The Great Escape

2433 Bardstown Rd
Louisville, KY 40205
(502) 456-2216

You never forget your first and I can't forget The Great Escape. TGE is the best there is. This place, quite literally, changed my life. Before I discovered The Great Escape, I bought comic books off the spinning racks at Walgreens. Yes, it was haphazard and there was no rhyme or reason to what I was doing. I just liked the costumes, powers and stories.

When I was 7, after doing well on a spelling test, my dad took me on a 'surprise trip.' The destination was The Great Escape. I had never seen a place like this. An entire store made up of comic books, action figures, posters and more. I was transfixed. And hooked. I became a collector that day. I began to cultivate a taste for artists (George Perez), titles (The New Mutants & The Legion of Super Heroes) and authors (Chris Claremont). I discovered conventions, talked to other little kids who read comics, stretched my imagination, increased my vocabulary...and began to write. All these things were borne from my first trip to the Greatest comic store on earth.

As I grew older, I began to appreciate the books & music TGE sold. The staff (some of whom still work there) were always nice to me. That's right: comic guys who are nice to little kids! It's unheard of. They're knowledgeable, helpful, cool and friendly. The store is stocked to the gills. New books never run out and if you can't find an old book in the back stock, it doesn't exist.

After years of coveting it, I finally bought my Terra-era, pre-Judas Contract reveal, George Perez drawn New Teen Titans poster. It's one of my most prized possessions. After years of coming here, I still get the goose bumps of a little boy whose world is about to get a little brighter. The Great Escape is magic. Still.