Fun stuff
New comic book, video gaming store opens in the heart of Clinton
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Jay Perkey holds a “GI Joe” comic book at the new My Guys Comics & Phoenix Gaming store on Cullom Street in Clinton. Perkey says he has been a lifelong fan of GI Joe. - G. Chambers Williams III
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Garin Dickerson, left, and Jay Perkey are two of the own- ers of the new My Guys Comics & Phoenix Gaming store at 405 Cullom St. in Clinton, which opened Dec. 15. - G. Chambers Williams III
There’s a new comic book and video gaming store on Cullom Street in Clinton, in the same strip shopping center with Apple Blossom Café.
“My Guys Comics with Phoenix Gaming” opened Dec. 15, offering comic books, graphic novels, trade paperbacks, graded comic books, key books and more in the comic-book realm, along with a selection of new and used video games, trading cards, and toys – vintage and new – according to the owners.
The four owners of the store are Garin Dickerson, Jay Perkey, Sam Soto and Bryan Emmert.
Located at 405 Cullom St., My Guys Comics is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
There are two rooms full of merchandise, with a large selection of comic books that is designed to appeal both to the novice and the veteran collector, Dickerson said.
“A lot of what we have now are from our personal collections,” he said. “The four of us have been friends for a long time, and we got together to create this new store in Clinton.
“While there are eight other comic-book stores in the Knoxville area, there wasn’t one in Clinton, so we decided to open ours,” Dickerson said.
The store plans to have a grand opening event probably in May, but for now it’s fully stocked and ready to serve all who are interested in comic books and video games, said Dickerson, who lives in Powell.
“I’ve been a comic book lover all my life,” he said. “This is my passion. We hope to be a destination for collectors who will come here from all over the area.”
Perkey lives in Clinton with his wife, Summer Proffitt, who is a Clinton native. Her parents were the longtime operators of Clinton Tire Terminal.
“I grew up loving GI Joe, and my wife urged me to get back into comics,” Perkey said.
And he has GI Joe merchandise for sale in the store, of course.
The store also specializes in first-edition comics, including ones like the “Ninja Turtles” and many others.
The store’s location was formerly that of the Mystic Orb gift shop, which has moved around to the back side of the building.