If you’ve been to the Danger Room in downtown Olympia, odds are pretty good you’ve talked to Frank Hussey. He’s the proprietor and the garrulous mirror-universe twin of Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons. Instead of a sour-faced and patronizing comics geek, he’s a smiling and loquacious shopkeeper who’s equally informative and open-hearted.
Even contemplating the upcoming annual chaos known as Free Comic Books Day on May 3rd elicits a hearty chuckle from Hussey. “I like to say it’s my favorite holiday where I work all day long.”
Started in 2003, Free Comic Book Day is an annual event where not only comics from major publishers like DC and Marvel ship out to comic book stores, but so do independent and alternative comics, all on offer (while supplies last) for any customers coming in. Hussey’s been taking part in it even before he became the co-proprietor of The Danger Room in 2010 (he bought out his former partner, amicably, last year). Back then, there was no limit set on the number of comics a customer could take, but while there will be upwards of 50 different free titles for customers to choose from, pretty much all stores set limits these days, with the Danger Room setting a limit of four comics. “And that rule’s hard and fast,” says Hussey, “unless … unless! you really want a fifth. And then it’s absolutely just five buddy!”
Since its founding in 1992 The Danger Room’s been pretty much what an experienced comic book reader dreams of — not too big, not too small, with meticulously organized shelves and well-displayed comics. There’s a healthy turnover on the discount shelves, and while there’s a discreet selection of superhero collectible figures, most of what’s on the floor is just comics —rarer than you might think in the days of Marvel blockbusters.
There are plenty of superheroes knocking the stuffing out of supervillains on the shelves, but the shop gives equal space to independents and alternative genres, along with some space for TTRPGs and other related esoterica. In a phrase, the Danger Room is well-curated, and a lot of that is clearly due to the amiable Hussey, who often begins a conversation with a new customer with questions, not recommendations. “While it’s fun to talk about my enthusiasms, the point isn’t to tell customers what they should read,” he explains, “it’s to learn what they like, and then suggest things that are similar.”
For anyone looking for a recommendation or interested in the state of the comic industry as a whole, Hussey’s wonderfully informative and remarkably unspoiled in his appreciation of both superheroes (“the corporate-sponsored arm of comic books”) and independent creators. And while he takes comics seriously, he’s tremendously bubbly and unserious, even when he’s talking about something like the emotional power of memoir-based comics such as Fun Home and Blankets. There is nothing curdled about him, despite his occasional dark humor.
“The most joyful part of being here is the interactions with people,” he says, another charming chortle bubbling up. “The vast majority of our customers are smart and likable and great, and so being the owner here is a lot like owning the bar in ‘Cheers.’ I know about their lives, their divorces, their health problems — and what comics they like.”
Like a lot of Gen Xers, Hussey “grew out” of comics as an early teenager. In the pre-Watchmen and Dark Knight era, comics were almost entirely seen as children’s literature, and to be still reading about X-Men or Batman in high school was about as socially acceptable as carrying around a stuffed animal. It wasn’t until a college friend dragged him into a comic store in the early ’80s that Frank gave them another look — and since the two comic books he picked up that day were the cult classic Cerebus and Alan Moore’s seminal first issue of Watchmen, he dove back in with a vengeance.
Picking up Fantagraphics’ esteemed Comics Journal was another watershed. “That was a really important influence on me. They were critical and opinionated, and I read everything they suggested.”
This led to his enthusiasm for alternative comic titles, but Hussey says he’s absolutely fine with customers into more mainstream fare, particularly if they’re interested in expanding their horizons. “The people who come in on Free Comic Books Day generally know something about what they like, and that’s great. If you want to get one or two that you know, like Star Wars or Spiderman, you should, but since you can get four, I want you to try something new.”
As busy as the event can get, Frank says he’s always still left with some free comics, which he gives out all year long. “If you’re new to the store, you’ll probably end up with a couple, or maybe with a few orphan comics that I think are good. If someone’s looking for work and has been rejected all day long, I’ll tell them I don’t have a job, but I’ll give them a free comic. And if a parent’s saying ‘remember, we’re just looking and not getting anything,’ well, I think that’s like going into a donut shop and telling them they only get to look in the case. I’ll give the kid a free comic.”
The best thing about Free Comic Book Day from Hussey’s point of view is that it reminds people that in our online world there’s a real pleasure in going to an actual physical store and looking at what’s on offer. “I’m actually a fan of digital comics, because it’s a low-cost way to read a lot of different works,” he explains. But what he really loves is meeting people in person so he can help them shape their reading habits and just talk about what’s out there.
He easily rattles off several superhero comics that have flown beneath the radar (particularly the independent The Power Trip) and for works not in the spandex subgenre the list is even longer and more eclectic. Soon we’re both reminiscing on incomplete classics like Beanworld or discussing how many of our favorite writers like Alan Moore or Kurt Busiek are notoriously bad at hitting monthly deadlines. In fact, a trip to the Danger Room often feels like dropping in on a salon; it’s as much fun to talk with Hussey about the comic scene as it is to get the comics.
While it’s been an adjustment taking over the financial stuff his ex-partner used to cover, Hussey’s still got plenty of plans for what’s next, including some in-store artist events and a re-launch of the Olympia Comics Festival next year. And always the daily effort to keep the orders coming in and the regulars happy. “There aren’t that many comic stores left, and when I took it over, it was because I could see that we could do things you don’t see other ones doing. I still feel that, and I still want to do more with the store.” He pauses, then gives an affectionate chuckle. “This place is really special, and I felt that when I first came in as a customer.”
If they’re lucky, some of the people looking for free comic books this Saturday will feel the same thing.
Photos by John Longenbaugh.
WHAT:
Free comic book day, up to 50 comics offered free of charge, limit five per customer
WHEN:
Saturday, May 3, 2025
WHERE:
Danger Room Comics, 201 4th Ave W, Olympia
LEARN MORE:
(360) 705-3050, https://www.instagram.com/dangerroomoly/