Fat Jack’s Comicrypt

First time in here and fell in love with it. Amazing selections from current to back issues, better than most comic books store in Philly. Also they have a cute Fat cat

A great comic store in Philly! Love their cats!

Wish this place was decorated cooler. There, got the one negative thing to say about it out of the way. Now here are the positives:
–they openly display the latest issues of the best comics
–they have friendly staff and kitties to great you
–the prices are reasonable
–they have so many comics to choose from and have boxes of back issues too!

While in town for a conference in historical Philadelphia, we decided to hit several comic book shops in the area. It has become a tradition to hit comic shops during these conferences on the East side of these United States. Before I launch into my review, as a comic book fan, I am highly biased about the art form, culture, and long term sustainability of brick and mortar shops. With that said, I doubt I would rate a comic book shop lower than 3 stars, unless they were a disservice to the comic book community.
With that said, I am rating this a 4 stars, because it is an above average comic book shop. They keep a lot of issues on hand. We were there during the 2^nd or 3^rd week of Convergence and they had every issues still available. The guys there are very knowledgeable about comics, but I got the feeling that customer service isn’t their major concern. They seem to be providing a service for the comic book community and if you need a warm greeting or enthusiasm about your purchase, you won’t get it here. As a comic book collector, I enjoy the back and forth conversation with the owners/​workers, but I can get on board with the introverted individual, who just wants to work in a comic shop.
In the back of the store, they have thousands of back issues that are not very well maintained. While pulling out one of the boxes, it started to fall apart in my hands. Most of the issues are bagged and boarded, so the condition of the box isn’t a major issues. The major weakness of this comic shop is the price of the back issues. Normally when I see a plethora of back issues, they are being sold for a dollar or less. The majority of the ones I looked at ranged from $ 3-​$ 10, which led to me walking out with one back issue instead of 15 – 20. I think they would benefit from dropping their prices on back issues as it would clean out the area a bit, making it a live area of back issues instead of a grave yard of issues that no one is willing to drop any money on. This was for me, the major thing that needs to be done with this location.
Overall, this seems like a good serviceable comic shop. If I lived nearby, I could see myself going here on a weekly basis. If you live in the area and need a comic book home, I think you can make Fat Jack’s your regular place of business.

These dudes were super friendly and helpful. I had a great shopping experience. They have a quality selection of comics. And were always available to answer questions. I would go back there in a heartbeat. The cats are really cute too.

With two very friendly kitties there to greet me– I was immediately taken back to my adolescence.
Comic shops can range from creepy, to weird to amazing. This shop happens to perfectly embody the three in perfect ratio.
The staff are helpful, and kind. I didn’t feel awkward stopping in and browsing and even indulged in two old Thor comics.
Hopefully I will have a chance to stop back in when my son is older so we can geek out together!

This place has a rely nice selections of comic including a lot of back issues. Come and check it out!

I went here to find some specific graphic novels. While they did not have a ton of more recent ones I was looking for, they had a nice collection of both popular and indie stuff (including works by local artists, which is always awesome!)
This wasn’t really the place for me, but it seems like an awesome spot for comic fans and people who are into the latest issues of ongoing series etc… and the people who worked there were very funny and helpful. If you’re into comics in general I would recommend this place, but if you are looking for specific long-​form works I would stick with Amazon. Nothing against this spot though!

Decent selection, nothing to write home about. Back issues a marked up a bit, and the store layout was kind of confusing, with things spread out.

Love this place!
They have a good mainstream trade selection and this is my go-​to place for regular comics. Everything is organized well and easy to find. The employees are friendly and helpful but don’t hover over you and generally let you do your own thing.
My favorite part of this place, aside from the shop cats, are the stacks in the back. Lots to go through, the deepest stacks in Philadelphia. I wish they were open on Mondays but oh well.
Sometimes Long in the Tooth down the block has comics too, so it’s always a one-​two punch for me.

One of the friendliest and genuinely nice shops! The owner helped me pick the right comic book present.

I don’t know what it is about this particular store, but I’ve gone in a number of times (it’s the closest comics shop to my home), and I am consistently made to feel like an outsider. If I attempt to join a conversation with the employees or other customers I am treated like an interloper and met with curt, disdainful responses.
They’ll take my money at Fat Jack’s but they won’t treat me like a valued member of their community. The only words I regularly encounter are «credit or debit?» before I’m shooed out the door. This experience has become so typical for me that I wonder if the employees have been instructed to be unfriendly to non-​regulars. I just can’t figure out how that’s a good business strategy.
Comic book stores, like many specialty shops, are not routinely known for being welcoming to outsiders, but Fat Jack’s takes it to another level of snobbery. I highly recommend Locust Moon Comics in West Philly. Even though it’s geographically inconvenient for me, I am always treated well by the owners and employees.

