For more than four decades, many have visited Al’s Comics in Stockton’s Miracle Mile for their comic book needs.
A local gem in the community that opened 47 years ago — originally on Harding Way before moving to 1847 Pacific Ave., just a year after — the shop was the recent target of vandalism and theft.
Al’s Comics owner, Al Greco, previously told The Record he lost roughly $5,000 in lost merchandise in the recent theft. His front glass door, which had been broken and boarded up last week, had already been replaced with a new one as of Wednesday, April 8.
The Stockton native also told The Record on Wednesday, this is something that happens to his business “maybe once a year.”
“It’s not a good feeling,” Greco said.
While many supported the business in the days right after the incident, Greco said the pace has since slowed down.
On Tuesday, Lodi Comic Con announced on social media that all proceeds from tickets sold at Al’s Comics through Saturday, April 11, will benefit the shop.
“We’d love to have people come out to Lodi Comic Con, but also to visit Al’s, they have a great selection of comics,” Mike Millerick, president of StocktonCon Events told The Record Thursday. “We want them to go to Al’s as their local comic shop.”
Lodi Comic Con Spring will be a two-day event this year on Saturday, May 9 and Sunday, May 10. It will be held at the Lodi Grape Festival Grounds. Spring special guests include Tom Kenny, the voice of Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants, Kari Wuhrer, from Anaconda and hostess of the MTV game show Remote Control and Jimmy Hart, an American professional wrestling manager.
Tickets for Lodi Comic Con are $5 each at Al’s Comics, Greco said. On the day of the event, tickets will be $15 at the gate.
“Al and Mike have been there for us since the beginning of StocktonCon, helping us promote the event. Al has been there a few times, I think Mike might have as well and it’s something that they have always supported everything that we’ve done,” Millerick said. “We just always have appreciated them and what they do not only for us, but just for the community and for people in general.”
Millerick said Al and Mike Greco have supported them since StocktonCon started in 2012.
“Al and Al’s comics has been very important to the Stockton community for 40 years … but hopefully they’ll get through it and move beyond it,” Millerick said.
‘A great selection’
Paul Dinger, a regular at Al’s Comics and an Ione resident, said he visits Al’s Comics every Wednesday. He visited the shop the day after the break-in last week, and it was a shock to hear what had happened and see the plywood in the window.
“This is a great store and a great place to go, and I can’t believe that somebody would rip it off,” Dinger said. “Al’s great to buy comics from.”
Dinger said he started going to Al’s around COVID time, he was going to another business in Lodi, but they couldn’t get the new comic books like Al did. He decided to stay with Al’s and he visits every week now.
“He’s got a great selection and if you’re looking for new comics, Al’s gonna have them,” Dinger said. “He’s got a great supply and if you’re ever missing issues, this is a great place to go to get them.”
Al’s in Stockton
Greco said he opened Al’s Comics in 1979. He was about 52 years old then, he is now 97. He opened the business during retirement, after he worked in the trucking business, he said.
When asked what his favorite thing about his business is, he said he enjoys talking to people.
“It gives me something to do,” he said.
Greco works with his son Mike, together they opened the shop decades ago. Greco has no plans to retire anytime soon.
While he does not have any favorite comic books, Greco said some of his favorites used to be those of X-Men, Batman, and Spider-Man.
The birthplace of the Fantastic Four
In 1986, the Marvel icon Stan Lee visited Al’s Comics.
“It was a big day for Stockton,” Greco said.
This was after Greco and Joe Field led a petition to get Lee to proclaim Stockton as the Fantastic Four’s birthplace. The duo collected more than 300 signatures by promoting the petition on KJOY-AM radio where Field worked in sales and marketing, and asked people to stop by the shop to sign it.
Field presented the signed petition to the Stockton City Council during a meeting. The Stockton City Council passed the resolution and urged Marvel Comics to recognize Stockton as the birthplace of the Fantastic Four.
The news reached national level, but Field recalled Los Angeles Times reporter Charles Hillinger’s story to be the most important – as he contacted Lee and asked him about the campaign.
“I will gladly sign that petition myself. I couldn’t agree more with renaming Central City to Stockton. We pride ourselves on making our comics as true to life as possible, even though the lead characters are super-heroes,” Lee told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. “We don’t have our characters driving whiz-bang cars. We have them in Chevy Corvettes. We use real names. It’s a great idea. I see no reason not to change it.”
On Feb. 26, 1968, Lee visited the city and stood on the steps of Stockton City Hall. During a special ceremony, he proclaimed Stockton as the birthplace of the Fantastic Four.
Greco said it was great to meet Lee, who also stopped by his shop and signed books for children all day.
“They were lined up outside. Just to see him,” Greco said of Lee.
Al’s is open 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closes on Sunday and Monday.
Record reporter Angelaydet Rocha covers business and community news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at arocha@recordnet.com or on Twitter @AngelaydetRocha. To support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Al’s Comics in Stockton finds lots of super friends after theft
Reporting by Angelaydet Rocha, The Stockton Record / The Record
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