More thoughts on Jimmy Jams

I want to echo what Josh said about the passing of our favorite store, Jimmy Jams, and add two more cents.

I remember the first time I saw the store. Josh and I were fans of the Winona store, and one day I was driving along Broadway and saw "Jimmy Jams" on the sign at Northbrook Shopping Center. I immediately pulled the car in and checked to see if it was the real deal, and it was. I had such a look of joy on my face when I walked in that I think I scared the bejesus out of the random guy who was working at the time. I immediately called Josh to tell him the good news, and we went back that night to bask in the store's glow again. Soon after that, they held their first Free Comic Book Day, which was when I met Mark's wife, Susan, and the four of us became fast friends.

Though I'm not nearly as big into comics as Josh, I always loved looking through the shelves at Jimmy Jams, seeing if there was a new "Birds of Prey" trade paperback or perhaps some random new indie comic I'd enjoy. And 24-hour game day was always a hoot. I'll never forget when we first learned how to play "Betrayal at House on the Hill" - now my favorite board game.

Like Josh said, sometimes it was easy to forget you were in a store when you visited Jimmy Jams. I'd take that one step further. I grew up in Rochester, but my parents moved away shortly after I got my own place. Once Josh and I moved to the east coast, whenever I visited Rochester I found Jimmy Jams to be my "home base," that one, consistent place you can visit at any time, see old friends, and feel, well, at home. It reminds me of the things and people I liked in Rochester. Sometimes when I was in town for work I would drop in and surprise Mark, who always greeted me with a big smile and a hug. Though I know he'll still greet me with a smile and a hug when I visit the area, the idea of losing that place "where everybody knows your name" breaks my heart.

I have so many happy memories of the store. In fact, I was so committed to the store's welfare that I kept my comic book subscriptions through them even after I moved out here. I guess one woman's purchasing power isn't enough to make up for a troubled economy, but regardless of its passing, Jimmy Jams will always remain in my heart as a special place where we had a lot of fun.