Comics & Geeks | Black, Woman, and Geeky

In 2015, I was visiting one of my local comic book shops for Free Comic Book Day and outside on the sidewalk was a young black woman with a table set up.

I had Junior Fan Squad with me at the time (only 6 years old!) and we met Lashawn Colvin, the artist behind a new comic she was promoting called Beautiful Soldiers.

Now fast forward 5 years later and Colvin is the second ever Black woman to own a comic book store in the U.S.

My sister and I visited the store for the grand opening on Halloween and quickly fell in love with the chill vibe of the place. Traditional comic book stores usually have so many tables and boxes of comics and huge displays that you can barely move around the place. But Comics & Geeks felt just right. Comics lining the wall, couches to chill on, a gaming center in the back, and a beverage station in the middle.

(Click through the photos below and see for yourself!)

After my eyes glazed over after seeing some Sailor Moon merch on a table, my sister and I chopped it with Lashawn to talk about our mutual love of the Pretty Guardian. We shared how we introduced my niece to Sailor Moon during the COVID lockdown in March/April and how we had a Sailor Moon birthday party for her in September. She was so excited there was a new “Moonie” around. We all agreed that Sailor Moon in the 90s was life changing.

But clearly it was truly life changing for her. 

She says that her love of Sailor Moon is what made her realize that she could draw, and Power Rangers inspired her love of Storytelling. Her comic Beautiful Soldiers is due to debut in 2021.

According to her bio on her website, she got into the comic book industry in early 2014 as a Comic Book Editor and was hired to run Short Fuse Media Groups “Red Band“ label as Editor-n-Chief before they canceled all the titles under the label in 2019. 

As an indie artist herself, Lashawn finds it important to support her fellow indie creators too. Earlier in the day, she had the creators behind “Tuskegee Heirs,” Greg Burnham and Marcus Williams, signing their work. I’ve loved seeing them around the Comic Con circuit the last couple of years and have one of my own signed pieces from them.

The geek space is largely a white and male dominated space. But I’m so happy that Lashawn is making history with the store and showing folks that Geeky can be black and female. (I totally identify with this, duh!) And to have a spot right here in my hometown of Montgomery, AL is the chef’s kiss.

Please go by and support Comics & Geeks at 1264 Perry Hill Road Tuesday-Saturday 10am-7pm and Sunday from 1-5pm. And if you’re not in the area, you can support online at comics-and-geeks.com.