Nerd culture is pretty much everywhere these days, but it hasn’t always been this way. Before EB Games and JB Hi-fi started cashing in on action figures and Funko Pops, Drew Close was grinding it out in the basement of a Nambour taco shop.

Unfortunately, sky-rocketing rents and corporate competition meant the good times had to come to an end. Lucky for us, Drew has been thawed out like Encino man and is bringing his old stock (and some new) to the Nambour Black Market Day. We cornered him weezing the juice and asked him some questions.

BAD HABIT: Hello Drew. Tell us about your history in Nambour. You ran a comic shop for some time here. How did that come about? What were the challenges running the shop? What led to its demise? Would you go back? 

DREW: I was born and raised in Nambour. Growing up, there was never a dedicated comic book shop on the coast, only newsagents and market stalls (shout out to Barry @ Buderim Markets), so my friends and I used to ride the train down to Brisbane to buy books. Reading comics was a hobby I kept up on and off, depending on my finances at the time.

After uni, I moved around the country a bit, started a family and eventually ended up back in Nambour. There’s an old adage “you can never go home again...” but you can go home and open a comic book shop.

I was working a meaningless job I wasn’t enjoying and started selling comics at markets and conventions on weekends. An opportunity presented itself when I found out about a local initiative to get new businesses into the many vacant shop spaces in Nambour, and Urban Fiction was born.

We started off slow, but word spread, and as pop culture grew, so did the store. We began building a dedicated following and over time it grew to become more than a retail store. We created friendships and a community, our Thursday board games night were always a blast.

For almost 10 years, we went through multiple iterations, four locations and many ups and downs but, as they say, all things must end. A lot of factors were involved in closing the store; lockdowns over Covid, customers shifting to buying online, local competition, but the biggest contributor was burnout on my part. I was wearing too many hats and eventually it took its toll.

Would I go back, if the circumstances were right? Maybe, but the retail space has changed dramatically. People buy differently and with the high cost of living, you’re competing with many other factors, such as streaming etc, for that disposable income. 

BH: The comic industry has had some wild changes over the years/decades. What, in your opinion, are some of the most pivotal ones and how did they affect you, especially during the shop era? I assume, like everything, it’s becoming more corporate and slowly erasing any aspect that isn’t funnelling money to the top. Are there some hopeful and exciting movements that could signal a change in these trends? 

D: When I was a kid, comics were niche, but by the time I opened the shop, superhero moves were on the rise and more people were getting into comics and manga. As the years went by, pop culture grew exponentially and the bigger it got, the more people decided to stick their fingers in the pie.

We went from a medium fish in a small pond to a tiny fish in a giant ocean. My heart just isn’t in capitalism, which probably didn’t make me the best business owner and I always strove to keep the shop a hub for like-minded individuals and safe space to fly your nerd flag high. Which didn’t always equate into sales, but it did create lasting friendships.

Like with any artistic endeavour that becomes fused to corporate greed and consumerism, there’s always going to be a dilution of quality content, but it also means you’re reaching bigger audiences, and comics are no exception.

I’m sure there are people who would never have picked up a comic, manga or novel if they hadn’t first watched the TV show, movie or played the game, and that’s a real positive. If only a fraction of those people or their kids/friends etc go on to discover more niche/indie work, or better yet create their own, then it’s worth it in my opinion. 

BH: You were in the basement of a Mexican joint for a bit. How did that work? I always hear these rumours of tunnels running underneath Nambour – did you see any evidence of these mysterious tunnels?

D: Yeah, we were in the basement under Taco Boy (now La Salsa De Vida) for a while. My friend ran the restaurant and offered up his basement – it was meant to be a short stop gap til we found a new location, but it was such a good fit, it lasted a few years. That was one of my favourite times, as the shop felt like the basement/attic comic stores I frequented in Brisbane growing up. That’s where we really grew our board gaming and Dungeons and Dragons groups. And yes, there were tunnels down there. The catacombs of Nambour. Many were walled up but they run through much of the block on both sides.

BH: What’s life been like since the shop? What are you involved in now? I’ve heard you’ve been doing some film projects… tell us about that? 

D: During covid, I started working in the disability sector and found the work really rewarding. I always joke that running a comic, card and boardgame store, as well as a video gaming lounge, was like being a bartender for people on the spectrum. Many of the clientele who frequented Urban Fiction were neurodivergent and the skills I developed while running the shop have been a huge asset in my new career.

I studied film and TV at uni and worked in the industry in various roles before starting a family. Since closing the shop, I’ve found the time to stretch those muscles again. I’ve directed video art installations and music videos, as well as writing for a variety of media. 

BH: Cheers for answering these questions! Can you tell us what you'll have on your table at the markets? Lots of goodies? Do you have any anxieties around the idea of aliens coming to Nambour from outside of our galaxy (Or dimension?) 

D: We’ll have comics old and new, graphic novels, Dungeons and Dragons books, some toys and other pop culture merch.

I welcome our alien overlords and hope that they’re more benevolent than our current dictators.

Catch Drew at the upcoming Nambour Black Market on Saturday 18 April. Markets start at 8am (free) – bands from 12pm ($30 presale / $40 on the door).