With families moving to the Cypress area at a rapid pace, one local couple is looking to provide a place where both adults and children can immerse themselves in their favorite hobbies or fandoms.
Matthew and Marisol Crowell opened The Comic Vault on Fry Road in Cypress on May 27. The shop specializes in comic books but also offers figurines, signed sports memorabilia and original artwork across a variety of TV, comic and movie fandoms.
Matthew said he has been collecting comics since childhood, and customers can browse from his personal collection of thousands, including some dating as far back as the 1950s. Comics cover all types of storylines, including well-known heroes such as The Avengers and X-Men.
“The back issues are kind of unique,” Matthew said. “If you look through them, you’ll find all kinds of comics that you won’t find at other shops. We have a lot of them priced at $1, so people will come in and leave with a stack.”
In addition to the back issues, the Crowells also sell graded collector’s editions and comics signed by famous writers like Stan Lee. A graded edition is one that has had its condition certified by an official comic book grading company and has been sealed in a protective case so it cannot be damaged, Matthew said.
He said before opening his shop he previously sold comics through a strictly online venture. Marisol said they decided to open a storefront with encouragement from people they chatted with in the community.
“Everyone we talked to said we needed to start one out here because there was nothing else like it,” she said. “We wanted a place that was family-friendly, where kids could just come and hang out too.”
Staff at The Comic Vault can help customers who are looking to learn more about certain comics and fandoms, Matthew said. The store offers comic bundles to help people get acquainted with new stories as well as a shelf of items spotlighting heroes from timely comic-themed movies.
The shop also offers weekly sales every Sunday and started hosting gaming tournaments in June on various weekends throughout the month.
Business has gotten off to a solid start, Matthew said. Early participation in the gaming tournaments has been encouraging.
“In the first few weeks, we’ve been meeting and exceeding our goals,” Matthew said. “We’ve had a lot of people stopping in just from word-of-mouth.”
The couple has dreams of one day opening a comic-themed coffee shop or bar, where like-minded people can gather and relax. In the meantime, the Crowells said they are happy to be able to share their hobbies with the Cypress community.
