Fixture of St. John’s comics scene, Jason Conway, mourned by friends and collectors

Conway ran Downtown Comics on Duckworth Street for decades, and those who knew him say he was a tireless promoter of comics and the local community.

Jason Conway opened Downtown Comics in the late ’90s. The shop is known as an institution in the downtown St. John’s area by collectors and the comic arts scene. (Nick Rossiter/Facebook)

The comics and graphic arts community in St. John’s is mourning the loss of a longtime business owner in the city, and remembering Jason Conway as a fixture of the province’s comic scene for decades.

Conway died suddenly Wednesday at the age of 50. He owned and operated Downtown Comics for nearly 25 years, a quaint shop on Duckworth Street that offers a slice of life for comic collectors and fans. 

“We lost one of the big giants in comic books this week,” close friend and graphic artist Wallace Ryan told CBC Radio’s On The Go.  

“His love for comics was unparalleled. He did everything he could to help the local comic arts community. He was always willing to do a signing, he let us come into the store to sit there and draw our comics in the store at the time.”

Conway’s death prompted an outpouring of support for his family in the days that followed, with comments flooding into the Downtown Comics Facebook page from those who knew him well over the years, sharing memories, stories and original works of art to pay homage to his life. 

“He was a guy with a big, big heart, and I will sorely miss him. He was a good friend,” said Ryan.

Conway owned Downtown Comics for nearly 25 years. (Malone Mullin/CBC)

Historian and writer Mike Heffernan was also a close friend of Conway’s. 

He calls Conway’s shop a “cultural institution,” somewhere he worked while studying as an undergraduate, and again, periodically, until a few years ago.

“That store gave me so much of my life at the time, and I’m devastated that he’s gone,” Heffernan said, his voice breaking.. 

To Conway, the shop was more than just a shop, with a job that wasn’t just a job, Heffernan said — it was his life.

Heffernan said he was 13 years old when he started buying comic books from Conway at the flea market in the Avalon Mall.

From there, he said, he followed Conway as he opened his first shop, “a hole in the wall” near Fred’s Records on Duckworth Street.

Conway, 50, died suddenly on Wednesday. He’s remembered as being a giant in the local comic book scene. (Downtown Comics/Facebook)

“I have so many memories of coming in Saturdays. It was a family. I still know all those people by their first names, I know their kid’s names,” said Heffernan.

“Jay was a huge Spider-Man fan. He was the authority of Spider-Man. I just remember two of us behind the counter talking to our customers, which were generally our family. I’m really in shock. I’m devastated.”

Heffernan said the things he will miss most about Conway are his stories of growing up in St. John’s, attending Booth Memorial High School, rock and roll and Conway’s kindness. 

The store remains open, and Heffernan is asking comic collectors to avoid malls and shopping online right now. Instead, he wants people to stop by the shop to remember Conway. 

“St. John’s and downtown, there’s going to be a huge void. Downtown Comics forever.”

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