Oak Lawn Comic Book Store Fights Back Despite Slumping Economy

In the original Spiderman, Peter Parker’s uncle advises him that, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Nobody understands that better than Paul Figura, manager-turned-owner of  Though he loves the interaction between customers, he admits owning his own store requires extra super powers, like time management and organization. Tenth Planet recently celebrated its 21st anniversary and carries everything from comic books, T-shirts, collectibles and more. Better yet are the daily gaming nights where people gather to test their skills in fantasy role-playing games.  

Oak Lawn Patch: Tell us about Tenth Planet's history in Oak Lawn?

Figura: John Cavallone opened Tenth Planet in April of 1990. I'm currently the fourth owner and I took over on March 1, 2006. The original location was in the Green Oaks Shopping Center but I moved to 5005 W. 95th St. last year.

Oak Lawn Patch: What's the biggest difference between managing the store and owning it?

Figura:  As a manager, the hardest part for me was dealing with the previous owner who was really “hands-on.”  Its been five years since I took over and I can't say that I don't want to go into work every day. 

Oak Lawn Patch: How has your business responded to the current economic slump?

Figura: I put a lot of money into the store the first two years. The period between 2006-2008 was a boom for us but it's been a struggle, I'm not going to lie. We are doing everything we can to keep the store afloat. 

Oak Lawn Patch: What is the most popular trend in the comic industry today?

Figura:  Gaming. We were doing Dungeons and Dragons and now we have Pathfinder on Thursdays, which is a spin-off from that. The big game right now is Magic. Friday Night Magic is pretty much a staple across the United States.Mondays are Magic Draft nights where you buy a deck of cards and you have to make your deck out of whatever you just bought.  

Oak Lawn Patch:  What do you find most challenging about owning your own comic book store?

Figura:  An owner's job is never done.  It's hard to adjust your time while still taking care of errands, phone calls, emails, etc.

Oak Lawn Patch: What do you find most enjoyable about your job?

Figura: One of the things I like about it is making friends just through common interest. I've made a lot of friends over the past years.

Oak Lawn Patch:  What is the busiest time of year for your store?

Figura:  March is when new story lines come out and so every summer the major comic book companies compete. December is also pretty busy.  Easter and Fathers' Day used to be big holidays but they aren't anymore. 

Oak Lawn Patch:  Is there a certain type of customer that shops at your store?

Figura:  There is such a wide variety of people that shop here. From bartenders to professional people to teenagers, it's really a mix.

Tenth Planet is located at 5005 W. 95th St. Hours are  Sun, noon - 6; Mon-Tue, noon - 8pm; Wed, 9am - 9pm; Thu-Fri, 11am - 8pm; Sat, 10am - 7pm. Call 708-636-0806.