We stopped in the local comic book store tonight to do a little browsing. I’m not a regular, but I feel at home here. The staff is great and there’s so much to look at and it stirs up all of my childhood memories and emotions. The comic book industry has changed immensely since I frequented stores 30+ years ago. Comics are a bigger part of popular culture now and gaming is a huge part of the scene as well.

The biggest change, though, is the amount of cool stuff that’s out there now. Tonight I could’ve walked out with an R2-D2 backpack, a Spiderman Jell-O mold, and a Walking Dead purse (for my wife, obviously). These were things we didn’t even dream of owning back in the day.

The store is participating in Free Comic Book Day. I haven’t been to one in years and planned on going to this one when I realized May 2, 2015, is going to be a HUGE day: Free Comic Book Day, the Kentucky Derby, and the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight.

I’m excited and already getting tired just thinking about it. And I can’t wait.