Van's Comics and Games With Store Owner, Travis

We're chatting with Van's Comics and Games store owner, Travis.

The store is located in Ridgeland, Mississippi, and was originally owned by Van, hence the name. Van is a family friend of Travis and owned the store for 20 years before passing the torch. At the time, the focus was on comics. There are currently 80-100,000 unique back issues. When the reigns were passed, Travis kept the store name to recognize the legacy Van had built. With 8+ years under his belt, Travis's store is 28 years old and counting.

Originally from Toronto, Canada, Travis has a passion for Warhammer 40,000 and also enjoys Magic: The Gathering. With 1,500-2,000 sq. ft. of play space, the former supports 10 6x4 full-size wooden tables for players. Overall, the store is 6,000 sq. ft. The store supports 100 people for card games and can expand the space to 300-400 people for major tournaments.

In addition to gaming, Travis and his wife's family own all the Papa John's restaurants in the area, so there's always free pizza for events. Moreover, the store has a full bar so customers can grab a drink between games. Should players have their fill at the game store, Travis also owns a restaurant called Black Axes, where customers can go to grab food and a drink or partake in axe throwing.

With 6 employees, excluding the owners, Travis and the team always think of unique ideas for the store. For example, this year (2024), they're holding a carnival in the store's parking lot.

While he never looks to throw the same party twice, Travis is always marinating new plans. For example, he's looking to expand the store to 12,000 sq. ft.