Inside the treasured “nerd Disneyland” of Annapolis

Welcome to the Indie Solidarity Project! Part of Microcosm’s special sauce is our network of amazing retailers around the world—some of whom are traditional bookstores, but many more who aren’t solely book-focused—we peddle “books for stores who don’t sell books!” as our sales team puts it. Much like our Bookstore Solidarity Project, this series highlights our partners who run all kinds of small and independent businesses, blazing their own trails, supporting their communities, and growing our small world.

This week, we’re pleased to introduce you to Third Eye Comics, crown jewel of the Annapolis game, toy, music, and media scene. Co-owner, founder, and president Steve Anderson guides us through the personality-packed stores that have inspired a legion of Third Eye Faithful (a.k.a. loyal customers) with their diverse array of specialties for every nerdy niche. Dive in to learn more about this “place for everyone who doesn’t have a place”!

Tell us a little bit about the store and your community
Third Eye is a regional chain of 8 locations varying in size, with the Annapolis stores – Third Eye Comics, Third Eye Music & Video and Third Eye Games being the biggest and the ones we’re known the best for. We consider ourselves the nerd equivalent of Disneyland for many, where no matter what your passion is: be it books, be it comics, be it music, be it toys, we have it for you. We’re very thankful to have the most diehard and enthusiastic customers in the world, affectionately known as the Third Eye Faithful, who truly make the stores what they are.

How was the store’s name chosen?
There’s a few different reasons. The first was when we opened in 2008 —the phone book was still relevant, and I wanted something that we could spell numerically to get to the top of the listings, ha! But: the main choice for it comes from wanting a name for our store that we could shorten in case we moved into other categories (as we ended up doing). Third Eye stores are unlike any other, and we really wanted something that captured that. And, then the nerdy reason? I love Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing so much that I thought it’d be a fun nod to the occult bookstore, Third Eye Books, in the series. 🙂

How did you get into your store’s area of business?
I started working at the comic shop I grew up going to when I was 18, and fell in love with it. The relationships with the customers, the atmosphere, the whole thing, but at the same time: also fell in love with specialty retail as a whole. I worked there until I was 23, tried my hand at a few jobs I wasn’t as wild about, and ended up going back to the comic shop at 24, working there all week, delivering pizzas on the weekends and nights, and selling my collection at local shows to raise the money to open the first Third Eye store.

What’s something about your store that you think will surprise people?
It’s weird to say, but people are always surprised to find out we’re independently owned and operated. Our stores are large, and with the multiple locations, and the consistency of our brand across them, folks often think we’re much bigger than we actually are. Don’t get me wrong: for nerd stores, we are big, but it’s still Trish (my wife & co-founder) and myself working the stores and warehouses every day, alongside our amazing staff, many of whom have been with us for 10+ years.

What are some of you favorite ways your community supports your store?
Honestly, the way they embrace all the crazy fun things we do. Whether it’s introducing new product categories, and them getting stoked on them, or turning out in droves for our events and chanting BUY THIRD EYE OR DIE for a midnight release: we just love how much they feel a part of Third Eye, and how important it is to them!

What are some of your favorite way to support your community?
The mission statement of Third Eye has always been to be a place for everyone who doesn’t have a place. Stores like our’s are a common ground and comfortable space for many, and since day one, we’ve built our stores and the culture of them, to make it so that anyone who visits can feel welcome, and at home, no matter their level of experience with the items we sell. So, just having a space that people can come to and celebrate all the things they love: that makes us feel really good. In addition, we work hard to provide career opportunities for our community, by offering competitive wages, 401K retirement benefits, and health care. Outside of that, we do a charitable events & donations throughout the year to various local groups in our community!

What are three things (books or not books!) you’re stocking right now that you want everyone to know about?
Oh this is tough! First off: Weird Music That Goes on Forever: A Punk’s Guide to Loving Jazz is one of our personal favorites, and people LOVE it! Second: Absolute Batman is the most punk rock Batman comic you’ll ever read, seriously: give it a go! Third: Mork Borg and its assorted RPG offerings are so much fun, and so gnarly—we love it!

How can non-local customers shop with you?
Visit shop.thirdeyecomics.com—we offer nationwide flat rate shipping for just $5! And you can stay in touch through our newsletter at the bottom of that page (we send a lot of email though, be warned ha!).

Make sure to visit Third Eye in your Maryland travels or on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Bluesky!