Returning like Batman does to Gotham City in the Frank Miller classic The Dark Knight Returns, Wayside Tavern is back and this time a lot more “geeky,” as it transforms into Wayside Comics & Cocktails in downtown Newmarket.
After temporarily closing the tavern in early August to morph it into a comic book store with a bar aspect, owner Omar Saer had a soft opening of the business Aug. 30, with its grand opening set for this Saturday, Oct. 21.
At the heart of many comic book stories are heroes looking to make a positive difference in the world, and Saer said that while celebrating the opening he wants to do good for the community, too.
“When you’re surrounded by super heroes and heroism, we also want to try and do a bit of good,” he said. “Especially with what’s going on in the world and with the economy.”
Having seen those close to him needing to lean on services such as food banks, Saer wanted to help raise funds for the Newmarket Food Pantry with a charity raffle.
“I know firsthand how important food banks are,” he said. “You see how many people are using the community fridge and there’s a very big need for it.”
With plenty of prizes, including the Superior Spider-Man Omnibus, The Ghost in the Shell: Fully Compiled, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Compendium, Vol. 2, raffle tickets are $3 each and a bag of non-perishable food items gets three tickets.
“We’re trying to incentivize people to donate and help give them an extra boost to help a good cause,” Saer said. “I know everybody is tight right now, so if we can do something to help encourage it, then at the end of the day if we can fill up the fridge, that’s a win. We want to do good while having fun.”
To make the grand opening extra special, Saer is opting to do it convention style to showcase talent.
“One of the goals we have with the shop is connecting creators with customers,” he said. “When I was a kid, the comic book store used to always have signings. It was before Comicon exploded and you could meet creators and talk to them.”
Saer said that it bridged the gap between looking at the work on the pages of comic books and getting to pick the brains behind the ideas and the art.
“I wanted to go back to that and every month I want to bring new people up to the shop,” he said. “I went down to Fan Expo this year and was able to source some really great talent. People were super warm and inviting and open to the idea of coming up.”
A lifelong comic book fan, owning a comic book store has always been a “pipe dream,” Saer said, and it feels surreal that the grand opening is almost here.
“Our shop is a response to all the stores in the area shutting down,” he said. “I’m super excited to be able to bring comic books back to Newmarket.”
For Saer, the most important thing about following his dream and officially opening up Wayside Comics & Cocktails, is that he sees it as a way to connect with the community.
“What’s different about our shop is that it’s not just a shop with the bar,” he said. “The bar part of what we do is to create a community space. It really lets us get to know you.”
Sometimes your friends aren’t geeky people, Saer said, and he hopes this allows those in the community who love comic books to find like-minded people in Newmarket.
“That’s also why we try to do in-house events that encourage conversation,” he said. “We watch bad movies on Fridays and Saturdays, and it really opens people up. By the end of the night, nobody is not talking in the shop.”
With bringing the community together and giving back to it among Saer’s priorities, he says they plan to do more fundraisers in the future.
“If we want to build community, we also have to support community,” he said.
The grand opening will be at Wayside Comics & Cocktails, 198 Main St. S., Saturday, Oct. 21 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and feature guests such as Mike Del Mundo, Kurt Lehner, and Fred Kennedy. Learn more about Wayside Comics & Cocktails here.
