Secret Headquarters - Los Angeles, California

J N

This spot looks great but the downside to the store is the staff. Maybe is the heat, but when walking in the look I was given was not welcoming, not a hello or good afternoon. Not a welcoming place. I wouldn’t recommend but the decor is damn good.

Clayton

Mid sized shop with a great selection of new comics and classics. The staff was quite friendly and had nothing but positive vibes. My girlfriend found a witty comic called “I Moved to Los Angeles to Work in Animation”, which looked to be an animators illustrated journey from her hometown of Portland to LA to make it in the animation industry. I scooped that and the latest volume of Paper Girls. When I went to make my purchase the girl at the register offered a bag which I almost passed on. She tempted me with the promise of it being a pretty cool one so I said “okay I will take the bag please!” She even threw in some custom SHQ coasters and the bag did indeed have a cool cartoon graphic on the front. Overall I was happy with my experience and purchases. 4 days later I’m home putting my recently purchased comics away and I just realized that the printed graphic has caricatures of the shop owners printed on the bag! How cool is that!

David Roderick

This place is great. The staff is very friendly and are always willing to make a recommendation if you're just looking around. If there's something they don't have in stock you can always order it through them and it comes pretty quick and they send you an email when it's ready to pickup.

I don't track release dates too closely or in one case, I was unaware that a book I like was actually cancelled. The guys at SHQ told me I could get the rest of story by getting the trade paperback. I would've never known that existed without them.

If your name is Dave they will ask you to sign the "Dave book". This always makes me chuckle every time I go there.

They don't just sell comic books and graphic novels - they also have a great zine section and have some cool merch. I still get compliments on the mask that I bought there at the beginning of the pandemic (pictured).

Brian Bunge

Fantastic layout. Comics have their own cubbies, clean and easy to browse. Lots of titles available, tons of indie and small publisher options.

Guillermo Figueroa

It's okay small comic shop the girl working there was nice and friendly.

Natalie Andrewson

Best comic book store for a variety of narrative media needs- I can grab a zine, my favorite manga, a recent small press or mainstream comic all in one place. Really helpful for presents. Kind, thoughtful staff. Best gem on the strip.

David Kavin

I miss the Sunset location (not the tiny one), but I'm getting used to the new place.
It's great to go into a store that knows that there is an audience for comics outside of the mainstream and carries stuff that we want to see. Also to discover a comic, book or zine that is completely off of our radar.

Jake Grubman

At this stage in my years-long obsession with small press comics, it's always a blessing to go to a shop and learn something new. Like: Jordan Crane's Non anthologies are that thick? They're huge! eBay does not provide the right perspective on that important matter. The point is: Secret Headquarters has stuff you're looking for, no matter what kind of reader you are. There's a wall of new issues from Marvel, etc., and there's also a strong selection of new zines and minicomics (plus shelves of manga, kids' comics, and book-length comics from Fantagraphics, D&Q, Peow, Silver Sprocket, etc.). For me, the few rows of older comics make this tiny shop a gem. (I know they've had to move around a lot! This location is not huge, but they use the space well.) I really enjoyed looking through some of those rarities, and the range of imports (from France and elsewhere) was also nice. The staff also recommended Dune for dinner down the street, and that was a terrific call. I hope to come back one day! My picks: New Pets by Jesse Jacobs, War Epic No. 2 by Nathan Cowdry, Denim by Tom Herpich, Cowabunga Schnauzer by Marc Bell, and Sock Nos. 1 and 2 edited by Conor Stechshulte.