COMIC SHOP OF THE MONTH

By Sheryl Roberts

I don’t know about you, but I like to travel. When I’m on vacation, I always look for new comic shops to visit. I even like visiting different shops in Houston, for variety. As a service to the business or recreational traveler to Houston, I plan on starting a monthly feature exploring the local comic shops. Next time you are in town, you will have some idea of where to go for your reading/collectible fix. Because Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States, we have a lot of comic shops to visit in the following months. I will get to every one, eventually. For this first installment, we feature:

2718 Southwest Freeway near Kirby
Houston, Texas
713-528-1067
e-mail: 3planet@third-planet.com
http://www.third-planet.com
Third Planet can only be described as a collectibles superstore. If you have a variety of interests in fandom, then Third Planet was designed for you. Even if you have limited tastes, Third Planet is great for browsing, with 8000 square feet of store space packed with collectibles. Every time I go into the shop, it gets bigger with more product. According to owner TJ Johnson, he gets in new shipments every week, and he is always experimenting with new stock.

Brian , TJ, and Adrian
Third Planet carries all of the Big Three comics, and some of the Independents, such as Fantagraphics. There is a section of comics in the front of the store specifically labeled for children. There is also an underground/adult comics section located behind a counter, not accessible to or easily seen by children in the store. Third Planet also offers a large selection of magazines featuring comics, television, film, toys. and other collectibles. If you like to read books, Third Planet carries them as well. Science fiction books and art books are well represented here.

There is a lot more than just books at Third Planet. If you like watching videos, Third Planet carries them for sale and for rental. Anime, action adventure, classic movies, and cartoons are just a few of the selections offered. If you collect movie posters, the shop carries a good selection. Speaking of movies, if you like Star Wars, there is a whole section devoted to those collectibles: action figures, mugs, models, cards. You name it, they have it.
Gamers are not neglected at Third Planet. There are gaming books, card games, and role playing games for sale. D&D, Battletech, Magic: The Gathering, and Battletech are just a few of the games offered. They also carry a nice selection of pewter miniatures.

Like sports? Third Planet carries a large supply of sports paraphernalia. Pennants, hats, and watches featuring the logos of your favorite teams are featured. There are action figures and sports cards featuring individual players, too.

There is large section of Disney collectibles in the store. There is Wizard of Oz memorabilia in the store. There are model kits and model supplies in the store. There is a big range of action figures and toys in the store. No matter what your interest, Third Planet probably has something for you.

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Copyright © 1998 Sheryl Roberts

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