewelry, papercraft, clothing, vintage items, you name it. There were plenty of things I couldn't afford but I had no problem finding a handful of gifts that my family and friends are going to love.

We were there around 3pm, and the place was packed wall to wall. Ben Davis was laying down the music and every vendor seemed to be doing brisk business. This is a fantastic event, and a great partner for Cincinnati Unchained!

Crafty Supermarket: http://craftysupermarket.wordpress.com/

Yelp Cincinnati

If you've seen this guy lately, he's been talking about Yelp.

This is Alex Shebar, and he's been a friend of ours for quite some time... bloggers tend to run in the same circles, and Alex (and his lovely gf Allison) run the project Watch This, which Dan and I have attended in the past.

Alex is the newly-minted community manager for Yelp Cincinnati, and he took some time to meet with Dan and myself to discuss Yelp's activity in the city. (We had to meet at Starbucks, because Tazza Mia closes at 5:30pm and Coffee Emporium at 6. How horrible is that?)

Yelp is a free service... sort of an Urbanspoon meets Angie's List with a focus on local, local, local. And that's exactly why they want Alex on the payroll... Yelp is global, and in order to truly do a local community justice they need someone on the street, living and experiencing and adding to the community.

Yelp is an interesting tool and fits pretty well with our blog's agenda: to explore the city at a deeper level. Cincinnati is ten times larger than you think it is (or than I thought it was!). Most nights I have to choose between several events I'd like to attend, for instance. Yelp helps the community stay aware of dining, shopping, and event options in the city. Even with the best intentions, our blog only covers 4-5 items a week... because Yelp uses the community as the engine, it's much more robust and up-to-date than any single blog.

Free to sign up, free to use, free to rate and comment and do all the social media-y things you love to do. Free to have a voice about what you love and hate about Cincinnati. Check it out, if only so your next conversation with Alex is that much less awkward. ;)

Yelp Cincinnati: http://www.yelp.com/cincinnati-oh

4U Urban Fashion Boutique

First, let me say this: it is downright odd to walk into any store in the Gateway Quarter and not be warmly greeted right away. I think it is more of a testament to the Quarter that I feel this way, than a demerit against 4U Urban Fashion Boutique that I was not immediately chatted up.

4U Fashion Boutique is the clothing shop that occupies what was once Outside. Not gonna lie: I miss Outside quite a bit, and it was hard even walking into that building again. But once you're inside, it's hard to imagine that there were ever bird feeders, terraria and grills strewn about-- it is completely transformed into a very chic little outfitter.

I'll admit to being a bit of a clothing cheapskate, but the prices at 4U were much lower than I'd expected. The items were all very unique, hip, well-made, and desirable; while the store does seem to be catering to the stick-figure body type, I still found quite a few items that I wouldn't mind introducing to my closet. They also manage a much larger men's selection than you typically find... well, just about anywhere.

4U Urban Fashion Boutique website: http://www.4uboutique.com/

Little Mahatma

I learned long ago that I am not as... frugal... as I should be. I lack the willpower against things that are shiny or jingly or-- and this is the killer-- eccentric and unique. My only recourse is to avoid temptation to the best of my ability.

For that reason and for that reason alone, I've been avoiding Little Mahatma, even though it is a stone's throw from my new home. I just can't take it! The window of the shop is festooned with every item that seems destined to come live with me: fat, chunky necklaces, elephants in verdigris, brassy bracelets, Tarot cards...

However, some of Dan's extended family came into town, and he has an aunt who turned out to be my kindred spirit. During their visit we popped into Park + Vine, Mica 12/v... and how could we not visit Little Mahatma?

This store is incredible, and due to a small chat with the proprietor (Gloria McConnaghy) I discovered two kindred spirits in one day. I immediately felt bad for not lauding my time, attention and moolah on this gem of a store.

The thing that got me was when Dan's uncle was asking a question and Gloria commented, "Well everything in this store is handmade. There isn't a machine that does this." I fell in love with this concept-- not just the handmade nature of Little Mahatma's wares (for which I'm already a sucker), but the concept that machines don't, can't, or won't create the artistry that decorates every square inch of this shop.

