In sad news, it had been announced that Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles will be closing after April 1st.

Meltdown is a nationally known store that’s been about for 25 years and is important in the LA comedy scene as well as the comics scene.  Among other things, it was physically the launching point for the Nerdist empire.

Says Nerdist:

Much like the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater gave rise to a generation of comedians that cracked us up on TV and in movies, Meltdown and its theater–which was curated in association with Nerdist–the Nerdmelt Showroom served as a launching pad for some of the funniest and most creative individuals in Hollywood to hone their craft before breaking big. What began as Kumail Nanjiani, Jonah Ray, and Emily V. Gordon’s weekly stand-up showcase transformed into a television show on Comedy Central. A recording studio in the building’s attic served as ground zero for Chris Hardwick’s sprawling media empire, beginning with the podcast formerly known as The Nerdist Podcast. And that was just the tip of the iceberg. It allowed so many artists, writers, comedians, performers, and fans to have a shared community of creative, nerdy, wonderful people who came together to wear their passions on their sleeve in what felt like an oasis. As a cultural institution and a community center, Meltdown will be sorely missed.

And the Nerdist folks are as qualified as anyone to comment on Meltdown.  They also had a letter from Meltdown founder Gaston Dominguez-Letelier:

To The City of Angels,

As is the case with all good things, at some point they must come to an end. Meltdown Comics is no exception to this rule and so, after 25 years coveting every comic treasure we could lay our hands on, I’m sharing that on March 30th I’ll be closing our doors for the final time.

No business is easy, least of all one rooted in paper surrounded by brick and mortar, yet against all odds we survived just long enough to host, share, and celebrate some of the most creative and imaginative artists in the world. It has been my personal privilege to welcome so many incredibly talented minds through our doors giving them and their work a home in this great city of ours.

And what a wonderfully surreal run it’s been… we’ve watched every fad, trend, and next big thing come and go while customers became celebrities, children blossomed to adults, geeks morphed into moguls, and fanboys scored Oscars. Throughout it all, I’ve been most fortunate to be surrounded by my family and the best staff anyone could have ever wished for – through thick and thin you supported Meltdown and invested in me, I will never be able to repay you but know that I am eternally grateful and forever in your debt.

As I prepare to extinguish Sunset’s neon know that there is a new path for me (more later) and I close Meltdown without any regret. For 25 years I have been enriched by every inquisitive mind I have encountered on this journey and for that I humbly thank you, all of you.

In signing off, I urge you all to continue creating comics, buying comics, and supporting the comic book world that has given us all so much over the years.

For one last time, #LetsgoMELTDOWN!

Thank you, LA

Sincerely,

Gaston DL
Meltdown Comics 
October 26, 1993 – April 1, 2018

It always hurts to see a store close, but this one is a little more troubling as it was an important store for independent comics.

Joshua Fialkov sums it up:

3 COMMENTS

  1. This is indeed sad news. Gaston and his staff always put on great events, and the store was stocked with lots of great stuff in an inviting environment. They even had a separate kids store (“Baby Melt”) for a while. It was always worth a trip to L.A. just to go to Meltdown. Too many great stores are closing!

  2. Comics will survive, one way or another. But the era of comic shops — and the pamphlets they sell — may be nearing an end.

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