Posted in: Comics | Tagged: comic store closing, HRL, librarie astro

Montreal Comic Store Librairie Astro to Close This Summer

Last May, Bleeding Cool reported on Montreal comic book store Librairie Astro, which was struggling to survive after more than three decades in business and seeking crowdfunding on GoFundMe to help with a large commercial tax bill. Just 10 months later, Librairie Astro has announced on its website that it must close before July 1st after failing to come to terms on a new lease for the store.

"It seems our *pfui* old landlord sold the building in October of 2017, and didn't even have the courtesy to let us know," said owner Paul Stock on the website. "We made contact with the new owners in January, but were unable to come to any mutually acceptable terms, so we have to be out (which means the place has to be empty) by July 1st., which is exactly 31 years since the day we started setting up here."

"It's been a lot of fun (and a lot of work), but frankly neither Mary, Betty, Mark, nor I, at ages 67, 72, 74 and 68 are in the kind of shape needed to start over with a new location," he continued.

Librairie Astro will continue to serve pull list customers through shipments the week of June 20th, and hopes that customers will continue to pick up their books during that time, while simultaneously seeking out another shop for orders starting June 27th. "I'd particularly recommend Marc Parenteau's "Comic Hunter" up at 9675 Papineau," Stock wrote in the message, which can be read in full here.

The store is open to a buyout if you happen to have a lot of capital. Otherwise, they'll be having a "turn off the lights sale" before emptying the store at the end of June.

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