Don't be like me! Don't let the gifts lying around the city go to waste. Little Mahatma deserves your patronage and at least your foot traffic. Stop in, buy yourself a bauble from a place you'll never travel, and talk to Gloria about the thousands of places she's visited.

Little Mahatma: http://www.littlemahatma.com/

YottaQuest

Tons of geekery on Cincinnati Re-adventure lately, yeah?

People have been telling Dan and I about YottaQuest for ages now, and just before our grand Comic Con adventure, we were feeling a little itchy to check the place out.

YottaQuest is in Mt. Healthy-- not an area I'm very familiar with. We made the trek over, excited about the ultimate gaming store, but to be honest I was a little disappointed. Definitely not with the inventory-- the walls are absolutely stacked with board games, RPG sets, etc. It was a real treasure trove.

However-- and I know this is not my first time mentioning this about various comic or gaming stores-- the experience was awkward as hell. After we walked in, a bunch of people occupied most of the modest store space playing some kind of RPG, and in order to see the games lining the store walls you had to walk very tightly around the gaming table. No one looked up or acknowledged our existence, even when we had to shimmy around them to get to another wall. People-- as far as I know, not employees, so not really their fault-- stood directly in front of us, didn't make eye contact, generally blocked us from moving around the small store.

Finally as we were leaving-- physically walking out of the store-- a clerk asked us if he could help us find anything.

I'm well aware that I have somewhat unfair expectations about these kind of stores, but I've seen that geeky but unawkward shops CAN exist. Dan and I still make the drive out to Clifton Comics every week or so, and we love the relationships we've formed there and the conversations we have. Our experience with Sci-Fi City in Northgate Mall was also top-notch.

I don't expect to be waited on hand and foot, no matter what kind of store I'm in. I don't even necessarily need to be greeted or spoken to while I'm here. Consider Boardwalk Hobby Shop, for instance-- I don't think anyone spoke to me a single time when I was there, but the store was awesome and had the same kind of games as YottaQuest. But a few of the stores that we've visited have felt like they've gone out of their way to be unwelcoming to people outside of the in-crowd. YottaQuest, for me, on this specific day at least, was one of those.

YottaQuest website: http://yottaquest.com/

The Art on Our Walls

Not only was our recent move a huge shift in location, but it was also Dan and my first time living together. Such a huge transition! It would have been easy for me to just move into Dan's place in Clifton, but it would have been *his* place. When we moved, we wanted to go somewhere neutral, where we could start a new kind of life together.

For me, a big part of the cohabiting transition has been art. Dan already had his favorite artwork framed, and we knew where it would hang in our new home. But since we knew we'd be moving, I'd been on the hunt for a piece of art that would represent me.


While strolling through Mica 12/v one day, I saw a print by VisuaLingual and it was love at first sight. Not only is it a gorgeous print set on vintage wallpaper, but it's a beautiful linguistic feat: a poem done entirely in anagrams for "Over-the-Rhine." It was everything I could ask for in a piece of artwork: a tribute to my new home, a quirky bit of style, a sweet piece of poetry... and a chance to support a local artist that I adore.


The Over-the-Rhine anagram print (still available through VisuaLingual's Etsy store, by the way) hangs in our kitchen area, between two windows that show off our view of the city.

Dan has a new piece of artwork as well. When Shepard Fairey visited for the inaugural kickoff of his Contemporary Art Center exhibition, he did a limited edition, signed print made specifically for (and of) the CAC. We weren't able to be there that night, so Dan was crestfallen that he wouldn't be able to nab one of the prints. But never question the awesomeness of the social network: I covertly asked our friend @5chw4r7z to pick up a copy of the print, and he generously did so. (Good thing, too, as the print sold out within hours.)


