L.A. Mood Comics and Games L.A. Mood Comics and Games has been a steadfast comic book-gaming-counter-culture destination in London for over 30 years and as of 2020, they have made their new home here in Old East Village. Like many alternative shops, they had their start downtown, their first location being on King St. inside what was then called the Fraser Mall. Owner Gord Mood was very familiar with the world of collecting and in 1991 brought his passion for comics and games to the people. Gord grew up in east London attending Princess Anne and Clarke Rd. Secondary School. Like many kids in the 70s and 80s, he would spend his time heading downtown on the bus to take in the scene. Among the places he stoped on his trips were the Comic Book Collector or City Lights Book shop to see what was in stock. Comic book collecting had become a big pastime for many kids. With its popular and controversial history, it comes as no surprise that a pursuit such as this can influence not just a lifestyle but a career.
The culture of comics often coincides with the pleasure of gaming, and Gord was happy to bring this to L.A. Mood as well. “Games happened naturally through the evolution of the market,” says Gord, and he followed the interests of his customers. With his previous experience owning Bid Time Return and Endless Adventure selling strategy and role-playing games before opening L.A. Mood, he was familiar with the ins and outs. Over the years L.A. Mood catered to the needs of the gaming and collecting community of London while tolerating all the typical backlash of any counter-culture venture. Eventually, they moved to their more well-known location on Richmond St, his original stomping ground. The location had been known as Layman House for years, and from there they were able to build their community downtown. It was 20 years later that Gord and his wife and business partner, Carol, decided to move to a larger location. Carol who was trained as an early childhood educator and worked at the Maria Montessori School in Old South, had as much enthusiasm for the culture of gaming and kids’ entertainment as Gord did. When they moved to the building at Kellogg Lane, they knew they would be in a good spot to share their passion with the next generation. During the pandemic, they listened to the market again and started bringing more and more board games, role-playing games and puzzles to the store as families were investing their time at home during lockdowns. Now the store is filled with all kinds of options. It has become a great stop not just for the collectors, but for birthday gifts and family
fun nights. They also host games for those who want to get into the experience with Lorcana nights on Wednesdays, Commander games on Thursdays and Magic the Ga- thering on Fridays. If you’re looking to learn about D&D, they have gamers on site where you can set up an appointment for sessions as well. Ultimately counter culture is alive and well in OEV and we’re happy to have it.
Page 6 Old East Villager November/December 2024
To advertise here, please contact Marty@villagerpublications.com
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs