130 GOODS & SERVICES SEPTEMBER 25, 2025 | WWW.BESTOFPHOENIX2025.C0M | BEST OF PHOENIX 2025 labyrinth of bookshelves stocked head to boot with rare books, first editions and signed works, some of which are encased in glass. Antiquarian treasures in the collec- tions include a German first edition of “Cinderella” published in 1951 and signed by Walt Disney, a 1960 book club edition of “To Kill a Mockingbird” signed by Harper Lee, a first printing of William S. Burroughs’ “Naked Lunch,” a three-volume hardbound set of “The Lord of the Rings” in green leather with gilded edges and books printed as far back as the 16th century. Looking for something else that’s special? If it’s not on Book Gallery’s shelves, chances are, Riley can help you find it. e e e B E S T C O M I C B O O K S T O R E DRAWN TO COMICS 5801 W. GLENDALE AVE., GLENDALE 623-847-9090 DRAWNTOCOMICS.COM It’s not just the comic book selection that makes Drawn to Comics awesome, but having tens of thousands of available titles in every genre doesn’t hurt. Employees are bona fide comics geeks and are always happy to engage in long conversations about things like the return of Marvel’s Ultimate line or the latest manga releases. Looking for a back issue? They’ve got your back. Need recom- mendations for new releases? No problem. And if you’re shopping for more than comics, the store stocks plenty of toys, T-shirts, games and more than 150 posters and prints. Drawn to Comics also occasionally hosts events like game nights and artist signings. e e e B E S T P L A C E T O B U Y A Z I N E WASTED INK ZINE DISTRO 323 W. MCDOWELL ROAD 602-341-5277 WIZD-AZ.COM Zine culture is alive and well in the Valley of the Sun. Stop by Wasted Ink Zine Distro and find out why there will always be a home for people who have information to share through the medium of the printed page. Wasted Ink Zine Distro is more than just a place to find a zine, though. It’s also a place where you can get a taste of the history of zines, do a little research if you are starting (or continuing) your own publication and rub shoulders with some of the coolest people in town. Collaborate, educate and congratulate yourself for supporting the continued existence of the written word. Staffed by volunteers, Wasted Ink distributes thousands of zines each year and might just be the most informative place in Phoenix. e e e B E S T G A M I N G S T O R E GAMERS GUILD AZ 1818 W. BELL ROAD, #115 2223 S. 48TH ST., SUITE C/D, TEMPE 602-618-2690 GAMERSGUILDAZ.COM Gamers Guild AZ leveled up fast. After just four years, it’s claimed a top spot in the Valley’s gaming scene. Its secret is no hidden quest, paladin: Build safe, inclusive spaces with all the essentials of a great game store while banishing the toxicity that too often shadows the hobby. The store debuted in Tempe in 2021, founded by local investors with gaming backgrounds. Inside, a gaming Valhalla awaited. Free tables. Complimen- tary water. Walls of supplies and a massive library of board, card and tabletop games available to play or buy. More importantly, it rolled out a strict code of conduct from day one: Everyone is welcome. Respect, fair play and even proper hygiene are mandatory. Cheating, gatekeeping and other noxious behavior earn you the ban-hammer. The spot was a success, but it was merely the tip of the spear. Last year, Gamers Guild opened a North Phoenix location three times the size with a bigger inventory, even more tables and amenities such as private lounges, quiet rooms for neurodivergent patrons and an in-house restaurant and bar. It’s one of the largest gaming stores in the U.S. and a blue- print for a healthier, more welcoming TTG experience that local retailers would be wise to follow. e e e B E S T V I D E O G A M E S T O R E 1UP GAMES 2111 S. ALMA SCHOOL ROAD, #6, MESA 480-765-2875 INSTAGRAM.COM/1UPGAMESAZ Video game stores in the Valley seem as interchangeable as those palette-swapped ninjas in the original “Mortal Kombat” trilogy. And then there’s 1UP Games in Mesa, which stands victorious over other local cartridge-and-console emporiums. Tucked into a strip mall off Alma School Road, this modestly sized shop offers wall-to-wall retro treasures. Shelves are packed with classics, rare gems and even repro carts. Better yet, prices are solid, and the mood of the store is pure pixel-fueled joy. What really sets 1UP apart are the people behind the counter. The staff know their stuff but never act like gate- keepers. There’s never any ego or snobbery here, just legit passion and friendly vibes. Owners Nick Harron and Tim Smith, who opened the store in 2018, are lifelong gamers who seem more interested in gabbing about retro and modern gaming than they are about selling you on their latest finds. And when it comes to buying games or gear, they play fair. No lowballing. No shady tactics. In a world of GameStop clones, 1UP Games is the real bonus. e e e B E S T V I D E O S T O R E SUPERSTAR VIDEO 4703 W. OLIVE AVE., GLENDALE 623-842-3993 FACEBOOK.COM/SUPERSTARVIDEOAZ Don’t adjust your tracking — there’s actually a video rental shop alive and thriving in the Valley, even in the era of streaming domi- nance. Glendale’s Superstar Video deserves the nod for that fact alone, given stores like it are as rare locally as sealed VHS copies of “Faces of Death.” But the spot’s more than just a quaint rewind to yesteryear. It’s got 50,000-plus DVDs and Blu-rays arranged on numerous floor-to-ceiling shelves, packed with the latest titles and cult favorites, as well as out-of-print flicks and rarities not available on Netflix or elsewhere. (Superstar Video also stocks a voluminous selection of video games.) And if owner Matt Mason, whose dad opened the joint in 1980, doesn’t have a particular disc in his inventory, he’ll happily hunt it down. The cinematic thrills come cheap, too. New releases run you $2.75 for a two-day rental (which is less expensive than YouTube, Amazon or Vudu); the “everyday specials” get you four older movies for $10; and the weekly “Super Monday” deal lets you borrow any DVD for $.99 and games for only $2.99. It’s a bargain any true old-school vidiot would love. e e e B E S T P L A C E T O S E E A T R A N S F O R M E R RARE EARTH GALLERY 6401 E. CAVE CREEK ROAD, CAVE CREEK 480-575-4360 RAREEARTHGALLERYCC.COM Earlier this year, the Autobots began rolling out in the Valley. In April, a 14-foot-tall statue of Transformers hero Bumblebee material- ized at the corner of Carefree Highway and Cave Creek Road. And nobody knew why. Passing drivers gawked. Social media went gaga. Questions flew. Who created it? Why was it there? Was the Valley under siege by shape-shifting intergalactic mechanoids? (OK, probably not.) Like the Transformers themselves, there was more to the situation than met the eye. The 5,000-pound black- and-yellow behemoth’s appearance on the vacant property (the site of a former CVS Pharmacy) was a stunt by Cave Creek’s Rare Earth Gallery, which sells massive geodes and other decorative mineral works. Owner Wayne Helfand says it came from his love of larger-than-life art and a desire “to do some- thing fun.” And fun it was. Valley residents, ’80s kids and visitors from as far away as L.A. made the pilgrimage to get selfies with the awe-inspiring Autobot crafted in Indonesia from recycled car parts. After a local bought Bumblebee in August, Helfand called in rein- forcements: a nearly 15-foot-tall Optimus Prime statue, which now stands tall outside Rare Earth Gallery and wards off Decepti-
