| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Comics Pop Culture Collectables |
| Genre | Retail |
| Founded | Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S., 1980 |
| Founder(s) | Paul Howley |
| Headquarters | Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Number of locations | 2 |
| Area served | New England |
| Key people | Paul Howley |
| Products | Comics Video games DVDs Magic: the Gathering Toys Role-playing games Vinyl Record Albums Trading Cards Autographs |
| Owner(s) | Paul Howley |
| Website | ThatsE.com |
That's Entertainment is an Eisner Award-winning [1] [2] comics and collectibles store in Worcester, Massachusetts. Michael Warshaw concisely referred to the store in a Worcester Magazine article on 5/5/05 as "the pop culture emporium located in the ancient former auto dealership at 244 Park Ave." [3] The store has also been called the "purveyors of pop culture in Worcester, specializing in the philosophy of the underground... you’ll uncover comics, graphic novels, music, ‘zines, games, t-shirts and other arbitrary items that bring joy to those who hold the ethos of a particular generation dear to their consumer hearts." [4]
The store was first opened by Paul Howley in 1980 [5] at a 2,000 sq ft (190 m2) location on Chandler Street in Worcester. In 1989, he added a second location with the purchase of a comic shop in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. In 1992, the original That's Entertainment store was moved to its present location, a 20,000 sq ft (1,900 m2) building on Park Ave. in Worcester, and a 10,000 sq ft (930 m2) retail and events space was created. [6] The store stocks comic books, including alternative comics and new indy titles, [7] trade paperbacks, and related items. The store also carries other trading cards, including sports cards and Magic, The Gathering, along with anime, role-playing games, vintage video games and systems, and other toys and collectibles. [8][9]
In 1997, That's Entertainment was one of three stores that received a "Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award" from Comic-Con International: San Diego. The award, named for comic book creator Will Eisner, recognizes "an individual retailer who has done an outstanding job of supporting the comics art medium both in the community and within the industry at large". [1] [2]
That's Entertainment's "reluctant acceptance of life after the on-line auction" was the subject of a six-page article in the May 2000 issue of the national magazine Inc. The article, by writer Anne Marie Borrego, was titled "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and (Almost) Love eBay." Borrego examined how That's Entertainment specifically, as a traditional brick and mortar collectibles retailer, was contending with the sudden growth of on-line competition in the collectibles market. [10]
On July 18, 1998, Harvey Ball, the earliest known designer of the Smiley, [11] appeared at That's Entertainment to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the design's inception. Ball met fans and signed Smiley pins and art, as well as some copies of the Watchmen comic. [12] Television pioneer Rex Trailer appeared in 2006 to mark the 50th anniversary of Boomtown by meeting his fans, singing songs, and signing autographs. A video report on that event is posted to the Worcester Telegram website. [13] That's Entertainment has participated in the annual, world-wide Free Comic Book Day every year since the event was launched. In 2009, the store presented a "Pro-Am Comic Jam", inviting "aspiring artists of all ages" to meet with a group of professional artists to compare perspectives on comic art. It was the fourth occurrence of this event since 1996. [14]