Show Comic Craze raze I Martha lartha Carter Arts Editor Dr Volts is located in a strip mall Though its surroundings are less than fascinating the store itself is filled with the creative musings of an artistic community with a distinct I face I Comics have been around for decades and have gone from the mainstream to the underground and back to the mainstream With the recent movie phenomenon in which comic book adaptations have dominated the box office interest in comics and affiliated ed products is at an all time high At 2043 East South the comic book shop has existed existed existed exist exist- ed in the Salt Lake Valley for 14 years The original owner Kelly Moyes did some amateur amateur amateur ama ama- wrestling under the name Dr Volts and ultimately used the character to represent his business At I r 14 mere there are various sketches of the character charac charac- ter a sneering muscle-bound muscle fiend with a defiant Mohawk and lightning bolt shades The current owner David Landa who took over the store in 2001 works the front desk and is well-versed well in his comic history He has been very selective about his endorsement of the comic films citing Spiderman X-men X and as the most accurate portrayals For each of these films he worked with radio reps and theatres doing in-house in pro pro- motions is a good example of the worst adaptation of a comic book ever said Landa They basically took the name and changed the entire concept Comics have evolved along with technology over the years Comic books used to be printed on cheap newspaper Now the material is magazine quality No longer are they simple black and white sketches Some appear airbrushed with complex shading shading shad shad- shading ing and vibrant colors The talented detail in each thin glossy booklet is original and ish Comic Comi book characters are typically exaggerated voluptuous otherworldly woman and sinewy men The stories are sensational often revolving around a hero who continuously continuously continuously conquers an onslaught of villains There are however contemporary comics that do not follow the mold One genre horror horror horror hor hor- has been presented in recent years These stories are haunting and mysterious while the artwork is dark and at times etched with gore Dr Volts is not the only comic book shop in inthe inthe inthe the valley but offers the widest selection Comics are an inexpensive hobby prices ranging from Dr Volts carries most of the new releases and numerous back issues Some of Landas Landa's most loyal customers are between the ages of 25 and 45 These are the collectors and avid comic readers I always liked comics better than base baseball hall cards said Dr Volts' Volts employee John Doud more interesting because they have havea a story and the characters all become three- three dimensional Due to the supreme beings of comics corporate corporate corporate cor cor- moguls DC and Marvel comics come with a truckload of products Dr Volts is filled with a massive variety ranging from collectable figurines to instructional books on cartooning Other merchandise includes huge art boards posters anime videos playing cards like Magic and Yu Gi Yoh are popular products with the the younger crowd Landa has set up a gaming room at atthe atthe atthe the back of the store where kids are welcome to come and play Dr Volts ww is filled with wito fan art t and andi book boot reviews Landa releases a month with reviews of the latest releases movie and music reviews as well as info about sales and new products Dr Volts is an endless playground for those with an interest in comics whether it be a passion passion passion pas pas- sion or a hobby Dreams and nightmares await in the form of demons immortals heroes and mutants Comics are a childs child's fantasy and an adults adult's escape from the mediocrity of the world into the endless possibilities of the imagination |