Photography by Matt Marcinkowski
Martin Casas
Don’t call it a comic book store.
Sure, Apotheosis Comics & Lounge on South Grand sells the timeless comic books and graphic novels that you’d expect. But it’s also a place to grab a beer, see a standup comedy show, take a drawing class, or play a game of Dungeons & Dragons. And with a second location now open in the former Foam Coffee and Beer building on Cherokee Street, owner Martin Casas has room to devote to all of the things that make Apotheosis more than a comic book shop.
The comic book industry is at a crossroads, and for Casas—and his fellow shop owners across the country—thinking beyond comics is necessary for survival. Although blockbuster movie franchises based on series such as The Avengers are breaking box office records, that interest hasn’t necessarily translated to sales of comics themselves. That, coupled with the fact that profit margins on comic books are razor thin, means it’s hard to keep a shop afloat in 2021—unless you have more to offer.
Which is why, in nearly four years of operation, Casas has strived to give Apotheosis customers not just a reason to shop but also a reason to stay. “The idea of hanging out in a comic book store on a Friday night is not really something you might think to do,” Casas says, “but if you have some sort of new canned cocktail to try and we can make it a fun experience for you, then, yeah, you’ll do it.”
That’s also the hope at the Cherokee Street location, where Casas is expanding his beverage service. It has a larger selection of beer and cocktails, and a coffee program is in the works. Because the building once served as a live music venue, it’s already set up to host the open mic nights, workshops, and other events that Apotheosis has been offering in Tower Grove South.
Still, comic books will remain the main draw. A quick look at the walls, painted to resemble the panel designs of traditional comic books, gives customers a good sense of where they are.
“I want this store to have more of a focus on the pop culture aspects of comics,” Casas says. “My goal is to open up the field of comics to people and see what kind of crossover we can get.”
Books & Brews
3 pairings to check out at Apotheosis Comics
Remember the comic books of your childhood? Remember how you were not legally allowed to enjoy an adult beverage with them? Well, now you can (assuming you’re 21 or older). Here, Apotheosis Comics’ beer hero Rebecca Kearney picks three pairings. —Caroline Kopsky
La Mano del Destino paired with Steve Austin’s Broken Skull IPA by El Segundo Brewing
“La Mano del Destino tells the tale of a once-champion luchador, who, after being betrayed by his friends and unmasked in the ring, agrees to a Faustian bargain with a mysterious promoter,” Kearney says. What better beer to enjoy with this than one by pro wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin?
Loki: Mistress of Mischief paired with Surly Brewing’s Mapping the Multiverse
“This IPA, much like the future of the Marvel movies, is hazy,” Kearney says.
We Only Find Them When They’re Dead paired with Brick River Cider Co.’s Firehouse Rosé
The story: Space miners make their living harvesting the bodies of dead space gods. However, this crew has a different agenda: to find the first living god. You’d need a good post-work drink if that were your 9-to-5. Enter the Firehouse Rosé.
