Comics FTW (For the Win) is a comic book shop that’s been in business for four years, selling comics and figures as well as hosting Geek Trivia Nights every Saturday or occasionally Friday. The events can be themed, depending on the holiday or what’s coming out in the “nerd-dom” at the time. Nevertheless, there are always fun and sometimes random questions.
The host and owner of Comics FTW is Kris Bartolome. The winning team of the trivia night gets store credit or figures as a prize. If it’s your first time attending, you may even walk away with a booby prize just for showing up.
“I take every customer’s opinion of the shop seriously, and with the trivia night becoming a big thing, it’s important to me that folks have a positive experience,” Bartolome said.
Three Little Piggies BBQ catered Trivia Night on Nov. 22: $10 for a spiced pulled pork sandwich, rice and bean salad and an Ibarra chocolate chip cookie. However, those who didn’t want to partake were still allowed to bring their own food and drink as long as they cleaned up after themselves. This means that patrons 21 and up can bring their own beer as well.
One of the six teams for this event was called the “Stabby 6.”
“I’ve been going since February, but they’ve been running trivia night for close to a year now,” said Adrian DuMay, a “Stabby 6” team-member. “[Bartolome] definitely tries some new stuff. The newest thing is called hip-hop samples where he plays a clip from a hip-hop song, and we have to guess if it’s from a movie, a TV show or a video game.”
Caitlin Gormley has been attending trivia nights at Comics FTW for about six months. “Even though we never win, it’s always fun to get together,” she said. “The group is super welcoming to new people. And the questions are a pretty wide range, so even if you don’t read comics you’re sure to get a few right!”
After the hip-hop segment, there was a racier portion in which the players had to name which derriere belonged to whom. Along with some suggestive team names, it is important to note that the faint of heart could be offended.
“I definitely wouldn’t ever want anyone to feel uncomfortable, but we do have more of an adult crowd,” Bartolome said. “I try to make it clear, either directly or subtly, that everything is in fun. In fact, I’ve told people several times that the competitive aspect of trivia night is less important to me than the social one. That’s why there’s a large group of people who never win, but still come back every week, because we try to foster a fun environment.”
They try to keep nudity to a minimum, and with sexual questions they aim to maintain a balance of both male and female bodily representation.
Entry is $5 for this weekly geek entertainment, a chance to exercise your brain and make new friends. Comics FTW is located at 1435 Santa Rosa Ave. Suite C5.
You can check their website at www.comicsftw.com, call (707) 284-2272 or visit their Facebook page for updates on the times and to RSVP to each trivia night. They host other events too, such as artist signings, sing-alongs or games, so it’s important to stay up-to-date and keep informed.
