Celebrating 25 Years at The Dragon — Amy!
If you have been to The Dragon more than once in your life, it would be hard not to have had the pleasure of meeting Amy. From training all the staff, filing your comic subscriptions, organizing countless Pokémon TCG events, and a million other things that keep the store running smoothly, it’s impossible to fully encapsulate the unmistakable mark Amy has made on the identity of The Dragon.
We are so happy to share that June 1st will be the 25th work anniversary of Amy at The Dragon and to mark this incredible milestone, Amy was gracious enough to take some time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions for this incredibly special newsletter interview!
All of us, and we’re sure all of you, want to wish Amy a very happy 25-year work-iversary! Thank you, Amy, for all you’ve done in making The Dragon the place it has become over the years, and we are so lucky to have you as our manager and a part of The Dragon family!
June 1st marks your 25th anniversary go working at The Dragon. What first brought you to The Dragon, and what made you want to apply for a job with the store?
The Dragon opened the year I moved to Guelph to start school at the University of Guelph. When I found a comic book store with a woman behind the counter, I knew I was going to love this town.
A year later I worked as a stagehand for a musical at the university, and Jenn was the lead for that team. She was a great leader and I learned a lot from her, even though I’d never been a stagehand before. When the show was over, she told me to check with her in the summer for any job openings. I did and that June she hired me for two shifts a week to run her brand-new Pokémon League. I had no clue how to play and had never worked in retail before, but I loved it immediately.
Over the years, what are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in the store?
So many changes! I’ve worked in 4 of the 6 locations, if we count all the Downtown Guelph locations separately. The store has grown, our product focus has evolved, and the way we host events has expanded dramatically.
At one time, we had more shelves of Anime VHS and DVD rentals than we had of Marvel books.
Now the variety of stock we carry brings me joy because I know I can always help someone find the perfect item.
What do you hope to see in the future at The Dragon?
Continuing our strong community connection, and holding onto the things that make The Dragon a safe haven for so many folks. The personal connection and welcoming feeling we have makes it such a special place.
What do you think is one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned at The Dragon?
The personal touch is really what makes working somewhere like The Dragon special. The small things, like learning someone’s name, have a much bigger impact than most people ever realize.
And what is one of the biggest surprises?
I know it sounds silly, but I’m actually an introvert! The biggest surprise is still, even after so long, that I absolutely love meeting and talking with customers.
I like to think that The Dragon is my little window into what being an extrovert must be like.
Do you have a favourite story from your time at The Dragon you can share?
It’s all one big tapestry of stories! The Dragon winning the Eisner Spirit of Retailing award, that was a HUGE moment. The smaller moments that I always love to share are when I get to see someone for the first time in years and I remember them instantly, and sometimes I even get to meet their kids!
What might be your favourite go-to recommendation for a book or game for customers?
This is probably the hardest question! How can I pick just one book or game!?
For kids' books, I love to recommend the Berrybrook series by Svetlana Chmakova. My other top picks are Pluto by Naoki Urasawa, Wet Moon by Sophie Campbell, and Blacksad by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido.
I have two consistent go-to game choices. Forbidden Island is one of my favourite games. I love co-operative games, and it is easy to teach to people who don’t play a lot of games, without it lacking in challenge.
And Ghost Blitz is just ridiculous fun. This one is for ages 8+, but I’ve found there is almost an age cap for finding this game “easy”. At a certain point, grown-ups just can’t think outside the box fast enough to keep up with kids playing Ghost Blitz and that makes it so much more fun!
And lastly, do you have any final thoughts you’d like to share?
Loving your job is so much more important than people think. I’ve worked here for as long as I have because I truly love it. I love the products we carry, I love getting to know the customers, and I love getting to share in the same hobbies as everyone who comes in.