Rivalries are one of the many classics of comic book culture: Tintin-Asterix, Zipi y Zape-Mortadelo y Filemón, whether European or North American -and as if that were not enough, manga-, not to mention superheroes and their antagonists. or, even more, the competition of the house Marvel with DC, that has extended to the cinema. In a Barcelona marked by (relatively) small bookstores specializing in comics, there has been one that has drawn others into the so-called geek triangle, and which is also a publisher, Norma (with Gigamesh's permission).
This Saturday ECC, the publisher here of DC comics (Superman, Batman, but also Sandman or Watchmen) opens its flagship store in Barcelona in the Gràcia neighborhood –it has another in the Arenas shopping center–. They will be around 400 m² with a capacity of 204 people and 12 workers, with comics from all fields and publishers, whether European, American, manga or graphic novels for all ages. In Spanish and also in Catalan, but not in English, because they are not aimed at the tourist public, according to Alberto Benavente, ECC store coordinator.
In total, some 90 linear meters of comics, some 25,000 references -between 70 and 80 novelties come out each month from its editorial alone-, which are added to some 15,000 more merchandising -restricted above all to figurines with a significant proportion of the universe. of Star Wars, because it was ruled out selling other elements such as t-shirts, mugs or objects of all kinds.
In addition, there is also a basement of about 100 m² that for the moment will function as a warehouse, but it is not ruled out that it will be dedicated to a specific area later on. The new store is located in the old Editorial Seguí (Bonavista, 30, on the corner with Torrent de l'Olla), a modernist building from 1912 by the architect Andreu Audet i Puig.
According to Benavente, the opening is due to diversification so that not all income comes from the publisher, and it is one more step in the bookstore plan that began in 2020 in Alcorcón, continued the following year in Alicante and last September in the Arenas, and which will continue this year in the city of Valencia and next year in Galicia.
Benavente explains that they have rented the space for more than a year, because they planned to open it this past July, but it had to be delayed. As a result of the opening, the three Cosmic stores that had been the seed of the group in 1995 have closed, since later, little by little, they carried out publishing services, until in 2011 they got the DC Comics franchise and made a boom. Today the group has 117 workers –40 in the stores–, with various labels and its own printing press.
The store, Benavente concludes, wants to become a pole of attraction for readers and creators of the genre, and for this reason signatures and presentations, exhibitions or workshops for all ages will be held often – which will begin on the 25th with the creation of metal sheets. his Kodomo seal. For now, for the opening on Saturday they have prepared a series of surprises and gifts for attendees.
Catalan version, here
