Aladdin’s cave of comics in Yorkshire named as one of the best in the world at Comic-Con

The reader-friendly comic book store set up in Leeds by Cross Gates enthusiast Jared Myland, 39, has been named as one of the best on the planet at the international Comic-Con convention in San Diego.

Whether its classic Marvel superheroes, printed soap operas, crime graphic novels or a chat with like-minded fans they’re after, avid readers have been stocking up at OK Comics, in Thornton’s Arcade, off Briggate, for 12 years now.

Its local, national and global appeal has seen it singled out as the only shop in Europe to make the 12-strong shortlist for the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics retailer award – only pipped to the top prize by All Star Comics in Australia and Legends Comics and Coffee in the US.

The international spotlight has left Mr Myland, who started out running his business from his parents’ dining room table, both surprised and delighted to be recognised by what he has described as “the Oscars of the comic book industry”.

He told The YP: “On a personal level I’m really touched by it. It’s just a job to me, I go to work everyday and really enjoy what I do but to find people like it so much that they want to nominate us and put us among the best shops in the world is really touching.

“I don’t think we do anything special but our customers seem to – generally I think it just comes down to customer service.”

As well as distributing up to 100 new editions of comics every week, OK Comics runs a lending library for collectors to borrow from, regular social events and compiles a list of recommended reads for customers.

It seems those personal touches earned the shop favour in the US, with organisers at Comic-Con International – which attracted around 130,000 people this year – who were looking for retailers “who have done an outstanding job of supporting the comics medium both in the industry at large and in their local community”.

And despite having a mail order customer base around the world, Mr Myland says comics in Yorkshire are becoming increasingly popular.

“We sell mainly to people from Yorkshire, there is quite a strong uptake here,” he said. “People are surprised by the diverse range of stuff we stock – it’s not just superhero stories.

“It’s from soap operas to crime and romance – we have everything you can think of.”

OK Comics spawned from a hobby that turned into an obsession for Mr Myland, who eventually teamed up with Richard Makinson, who ran a comics back issue warehouse, to begin trading.

It started as an online business before they took a unit in the old Market Street Arcade and then moved to Thorntons Arcade in a bid to reach a wider audience.

“From starting with £300 to start the business to the point where we are now, it looks like we’ve come a long way,” he said.

And after more than a decade heading up much-loved OK Comics, it seems the love of comic book capers and meeting fellow enthusiasts is not lost on him.

He added: “I absolutely love it – I can’t get up early enough to be honest.”

RADCLIFFE GOES UNDERCOVER AT COMIC-CON

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe was among the tens of thousands of fans at Comic-Con 2014 – but not as you might have thought.

The 25-year-old actor donned a Spiderman suit and mask so that he could covertly mingle with fans on the showroom floor at the convention in San Diego over the weekend.

Radcliffe even posed for photos with other costumed guests as he visited the convention to talk about his role in new film Horns.

He said: “I did an American accent for the whole time. I even took a rucksack, so I look like I’m just coming to Comic-Con. I had a whole look. But it was great, I took lots of pictures with people who didn’t know it was me.”