That is why today’s Tony’s Superhero Saturdays™ spotlight is not just about the characters printed on the page. It is about the people who make sure those pages still reach the hands of readers. Comic book shop owners may not wear capes, but they guard one of the most important parts of comic book culture: the local shop, the community space and the place where fandom becomes family.

Some heroes walk quietly into a hospital room wearing a cape, a mask, or a carefully crafted suit of armor—and in that moment, the world changes for someone who desperately needs hope. For a child battling illness…For a fan meeting their hero for the first time…For a crowd gathered at a convention celebrating the stories they love… Cosplayers bring imagination to life. There’s something magical about seeing a superhero step off the pages of a comic book and into the real w

Spaces where imagination is celebrated. Spaces where creativity flourishes. Spaces where people who might feel “different” in everyday life suddenly realize they are surrounded by thousands of people just like them. Comic conventions—better known as comic cons—are one of those spaces. And on this Friday the 13th, it feels especially fitting to talk about the favor of safe spaces for creativity, fandom, and joy.