Classic

I like this place. An okay location in Center City, close to Rittenhouse Square. So if you’re in the park, and looking for places to go or something to look at, Fat Jack’s is an option! …if you’re into comics, of course.
Now, I warn you: if you’re not a fan of cats for any particular reason, I advise not going here. But aside from allergies, I don’t know what the hell would be wrong with you! Not liking cats… You have some nerve, sir and/​or madam.
The comic book selection in here is usually alright. I’ve had some problems getting some mainstream issues from time to time, though normally, the back issues aren’t so bad. The clerks here are very into comics, and will have no issue explaining to you what’s going down in x universe of x plot.
But back to cats: this place (last I checked) has three cats who occasionally come out from the office or wherever, and hang around the store. The fat cat is adorable for his «I just live here» kind of attitude. My favorite is this chocolate-​furred cat, though. If you meet him, and you like kitty attention, he’ll be sure to pay attention to you! When looking for a copy of Young Avengers in the back issue area, I felt like this cat was my personal assistant as he climbed up onto the shelf, and walked across the comics to hang out while I browsed.

Fat Jack’s is back-​issue comic heaven! They’ve really got an excellent selection, probably the best in the city. If you’re looking for a specific comic or issue, this is definitely the best place to look. Prices are great too, years ago I was able to find some rare Nintendo Comics System comics published by Valiant pretty cheaply here, as well as other different comics. Unfortunately every time I’ve gone in since then they haven’t had any more :(They carry a little bit of new stuff too, but not too much. The only problem I have is sometimes trying to sift through the back-​issues in the store is cumbersome. There are boxes, upon boxes, upon boxes and it’s hard to really find out where to start to look.
But Fat Jack’s is definitely a place to visit if you’re a comic book aficionado. Also, beware of the numerous cats sprawled out across the store.

I traveled to Philly for the day with my boyfriend and once we got off the bus from New York City, we went in search for comic stores. Our first destination was to Fat Jack’s Comicrypt which I must say had the best selection of back issues that we saw in our few stops in Philadelphia. We were thoroughly impressed with the layout of the store and were excited to find some older stuff we were looking for. I fell in love with the cat that resided in the store and wanted to take it home with me. It reminded me of a fat version of my own cat. The guys who work here were friendly, knowledgeable, and made conversation. We would definitely come back to this store if we’re in town again and are excited to check out the location in New Jersey. Highly recommended to anyone visiting Philly. It was our favorite comic store in the city, though we would recommend all of them for a visit.

When you find yourself on Sansom Street, be sure to visit Fat Jack’s.
I’ve been a gleeful visitor to this establishment ever since freshmen year of high school — even earlier, during their brief stay in that crap-​tastic area on 5^th street. If you like comic books and graphic novels, Fat Jack’s is your home away from home.
There are some shops that treat customers like murder suspects, but never at Fat Jack’s. Good service with employees that are knowledgeable, friendly, and respectable. Even the cats laying around the shop are friendly and engaging (please avoid stepping on tails). Their back issues are impressive, too. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, they’ll gladly order it for you. Did I mention that they have good service?
Overall, it’s a great place to pick to keep current or get a blast from the past with each visit.

I can only assume this is the friendliest comic/​hobby shop in Philadelphia. Employees: Knowledgeable. Stock: Organized. The prices of the comics/​variants are respectable. Walk right through the front door and you are ALWAYS greeted. They care about the customers for sure. Back issues are neatly sorted in the back of the store, past t-​shirts that I’m constantly being tempted to buy. If you are looking for action figures or busts, their selection is not that huge, but that can slide in my book.
The clincher that keeps me coming back time and again: the cats. The store has a couple of fat cats randomly laying around who could easily be labeled mascots. You can pet them, they’ll sit on the counters, and stare at you as you peruse the New Arrivals sections. Fat Jack’s is a unique store with a family feel, and they’ll always have my business.

Things that are great about Fat Jack’s Comicrypt:
1) The name. What a friggin awesome name. The imagery that comes to mind is beyond bizzare.
2) The back issue cats. What’s a back issue cat? Why, it’s one of several cats just hopping/​sleeping/​prowling all over their back issue bins. This is a very, very awesome thing.
3) It’s a comic shop. Who doesn’t like comic shops?
4) Isn’t that enough?

What can I say? there’s something that still gets me hooked on comics after all of these years so sue me. I’m not particularly big on Batman, Spiderman, or all of the ones that you would normally expect. so when I go I’m looking for things like Sandman, anything by Jhonen Vasquez, or something rare by the guy who did all the art work for the band Gorillaz. So with that said I’m glad that Fat Jack’s is the store to go to when your looking for a little something more. and if you can’t find it they always have an idea of what you’re talking about and are able to put it on order.
The store definitely has plenty of eye poppers even when you don’t find what you’re looking for. Plenty of mangas from Japan, D & D supplies, cool figurines, and so much more!