4 Color Fantasies

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Name: Four Color Fantasies
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Address: 7172 Archibald Ave.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91701

Phone Number: (909) 563-8751

Hours of Operation:
Monday 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Tuesday 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Wednesday 12:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Thursday 12:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Friday 12:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM
Sunday 100:00 AM to 10:00 PM

When you first step foot into 4 Color Fantasies in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, you’d wonder if you REALLY set foot into a comic book shop. The lighting, cleanliness, friendly professionalism of the staff, and the organization seem to conflict with the neon logos in the front window, or the life-sized Silver Surfer and Hulk standing guard over the computer gaming section. A television at the opposite end from the door displays various genre movies (although the last time I was in there, it was playing the recent Bond update “Casino Royale,” which I’m NOT going to complain about!) flanked by Captain America shields.  Nicely organized new comics span the wall on the left hand side, with recent back issues in boxes underneath.  A long row of tables down the center can contain anything from local artists working on their craft, to CCG players waging battle. Scattered around the store are various statues and pop culture paraphernalia, along with items for the miniature gamer or the collectible card gamer.

When I first set foot into this shop a couple years ago, I was a little nervous. I was used to the hungry glare of a comic book shopkeep, the kind that just bores into you telling you to buy something or get out, don’t waste his time.  After being in there a couple minutes, I started to relax. I had received a smile and a greeting, the invitation to let them know if I had any questions, but past that? They weren’t watching me, I wasn’t feeling pressured, I just felt welcome to take my time, browse over their wares, and ask if I had any questions.

This turns out to be deliberate. Chris, the owner, tries to walk that fine line between losing the GOOD comic shop feel, and making the place seem like a dungeon-like cave that reeks of old paper and a men’s locker room. The store is well-lit and inviting, is full of product without feeling cluttered, and just has a pleasant warm atmosphere to it. They do their best to remember their customers, and their likes.  Little perks they have range from the standard pull list service all the way to the new release comics already bagged and boarded for you.

Other perks they have go WAY beyond their already excellent day-to-day offerings. First, is Free Comic Book Day. For those that don’t know, Free Comic Book Day is a day where companies put out special comics for retailers to give out for free, normally a good mix of kids stuff, mainstream stuff, and some lesser known stuff mixed in, all with the intent to try to get more people interested in the medium.  Most retailers just throw them out on a table for people to sort through, and have a sale on back issues. But for 4 Color, it’s not just a promotion, it’s a CELEBRATION of comics! It encompasses not only their store, but the surrounding parking lot!  When I dropped by in 2009, not only were they passing out comics in the store, but they also had local artists signing and promoting their works, a bounce house and playthings for the kids, a grill with hot dogs, and the local 501st and Rebel Legion groups there.  And this year, they’re looking to have even more.

Later on in the year, they also had their push for 24 Hour Comics Day. Local artists took up the table and set out to fulfil the conditions of the challenge. In support of this, 4 Color was also open 24 hours straight to help the creators in their push.  It’s little things like this that shows the love and support the team at 4 Color has for the medium.

To sum it up, 4 Color Fantasies is a very comfortable store with a good selection of Modern Age comics and new releases, miniatures and card, a nice PC Gaming Center, and plenty of comic book items from T-Shirt to Toys to Cold Cast statues. They welcome anyone, young and old, male and female (and hey, anywhere in the middle! We don’t judge!) in to check out this wonderful medium. They are a valuable geek resource in the Inland Empire, and they get this Geek Explorer’s Thumbs Up.

So, fellow Geeks, have you been to 4 Color Fantasies before? Did you check it out because of what you read here? Give me your feedback in the comment section below!

In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night,
Tony