To my son, and to a lot of grown-ups drawn to the area, Main Street is a model of what I'd call "permeable capitalism." Its nooks and crannies hold people who will happily explain how they gather, sift or hand-make what they sell. My son, at 7, learns from his visits, and is able to imagine himself a creative entrepreneur.

Contrast this with how Vancouver and many other places are smoothing themselves over, ratcheting up rents, preparing the ground for global franchises. Slick. Efficient. Impermeable. Perhaps now you understand the fear.

Labels: comics retailers, comicshoptalk, Vancouver