Hello from inside the Vortex. It is February 19th, and we’ve been open a full week. And what a successful week it’s been! Thanks to everyone who stopped by over the last seven days to check the store out and show your support.
For those who haven’t yet had a chance to stop by, but intend to do so this week, a reminder that we are open Wednesday through Saturday, 10am to 9pm, and Sunday 10am to 5pm. We are closed Monday and Tuesday.
If you are visiting from out of town, we’ve put together a list of nearby lodging and travel options, as well as other nearby tourist locations. You can find that here.
If you live out of state and are unable to visit, we have an online store here. While we don’t have all of our inventory available in the online store (given that our stock is constantly refreshed) we do offer limited quantities of books that have been signed in store during events, and the ability to pre-order signed books from upcoming events. Please note that if you are a local customer, anything ordered via the website MUST be shipped to you, as we cannot refund postage. The online store is for those who don’t have the ability or means to shop in person.
For those who’ve been asking — due to popular demand, WE WILL BE CARRYING NEW COMIC BOOKS! It will be a few weeks before the distributors can begin sericing us, but in the meantime, stop on by this week and give us your pull list, so that we can set you up with a subscription.
Finally, we’ll be posting new arrivals and inventory daily on social media. You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky.
UPCOMING EVENT CALENDAR
Remember that we host Magic the Gathering every Sunday from noon until 4pm. This is casual play. Cards from any set and any era are welcome. Banned cards are welcome. The only house rules are minimum 60 card deck, no more than 4 cards of the same type (excluding lands) in a deck, be kind and considerate to other players, and have fun. The dates for MTG are February 25, March 3, March 10, March 17, and March 24.
Also happening in the coming weeks:
Vortex Writer Group
Friday, March 8th
6:00pm to 8:00pm
Writers of all levels (from aspiring to professional) and all genres are invited to join us for an informal gathering. Bring your friends or make new ones! Talk shop! Network! Meet local peers! Be among people who get you!Horror Trivia
Thursday, March 14th
6:00pm to 7:30pm
Our own Mary SanGiovanni hosts Horror Trivia Night — an informal and fun time for the whole family. Compete in a group or as an individual. Free prizes for the winners!Open Mic Night
Friday, March 22nd7:00pm PM 9:00pm
Join us for our very first open mic night. How does it work? You show up and sign up. Then, when it’s your turn, you can read your story or poem, spit some verses, do your stand-up routine… whatever you want. Each person is limited to ten minutes maximum, so that all participants get a turn. While we don’t censor, we would remind you that this is a public event space, so please keep material to an R-rating. And no, you are not required to perform. Feel free to just be part of the audience!Signing: Somer Canon, Stephen Kozeniewski, Wesley Southard, and Wile E. Young
Saturday, March 30th
1:00pm to 4:00pm
Join us for our inaugural book signing event! We’ll be joined by award-winning authors Somer Canon, Stephen Kozeniewski, Wesley Southard, and Wile E. Young. There will be a Q&A with them from 1pm until 2pm, and then they will sign books from 2pm until 4pm. We will have books for purchase at the store. You may also bring books from home to be signed (although we ask that if you do, you also make a purchase while at the store as a courtesy).
Also at some point in March, we will have a dedication ceremony for the memorial to J.F. Gonzalez and Dave Thomas. A portion of each of their remains will reside in the store, along with memorabilia from their careers, so that their fans and friends can come pay their respects. More on this as information becomes available.
VORTEX BESTSELLER LIST
Our Top Five Best-Selling Titles For Our First Week of Business
1. Necronomicon by Simon
2. Beyond the Seventh Gate by Timothy Renner
3. Marvel Zombies: Black, White and Blood #4 by Various
4. The Perfectly Fine Neighborhood edited by Stephen Kozeniewski, Wile E. Young, and Kaleigh Dobbs
5. The House of Last Resort by Christopher Golden
OUR MASCOT
Many of you have asked about the seven-foot Satyr statue inside the store. His name is Hylinus and he is based on a character from the novel Dark Hollow, which is available in store.
Hylinus was built by Paul Campion for a movie adaptation of that book. Paul, of course, is the director of such horror films as The Devil’s Rock and The Naughty List, and has done special effects for such films as Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Constantine, and Lord of the Rings (including working on the Balrog).
Unfortunately, the studio ultimately decided not to go ahead with the movie, so Paul shipped Hylinus across the ocean to America, where he resided at our home — first in our podcast studio, and later in Brian’s office. Then we added three kittens to our home, all of whom mistook Hylinus for a scratching post, and caused major damage to him.
Enter filmmaker Mike Lombardo - writer and director of I’m Dreaming of A White Doomsday, The Stall, Suburban Holocaust, and special effects for Fast Zombies Suck. Mike repaired and restored Hylinus to his former glory in tiem for him to take up residence in his new permanent home, Vortex Books & Comics.
You are very welcome to take selfies with Hylinus. We ask only that you treat him with respect and don’t touch, same as you would with any other museum piece.
And that does it for this time. Thanks again for your initial patronage and support. We look forward to seeing you inside the Vortex!
— Brian and Mary
I'm looking forward to making my way out there.