Million year picnic (comic book store) explained

The Million Year Picnic ("the Picnic"), is a comic book store located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1974, the Picnic is the oldest comic book store in New England, and one of the longest standing comic specialty stores in the United States.[1] [2] [3]

History

In 1974, Jerry Norton Weist (1949–2011), an author, bookseller, and comic book and fantasy art collector,[4] formed a partnership with Chuck Wooley to open one of the first comic books specialty stores in North America, called The Million Year Picnic, named for a short story in Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles.[5] [6] Weist was the author of The Original Comic Art Identification and Price Guide (1992), Ray Bradbury: An Illustrated Life (2002), and The 100 Greatest Comic Books (2004). With the permission of EC Comics publisher Bill Gaines, he co-founded (with Bob Barrett and Roger Hill)[5] a noted EC Comics fanzine "Squa Tront," (1967 - 1983).[4] In 1991, Weist curated and organized the first major comic book and comic art auction at Sotheby's.[7] [8] [5] Weist died from multiple myeloma cancer in 2011.[4] [9]

The Picnic's current owner, Tony Davis, began working with Weist in 1983, when Davis was an undergraduate at Harvard University and a part-time store clerk at the Picnic.[6] [10] [11] A comic book veteran, Davis is also a co-founder of the Boston Kids Comics Festival.[12] [13]

In April 1987, the Picnic sold the first book of collected cartoon strips of Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes.[14]

During COVID, the Picnic stayed open for business through deliveries and mail order.[15]

In 2024, the Brattle Theatre celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Million Year Picnic with the Boston premiere of a documentary film, "The Picnic: A History and Homage to One of the World's Oldest Comic Book Stores and the People Who Made It What It Is," by Vincent-louis Apruzzese.[16] [17] [18]

Alumni

Located in Harvard Square, the Picnic has employed several Harvard alumni, undergraduate and graduate students, Bostonians, and others, who have achieved success in the comic book industry.[9]

Notes and References

  1. MacLaughlin, Nina. Writing in the bookstore, works about love, and celebrating comics. Boston Globe. July 11, 2024. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/07/11/arts/writing-in-the-bookstore-works-about-love-and-celebrating-comics/
  2. Juul, Matt. Why Does Boston Have So Many Comic Book Shops? Boston.com. May 2, 2015. https://www.boston.com/culture/entertainment/2015/05/02/why-does-boston-have-so-many-comic-book-shops/
  3. Million Year Picnic. Cambridge USA. https://www.cambridgeusa.org/listing/million-year-picnic
  4. Jerry Weist (1949-2011). Obituary. January 13, 2011. https://locusmag.com/2011/01/jerry-weist-1949-2011/
  5. Hill, Roger. In Memoriam: Jerry Weist. 2011. https://scoop.previewsworld.com/Home/4/1/73/1012?articleID=104708
  6. Kim., Susie Y. Weathering the Storm: Competition from the Internet forces bookstores to redefine their importance. The Harvard Crimson. September 20, 2011. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2011/9/20/store-harvard-books-square/
  7. Sotheby's Auction Reminds US Comics Are Serious Business. The Morning Call. December 14, 1991. https://www.mcall.com/1991/12/14/sothebys-auction-reminds-us-comics-are-serious-business/
  8. Boyd, Robert. Jerry Weist, Founder of Million Year Picnic and former Sotheby's Consultant. The Great God Pan is Dead. January 7, 2011. http://www.thegreatgodpanisdead.com/2011/01/jerry-weist-founder-of-million-year.html
  9. Davis, Tony. Sad News. Live Journal. February 25, 2011. https://millionyear.livejournal.com/84872.html
  10. Levay, Matthew, and Tony Davis. Community and the Comic Shop: An Interview with Tony Davis. Edinburgh Press. February 26, 2023. https://www.euppublishing.com/doi/abs/10.3366/tna.2023.0007?journalCode=tna
  11. Jobson, C. Shardae. Legendary Harvard Square comic book shop celebrates 45 years of independence. The Dig – Greater Boston's Alternative News Source. 2019. https://digboston.com/heres-to-a-million-more/
  12. Kayata, Erin. Boston Kids Comics Festival returns to Northeastern and record participation is expected. Northeastern Global News. June 4, 2024. https://news.northeastern.edu/2024/06/04/boston-kids-comics-fest-2024/
  13. Our Team 2023. Boston Kids Comics Festival. https://bostonkidscomicsfest.org/our-team-2023/
  14. Boatner, E.B. A Word In Edgewise: Rereading for Enrichment. Lavender. May 16, 2024. https://lavendermagazine.com/our-affairs/books/a-word-in-edge-rereading-for-enrichment/
  15. Firestone, Andrew. Local Comic Shop Owner Explains Business In The Face of Coronavirus. ScreenRant. April 25, 2020.https://screenrant.com/coronavirus-comic-stores-explained-million-year-picnic/
  16. Boston Globe: “Million Year Picnic celebrates anniversary.” Brattle Theatre. July 11, 2024. https://brattlefilm.org/2024/07/11/boston-globe-million-year-picnic-celebrates-anniversary/
  17. Goff, Oscar. Comix flicks celebrate Million Year Picnic’s 50th, Sofia Coppola rewinds and, yikes, it’s Sgt. Pepper. July 18, 2024. https://www.cambridgeday.com/2024/07/18/comix-flicks-celebrate-million-year-picnics-50th-sofia-coppola-rewinds-and-yikes-its-sgt-pepper/
  18. The Picnic. Brattle Theatre. https://brattlefilm.org/movies/the-picnic/
  19. Alverson, Brigid. CHIP ZDARSKY LAUNCHES COMIC SHOP NEWSLETTER, MILLION YEAR PICNIC CELEBRATES 50 YEARS, GAME STORE HOLDS 'STOP F*@#!NG ROBBING US!' SALE AFTER THIRD BURGLARY IN FOUR MONTHSShop Talk, ICV2. July 19, 2024. https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/57396/chip-zdarsky-launches-comic-shop-newsletter-million-year-picnic-celebrates-50-years-game-store-holds-stop-f-ng-robbing-us-sale-after-third-burglary-four-months
  20. Alverson, Brigid. CAROL KALISH, A 'GREAT FORCE FOR THE COMICS INDUSTRY': The Right Person in the Right Place at the Right Time. ICV2. December 27, 2023. https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/55902/carol-kalish-great-force-comics-industry

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