The print now hangs proudly in the little nook where you first walk into our home. It's impossible not to see it. It too is perfect for the space: the image is of a piece of Cincinnati's heritage, it acts as a timestamp for when we moved downtown, and the iconic, bold reds and blacks that Fairey is known for help it stand out against the exposed brick in our flat.


There is more art hanging in our new home... could it really be "home" without it? But these are the pieces that Dan and I bought together, and they're new to our home and our life together. I've already started to forget what this place looked like without them.

VisuaLingual's Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/visualingual
My anagram print: http://www.etsy.com/listing/35343641/over-the-rhine-cincinnati-anagram-print
Shepard Fairey's CAC exhibition: http://contemporaryartscenter.org/ShepardFairey
Shepard Fairey's print: http://www.contemporaryartscenter.org/RiseAbove

Ohio Book Store

The Ohio Book Store is one of those gems that I just stumbled across while out walking with Dan one day. To this day I've never heard anyone mention about this place-- I might just be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but this place deserves some serious attention. It's epic!


The building is festooned with antique details, from ancient silver radiators and beautiful old cash registers. The building itself is a treasure trove, even aside from the books.

On the highest floor, you had to turn on the lights depending on which aisle you were browsing. Not sure why this struck me as such a gorgeous feature but it did.

There were... just so, so many books. An obscene amount. Something out of a fairy tale-- well, my kind of fairy tale, anyway.

Seriously, there are several floors (the basement, the ground floor, and two more floors accessible to the public) just jammed wall-to-wall with books.

The Ohio Book Store used to be a book bindery. Well, it still serves that function, but that used to be its claim to fame. Many of the rare books were bound in-house, and in the basement the bindery is still up and running.

The Ohio Book Store: http://ohiobookstore.net/

Captain Comics

Hm. So.

Captain Comics was one of the first comic book stores I'd ever visited, back in the day. Dan, Bradley and I are always on the hunt for a different comic venue, so we decided to revisit Captain Comics one day when we were out in the Mt. Washington area.


Captain Comics is-- how can I put this?-- not a comfortable store. Yeah yeah, these stores are rarely warm and inviting to your average Joe, but c'mon. We're seasoned comic book store veterans here.

When we first walked in, I thought the door was locked, then stumbled into the store and nearly landed on top of the proprietor's desk. Even at that close proximity, dude hardly acknowledged that we were there.


The comics-- though a huge collection-- are awkward to sort through. There were items of clothing laying on top of open boxes, stacks of unboxed comics laying in a seemingly random order, unmarked boxes that may have been backstock or gawd knows what else, and tons and tons of memorabilia and trade publications that seemed wildly out of order. Besides your very basic lines of comics, if you wanted to find something specific, you'd better bring a divining rod.


When I finally overcame the silence and asked the proprietor to help me locate some Fray comics, he was able to. I'd been hunting for these issues for a while, and it's a miniseries that dates back quite a few years, so I was thrilled and surprised to see that he had them in stock. But otherwise, we were not bowled over with love for this store.

King Arthur's Court

You know what I didn't love as much as I wanted to? King Arthur's Court toy store.


Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it. It's a very sweet little store with a lot of cool options. I can imagine a kid going nuts in this kind of store, if they haven't been spoiled by the giant warehouse toy stores that are far more common.


And there was a great selection of LEGOs too, which is always a deciding factor for me. The problems I had were twofold: 1) not a fantastic game selection-- good, but not the vast expanse I'd thought I'd find, and 2) clearly separated "girls" and "boys" toys. I'm talking an entire third of the store that was solid pink, and on the far opposite of the store: cars, trains, blue-and-black color scheme. I'm anti... that.

The toy I ended up buying from the boy-themed section was a black "stealth fighter" kite, and I would have just as soon purchased it for a 7-year-old girl as for the 30-something dude who received it. I dislike this separation of gender-- I think it gives kids an early idea that there is a place for them, a toy for them, a passion for them. (And, more importantly, a "wrong" part of the store for them.)


But that's a personal thing. It's everything a toy store ought to be: bright and colorful, full of toys and clever games and Erector sets. (And dollhouses and fairies and unicorns. Girl side.)

