That's Entertainment (comic shop)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Comics Pop culture Collectables |
| Genre | Retail |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Founder | Paul Howley |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Number of locations | 2 |
Area served | New England |
Key people | Paul Howley |
| Products | Comics Video games DVDs Magic: the Gathering Toys Role-playing games Vinyl Record Albums Trading Cards Autographs |
| Owner | Paul Howley |
| Website | ThatsE.com |
That's Entertainment is a comics and collectibles store in Worcester, Massachusetts.[1]
The store was first opened by Paul Howley in 1980[2] at a 2,000 sq ft (190 m2) location on Chandler Street in Worcester. On October 12, 1989, he added a second location with the purchase of a comic shop in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. At the start of business on July 1, 1992, That's Entertainment had been moved into its present location, a 20,000 sq ft (1,900 m2) former auto dealership[3] on Park Ave. in Worcester, and a 10,000 sq ft (930 m2) retail and events space was created.[4] The store stocks comic books, including alternative comics and new indy titles,[5] trade paperbacks, and related items. The store also carries other trading cards, including sports cards and Magic: The Gathering, along with anime, role-playing games, vintage video games and systems, and other toys and collectibles.[6][7]
In 1997, That's Entertainment was one of three stores that received a "Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award" from San Diego Comic-Con. The award, named for comic book creator Will Eisner, recognizes "an individual retailer who has done an outstanding job of supporting the comics art medium both in the community and within the industry at large".[8][9]
That's Entertainment's "reluctant acceptance of life after the on-line auction" was the subject of a six-page article in the May 2000 issue of the national magazine Inc. The article, by writer Anne Marie Borrego, was titled "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and (Almost) Love eBay." Borrego examined how That's Entertainment specifically, as a traditional brick and mortar collectibles retailer, was contending with the sudden growth of on-line competition in the collectibles market.[10]
On July 18, 1998, Harvey Ball, the earliest known designer of the Smiley,[11] appeared at That's Entertainment to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the design's inception. Ball met fans and signed Smiley pins and art, as well as some copies of the Watchmen comic.[12]
Television pioneer Rex Trailer appeared in 2006 to mark the 50th anniversary of Boomtown by meeting his fans, singing songs, and signing autographs. A video report on that event is posted to the Worcester Telegram website.[13] In an encore of sorts, On September 11, 2011, Trailer appeared at the Fitchburg That's Entertainment to meet fans, sing songs and sign free autographs as he marked the 55th anniversary of Boomtown. Trailer sang a song he wrote to honor the victims of 9/11, I Appreciate You.[14]
That's Entertainment has participated in the annual, worldwide Free Comic Book Day every year since the event was launched. In 2009, the store presented a "Pro-Am Comic Jam", inviting "aspiring artists of all ages" to meet with a group of professional artists to compare perspectives on comic art. It was the fourth occurrence of this event since 1996.[15]