The Zone is not your father’s comic book store. Or maybe it is. Owner Scott Au said he has been buying, selling, and trading comic books and memorabilia for 30 years, long enough for at least two generations of enthusiasts to be his customers.

His Pekin store, one of three locations in the area, has been at 521 Court St. in Pekin since 2015. Two additional stores — at Northwoods Mall and the Shoppes at Grand Prairie — allow The Zone to serve customers throughout Central Illinois. All three locations specialize in new and vintage collectible comic books, posters, action figures and toys, trading cards, games, and other pop culture collectibles.

Scott moved his business to Pekin after establishing himself with a store on Main Street in Creve Coeur. He said that, before moving, “I was at a point where I had to decide if I wanted to sell everything and be done with it or find a new place.”

As luck would have it, the space on Court Street became available at about the same time. He saw potential for his business to grow and soon joined the collection of shops that make Court Street a vibrant shopping area.

Born and raised in Peoria, Scott’s parents, Bob and Joy, operated the Bamboo Inn in East Peoria for nearly 40+ years. He and his brother started reading and collecting comics at a very early age. As he got older, he would frequent comic book shops, small trade shows, and flea markets to expand his collection.

“I accumulated so much stuff that my apartment was full and I had to do something with it,” he said. He decided to turn his hobby into a business. 

After setting up shop in Pekin nine years ago, he opened a new store at Northwoods Mall in 2021, followed by a “pop-up store” at Grand Prairie in 2022. Soon after, he was offered a permanent space in the mall. Together, the three locations have six employees. Scott visits them all a couple of times a week. He still does the ordering and stays in touch with what is trending in comics, card games, and related merchandise.

Like many retailers, Scott sees online shopping as his primary competition. But he warns that there is often a price to pay for convenience.

“You don’t always get what you expect,” he said. “A lot of my customers come to me because of my knowledge and experience. I can’t compete with online prices.”

The Zone is a well-established gathering place for gamers who come to play Magic the Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons, Pokémon, and other games. Groups meet weekly for casual matches with like-minded fans. There is no cost to use the space, and Scott encourages this community of loyal supporters to stop in and see what’s going on.

Back in mid-November, the Northwoods store hosted a Digimon Regional Championship, drawing high-level Digimon players from as far away as Michigan. Winners moved on to a national championship.

What does the future hold for The Zone and its 51-year-old proprietor? “I have invested so much time and money into (the business) that it would be hard to let it go,” he said. So, for the foreseeable future, Scott’s passion for comics, gaming, and collectibles will continue to reign at 521 Court Street. The store is open Tuesday through Friday from 12 to 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m.