Alternate Reality Comics started in 1995 when I, Ralph Mathieu, bought Dungeon Comics (established in 1987). I’ve read comics since 1975 and always wanted to do something within the comic book industry. So when this opportunity to own a comic store came up, I didn’t have to think twice about whether this was something that I should do.

I got seriously addicted to comic books in 1975, when, while reading titles such as House Of Mystery and House of Secrets, my eyes were drawn to the ads for DC’s superhero titles. So it was off to the local 7-11, where I picked up an issue of Flash and started picking up all of DC’s titles, followed shortly thereafter by getting whichever Marvel Comics I’d see at the store, as well as Warren comic magazines such as Creepy, Eerie, 1984, etc.

Owning Alternate Reality Comics has been a delight from the first day, because I get to share my love of comics with people just about every day and turn them on to the myriad of wonderful new fantastic comics, manga, and graphic novels that this medium has to offer. Additionally I met my wonderful wife, Katherine (Kate), here at the store and she shares my passion for this medium.

 

Hi, I’m Katherine. I discovered comics in the early 1990s while working at a small chain bookstore which had a couple of spinner racks. We weren’t allowed to read books while on duty, but comics were fine. I picked up Spiderman 2099 and Morbius: The Living Vampire and thought they were were better than about 90% of TV at the time. I’ve been reading comics ever since. How delighted I was when I came to Las Vegas to go to school and discovered a nice comic book store right across the street from UNLV!

Through the store, I met Ralph. In 1997, I married him for entertainment value — and I’m never bored.

In 1998, I helped found Sequential Tart, a webzine by women who love comics.

 

 

Hey, who are those weirdos all over your store?

Well, that is a story in itself…

Eppy the Ska Lizard

Eppy was the first…which probably explains why he’s got so many “first draft” problems…but not if you ask him. If you ask him (try not to if you don’t have all day), he’s perfect.

Created somewhere in the hazy early days of A.R.C., he sort of ‘popped’ into being thanks to the subconscious talents of Ralph and artist friend Keir Eastveld, he emerged into full mascot life thanks to the bizarre powers of “the braider of worlds,” Cosmic Vyne. It wasn’t so much that Eppy was chosen to be A.R.C.’s first store mascot…more like he dropped in from the upper dimensions of fictional characters and we’ve never figured out a way to quite get rid of him. Or at least charge him rent.

 

Maude the Gecko

Maude is believed to have been another creation of Cosmic Vyne, but nobody’s been able to get a hold of him for a proper quote (reaching phenomenally-powered, mysterious super-gods is notoriously tricky as they never have a proper cell phone number or email).

Maude’s purpose in existence, however, is not in doubt: by her own reckoning (the only reckoning she gives a hoot about), she’s here to “break up this boy’s club” of comic book and pop gatekeepery. Maude is here to make sure nobody is left out of being able to come to A.R.C. as a true sanctuary of enjoyment and curiosity (Eppy is all about that too, but it’s taken Maude to get him to notice anything other than himself).

Maude wants everyone of every stripe and walk of life to know that if they’re looking for the best place to go for all-around entertainment and enlightenment, A.R.C. is the place.

 

Cosmic Vyne

Cosmic Vyne, or as he refers to himself (often): “The Braider of Worlds, Twiner of the Cosmic Twists,” etc., etc., is one of the most powerful super-gods in the comic book pop culture pantheon, deriving most of his power from consumption of planetary masses of delicious licorice-flavored candies. His only problem is he’s never been good at picking a public relations rep (and all the good ones have been sniped by other super-gods CV claims are jealous of him), so he’s not as well known as…well, those other giant-sized creator-world-eater-tribunal-multiversal-ruiner-of-lawns types out there.

CV created Eppy the Ska Lizard in what he would later completely disavow as a momentary error when he was trying to create a really cool, awesome, original and supremely merchandisable character…and one of those other so-called super-gods accidentally bumped into him on their way to some other dimension party CV never gets invited to.

Before he could do anything about the error, Eppy had already fallen through the many layers of the fiction-verses to land in Las Vegas, NV, at the front door of Alternate Reality Comics. CV has remarked that he fully intends to dissolve Eppy so as to get back to making that awesome marketable property character…but he lost his notes and so will get ’round to it when he can remember what that other character was supposed to be.

 

Last…But Never Least…

Ron Horsley

Ron was supposed to submit his info so as to be included in this pack of bios, but frankly was so exhausted trying to settle disputes between Maude & Eppy (while avoiding Cosmic Vyne’s incessant phone calls), he just sort of gave up and muddled into what you’ve just read. But he’ll make at least a token effort because he’s paid by the paragraph.

Born & raised in Columbus, OH, Ron grew up on a steady diet of Dial H for Hero and House of Mystery comics, Fritz the Nite Owl’s Chiller Theater and way too much pizza.

At some point around 2007 or so, he was living in Las Vegas and discovered A.R.C. and its family of characters, and they took pity on him to let him become one of them (it was that or cite him for loitering).

After returning to Ohio in 2009, he got his Master’s Degree in Design at the Columbus College of Art & Design. He’s the author of numerous children’s books, short stories and the Everything Under series of urban fantasy novels. His wife and cats tolerate him because he’s good at assembling bookshelves.