Based in Los Angeles, The Comic Den has a unique heart and soul that is felt as soon as you enter the shop. Comic book readers will feel at home with the wall of new releases, graphic novels, and an indie section that celebrates local talent. But what makes The Comic Den special, is its owner Josef Woods.

It would be easy to associate the city of Houston as being synonymous with NASA, oil companies, and an extensive range of cuisines. However, a hidden charm of this city of sprawl is its connection to a rich and vibrant literary scene.

Writer and native-Houstonian Milton Lawson has crafted an epic story by simply asking: What if Orson Welles’ legendary War of the Worlds radio broadcast wasn’t a dramatization?

Based out of St. Louis, Steenz Stewart is the lead cartoonist for the syndicated comic strip Heart of the City and co-creator of the graphic novel Side Quest: A Visual History of Roleplaying Games.

Keaton Patterson’s passion for sequential art stories extends beyond the casual reader. As a book buyer for Houston’s oldest indie bookstore, Patterson doesn’t just keep a pulse for what’s popular, but influences a growing readership in comics and graphic novels.

For more than 15 years comic books have had an unsung champion whose work creates new readers and empowers indie creators. Moni Barrette is an energetic force to be reckoned with and a never-ending idea machine on ways to better community—which makes sense—after all, she is a Librarian.