A cowardly act...

I just learned of some very sad and disturbing news. After reading at my friends blog, Get Stop Ticket, it appears that the owner and operator of our local comic book store (when we were younger), was a victim in a shooting at his store, Apparitions Comics.

David Pirkola now stays in critical but stable condition at a local hospital. He was the always present and friendly owner that simply had a passion for comics. And like most owners in that industry, was in it for the love, and not necessarily for his wallet. David did not have insurance, and now the store is threatened. iFanboy has set up a paypal account to help in not only his medical bills, but in keeping the store afloat. He has been receiving help already from many friends across the industry.

I grew up in Grand Rapids, MI (more specifically the southeast neighborhoods of Ada, Cascade, Lowell and Kentwood). Apparitions Comics was the haven for me and many of my friends as one of the only comic book shops in not only the town, but that region of the state. It was a place where we could all tune our nerdery and check out the latest comic books, trade paperbacks, manga, ccg's, etc. Needless to say, this is shocking to hear of this kind of news in a neighborhood where that is mostly unheard of.

So donate what you can, or at the very least, stop in the store (which will be kept open by fellow co-owner Stephen Jahner.

Comic store owner critically hurt in shooting [link]
Fund Raising to Help David Pirkola [link]

A cowardly act...