About Amazing Fantasy · San Francisco
Amazing Fantasy is a long-running neighborhood comic book store at 650 Irving Street in San Francisco's Inner Sunset district. The location has operated as a comic shop since 1978 (originally as part of the Comics and Comix chain), and was rebranded as Amazing Fantasy by owner Frank McGinn in 2000, a name honoring Amazing Fantasy #15, the 1962 comic in which Spider-Man first appears. The shop stocks thousands of current and back-issue comic titles, more than 1,000 graphic novels, plus action figures, toys, T-shirts and other comic-related collectibles, and is widely regarded as one of the Bay Area's most beloved local comic stores.
Amazing Fantasy has been a fixture of San Francisco's Inner Sunset for decades. The storefront at 650 Irving Street began life as a comic shop in 1978 and operated for years under the Comics and Comix chain banner. Owner Frank McGinn started working there part-time in the mid-1980s as a teenager already hooked on comics; after the location changed hands and closed, he reopened it in 2000 under the new name Amazing Fantasy, an homage to Amazing Fantasy #15, the Silver Age Marvel comic that introduced Spider-Man. McGinn restocked the shelves, installed new fixtures, and has run it ever since with a small staff. Today Amazing Fantasy is widely cited as one of the Bay Area's best comic shops. It stocks thousands of titles across current issues, Silver Age and modern back issues, and an inventory of more than 1,000 graphic novels, alongside action figures, Godzilla toys, T-shirts, mugs, ornaments, and other memorabilia (multiple Iron Man masks are displayed on upper shelves). The shop maintains a pull-list / comic subscription service, special-orders any title a customer wants, and is one of the few San Francisco stores still actively ordering back issues. CBS San Francisco and Hoodline have profiled it, and it has hosted high-profile signings including a 2017 appearance by Stan Lee for his Hands of Respect initiative alongside his daughter JC Lee. McGinn has described his customers as the thing he is proudest of, and the store is open seven days a week.
- In business
- Location operating as a comic shop since 1978; under current name 'Amazing Fantasy' since 2000
- Owner
- Frank McGinn (owner since 2000; started working at the location as a Comics and Comix employee in the mid-1980s)
- Serves
- San Francisco's Inner Sunset neighborhood and the broader Bay Area; walk-in retail plus phone special orders
- Rating
- 4.4 stars on Yelp (approximately 109–116 reviews cited across aggregators); 4.3 on Bippermedia (74 reviews)
History of Amazing Fantasy
The 650 Irving Street storefront has been a comic shop since 1978. It spent several years as part of the Bay Area's Comics and Comix chain before changing hands and eventually closing. Frank McGinn, who had worked at the store part-time since the mid-1980s, reopened the location in 2000 under a new name: Amazing Fantasy, a direct nod to Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962), the Marvel comic that introduced Spider-Man. McGinn restocked the shelves, installed new fixtures, and has run the shop continuously since — making it one of the oldest continually operating businesses in the Inner Sunset.
- 1978: Location opens as a comic shop under the Comics and Comix chain
- Mid-1980s: Frank McGinn begins working at the store part-time as a teenager
- 2000: McGinn reopens the location and renames it Amazing Fantasy
- Ongoing: One of the Inner Sunset's oldest continuously operating retail businesses
Owner: Frank McGinn
Frank McGinn is the longtime owner of Amazing Fantasy. He moved to San Francisco from Denver in 1978 (some interviews place the move around 1979) and discovered comics as a child in 1970 when he first saw Silver Surfer #18 on the rack, an obsession he has called his 'lifelong addiction.' He began working part-time at the Irving Street location when it was still a Comics and Comix store in the mid-1980s and eventually took it over and rebranded it in 2000. McGinn has run the store with a small staff ever since, and in interviews with Hoodline, The Frisc and SF Standard he has spoken about the shop's role in the Inner Sunset community, online competition from Amazon and eBay, and break-ins the store has experienced in recent years. He says what he is proudest of is the customers.
- First comic memory: Silver Surfer #18 in 1970
- Moved to San Francisco in 1978 from Denver
- Started part-time at the location in the mid-1980s under Comics and Comix
- Took ownership and renamed the store Amazing Fantasy in 2000
Location: 650 Irving Street, Inner Sunset
Amazing Fantasy sits in the Inner Sunset neighborhood of San Francisco, on Irving Street between 7th and 8th Avenues — a stretch known locally for restaurants, cafés and small retailers near the Irving Street Muni N-Judah line and Golden Gate Park. McGinn has lived and worked in the Inner Sunset for more than four decades and the shop is widely cited as one of the defining small businesses of the neighborhood.
- Address: 650 Irving Street, San Francisco, CA 94122
- Neighborhood: Inner Sunset / Sunset District
- Nearby: Golden Gate Park, Irving Street Muni line
- Parking available; pet-friendly shop
What They Sell
The store carries a deep mix of current comic books, back issues across decades, more than 1,000 graphic novels, and a strong selection of comic-related non-comic merchandise. CBS San Francisco noted its inventory of action figures, Silver Age comics, T-shirts and collectibles as a key draw, and Hoodline highlighted multiple versions of an Iron Man mask on display as part of the memorabilia collection.
- New weekly comic releases
- Back issues (including Silver Age and modern keys)
- 1,000+ graphic novels
- Action figures and toys (including Godzilla imports)
- T-shirts, mugs, ornaments and novelty items
- Memorabilia and collectibles
Services for Readers and Collectors
Amazing Fantasy operates as a true local comic shop (LCS) rather than a newsstand-style store. Its pull-list / comic subscription service lets regulars reserve new releases each week, and McGinn is one of the few San Francisco shop owners who still actively orders back issues for customers on request. The store also buys back and trades collections.
- Comic subscriptions (weekly pull list)
- Special orders and back-issue ordering
- Buy-back and trade-in of collections
- In-store recommendations from a staff that actually reads the books
Events and Signings
Amazing Fantasy regularly hosts in-store events and has drawn national names to the Inner Sunset. The most notable example is the September 15, 2017 signing with Stan Lee and his daughter JC Lee, supporting the Hands of Respect initiative; the store has also participated in industry-wide events such as Doctor Who Comics Day (July 9, 2016).
- September 15, 2017: Stan Lee signing with JC Lee (Hands of Respect)
- July 9, 2016: Doctor Who Comics Day
- Ongoing in-store signings and community events
Reviews and Reputation
Amazing Fantasy has been covered as a Bay Area favorite by CBS San Francisco, Hoodline, The Frisc, SF Standard, Xpress Magazine and Yelp. Long-time customers repeatedly praise owner Frank McGinn for personal service, knowledgeable recommendations and willingness to special-order. The shop is sometimes called 'Frankly, the best comic store I've ever seen' in customer write-ups. Aggregate ratings show roughly 4.3–4.4 stars across Yelp and review aggregators.
- Yelp: ~4.4 stars across ~109–116 reviews
- Bippermedia: 4.3 stars (74 reviews)
- Highlighted in CBS SF's 'Best Comic Book Stores In The Bay Area'
- Profiled by Hoodline (2014), The Frisc, SF Standard and Xpress Magazine
Contact and Visit
- Address: 650 Irving Street, San Francisco, CA 94122
- Phone: (415) 681-4344
- Website: http://www.amazingfantasy.com/
- Facebook: facebook.com/AFantasycomics
- Twitter / X: @afantasycomics
- Hours: Mon–Sat 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m.–6 p.m.