RITTMAN – Jorge Vega is a lifelong comic book fan and collector entering the business world amid growing inflation and high gas prices.

Despite these uncertainties, and with the support of his wife, the Doylestown resident will open a comic book store in the city of Rittman at 10 S. Main St. in early August.

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His & Hers Comic Shop won't be another comic store, he said.

"I'd like to make a bar for kids," said Vega, a father of six. "I want to open the door and see a smile on kids' faces."

If all goes to plan, Vega and his wife will open the store on Tuesday, Aug. 2.

Its hours will be Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. or noon to 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. depending on their work schedules.

Rediscovering comics

Vega's childhood reading transported him into the Marvel and DC universes, but that all changed when he got a job and had his own family.

The time he once devoted to his favorite heroes quickly diminished. Then his parents threw out his comic book collection, he said.

Sports filled the void, but Vega said the thrill of it eventually wore off.

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"Like everything you get into as a kid, you lose that when you go to school and become an adult," Vega said.

Then he spotted a box of old comics at a garage sale in 2019. The seller offered the dozens of classics for $80, a price Vega couldn't refuse.

Since then, he has hit many yard sales and shops to buy comics of all kinds.

"I have many now that I have never heard of, but it brings back that nostalgia," he said.

Comics take him back to the 1980s when he was a child.

Always a fan of Batman, he noted that he read every comic he could, including classics like "Batman: Year One" and "The Dark Knight Returns."

Among his favorite memories is when the 1989 "Batman" movie was released featuring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson as the caped crusader and Joker, respectively.

That is the sort of nostalgia he hopes to provide at His & Hers Comic Shop.

'A destination' for kids and adults

Primarily a comic book store, Vega hopes to sell older comics on the cheap for around $1 a piece from his extensive personal collection.

If the business goes well, he will take orders for newer editions that he can order from distributors, he said.

"Right now we're in the middle of figuring out distribution. I would like to have a pull list for the newest comics, but we need to spend so much a month on comics to qualify," Vega said.

Alongside reading, he hopes to sell new and old candy brands and toys from wholesale distributors, he said.

"There are some toy distributors who buy products by the pallet load and they sell whatever is left over," said Vega, who hopes to balance a tight budget with his dream store.

His vision includes televisions playing movies and shows while kids play video games like "Street Fighter" and a four-player "Simpsons" game that he has at home.

Knowing kids will come with parents and guardians, he hopes to have comfortable seating for their accompanying adults.

"I want this to be a destination in Rittman," Vega said.

Reach Bryce by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com

On Twitter: @Bryce_Buyakie

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: His & Hers Comic Shop: 'A bar for kids,' destination for nostalgia