| The Comic Hunter (Fredericton) |
| 98 Regent Street Fredericton, NB E3B 3W4 Canada (506) 206-2200 Website: comichunter.net |
The Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME (TCG) is a game that is meant to be enjoyed by all people, no matter the differences between them. The Comic Hunter in downtown Fredericton, New Brunswick, helps to promote these principles by creating a welcoming environment for all Duelists to compete. The store’s manager, Joshua Bone, built up the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG scene in his store over the past several years with some strategic outreach and help from his store’s most ardent Yu-Gi-Oh! advocate and employee, Gwen Hunter. Together they were able to continually expand the presence of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG in the store. The staff’s passion for the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG drives many of the business decisions that they make and helps to set them apart from other stores in the area. Now, we are excited to say that The Comic Hunter in Fredericton, New Brunswick, is our next Featured Official Tournament Store (OTS)!
The Comic Hunter in Fredericton, New Brunswick opened its doors in 2018 and started hosting Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG tournaments in August of 2019. One year later, it became an OTS and expanded its selection of tournaments. It began hosting Remote Duels for the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG as well as tournaments for Yu-Gi-Oh! DUEL LINKS, Yu-Gi-Oh! MASTER DUEL, and Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution. The Comic Hunter underwent major renovations approximately two years ago, transforming the second story of its building into a play area for Duelists. The Comic Hunter can now hold larger Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG tournaments with this expansion! The 60-person capacity tournament space was necessary to accommodate its increasing growth!
Duelists know what to expect from an OTS. The stamp of approval that the OTS status lends has helped The Comic Hunter build up its community. Access to events like OTS Championships, Regional Qualifiers, and the World Championship Celebrations just to name a few, brings in Duelists from far and wide to compete, even from across the border! Joshua and Gwen say that being an OTS has helped The Comic Hunter expand its reach and attract new Duelists.
Joshua and Gwen are proud of its Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG community. Gwen described Duelists from their community as “the biggest bunch of sweethearts you can ever imagine.” Joshua and Gwen have worked hard to create a comfortable culture at The Comic Hunter that has no space for intolerance. “This is a place where everyone feels safe. We don’t tolerate any sort of bigotry or hate,” Gwen said. This welcoming culture helps Duelists that walk through their door become loyal patrons. And while word of mouth of this culture plays a big part in attracting new people into the store, so does their community outreach.
In addition to the collaborative work done with local LGBTQ+ community groups, The Comic Hunter in Fredericton is also local to two universities and maintains relationships with gaming organizations at each school. Students and faculty alike are commonly seen at the store, taking advantage of incentives like free tournament entry for students during the month of September. The Comic Hunter’s creativity isn’t limited to just getting people through their doors.
“Find a champion. Find someone who is going to push the game forward, push the tournaments and push the community, no matter what.”
– Joshua Bone, store manager
Gwen is a long-time Duelist of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. It is her passion for the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG and its Duelists which has helped her connect with customers. “I wouldn’t be the person I am without having this game,” she said. Gwen’s understanding of their Duelists has led to some thoughtful ideas that have been well received. For example, “every little kid wants to Summon a Blue-Eyes White Dragon card and attack for game with it,” she said. That’s why The Comic Hunter now has a bulk box that they let young kids look through so that they can pick a cool dragon card to keep.
Joshua is a Duelist at heart as well and enjoys seeing a young crowd in the store. He explained, “We have a lot of young Duelists, and it’s nice to see there are kids still getting into the game the same way I remember getting into it after seeing it on television.” The Comic Hunter has had Duelists as young as 5 years old come in and play with their parents. Some of them are not always old enough to read, but it doesn’t stop them from having fun. Their parents help them read the cards, and they always have a great time!
The Comic Hunter is a store where parents feel that their kids are welcome and safe. “Even if the kids aren’t at the store every week,” Josh explained, “they’ll come back.” The Comic Hunter aims to create life-long customers by providing positive experiences for them and giving them exceptional service.
When asked what advice they would give to other Official Tournament Stores, Gwen’s advice was simple: “Never stop thinking like a player.” She played for most of her life and her passion for the game comes through to Duelists. She added, “Make it fun! Throw in a bonus thing every now and then. Don’t let it be stagnant and don’t let it be a thing you do just because people ask you to do it. Make sure your store is a fun place.”
Joshua’s advice was different but tied in nicely to Gwen’s advice. What did Joshua say was the key to managing a successful OTS store?
“Find a champion. Find someone who is going to push the game forward, push the tournaments and push the community, no matter what.” For Josh, that was Gwen. “Gwen created this community. We wouldn’t have this community if it weren’t for her. Gwen has been our greatest asset.” Her positivity is a great influence on Duelists and helps to maintain the store’s friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
The Comic Hunter in Fredericton provide the best service to their customers. They’re in a small town, but they do their best to make the experience of being in the store feel big. They’ve grown their Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG scene over time and provided a safe and comfortable place for many Duelists. For all of these reasons, we are proud to make The Comic Hunter in Fredericton the next Featured OTS!
