Comic Book Shops, Rue Dante, Paris.

Well, l was somewhere on a corner of Boulevard St Michel and lost, I was heading for Rue Dante a comic book precinct in the Latin quarter of Paris. I couldn’t find it. I was only a block away, apparently, when I caught sight of a scruffy little shop, down Serpente called Aaapoum Bapoum. Foot sore and weary I went in.

Ah, if I never found Rue Dante I would have been happy with this. A little shop shoved in a back alley with every conceivable comic book in the French language you could imagine. I found a few things I wanted and a few I hadn’t thought about at very reasonable prices and bought them. Then had a chat to Stephan one of the comic book chiefs there who sent me off in the right direction to find Rue Dante. Just happens that he has another establishment there. “It has all my best stuff. Its a mess.” he said shrugging with a smile, “You’ll have to search through things to find what you want.” Shrugging apologetically again.

Rue Dante is a smallish street at an angle between St Germain and St Jacques. It is home to about seven or more comic book shops including numerous specialist, from Manga to BD, branches of the Album shops. And the delightful Librairie Rackam at 2 Rue Dante where I bought a 1987 “La Queue Du Marsumilami” and “Gedeon en Afrique” both hard covers.

Here at 8 Rue Dante,

is Aapoum Bapoum’s second shop where you can find Franco-Belgian comics as manga or comics, but almost always in French. It is according to Stephan the better of the two that they own. There is a sense of permanent pandemonium, the proud result of patient and consistent effort on behalf of disorganizers in chief.

But back at the junction of Rue Dante, Boulavard St Germain and St Jacques is one of the shops owned by Album.

Whoops, same stuff you’ll find in any comic store in the U.S of A or Australia, Wolverine figurines, posters, souvenirs of every description Marvel, DC as well as Dark Horse and Image comics. Directly opposite the shop pictured is another of their shops and it covers two jam packed floors of BD, bande dessinée, where you’ll find Franco_Belgian works such as Pixi, Leblon, Arroutchef, Moulinsart & Espace Tintin. Then as you continue down the street you come across Album Manga and two other establishments owned by them in the same area Rue Dante. Talk about creating a presence or dominance.

Its a feast for the comic book lover, French or other wise, you walk out of one shop and move straight into another and another picking up speed almost running. It’s nearly dusk and closing time. Different shops specialise in different things some focus on the art work some on toys but what ever you are looking for you’ll probably find it here. Other shops along the street are;Pulp, Galerie Slomka, Manga Shop Little Tokyo.

And on the weekend not far from Rue Dante when you are shopping for baguettes, fromage and wine there is a book market where you can buy books, comics and collectors tomes. I bought a hard copy of 120 RUE DE LA GARE by Leo Malet illustrated by Tardi for 10eur. You can buy books here individually or by the kilo. Don’t get me started on that.