On Sunday, Feb. 17, an SUV drove into the side of Green Brain Comics, the award winning comic book store located in East Dearborn. For many, when first reading that an SUV crashed through a wall of their favorite comic store, disbelief kicks in. But just “Google” it and one can easily find that this is the truth.
Not only was a wall penetrated by this vehicle, but a nearby fire hydrant no longer exists after this event. Dan Merritt, Green Brain co-owner, said that he was woken at 6 a.m. that morning when he was informed that the store’s security alarm had been tripped.
Not only did Green Brain have to close down, but Stormy Records had to as well. Stormy Records is a classical record store located directly above Green Brain in the same building.
Merritt mentioned that, “it was like a cartoon” when he saw the SUV sticking out of his business in such a comical way. At the same time, though, he said the sight was heartbreaking.
And to make matters worse, the SUV crashed in the exact spot of the bathroom, so pipelines were spewing water uncontrollably until they could be turned off. Most of the stock remained undamaged, so that’s a plus.
“Time heals all wounds.” That’s what was posted on Green Brain’s Facebook page the Tuesday after the incident. Time indeed must heal all wounds, because on Feb. 20, the following Wednesday, the store was reopened for business, along with their weekly new releases of comics. Also, Stormy Records was able to open the day before that.
Merritt stated that this whole incident could have been much worse if it had happened during business hours, and more people could have been hurt. But luckily, only the driver was injured and was taken away via ambulance right away.
Though substantial damage was done, Green Brain was able to work through this minor setback and return to their normal schedule just in time for “New Comic Day”. Don’t forget to swing by Green Brain for your weekly haul of new comics every Wednesday!