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This record store wants to prove that downtown Jackson, Mississippi, is a destination

Jun 12, 2023
"There's always something to do here," says Phillip Rollins, owner of the store OffBeat. "People just don't know how to find it."
Phillip Rollins' store, OffBeat, was part of 601JXN, an event that aimed to bring people downtown.
Courtesy Rollins

A Mississippi record and comic store deals with the January "dead zone"

Jan 10, 2023
OffBeat owner Phillip Rollins says January and summer are his "most hated months" because business is so slow.
OffBeat in Jackson, Mississippi, had a good holiday season but is dealing with the January doldrums.
Courtesy Phillip Rollins

In the pre-holiday scramble, small businesses see a little bit of supply chain relief

Oct 26, 2022
The owners of a record and comic book shop, a toy store, and a greeting card and outdoor gear business share their experiences.
Shelves of comic books and record bins at Phillip Rollins' new OffBeat location, in Jackson, Mississippi.
Courtesy Phillip Rollins

Comic-Con at 50: still the place for epic fandom

Jul 19, 2019
What started as a small gathering of comics enthusiasts in 1970 has turned into a massive testament to the power of fandom.
A cosplayer makes her way to the convention center during Comic-Con in San Diego, California, on Thursday.
Photo by Chris Delmas/AFP

Why the Federal Reserve makes comic books

May 21, 2019
“We just wanted to create a tool that was accessible.”
Federal Reserve Bank of New York

Holy franchise, Batman! You’re 80!

Mar 29, 2019
Grab your cowl and utility belt while we take a look at one of the highest-earning superheroes.
FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Comic author wants Captain Marvel to empower women

Mar 11, 2019
"There is nothing inherently masculine about heroism," Kelly Sue DeConnick says.
Marvel Studios' world premiere of "Captain Marvel" was held at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on March 4.
Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Disney

Stan Lee's Marvel-ous legacy

Nov 19, 2018
Let's do the numbers on Stanley Lieber's seven decades in comics.
 Spider-Man creator Stan Lee poses at his office on June 18, 2004 in Beverly Hills, California.
Vince Bucci/Getty Images

Comic book genius Stan Lee, Spider-Man creator, dies at 95

Nov 12, 2018
As the top writer at Marvel Comics and later as its publisher, Lee was widely considered the architect of the contemporary comic book.
Comic book writer Stan Lee attends a talk show during the Tokyo Comic Con in Chiba, a suburb of Tokyo, on Dec. 2, 2016.
BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images