Way back in the early 80's, I used to buy comics alot. Somehow the owner of this establishment, Dave Sincere, found out I was an artist (I probably told him) and asked me to do a flyer for him. I did and here it is presented in glorious black and white. I later did some other stuff for him...a business card and I can't remember what else. He was a nice guy. Everytime I went to the store he would tell me I was wasting my life...that I should be a comic book artist instead of going to college. Heck, maybe he was right...I don't know.I remember going into his shop one day and he introduced me to this strange fellow who had a comic idea and wanted to find an illustrator. I talked to him and found him to be from the planet Huge Geek. I still remember his idea too. It was something like "Mr. Sound Effects and the Unknown Mind." I think it was a telepath and a guy who could make sound effects. Wow! What a super power.
I also remember meeting Dave Dorman at the shop one day. He's a famous artist especially well-known for his Star Wars renderings. Look him up.
Anyway, I eventually moved away and stopped collecting comics. I don't know if Sincere Comics still exists in Pensacola or not but I hope it does. If so, thanks Dave, for giving me a little bit of work.
8 comments:
I hadn't thought about Dave and Sincere Comics in many years. I worked in his Fairfield Plaza store in 88 and 89. Dave was a bit trying to work for sometimes, but he was a stand-up guy. I remember meeting Dave Dorman there once too; he was signing autographs but I can't remember for what.
I remember those business cards...
Dave ended up moving to North 9 Mile Road for a while but his store there disappeared a few years back. I think his Mobile store is still open though.
Anyway, thanks for stirring the memories.
I ran into him in Orlando at MegaCon a couple of years ago. He told me at the time that he had closed all the stores in Pensacola and moved all the stuff to the store in Mobile. His shop in Pensacola was the first shop ever went to. I remember going there as much as I could from 1987 to 1993 or so. Eventually I made my way to Amazing Dave's (I lived down the street from there until it closed) and Pennymart / Legends Comics and TBS until I moved from Pensacola in 1997. I think all those are closed now :(
Justin
As of 2004 Dave is no longer in the comic book business (as far as I know). He ran into problems with the IRS and was forced to sell his entire store and his subscribers list.
Dave Sincere was an ass the rare times I went into his store. From his rants on not knowing how to hold a book to overpricing books and then giving a "discount" and the best of all giving negative feedback to buyers on ebay because he thought it was fun to ruin their perfect ratings.
The name David Sincere still has a foul stench in Mobile nearly 4 years since he's been gone.
im friends with his son, he used to tell me all the time about how his dad owned a comic store and i just find it awesome to come across your blog searching for random comic related stuff on google. neat poster.
I worked for Dave for a number of years. Mike Tessier and I ran that store for Dave at its peak. We had customers that would actually wait outside of the store until Dave left (which we would frequently do.) No complaints about that though...Dave was an ASS. Mike and I left for better things and Dave's store withered and died under his watch. I ran into Dave years later at DragonCon (I believe we was only doing shows at this point) and while I don't remember exactly what he said I do remember it showed he was just as big an ASS as he was when I knew him.
A.J.
Dave sincere and sincere comics are no longer in business in the mobile area, he treated his workers like garbage its a shame though
I can't believe I ran across this post! I used to run Sincere Comics for Dave at the Mobile location back in 1999-2000. I have never worked for a worse person! He was his own worst enemy! I too, had a slew of customers who wouldn't come into the store until he was gone. He treated everyone like complete DIRT! I'll never forget going to the post office with him once to ship out some Ebay books - he took a look at the missing kids notices on the wall, laughed and exclaimed loudly (in a full office, no less); "No since in looking for those kids - they're DEAD!" I think that pretty much summed the guy up. Seeing the IRS ruin him made me a firm believer in karma for sure.
Let's see...if I know Dave like I think I know Dave, let me guess...you got store credit in exchange, right? Dave was always trying to negotiate for something, but would usually pretend he didn't really need whatever it was you had....most likely so he could get away with it cheaper. He was also one of the most insulting, sarcastic people I ever knew. Over time, he got a little nicer to you, but if he ever let that facial crop get out of control, letting it turn into a big Grizzly Adams beard...man. Stay out of his way! It was as if the length of his facial hair were directly linked to his attitude.
A friend and I shopped in there regularly for years. We were both artists. My friend's talent was more refined and honed than mine and thanks to a couple meetings at comic conventions, he got some minor work on a independent book or two. Once Dave found out about my friend's abilities (I kept mine close to the vest since I knew Dave's reputation) Dave would often try to get some art in exchange for credit to which my friend would chuckle and then groan once we left. My friend eventually got in with DC Comics (I tried, but ended up taking a different path due to health issues - arthritis in the hands doesn't really like it when you draw continually) and met Brian Stelfreeze. Stelfreeze saw a drawing by my friend of a character of mine and a character of his and thought they were cool, so he drew them fighting each other and my friend inked it. When Dave found out about it, he was practically salivating and offered me the largest amount of store credit I'd ever heard him offer anybody. I led him to believe I'd "think about it". In actuality, there's no way on earth I'd EVER part with it. Partially because it's an original by Brian Stelfreeze, but also because it's got MY character on it. I have a copyright on him now, but back then I didn't know much about how that worked. Still got that drawing hanging up on the wall of my studio!
Eventually I got to a point where I was buying several copies of the same comics and buying tons each week. It was an addiction. I finally quit cold turkey. When I walked back in there at the store on 9 Mile Road (after he'd moved everything over there and closed the one in Town & Country Plaza) I walked past the new comics racks and broke out in a cold sweat. Had to get out of there quick...never went back.
I can't remember...was he at the one on Fairfield and then moved to Town & Country Plaza or the other way around? It was Fairfield first, right?
Heh...I still have my "Sincere Comics - Where Superheroes Meet" bumper sticker here on my filing cabinet.
Oh, by the way, "Extreme Justin"? TBS is still there. They still have comics and comic supplies, but their emphasis these days is on gaming. The store's full of gaming supplies and materials and game tables are set up down the middle of the store where they used to have old comics set up. Not sure about Pennymart / Legends Comics. There are a couple others out there now. Can't recall names, but one's on Mobile Highway about halfway to the Fairgrounds from Michigan Ave. and another on Pace.
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