Mother of Dragons

By: Ellyn Lusis

Jenn Haines, founder and owner of The Dragon, is the heroine of this story. She came into an industry with few women, and then - she fought hard and conquered it.

Jenn fell in love with comics like most did a generation ago. She started with European comics passed down from family members and slowly got into superhero comics. And when Jenn read a book called Strangers in Paradise, she realized comics could be for anyone. It was the 90’s and the comic book world was finally starting to become more diverse in the stories being told and the audience being spoken to. But Jenn felt comic bookstores themselves needed to change as well. Instead of being welcoming, friendly spaces receptive to all audiences, shops only focused on their traditional customer base. Realizing that she could not be the only one looking for a better experience, Jenn decided to open a comic bookstore for people who didn’t fit the mold of a conventional comic book reader. Freshly graduated from university, with a Bachelor of Education and a Masters in Classical Studies, Jenn put together a business plan, got a line of credit, and opened her first comic bookstore - The Dragon.

The story of the Dragon is one of a search for the perfect space and of business expansion. Jenn’s first retail space was too big, and she admits to “being too ambitious in my initial startup… and I went with the timeline instead of waiting to find the right space”. After a year, Jenn moved to a smaller space better suited to her needs but with more competition from the existing comic bookstore. She stayed in that location for 10 years and moved to Old Quebec Street Mall where she’s been for the last 13 years.

Like all conquerers who have established a base of operations, Jenn’s next thoughts turned to expansion. Six years ago, she decided to open another store in the south end of Guelph. “I knew that if I didn’t lock down the south end, somebody else was going to open up and serve that market”. However, Jenn made the same mistake of opening a space a bit too large, and when the industry hit a mini recession, it was time to reassess the south store. “What I really learned was that the south end customers, are not shopping where they live. They are shopping where they work…so it was not a situation where I was going to transition those customers into new shopping habits. So, I consolidated back into downtown (Old Quebec Street mall location) and then, four years ago I opened a shop in Milton.” Jenn had her eye on Milton for awhile and when the local comic bookstore closed, she jumped at the chance to expand again. “I really wanted to do something different then what had existed in Milton. I did a little search for available space, and I found the perfect space in the perfect location at the perfect price.” She applied all the lessons learned from the south end store to the Milton location. “I had already been through all of the growing pains of expanding, what I needed to expand and what the extra work looked like. Opening Milton was just a breeze.”

As for the retail space Jenn has created in The Dragon, it is a comic book and games shop for everyone -especially families. “I actively created a space where parents could feel comfortable bringing their kids”. The stores are purposely designed with this goal in mind. Aisles are wide enough for wheelchairs and strollers. “Our demographics are different than most comic retailers. 15 -20% of the people attending our events are typically attended by women and children, which is in stark contrast to other stores that see 1-2% attended by women and children. Our customer base is made up of 40% families, whereas other stores it’s closer to 10%.” All family members have been thought of when curating the store, from the types of comics offered to the leagues and tournaments the Dragon hosts, so everyone can find something to connect with.

Jenn’s customer base is so loyal that during the pandemic, a customer started a Go Fund Me for The Dragon so the store could reopen sooner. And although the money provided financial relief, it was customers saying how much The Dragon meant to them that really touched Jenn. “To have these people say how much it meant to them; just gave me new life and gave me the ability to find the energy that I needed to dig in and reopen and move forward.”

It should be noted that Jenn’s model of an inclusive comic bookstore has more than just local fans. The Dragon has drawn national and international attention as can be seen in the number of industry awards the store has won. These include the CanGift Retailer of Distinction Award, the Harry Kremer Award for Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Retailer, and numerous Readers Choice Awards. Jenn was also the first female sole proprietor to win the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailing Award which recognizes the best comic retailers in the world. That’s right, - the world.

These awards have helped cement Jenn as a leader in her field. She is the first female president of Comics Pro, the retailer trade organization for comic shops. “I’ve worked to network and to position myself where I can talk to just about anybody in the industry very easily and get things done. But I do get some pushback from those who don’t believe that I can possibly know what I’m talking about when it comes to the product, because I am a woman. I’ve had pushback from advertisers who have asked me if they can speak to the person who makes the decisions.”

When asked what advice Jenn would give another woman in business, she replied, “I would say it’s to figure out what your personal brand is. What is your ethos? What is your thing that you want people to take away from experiencing your work or your product? Make it about that, and then stand by it and don’t budge. There are a lot of people who are going to try to knock you down and tell you that you don’t deserve your place there, but you have to stand your ground and just keep pushing forward. Don’t let anybody tell you that you don’t belong there- because you do.” q

You can check out The Dragon’s extensive collection of Graphic Novels, comic books, games and more. You can also take a look at a list of their events or shop online here