VALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) – Andre Oliver remembers the years toward the end of his time in the United States Air Force – a time he spent going to comic book shops to analyze how they were run and how the owners treated people who walked through the door.
He was looking to start his own comic book shop and wanted to see what worked and what didn’t, eventually opening the doors to Kool Comics in 2002.
Oliver said he remembers feeling a sense of trepidation leaving the military initially to start the shop.
“I didn’t necessarily receive the support from family and friends that I needed to feel as eager as I do now about what I do,” Oliver said.
But by August, Kool Comics will mark 20 years in business: a staple of the community and the longest-running comic book shop in the history of Lowndes County and surrounding areas.