By Jake Trumbo
For Now Utah
All across America, comics are coming into their own. With more and more people being exposed to classic stories and superheroes through blockbuster adaptations on the big screen, comic books have expanded to a much wider audience, and Night Flight Comics in Salt Lake City was comics before comics were cool.
Manager Mimi Cruz has been at it since the, and knows comics inside and out. At Night Flight, she has created something very different from the stereotypical comic book den: an organized, clean and hip place to shop where Cruz and her dedicated staff are able to greet most customers by name and are happy to make a recommendation to newcomers as well.
Winner of the 2005 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award, reserved for the best shops in the nation, Night Flight’s locations at the City Library downtown and on State Street at 6222 South offer all the latest issues along with action figures, games, clothing and more.
For Cruz, her passion for comics complements a passion for reading in general. Night Flight has been a strong supporter of pro-literacy work in the decades since it opened its doors, and when it was invited to open up shop on the library concourse in 2003, Cruz was excited to expand comics to a wider audience. “We really complement what the library has to offer,” she says recalling events like the annual 24-Hour Comic Book Day where industry experts and artists help pros and novices alike to create their own comic books in a marathon event spanning an entire day.
The retailer’s mission is to “go above and beyond the call of duty, be involved in the community and offer a wide variety of titles to anyone interested in reading.” And they mean it. Donating hundreds of books a year to schools and libraries, creating an online workbook in cooperation with DC Comics to help teachers use comics in the classroom and hosting free public events are all ways in which Cruz and her staff work to do more than simply sell books.
Never read a comic book? “It’s never too late to learn,” says Cruz, adding that studies show reading comic books stimulates both the left and right brain simultaneously and can actually help prevent Alzheimer’s and dementia. Other benefits for readers of any age are a boost in literacy and vocabulary, especially for children who process blends of words and pictures more readily.
And it’s not all capes and costumes. There are titles for all ages and interests including historical accounts, crime stories, reporting of current events like Joe Sacco’s coverage of events in the Middle East, and insightful biographies like “American Born Chinese” by Gene Yang recounting his childhood and tackling complex issues of culture and race. Cruz sums up Night Flight as people who “love the medium and love the art form.” If you’re not already converted, stop in and talk with the knowledgeable and friendly team of employees who will find you something new that you won’t be able to put down.
Details
Night Flight Comics
Library Square @ 210 E. 400 S.
801-532-1188
Murray @ 6222 S. State
801-263-1940
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