Titan Games and Comics

When fans peel comic books away from their cellophane wrappers, they do so with an expectant level of certainty that they're going to be able to recognize the hero from the villain and discern the good from the evil.

The creation of this sort of "animated sanctuary" is befittingly seductive to comic loyalists, especially in a time when making such distinctions in the "real world" has become almost, well, comical.

And fortunately for the comic and fantasy-gaming enthusiasts of Woodstock, Titan Games and Comics has created a sanctuary of its own, one that encourages regulars to hang out, shop and gather with like-minded, role-playing devotees.

The Towne Lake shop, which has been in business for eight years, is one of three locations around Atlanta and adopted the "Titan" title two years ago. Their knowledgeable staff, which includes manager Jennifer Clark, is always on hand to answer questions and make individual recommendations based on customers' interests.

Clark said the store has made it possible for regular customers to earn  great deals with their preferred costumer plan.

 "A lot of times, retailers will raise the price of variant covers because they're more rare, and they cost us more," Clark said. "But preferred customers have a chance to get them at cover price."

Wednesdays are always particularly busy days for the store, as a group of steady shoppers stream in to discover which new comics have come out and to pick up weekly orders. Wednesday nights also give Dungeons and Dragons role-players a chance to gather together for a night of competition.

"We have an incredibly large D & D group that has been coming in that is run by Wizards of the Coast. They're playing a kind of D & D called 'Encounters'," Clark said. "You can come in the middle of that, and you don't miss part of the campaign, you're not out of sorts, you can bring your own character, or they will build a character for you. So it's perfect for walking right in and joining us."

In the near future, the shop hopes to expand their gaming to Friday nights and drum up enough interest to start a new group.

"We're trying to get 'Magic: The Gathering,' a collectible card game going here,” Clark said. "We're trying to get sanctioned by Wizards of the Coast, and once we get it sanctioned, then we'll have freebies every Friday."

Also on the horizon is Titan's Free Comic Book Day, which will be held on Saturday, May 7. Free comics and goody bags for the kids will given away, and a raffle will be held for a chance for someone to win his weight in comic books.

Shoppers can expect activities planned throughout the day ranging from a visiting artist to gaming lessons from their resident "Game Master."

"We'll have an artist from Zenoscope named Shawn McCauley who'll be coming in and doing autographs for us for a couple of hours," Clark said. "In the evening, our Game Master will be running Gamma World and showing everyone how to play that."

And for anyone who might be slightest bit curious about the appeal of the "fantasy life" this environment invokes, a lifelong gamer had this to say about the magnetic draw of role-playing:

"I enjoy the sophistication of social variance while gaming, as well as the escape, controlling other figures or worlds, and being around like-minded gamers. If I had to say one or two main reasons, it would be sophistication of nuanced game mechanics and story-based collaboration-basically the same reasons I enjoy doing anything in life."