The map and page was last updated on Saturday 18th October 2025 – we’re aiming to “Spotlight” comic shops, as time permits!
The downthetubes.net British and Irish Comic Shop Map also includes venues that often have comics exhibitions or comics events.
Additional information and updates are always welcome – please use the update form at the bottom of this page. We are often informed when shops open – but not always when they close! So reader feedback is very helpful keeping this map up to date, thank you in advance.
We’ve also included the known locations of sites of comics interest, like statues.
LATEST UPDATES…
• Saturday 18th October 2025: With thanks to Adam Spector, we’ve added Comic Box in Romford’s Shopping mall, run by Jason Rutland, specialising in back issues also, and Madhouse UK in Wisbech; and updated details about Strange Apparitions in Spalding, Lincolnshire, which Adam enthuses is “quite possibly the finest comic shop in the country”, run by Alexander Hunt and sells both new comics (US and British) back issues, toys, magazines and a whole lot more.
• Friday 17th October 2025: After finally getting some time to devote to updates, we’ve noted that ComicBookXS, who were based in Portsmouth, has closed but are still operating online (belated thanks to Owen De La Haye, who runs Empire Comics in the city). Also updated Facebook page details for Asylum Books and Games in Aberdeen (with thanks to Greg Kitchin, and gave it a “Comic Retailer Spotlight”); and added Comics & Beyond Ltd, in Eastbourne.
• Tuesday 19th August 2025: Various additions and amendments
• 5th April 2024: We added Lancaster-based indie comic shop Zine Freak to our Map – check out our Retailer Spotlight for information
If the items that you want are not in stock, Brian will try and find them from the contacts he has all over the UK. (Thanks to Sim Leech for the update and info)
Comic Retailer Spotlight: Asylum Books and Games, Aberdeen
Asylum Books and Games, 28 Adelphi, Aberdeen AB11 5BL
Web: asylum-booksandgames.com | Facebook | Facebook Discussion Group
If you have questions about stock etc., please contact the shop directly on 01224 574637 or mike@asylum-booksandgames.com
An independent comic shop based in Aberdeen, Scotland, with over 15,000 back issues, and plenty of graphic novels. They also host regular signings and events, and ship internationally.
Their online store is always open for orders, but do note this doesn’t hold very recent items other than variant cover comics. The team usually wait for two other issues to pass before cataloging those items (so for example, an Issue One won’t be on the system till Issue Four has been released).
Asylum try to host regular signings of both established and up-and-coming talents. If you have made a comic and want to do a signing, please feel free to get in touch with them.
About This Map
The downthetubes British and Irish Comic Shop Map is generated using Google Maps; if we’ve missed a shop, or we’re listing one that has, sadly, gone out of business, please do email us or use the Feedback form at the bottom of this page – and let us know using the form below, and we’ll make a correction as soon as possible. Thank you!
We are aiming to identify comic shops happy to stock small press comics, an addition brought to you thanks to help from Lew Stringer, thanks to a list he began on his Blimey blog in 2016. Those shops known to stock small press titles have grey icons on the Map.
You may also be interested in this map of independent British children’s bookshops compiled by Reading for Pleasure.
Mail Order Companies are also included on the map. Where they do not offer a street address on their web site, we have listed them further down on this page, as a separate item.
Please note, despite the ever-improving accuracy of search engines, it’s worth checking a shop is still open, or its opening times, before you make a trip.
Many downthetubes readers have very kindly updated us about stores closures (all thanked below), but we do sometimes miss the sad news. (Rising rents, the exchange rate affecting comic prices, and customer buying habits moving online have all been regularly cited as reasons for closure or downsizing, with some shops ceasing to sell new comics entirely).
If you want to contact a particular comic shop, you’ll have to follow the links through on the Map. For the most part the locations provide information sourced from Google Maps.
Some shops don’t publish public email addresses but they do have a fill-in form on their site for enquiries – and of course, you can always phone them, too!
Legend
• Blue: Comic Shop
• Red: Shops also known to offer Mail Order Services
• Grey: Shops also known to sell small press comics – information welcome!
• Yellow: Comic-related sites of interest
PLEASE NOTE: This map may not immediately display, depending on your cookie settings.
