Continuarà Còmics

Continuarà Còmics is a specialist comic-book retailer based at Via Laietana 29 in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona, Spain. It opened on Sant Jordi's Day in 1980, founded by Joan Navarro and Albert Mestres, and is regarded as one of the first dedicated comic-book bookshops in Catalonia and among the pioneers in Spain. The shop began in a modest premises on Carrer Templaris in the Gothic Quarter and moved to its current Via Laietana address in 1987. Over more than four decades it has become a reference point for comic readers and pop-culture collectors in Barcelona. The store carries American comics, manga and European comics, alongside books, merchandising, collectibles and vintage material. Its catalogue is unusually deep in older and second-hand comics, with titles dating back to the 1930s, and the physical shop is spread over 180 m² on two floors: the upper floor holds new releases and comics of all genres, styles and ages, including original art, while the ground floor is dedicated to manga and merchandising. The current stock is described as more than 50,000 titles. In 2009 the shop received the prize for best specialist bookshop at the Saló Internacional del Còmic de Barcelona (Barcelona International Comic Fair). In 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, it marked its 40th anniversary and used the occasion to renew its website and develop its virtual store, which now operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with delivery in 48–72 hours and customer service by WhatsApp, email and telephone. The online shop sells comics, books, merchandising and collectibles, and includes a video-game books section. Continuarà is a private, independent business. Its co-founder Joan Navarro left to direct the magazines Cairo and Cimoc and later founded his own publishing house, Complot, in 1984, and from 1988 directed the Saló Internacional del Còmic de Barcelona; the shop remained under Albert Mestres's management. In 2014 Mestres founded the publishing imprint Edicions Trilita from the shop, issuing books on cartoonists such as Josep Coll and editor Josep Toutain and reissuing classic Catalan comics. Continuarà Còmics therefore functions both as a long-established retail brand and as the base for a small publishing operation.

Continuarà Còmics opened its doors in 1980 in Barcelona, making it one of the pioneering comic-book specialist bookshops in Spain. It was founded by Joan Navarro and Albert Mestres and inaugurated on Sant Jordi's Day (23 April) 1980 in a modest premises on Carrer Templaris 8 in the Gothic Quarter. Its arrival was part of the early 'adult comic boom' in Barcelona, a period that also saw the launch of specialist shops such as Antifaz (1982) and Norma Comics (1983) and of influential comic magazines including El Víbora (1979), Cimoc (1979), Comix Internacional (1980), Cairo (1981) and Creepy (1979). Earlier precedents in the city included Zap 275, opened by Jaume Fargas in 1974 and often cited as the first specialist comic shop in Spain, as well as the Totem bookshop and Makoki, opened by Felipe Borrallo in 1977. The professional paths of the two founders soon diverged: the shop remained exclusively under Albert Mestres's management, while Joan Navarro went on to direct the magazines Cairo and Cimoc, founded his own publishing house Complot in 1984, and from 1988 became director of the Saló Internacional del Còmic de Barcelona. In 1987 Continuarà moved to Via Laietana 29, its current location. By 2010, when it celebrated its 30th anniversary, it was already the longest-running specialist comic-book shop in Barcelona. In 2009 the shop received the prize for best specialist bookshop at the Saló Internacional del Còmic de Barcelona. In 2020, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, it celebrated its 40th anniversary and took the opportunity to renew its website and develop its virtual store. The physical shop occupies 180 m² over two floors: the upper floor holds new releases and comics of all genres, styles and ages, including original art, while the ground floor is dedicated to manga and merchandising. The current stock comprises more than 50,000 titles, with vintage and old comics a speciality and catalogue items dating from the 1930s onwards. From the shop, in 2014 Albert Mestres founded the publishing imprint Edicions Trilita, which has published books devoted to cartoonist Josep Coll (El gran Coll, 2015) and to editor Josep Toutain (Toutain, un editor adelantado a su tiempo, 2016). It also reissued the classic local comic Historias de taberna galáctica (2016) by Josep Maria Beà, followed by the reissue of La muralla and other volumes recovering the work of that versatile Catalan author. Another cartoonist rescued by the imprint is Calonge, a classic of the underground magazine El Víbora, honoured with the book Calonge. Genial y maldito (2021).

• Opened on Sant Jordi's Day at Carrer Templaris 8, Barcelona, founded by Joan Navarro and Albert Mestres.

• Moved to Via Laietana 29, its current location.

• Won the prize for best specialist bookshop at the Saló Internacional del Còmic de Barcelona.

• Celebrated its 30th anniversary, by then the longest-running specialist comic-book shop in Barcelona.

• Albert Mestres founded the publishing imprint Edicions Trilita from the shop.

• Celebrated its 40th anniversary during the coronavirus pandemic and renewed its website, developing its virtual store.

Long-established, independent specialist comic-book shop and online retailer for fans and collectors, with a deep vintage catalogue and personal customer service.

• American comics

• Manga

• European comics

• Books and graphic novels

• Merchandising

• Collectibles

• Vintage and second-hand comics

• Video-game tie-in books

1. 1Continuarā Cōmics | Tienda de Cómicscontinuaracomics.com
2. 2Continuarā Cōmics | Tienda de Cómics en Barcelonacontinuaracomics.com
3. 3Sobre Videojuegoscontinuaracomics.com
4. 4De Cómicscontinuaracomics.com
5. 5Continuarà Còmics – Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Continuarà Còmics – Viquipèdiaca.wikipedia.org