King Arthur's Court website: http://www.kingarthurstoys.com/

Queen City Comics (the other one)

It's a dream of mine to have more comic book-related posts than food-related posts. Some day!


Check out this glory. Comics upon comics. I can say that Queen City Comics-- both branches, the one in Fairfield and this one in Pleasant Ridge-- have the best selection of comic books that I've seen in Cincinnati.


It's a bit overwhelming, to tell you the truth. I walked out empty-handed, which is rare for someone as geeky and impetuous as I am. But there was too much to take in. And that was only comic books-- while many of the stores we've visited have some additional board games or Warhammer sets, this was 99% comics. They know what they know.

(They have a website now! I swear they didn't before.) Queen City Comics' website: http://www.queencitycomics.com/

Sci-Fi City

I dragged Dan all the way up to Northgate Mall to see if Nord's was still around. (Okay, we were sort of in the area and trying to kill time, but still.) Years ago, Nord's was *the* place to go for your geekery, especially if you were a college student at Miami and Northgate was pretty close. Alas, Nord's is no mor...ds.


But! Fret not! The owner of Nord's has apparently purchased a space two or three times as large, a bit further down the hallway! Enter the majesty which is... SCI-FI CITY.


Comics: they've gotcha covered. I wouldn't say this is your comics mecca, however-- if you need tons of obscure back issues, go elsewhere. But if you need this week's comics, they'll do ya right.


One of the things that sets Sci-Fi City apart from most of your geekery centers is its video game area! Some kids were going to down on Call of Duty (Xbox 360)... what a freakin' awesome setup, eh?


Mm, full setup for your tabletop gaming needs. I've been a little too shy (me?!) to engage with something of this level, but secretly I'm dying to go to a store like this and throw down in Magic or join my brother in Warhammer. Too infrequently do I find myself in need of a full felt-covered table!


And-- I saved this bit for last-- all the board games (and card games, and RPGs, and whatever) you could ask for. Tons of expansions and games I'd not heard of. There were a few items I'd discovered at Boardwalk Hobby Shop that were missing, but I could play Sci-Fi City's games for the rest of my life and never get tired of them.


Uh, here's Dan with Batman. ANYWAY. Sci-Fi City is definitely what I'd call a "hidden jewel" (except to the hardcore of the hardcore, I'm sure). I'm so glad we popped in to the otherwise-destitute Northgate Mall-- if you can make it up there and you're into video games, RPGs, board games, Magic, comics, WHATEVER, I sincerely recommend you make the trek.

I talked to-- mm, maybe not the proprietor, but at least someone higher up in the food chain at Sci-Fi, and he seemed like my kind of guy. Very amiable and passionate about his store. Say hi if you pop up there.

Sci-Fi City Cincinnati website (there are other branches, but not locally): http://www.sci-fi-city.com/cincinnati.htm
Northgate Mall website: http://www.mynorthgatemall.com/

Boardwalk Hobby Shop

If there's anything better than Zip's Cafe, it's what I found right next door to it. I've mentioned that I'll never be a food blogger, but geekery I can talk about easily. Boardwalk Hobby Shop, where have you been all my life?


As you can see, walls of games. Humina humina.


When you get into geekery of any kind, you quickly learn that the best shops specialize. Some focus on card games or RPGs, others on comics and memorabilia. Boardwalk is a fantastic shop for board games and models (trains, planes, automobiles)-- that's *it,* but it does those two things so well!


And when I say board games, I mean just about anything you can think of. (I should know. I can think of a LOT.) They have an interesting collection of vintage games, so even if you've played every game that's out there, I bet you can find something from before your time to suit your fancy.


I should mention that if anyone in Cincinnati wants to play just about any geek game, I'M IN. My recent favorites are Settlers of Catan, Zombies!!!, Fluxx, Magic: the Gathering, and Carcassonne (a new-to-me game I've heard so much about, and picked up at Boardwalk).


I can't wait to head back to Mt. Lookout to hit up Boardwalk again. Who's with me?!