Orlando Is Getting A Giant Comic Shop With A Noodle Bar

It seems somewhat appropriate for a tourist mecca like Orlando to be getting a comic shop that’s an attraction in and of itself — especially on International Drive, which seemed in my youth like a never-ending sprawl of retail and restaurants — and that’s exactly what Gods & Monsters sounds like. Opening this November in the Artegon Marketplace Orlando, the comics, collectibles and memorabilia shop will boast the Transmetropolitan Gallery to show off sculptures, custom toys and original art, the Offworld L.O.U.N.G.E. for snacks and tabletop gaming, and the White Dragon Noodle Bar, which is probably exactly what it sounds like.

All that takes a lot of space, 19,000 square feet, to be exact, which the owners claim will make Gods & Monsters the second largest comic shop in the country. What’s first, and can this claim be verified? We have the Bam Smack Pow research interns on the case.

The store will also have an ambitious themed interior designed by people who have done scenic effects at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. And, as you can imagine, the owners plan on having all kinds of events there, from creator signings to movie premieres to mini-conventions.

Now for the catch: Gods & Monsters ain’t going to be cheap to build. It’s more than halfway through its Indiegogo campaign as I type this, and it’s only at around 10 percent of its $40,000 goal. Most distressingly, no one has backed it at the highest reward levels, where you get to do stuff like have sushi with Neil Gaiman or drink whiskey with Warren Ellis (over Skype, but still). The owners have money from investors to handle the lease, payroll and logistics, but they still need additional funding for the actual build-out of the store.

Even Gods & Monsters, it seems, need help from mere mortals at times, so if you live in the Orlando area and want an awesome new place to geek out, go check out the campaign now.

(via Orlando Business Journal)