Dr Cain’s Comics & Games

I always checkout the local shops while visiting places while out of town. The owner was a really cool dude. He just got his faced numbed up by the dentist, but he still provided great service by suggesting new tittles for me and he even entertained all my questions about running a comic shop. My friend and I later checked out the competition a few blocks over, but eventually came back to Dr Cain’s for another purchase when we found out the other store seals up all their comics in heat shrink plastic, so you can’t really preview them. Anytime I come up to SLO, this is my shop.
*Checkout the originally designed shop t-​shirts too. They’re pretty cool!

Had every comic series I was looking for that other shops do not. Cain was a super cool dude and I would definitely come back again when I visit. Thanks for your service!

I have been going to Dr. Cain’s for the last year or so and I can say it is, without a doubt, the best comic book shop on the Central Coast. It is exactly what I would want a comic shop to be. You know how a good barber will give you more than just a haircut? That is what Reid (the owner) offers but with comic books. He’ll chat comic books, sports, even some old school wrestling from time to time. He’s introduced me to some great books. I’ve been to other shops where asking them to order anything feels like a huge inconvenience but Reid has *offered* to order things in multiple times. The guy is nice to people walking in off the street and takes care of his loyal customers. The shop itself is a small space, packed tight, and organized. It’s always is a good feeling walking into Dr. Cain’s.

I’ve lived in this town for almost a decade and I can honestly say that Dr. Cains is one of the best businesses that I have been lucky enough to patronize.
A little over a year ago I reticently walked into this place with little more than a faint memory of the classic X Men and a nervous a hunger for adventure. After a few lame attempts to peruse the shelves and pretend like I knew what I was looking for, I finally started talking to the staff. Every person I came in contact with, especially the owner, knew what they were talking about. They referred me to all the classics, the new and improved versions of what I was looking for, and anything/​everything that fit my newfound passion. I bought tons of books and spent hours upon hours reigniting a forgotten interest. I absolutely credit Reid and his crew at Dr. Cains for this. Even today; despite having gotten the best of the best– Reid is still finding me old, new, and sometimes obscure books that are unbelievably fantastic.
It is an honest business, they know their shit, you will leave satisfied. If you want to spend $ 10 or $ 100 bucks and not regret it, or if you even have the slightest interest in comics– take a walk down to Dr. Cain’s!

Rude, weird energy…
I went into this place for a second time with my dogs and an out-​of-​town friend. Before entering I asked if dogs on leashes were welcome, and the owner said that they were. There was a rude, snobby 20-​something woman there, too. Well, my dogs smelled a book which caused the owner to quite rudely say, «Come on, guys!» We paid for our crappy merchandise, then turned to leave but we’re faced with that woman. Out of habit I said, «Excuse me, I’m sorry if my dogs are in your way.» She quite nastily snarled, «As a matter of fact, they are.»
I looked back and the owner had this grumpy look on his face.
My suggestion to this jerk:
Put up a freakin’ No Dogs Allowed sign instead of acting like a passive aggressive d-​bag.
As much as I wanted to root for the underdog I won’t ever go back to this store.
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Addendum:
If anyone doubts the extremely bad attitude of the owner, just go read the comment he left.
To the owner:
Thanks for proving my point perfectly!

Great service and knowledge! I stopped in while on vacation and received the same kind of treatment that I would expect as a regular customer. I did buy a graphic novel while I was there but I really wanted to pick the owner’s brain (reminder to fellow Unilocalers: If you like a local business buy something there).
I asked about my first ebay listing: Silver Surfer #1, Reid gave me some great advice and even threw me a bid. I didn’t get that kind of help from my local shop where I bought the book 20 years ago.
Also, Dr Cain had a bunch of Silver Age Marvels on his wall which is a rare site these days.

Excellent. I was a customer of Dr. Cain’s for the duration of my time as a Cal Poly student. As a store, Dr. Cain’s provided me with a clean, easy to access, and well-​organized shop.
The main draw, however, is Reid, the store’s owner. Reid has excellent recommendations and offered many deals and discounts. Reid went out of his way to get me out of stock books and gave me graphic novels that he felt I would be interested in. Even if I had nothing to buy, I still enjoyed visiting the shop if only to chat with Reid.
In my six years in SLO, Dr. Cain’s was hands-​down my favorite place to visit. I feel like I made a great friend in Reid Cain.

Short Version: EXTREMELY knowledgeable staff (okay, so does two gents count as «staff») and vast selection from Marvel to Image to everything I don’t even know!
Long Version: In the last year we’ve gotten into comics. We walked in timidly and didn’t know where to start, but whoever is working always has an opinion to share. The great thing is that they both have very different styles, and I’ve read things I don’t think I would have ever picked up on my own. It’s become an every other weekend stop for us, and we love that we can bring in our french bulldog and both guys seem to like her (or they know how to play us.) There’s no judgement when I pick up anything from Loki to Revival, and we always end up hanging out and having great conversations. I love this shop. The plus is following them on Facebook. I always get a laugh from Reid’s status updates.
Thanks for letting me always come in and bug you because I ALWAYS forget what I’m reading or looking for!

Popped in here out of curiosity, and their selection amazed me. It’s rare to have such a good variety of comics and quality graphic novels in store this size. There are items for artists, kids, and board gamers. Highly recommended, you’re likely to find something here.

Each day, I stroll the streets of SLO
Just to mingle to and fro
Then, I see it, a shop so fair
Rife with dazzling colors and utmost flair
A comic store! It’s far from plain,
this magical land of Dr. Cain.