• Please do share this map. The short link to the Google Map is http://bit.ly/dtt-uk-comic-shops
• View the downthetubes British and Irish Comic Shops and Exhibitions map on Google Maps
downthetubes Comic Retailer Spotlights…
• Comic Retailer Spotlight: Archer’s Comics, Truro
• CLOSED: Atomic Comica Comics, Barrow
• Comic Retailer Spotlight: The Comic Store, Glastonbury
• Comic Retailer Spotlight: Crunch Comics, Reading
• Comic Retailer Spotlight: Dave’s Comics, Brighton
• Comic Retailer Spotlight: Gnash Comics, Ashburton
• Comic Retailer Spotlight: OK Comics, Leeds
• Comic Retailer Spotlight: Page 45, Nottingham
• Comic Retailer Spotlight: Paradox Comics, Poole
• Comic Retailer Spotlight: Red Robot, Barnsley
• Comic Retailer Spotlight: That Comic Shop, Preston
• Comic Retailer Spotlight: Travelling Man (Various locations, including Leeds and Manchester)
• Comic Retailer Spotlight: Vanguard Comics, Gosport
• Comic Retailer Spotlight: Zine Freak, Lancaster
IRELAND
• Comic Retailer Spotlight: Big Bang Comics, Dublin
• Check out our British and Irish Comic Shop Map
Other Book and Comic Shop Maps
• The Reading for Pleasure site has a map of independent British children’s bookshops here
If you see a book you’d like on this useful catalogue site, featuring the stock of some 300-plus UK bookshops, contact the bookseller by email or phone, or order online through UKBookWorld so they can pass your order on to the bookseller concerned. In either case you’ll be buying the book direct from the bookseller listing the item for sale; UKBookWorld.com is not involved in any way in the supply process.
Online Comic Services
In addition to the online businesses listed below, it’s also worth checking the web sites of your local comic shops – or indeed the web sites of any of the comic shops mapped above – as most also provide mail order services.
• Comics and Toys
Web: www.comicsandtoys.co.uk
Online only store operating out of Chester selling comics, actions figures and more
• ComicBookXS, who were based in Portsmouth, are still operating online
• Galactic Comics
Web: galacticcomics.co.uk
Online retailer specialising in pre-orders and weekly releases
• GetMyComics
• Grumpy Wolf Comics
Also on Facebook
Grumpy Wolf Comics stocks high quality collectible comics, for the discerning comic book collector: first appearances, key issues, variant covers, Star Wars books, new series… and just pretty cover art!
Formerly based in a physical shop in Hackney, run by cartoonist David Ziggy Greene, now online
• Sad Lemon Comics
Web: www.sadlemoncomics.com | ebay Store | Facebook
One of the largest suppliers of exclusive variants in the UK, also selling a wide variety of weekly releases through the web site and ebay store, supplying customers worldwide.
• Splat Comics
Web: www.splatcomics.com | Facebook
• The Unreality Store
PO BOX 7922, Wellingborough NN8 9JZ | Facebook | Twitter | Instgram
A UK-based independent comic book store selling over 12,000 comics
Additions, corrections or suggestions about the downthetubes Local Comic Shop Map? Please drop us a line!
We will try and make corrections as soon as possible.
• Please do share this map. The short link to the Google Map is http://bit.ly/dtt-uk-comic-shops
Compiled by John Freeman, Jeremy Briggs and Colin Noble
With thanks to Mike Allwood, Phil Boyce, Martyn Chivers, Daniel Clifford, Andy Davidson, Peter Duncan, Kerry Earl, Antony Esmond, Carl Flint, Jason Graham, Paul Griggs, Kev Hopgood, Alex Hunt, Stuart Jenkins, Greg Kitchin, Sim Leech, Andy Luke, Steve Marchant, Rob Marland, Maya Arts, Matthew Morley, Leigh Oakley, Joan Ormrod, Kenny Penman, Dan Powell, Martin Proctor, Brian Rawlinson, Mark Roberts, David Robertson, Neil Bhuna Roche, Sean Simmons at Scorch Comics, Robert JE Simpson, Spa Town Comics, Morgan Spiceman, Lew Stringer, Alex Sutton, Mike Teague, John Webster, Andrew Wildman, Alan Woollcombe, WOW Comics – and everyone who has supplied information
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.