Wizard’s Guild comics stands a popular place for students and Athens locals to purchase and discuss comic books and gaming.
After the resurgence of superhero blockbusters, some say nerds are making a comeback in pop culture.
Marvel T-shirts, posters covered with heroes and TV shows about fantasy or the supernatural have all become common place. But to some, comic books are still considered a vital part of the superhero fandom.
The Wizard’s Guild, a specialty retailer of card games, board games, miniatures and comic books on 19 W. Washington St., might help more recent fans of the superhero universe feel less intimidated.
“Just kind of look around, find something that looks weird and don’t be afraid to ask questions,” Sam Berlin, an employee of Wizard’s Guild, said.
Comic book readers and gamers offer similar advice: Just start reading.
“Usually for people who haven’t read any comics, I generally ask what kind of movies or books they like and then look at that genre or that taste, and I can usually pick out a comic for them,” Berlin said.
Chris Clarke, a senior studying screenwriting and producing, said newcomers should pick a hero and then research him or her.
“It doesn’t matter how you found them, (don’t) let people bother you about it being mainstream or just because of the movies,” Clarke said.
Clarke said he is an avid comic book reader, and writes screenplays with heroes of his own. He said comic books are “an escape.”
Berlin’s love for comics stems from his appreciation of their distinctive art form, in which artists have more freedom over their work, he said.
“It’s a direct relationship between what the artist puts on the page and what the reader has in their hands, unlike TV or film production where it goes through multiple teams and editing processes,” Berlin said. “Ultimately, no CGI or special effects can capture what a great artist can do with a pencil.”
TV also plays an important role in the popularity of comic books, fans said.
“We sell a lot of ‘Walking Dead’ comics. Frankly, I’m surprised the zombie craze hasn’t burnt out, but the comics are written as a long-standing survival story, and they’re very popular,” Berlin said.
However, the most popular items at Wizard’s Guild aren’t actually comic books — they’re cards.
“Magic the Gathering (a card game) is our biggest seller, especially amongst students,” Berlin said.
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Berlin also said another popular seller is the game Cards Against Humanity, an irreverent version of Apples to Apples.
Wizard’s Guild hosts game nights, which are posted on its events board inside the store. Popular games played are Magic the Gathering and Mage Wars: Druid vs. Necromancer.
Charles Schnell, a junior studying integrated media,has played Druid vs. Necromancer for four years.
“These things don’t exist in a vacuum,” Schell said. “There’s always a large community if you look for it.”
Schell’s only caveat to joining the world of gaming, he said, is that it’s a “highly intellectual activity.”
“You have to absorb a lot of information really quickly, so if you’re not willing to do that, it may not be the thing for you,” he said.
@CourtSchaef14
