Meet Troy Stegner | Comic Book Store Owner and convention organizer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Troy Stegner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Troy, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I live in an area where the pop culture market is vastly under represented. When I moved here I looked for a store where I could continue my comic book subscription and came up empty handed. I talked to like minded folks in the area and they would drive over an hour to visit a store that catered to Nerdy clientelle. I saw there was a niche that needed to be filled, so I decided to open my own comics/games/pop culture store.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
After 12 years in the military, I started working as a NASA subcontractor. That work led me to White Sands Complex in Las Cruces, NM. While there I attended NMSU and earned my MBA with a minor in marketing. Las Cruces is also where I opened my first comic book store.

There wasn’t a good comic book convention nearby so it seemed like a no-brainer for me to start one. I know own/organize 4 comic conventions.

I want everyone to associate Zia Comics with fun, nerdy entertainment.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The Las Cruces, NM area has some interesting things nearby. White Sands National Park is always a must to visit. Old Mesilla has that old Southwest charm. The Space Museum in Alamogordo is a really cool day trip. Depending on the time of year you can visit the Trinity Site, where the fist Atomic Bombs were tested.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The Las Cruces nerd community has made it possible for me to open up Zia Comics over ten years ago and make it successful.

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