Location: Graham Crackers Comics (Edgewater store)
Date: 5/7/2011
The duty of an Imperial Scout is sometimes a solitary one. Such was the case on May 7th, 2011, when I was the lone trooper deployed to patrol Free Comic Book Day at Graham Crackers Comics in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago. But the weight of overwhelming numbers is not the only weapon at the Empire's disposal. We also have spiffy white uniforms!
Upon my arrival, there was already a large line of patrons waiting outside the store. After helping the store staff with some quick last-minute decorations, I armored up, completing my change just in time for the doors to open. The weather was cool and the sky threatened rain, but nothing would dampen the spirits of these comic book fans or deter them from getting their free stuff!
Although this was a solo mission for the Empire, I did encounter a masked ally in one of the store's staff members. I think he was the Green Hornet or Kato or someone like that... [EDIT: 8114 correctly pegged him as The Spirit]
I took up guard duty outside the storefront to enhance the event's visibility. As a relatively new location, the store lacks much of the proper signage one would expect. Because of that, although many people were surprised to see a 'stormtrooper' out on the streets of Edgewater, some had an even greater surprise in learning that there was a comic book store in their neighborhood!
I hawked, coaxed, and cajoled passers-by to bring in a lot of foot traffic, including a great number of people out for a weekend stroll with their children. Photos were taken and comics were had...
The mission was complete by about 1:00pm. I'd been there almost three hours and although I wished that I could have stayed longer, this soldier of the Empire had other pressing business to attend to. The Graham Crackers manager and staff repeatedly expressed their gratitude for the appearance, and I let them know how to contact us if they should ever need Imperial reinforcements in the future. All in all, it was a successful adventure!
Excelsior!
-- Brian Troyan - TB-8968
