Superheroes, card games and all things nerdy: New Hope's comic and game store is almost three years old.
Mike Wadlund, owner of Rockhopper Comics and Games, told the Sun Post he's always had an "overactive imagination."
He remembers enjoying comics as a toddler. Later he drew a few of his own and started working at Hot Comics at the age of 14 before the store relocated.
"My whole life has basically revolved around comic books in one way or the other," Wadlund said. "... I loved looking at the pictures. I loved the stories. You read enough of them and you feel like they're your close personal friends. So it's always fun to see them on the big screen. It's always fun to collect the action figures."
Comics, like text-only books, captivate readers. Wadlund added that when a book is well-crafted, "you feel like you become part of the story."
In 2021, he opened his own store using his favorite animal, the rockhopper penguin, as a mascot.
The store sells single-issue comics and collections bound in trade paperbacks. There are new comics each Wednesday and there are back-issues as old as the 1940s. Everything is alphabetized by the name of the series.
"All the companies are mixed together," Wadlund said, "that way it kinda forces you to look at all of them rather than just bottlenecking at Marvel or DC."
Many regular comic patrons have lists of comics they like to get each week. Wadlund and his four part-time employees set aside new comics for customers who have pull-lists. Each customer who asked for specific new comics has a folder in a box with their name handwritten on the top. Wadlund says he knows most of his customers by name.
"It's the definition of a mom-and-pop shop," Wadlund said.
Wadlund also stocks the store with superhero figures and plenty of Funko Pops.
There are games, too. People can buy paraphernalia for Dungeons & Dragons and Warhammer. Everything is organized by theme. There are classic board games, complicated ones and board games with beautiful nature art.
Behind the counter, Wadlund keeps the collectible card games like Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering.
Wadlund said some of his favorite comic stories are ones where a lot of fun characters come together, like Marvel's X-Men or The Avengers.
"Something where they all have to team up to fight a big threat," Wadlund said.
In the spirit of bringing people together, Rockhopper Comics and Games hosts a variety of community gaming events. Sometimes there are prizes, other times it's just fun.
One group uses the space for Dungeons and Dragons on Sundays.
People are invited to HeroClix nights on Wednesdays. There's a Star Wars card game a Thursday.
Magic: The Gathering is played on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Kevin Anderson, New Hope resident and patron of the store, described the store as a great, inclusive place for anything "nerdy."
"People are very welcoming here," he added. Anderson comes to the store multiple times a week to play Magic: The Gathering.
The latest Magic: The Gathering set features the adorable animals of Bloomburrow, which have been flying off the shelves he said.
"That one's been very fun because of the animal critters, forest critters," Wadlund said. "New Magic releases is one of my favorite things to do at the store because it's exciting to see everyone rallying around the new set."
Wadlund said the previous Wild West theme, "Outlaws Of Thunder Junction" was also quite popular.
Rockhopper Comics and Games is at 8016 Medicine Lake Road, New Hope. The store is open 12 to 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 12 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday as well as 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
On Saturday, Aug. 17, the store will have a sale to commemorate its third year. Follow on Facebook at facebook.com/rockhoppercomicsandgames for details.
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