Comic Book Haven

By: Nick Silvestri
Posted In: News

The Comic Book Annex Shop, which is located on 314 Broadway in Newport, R.I., is one of the hidden gems of this special town. Now owned and operated by Wayne Roger Klackenbush, the store has made great leaps and bounds since it was opened over 15 years ago, in 1994.

With a vast assortment of comics, this store has been a haven for comic book collectors and traders since it opened. With a very cool and laid back staff, it is an experience to walk around Wayne’s shop and check out all the comics that this store showcases.

After celebrating the shops 15th anniversary, Wayne has bigger plans for his shop. He believes the one thing that Newport lacks is a true respect for “junk culture.” He wants to bring this respect back to a town he feels desperately needs it.

Q: How did you get into collecting comic books?

A: I have been an avid reader and collector of comic books as long as I can remember, since maybe I was about 8 years old. I enjoyed comic books so much, I went to an Arts school in New York City and got my Bachelors Degree in Arts.

Q: How did you end up becoming the owner of this shop?

A: From 1994 to 1998, I worked here at the shop and after awhile, the owner of the shop lost her passion for comics and simply did not want to work here anymore. She sold the shop to me in 1998, and ever since that point I have been the proud owner of this shop.

Q: Approximately how many comic books do you have in here?

A: The number sort of fluctuates on a weekly basis. But, if I had to guess I would estimate that there are approximately 36,000 comics in this shop.

Q: What would you say is your rarest comic book that you have in this shop?

A: This changes pretty frequently as well. But, right now I can tell you that the rarest comic that I have is Fantastic Four No. 49 which came out in 1967, over 40 years ago.

Q: I see that there are many action figures, DVDs, and trading cards in here. What made you decide to add these in here?

A: I figured it would be a good idea to provide something in here other than comic books. I know that my store is called the “Comic Book Annex,” but I figured it would be a good idea to try to expand the horizons of this store a bit and try to find things that would appeal to everyone.

Q: Out of all your comic books in the store, what would you say is your most valuable one?

A: A lot of people misconstrue this idea. The overall value of a comic is not how much you paid for it at this time or how much you believe it will be worth in 10 years. Money is secondary when you are talking about this issue of how much a comic book is worth. The value of a comic is determined by how much you enjoyed reading that particular comic, and how much it means to you. The pure enjoyment of reading is what really matters, not the money value.