May 28, 2024: Cosmic Cat Comics Needs Help

I got my start professionally in the gaming world by working for Cosmic Cat Comics & Games in Tallahassee, Florida, during my college years. A fixture of Florida's panhandle for 37 years, the shop continued to evolve as the volatile hobby world did. The most-recent iteration of the Cosmic Cat made its home in an eclectic art-district park known as Railroad Square, home to many artists and small businesses.

Sadly, on Friday, May 10, two tornadoes tore through Railroad Square, ripping apart many structures. One of the hardest-hit buildings was the venerable Cosmic Cat, which also housed Cat owner Ned Stacey's art studio. Being an artistic community, insurance was scarce and options are limited. A depressing overview of the situation comes from the Railroad Square owners, who talk about the near-impossibility of trying to repair wood-and-tin structures that are 60-80 years old.

The Cosmic Cat is trying to work out its own path forward, complete with a GoFundMe campaign. Obviously I don't expect everyone to have the same emotional pangs that I – and many present-and-former Tallahasseeians – feel . . . but it's my understanding that my retail experience is one of the elements that led to me becoming Pyramid editor 24 years ago. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Mostly I encourage you to take stock of your own community's artistic and small-business endeavors. Appreciate what you can, help as you're able, and support your friendly local game shops. Too often the things we take for granted can be gone like a flash of lightning.

-- Steven Marsh