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
editIn March 2024, Jerry Weist opened the Picnic as the first comics specialty store in New England.[4][5] Prior to the Picnic, Weist co-founded the EC Comics fanzine "Squa tront," (1967 - 1983), when he was a high school teenager, and organized one of the first comic book auction at Sotheby's.[6] Weist died from cancer complications in 2011.[4]
The Picnic's current owner is Tony Davis.[7] A Harvard alumnus, [8] Davis first visited the store in the late 1970s as a 16-year-old black kid from California who was attending Harvard Summer School. In 1983, while a Harvard student he was hired as a part-time clerk in the store. A few years later, he was promoted to a manager, and eventually purchased the store from Weist and E.B. Boatner.[9] Davis is also a co-founder of the Boston Kids Comics Festival.[10][11]
In April 1987, the Picnic sold the first book of collected cartoon strips of Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes.[12]
During COVID, the Picnic stayed open for business through deliveries and mail order.[13]
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.[14] [15][16]
Alumni
editLocated 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.[4]
References
edit- ^ 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/
- ^ 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/
- ^ Million Year Picnic. Cambridge USA. https://www.cambridgeusa.org/listing/million-year-picnic
- ^ a b c Davis, Tony. Sad News. Live Journal. February 25, 2011. https://millionyear.livejournal.com/84872.html
- ^ 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/
- ^ 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
- ^ 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
- ^ 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/
- ^ 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/
- ^ 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/
- ^ Our Team 2023. Boston Kids Comics Festival. https://bostonkidscomicsfest.org/our-team-2023/
- ^ 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/
- ^ 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/
- ^ 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/
- ^ 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/
- ^ The Picnic. Brattle Theatre. https://brattlefilm.org/movies/the-picnic/
- ^ 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 MONTHS Shop 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
- ^ 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