Shellback Artworks closing down
 

Steve just posted two videos on the Shellback Artworks Facebook page, the first video being a tour of the ground floor of the store and the second being the top floor. Sadly, he mentions at the end of the second video that the store will be closing down in mid-October. :tsad:

Oh no!
That place is so fantastic!

Weird, I was just thinking the other day wondering how long Shellback Artworks would remain in business. I didn't expect this to actually happen in reality.

Shame, but I guess it proves individually owned comic book/art stores aren't in high demand when you have big chains.

There goes my hope of one day having a guaranteed place to meet pete on FCBD. Sucks for the Lavignes. really unfortunate

Probably the end of any PL appearances....maybe ever!

I am sad to hear it but not surprised...I don't see how they even stayed in business that long to tell you the truth. I think in order to survive it would have to be in downtown Portsmouth or Portland. The winters are so dead around there and I just don't see how he gets any traffic in besides signings.

I thought the exact same thing, I reallllllly hope Peter doesn't just fade away when the doors close for the final time :tconfuse:

A major bummer. I'm glad he was able to do it for as long as he did, though. Brought a lot of smiles to a lot of TMNT fans & kids. I'm sad I'll never get to see the place (but I knew my chances weren't very good anyway).

One final signing with Pete confirmed!

Well, there's still the Words & Pictures Museum...

:tparty::thyper::tparty::thyper::tparty::thyper:

Soooo, I duplicated this thread, but my sentiment is still the same.

Glad to hear that Pete and Steve are doing 1 more signing.

I just read the super depressing news today on Shellback Artworks facebook page. Shellback will be closing in October of this year. The store was really great, I went there as often as I could and everytime I went there I felt like family. Its the end of an era. I highly recommend making the trip there before it closes. Here's the official post from Shellback.

"Thank you to everyone who helped keep Shellback alive from June 2012 thru now. We appreciate it so much. Steve will keep his Shellback facebook page, and will be available for freelance and commission work. Original art will be for sale regularly as well. He & I will also be booking many comic cons all year long. On the schedule so far... Aug 2016 Soda City Con, Oct 2016 Tulsa OK, Nov 2016 Rhode Island Con, Jan 2017 New Orleans. Hopefully... Apr 2017 St Louis and Sept 2017 Nashville. Many more shows will be scheduled in upcoming months. We will be creating a con schedule page soon."

Damn. Wanted to ask them about some stuff which I assume most of their TMNT old stuff was from Mirage's back stock. Looks like they had the TMNT Playmates statues there. Couldn't tell the one further away was which turtle. Does anyone know if they have any prints left from FCBD 2014 and wasn't there one from 2016 FCBD? Also wanted to know if they have the AC Farley TMNT poster or the 1990 TMNT Collected Book One. Batman/TMNT print by Steve if they have any left.

Send Steve a message via FB

Well that sucks. I'd seen Steve announce it was closing Sundays, which was understandable, but can't keep it going at all? I was hoping to get myself there one time, maybe FCBD next year if Peter was attending (he's the only Mirage person I've not met).

I made the effort to go there last week (all the way from Australia), well worth the trip. It was just an awesome day! Glad I got to see it before it closes it's doors.

Even when I got off the bus, the lady at the transport centre in Wells had no idea what "Shellbacks" was.

Yet another portion of the Mirage legacy fades from existance. I only hope Dan Berger manages to keep www.miragelicensing.com afloat for a few more years.

Well that's up to Mirage about the site still running. I gather until they sell off a chunk of the Mirage back stock of comics and stuff then that'd be the end for them. But also look how much they've been doing for ebay as well. How much does Mirage still have for all them old vintage TMNT merchandise? It seems endless. Without any publishing current comics they are becoming less relevant. Certainly with TMNT Volume 4 issues being no more unlike the last few years, nothing new coming along either. Also does Mirage own their building? Wonder if they rent, on lease or own the building. If thats the final thing Mirage does and sells their building when the time comes. That's more money to Peter I'd assume for the last time.

If I'm not mistaken, their basement had one of almost everything ever made, because they had to get approval copies of all items produced by licencees.

They still have stacks of old comics at Mirage, but I imagine their toy/merch items are almost done or dwindling given how much sells on ebay week after week.

I'd imagine Peter still has a chunk of stuff in his possession too but its safe to say he's probably already given all of them to Mirage to sell by now. He was in that dumping all TMNT stuff a few years ago, move on with his life phase.
Also why is there never anything on their ebay auctions? From the Mirage site I keep glancing and there's no auctions when they say there are stuff. There's never anything up. Is the link wrong?

There's usually stuff up every week unless Dan is on vacation which he is now. It's not already up to date but there is stuff more often than not

Pete owns it. Jim and Dooney still use the place as a studio. Not sure if dan still goes there.

I've looked periodically and there's never been anything up in the last while. Didn't know Dan was on a break. The last few times they've mentioned the items they have up on Ebay from the Mirage site. I click to look and never see these listings ever. I swear this is the truth.

I really hate to see ShellBack close, I was lucky and attended a signing back in 2012, and then visited Steve again in 2014. He's actually coloring my "last" tmnt piece, so maybe this will motivate me to make one more trip up north and pick it up.

Haven't heard from them. I emailed them about some TMNT stuff to see if they have any stuff left that I'm interested in.

So, Saturday October 15th it is!

http://i1248.photobucket.com/albums/...psfoiwicgw.jpg

i knew i shouldve went on free comic book day...

ill never meet peter now


:tcry:

Is there any chance Peter will surprise everybody with TMNT #33?

Probably not.

Wouldn't that be nice!!😂

But no. Haha

In case anyone wants a life-size Raph, Steve is selling the one at Shellbacks!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TMNT-Life-Si...-/162195937475

Those Turtles started in Kevin's Words and Pictures museum before going to Pete, and finally Steve.
The Leonardo one will be up in my shop after the Shellback signing!

Dude, you snagged Leo?? Where you gonna stick him?? He's huge! Lol

Hanging like he was at the Words and Pictures museum.

:tsad::tsad::tsad:

I guess no one did... at least for that price.

They actually had a few takers. Steve is keeping Mikey, there is this one currently listed and the other two sold (like mentioned above). I think it's the local pick up that is drawing out the process of the last one leaving. But I couldn't imagine trying to ship one of those suckers.

They are cool but not really up my alley nor do I want to drop that kind of money.

Leo sold. Mikey is being kept and the other two are still for sale...

One week from today!

Who is going to be there??

I really want to go but I might have to work that day. If I knew they were going to have some sort of limited edition items for sale or if there was a massive close-out sale I would make the trip whether I had to work or not :twink: