When I was a kid, the three most magical places in the world for me were all in this one little shopping center near where I grew up: A movie theater, a video game store, and a comic shop. Whenever I'd go out to catch a movie with my friends, we'd always arrive an hour or more early just to test-play some new games at the game store and/or check out some new comics, a habit of which I grew out of as I grew into adulthood. I can definitely that they were some of my fondest memories as a boy; catching friendly faces, exploring my favorite mediums...

All three of those places, however, have radically changed. Visiting a Gamestop is a practice in stamina: How long can I last before I want to turn right the fuck around and leave. It's not just the product pushing, either. It's the atmosphere. No on seems to ENJOY being in a game store anymore. There's no excitement, there's no sense of kinship. Only transaction. No one is happy to work there and about as many are happy to shop there.

Comic book shops, on the other hand, are mostly just... dying. People aren't buying as many comic-books any more and, if they are, they're finding alternative outlets to actual brick and mortar comic shops. Books-A-Million, Barnes and Nobles, plenty of online retailers and hobby stores now cater to the more frugal or less inclined. What were once havens for nerds and geeks and fans alike, they are slowly fading away into a world that no longer needs them.

Movie theaters, however, are fighting for their lives. Unfortunately, they continue to succeed in alienating and aggravating their clientele with each move they make. Ticket prices have hiked to ridiculous highs, popcorn and drinks are more expensive than most sit-down restaurant meals, and now most theaters prioritize 3D movies; traditional screenings are few and far between, sometimes forcing you to either choose a time slot you don't prefer or pay extra for a format you may not give half a squat about.

Personally? I'd like to see Gamestop and major theaters fail, because I am honest to God hoping that once the roof collapses on these terrible business models, they'll realize the key to successful business: Happy costumers. As for comic shops, I do hope their core clientele and the like will find other places to congregate. Most hobby shops are doing their best.

But honestly, if we lose all three, we'll still be able to purchase all of those mediums and enjoy them in kind. We have the internet! And hopefully, nothing will screw that up.