Hidden Gems: Meet Marc Bowker of Alter Ego Comics

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marc Bowker. 

Hi Marc, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I started reading comic books at age 11, in 1984, and never grew out of it. 20 years later, I turned my passion for comics & collectibles into a side hustle and launched AlterEgoComics.com while working full-time for our local Chamber of Commerce. And two years later, I left the safety of working for someone else and opened the Alter Ego Comics retail store in downtown Lima. 

We outgrew our original rental location within 4 years, and my wife, Angie, and I purchased a three-story, 125-year-old brick building on Main Street in 2009, moving Alter Ego and adding an additional rental space. 

Alter Ego Comics was named Small Business of the Year in 2013 by The Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce for showing a history of financial growth, community involvement, and a unique business idea. 

In 2019, we teamed up with three other local small businesses to form Legacy Arts Lima Inc, a non-profit focused on the fostering the growth of area artists and entrepreneurs. 

In 2021, we renovated the first floor of our building, adding three additional rental units and adding two new businesses to Legacy Arts. Our building is now home to Alter Ego Comics, Purple Feet Wine Boutique, Legacy Sounds Studio, Live at the Lab, and NOW Marketing Group – with my wife and I owning/operating Alter Ego and Live at The Lab. 

Live at The Lab is an intimate performance venue hosting live music, comedy nights, open mic nights and is available for rental. 

Our plan is to renovate the second floor of our building by 2023, adding 5 more commercial spaces and providing an exciting shopping/entertainment destination in downtown Lima. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
If you’re not learning as a small business owner, then you’re not growing. And every setback is an opportunity to learn. I tried adding a mall kiosk location during the 2008 holiday season that flopped. We’ve added product lines that didn’t connect with our customers. 

In 2017, the city tore down the building next to ours and caused $20,000 worth of damage…that they made us pay for! 

And then there was Covid-19. The comic book business is based on weekly new releases and foot traffic. Both of those things disappeared in April 2020 for a solid two months. At that time, Angie & I began doing weekly live sales on Facebook, selling what we had in inventory and staying connected with our customers. We joked that these sales were our new “date nights.” These live sales resulted in a day’s worth of sales in an hour! And we continue to do them to this day. 

Opening a new business during a pandemic (Live at The Lab) wasn’t ideal, but we’re coming up on our one-year anniversary with great feedback from our community. 

Finally, Angie was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in August of 2021. She underwent surgeries in October, January, and April and is now cancer free! Our customers had grown to know her more over the last year because of our Facebook Live sales, so we shared the diagnosis and our journey with them. And their support, both emotionally and financially, helped us through a very difficult time. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Alter Ego Comics is a comic book shop that specializes in new comics, graphic novels, and related collectibles. It sounds silly, but we’re known for being a clean, family-friendly comic shop. This is because many stores in the 1980s & 1990s were kind of like ‘boys clubs.’ But I’ve always believed that comics are for everyone, so we’ve curated a diverse selection that appeals to a broad base. 

One of the other areas that we excel in is customer service. 

My first job was delivering newspapers at 11 years old. When I was 14, I added bagging groceries. That led to working a cash register at the grocery store, bussing tables at a country club, waiting tables in a restaurant, and managing a music store. After graduating from college with a degree in History, I pivoted into marketing & sales. Every job that I’ve ever had has been customer focused and that led me to owning my own retail business. We greet people warmly. We’re there to help them find what they’re looking for, as well as help them to discover what they may not be looking for. We hold community events like Free Comic Book Day that bring thousands of people to our downtown. We run a volunteer cosplay group that works with The March of Dimes, The American Cancer Society, The Make a Wish Foundation, and others to make kids smile. 

I guess my point is that Alter Ego Comics is not just a comic shop. It’s that magical “third space,” in addition to home & work, where people feel like they belong. 

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was born in 1973, so I was heavily influenced by the pop culture of the late 70s and 1980s: Saturday morning cartoons, Star Wars, Star Trek, Back to the Future, GI Joe, Christopher Reeve as Superman, Michael Keaton as Batman. And when I discovered that comic books featured many of the superheroes that I was watching on TV, I fell in love! But, reading comics meant you were a NERD, and that word meant something different in the 1980s/90s than it does now…when everyone, including your parents, love Marvel movies. 

I grew up in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Attended my first concert at 13 years old (Kenny Loggins) and saw more live bands before I graduated from high school than some people see in a lifetime. Music was another huge influence on me. 

Humor is core virtue for me, and I loved (love) making people laugh. I listened to comedy tapes by Eddie Murphy, Cheech & Chong and Bill Cosby while I was still in junior high. 

Contact Info:

• Website: AlterEgoComics.com, TheLabLima.com
• Instagram: @alteregocomics
• Facebook: @alteregomaniacs
• Twitter: @alteregocomics
• Youtube: @alteregocomics