Love this place*
The dude hand-​doodles his Gift-​Certs* Very shwank
Very personalized experience.
Thank you Dr. Cain’s will stop by again Very Soon !

I have given this establishment five-​stars, but that is only because the review system does not provide me the flexibility to accurately judge such a peculiar store, and what I have found is quite appalling.
First of all, what is a comic anyway? It’s like full of ridiculous stories that would never take place in reality. In general, I find these stories to be highly unlikely and offensive to my sensibilities as an American – NAY, as a human! Personally, I have never witnessed a human expel bubbles full of words as a means of communication, and if I were to see such a horrific event, I would immediately seek out a medical professional, which leads to my second point.
The store’s proprietor is by no means a medical doctor, nor a doctor of any kind that I can verify. At best, this is a case of false advertising, and I can only assume that someone might mistakenly bring in a loved one in need of medical treatment, only to learn the bitter, unfortunate truth. Lives are at stake here, and this «Dr. Cain,» (if that is his real name) chooses instead to flagrantly disregard the public trust in order to sell his pamphlets about Man-​Bats … or something … and Pubescent Genetically Altered Samurai Tortoises.
Be warned, patrons, upon entering this store you will find nothing more than toys and games and other meaningless ways to fritter away one’s time. However, I must admit that it is very clean and orderly, which leads me to believe that the store’s operator practices dark wizardry.

This is by far the best comic book shop in town! The workers are so, so nice and friendly. I brought my almost 8 year old son in and they had the perfect section of comics that are appropriate to his age level. The man behind the counter was super enthused about my son’s picks which instantly sent my son into a excited conversation with him. We will 100% be returning. I’ve been to the other shop in slo and vowed to never go there again. The workers are rude if you dare to have a question and the store has that «never discovered deodorant before» smell to it.

Stopped in here several times over the past year or so now, and I always manage to find something I can’t live without!
A comic selection to make collectors feel like they just walked into Xmas morning, Plus loads of zines, books, and a killer art supply section to boot!
Picked up a sweet Aaron Cometbus zine on my last visit.
If you’re lucky you’ll get to meet the DR himself, trust him, he knows exactly what he is talking about, and will guide you in the right direction for whatever you are looking for.
There is only ONE comic store in SLO that matters — Dr Cain’s is the spot!

Doctor doctor, give me the news, I’ve got a… bad case of loving you!
Up-​to-​date comics, clean atmosphere, supports LOCAL artists, great selection that keeps growing EVERY time we visit. The employees are knowledgeable and laid back, and my fiancé and I are like kids in a candy shop every time we walk through the doors!
This place is a GEM.

I always hit up this comic shop when I am in the area. This last trip like my trip before did not disappoint. Found some issues I was looking for. I also bought a children’s book for a nephew. They have a fantastic kid’s section. Something for the young and old and everyone in between.
Support your local comic book shops. Especially the good ones. Dr. Cain’s is one of the good ones. Buy your comics here.

I love this little closet of a comic store. It has a nice selection of comics considering the size, along with, collectables, graphic novels and drawing gear. The clerk was classic in that he was stamping «Dr. Cain’s» on the bags to make them custom to the store. As I was shopping I kept getting a jolting bang in my ears as the stamps went on… bravo!

I walked into this store right after Christmas to get a birthday gift for my daughter’s 15^th birthday. She’s comic fan, but we didn’t want to get her anything super violent. (Well, I didn’t anyways, my husband kept picking up all those gory looking Batman comics– for «her» right?). The young man behind the counter had some great recommendations, we finally walked out with the whole collection of a comic called «Bone». Hubby was worried she wouldn’t like it, but she LOVED it, still loves it and is still talking about it 3 months later. I am convinced that they have something for everyone at this store. Buy local!

It has been a long time since SLO had a good comic shop.
They are small but they pack a fairly dense selection in their little store. And, while they are well stocked, I didn’t have to go digging though stacks of books and random bins to find what I was looking for — the ability to keep things well in order is another advantage to a small store.
Most importantly, the owner was easy to talk to. I love comics but I am not in the know on the where most stories are these days or what new books I should be checking out. After a brief conversations about what I used to like, the owner gave me some great recommendations on some modern books. Yes, a conversation with comic shop staff that didn’t end in judgement, blank stares, or eye rolling. Hard to believe, I know.

Stopped in here on a whim and was very pleasantly surprised. I’m wary of comic book shops in general since a lot of them seem to be staffed by guys hostile toward women and people who don’t eat, breathe, and generally live this stuff. I find the attitude fairly insulting, since I have family who are comic book artists for some major publishers, and friends who are employed by comic publishers and/​or artists themselves — so given my genuine interest, the stereotypical «comic book guy» offends the crap out of me.
That said, I didn’t get this vibe AT ALL from this comic book shop. I walked in and was surprised to find a very neatly organized shop (note: does not feel like the basement bedroom of your typical comic book guy, but more like an Apple store). A little girl and her mother were shopping in what appeared to be a children’s corner (way to start ‘em young!). Lots of mainstream titles on one wall, and lots of indie titles on the other. Dr. Cain himself (or, at least, the owner — I didn’t catch his real name) did not give me a snooty vibe. I mentioned one artist I really enjoyed and he enthusiastically gave me 3 – 4 other recommendations.
Hope this place is here to stay! Great shop. Will make sure to check it out every time I’m in town.