Brian Garside
President, Manage Comics
Hi, I’m Brian – I’m the president of Manage Comics. I was a comics retailer during the 90’s boom, I ran my own online shop for half a decade, and I’ve been running Manage Comics since 2015, so I understand the space like few other people.
Combined with my expertise in web technologies, I can help you reach the next level for your business. Get in touch with me today to find out how Manage Comics can make your comic store more money.
I’ve been working in comics since 1989!
I got my start in London Ontario working at Bid Time Return in 1989 before helping open Heroes Cards and Comics in 1991. Throughout college I sold comics at the occasional comic show, and kept my toe in the water. In 2005 I co-founded All New Comics, Canada’s largest subscription based comic shop, where the we built our version of what an online subscription for comics would look like. I sold my shares in the company to my partner Peter in 2011, but stuck around to do marketing with him, and continued supporting the site from a technical perspective until the end of 2024 when he retired from the comics game.
In January 2025 I started up Earth 519, which continued on with the customers from All New Comics, and have been steadily growing it ever since.
In 2015 I started Manage Comics, and in 2021 we pivoted from a standalone solution, to an app within Shopify, creating the first dedicated comics retail application for Shopify stores! Today we maintain Manage Comics Ordo, Manage Comics ORYX (a return to a Standalone system), and Comic Previews, a brand new previews focused site for comics.
Talk directly to me, let's see if Manage Comics meets your needs!
Book a 1-on-1 meeting with me, and we’ll discuss Manage Comics, and whether or not it’s right for you.
We can talk about the benefits, best practices, and how to get the most out of Manage Comics.
If you like it, I can walk you through installation (it only takes 8 minutes) and I can give you some tips and tricks for using Manage Comics.
We’ll book for 30 minutes but if we go long, then we go long!
About Brian Garside:
🎉 Fun Facts About Brian
- Brian’s first comic was Batman #276 — and yes, he still owns it.
- His all-time favourite comic run is The New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez (who also happens to be his favourite artist).
- He once ran a comic shop out of his house... way back in 2005 — before subscription management software was cool.
- He believes working in comics should be fun AND profitable — it’s a fun business, after all!
- 🎙️ Co-host of Data Bros — a podcast all about comic book data, retail, and the behind-the-scenes of the industry.
- 🎥 Co-host of Comic Industry Insiders Live — a weekly YouTube show with Atom! Freeman diving deep into comics retail trends and industry insights.
- 🎥 Also appears regularly on Meanwhile... at Manage Comics — your go-to for tips, tricks, and Manage Comics updates.
- Runs Earth519, a comic shop in Canada that gets comics to customers all over Canada, most of whom live at least an hour away from their nearest comic shop!
- He has a wife, two kids, and a dog (who is, tragically, not named Krypto).
🔍 Stuff Brian works on
- 📦 Earth 519
Brian is not only the president, he's also a customer. Brian's comic book shop is built on Shopify, powered by Manage Comics. Earth 519 delivers comics across Canada and is building toward a family-friendly brick-and-mortar retail experience. - 🧠 NorthIQ
A digital strategy agency helping businesses build better marketing, smarter websites, and clearer messaging. Co-founded by Brian, NorthIQ helps clients get results with a practical, no-nonsense approach. - COMET Standard
The future of comic book metadata. COMET is a standardized format for publishers, retailers, and distributors to ensure comics data is consistent, accurate, and easy to work with — and Brian is one of the key contributors. - 👨💻 Brian Garside
Brian’s personal site, where he shares insights on entrepreneurship, marketing, comics retail, and building digital products. It’s part journal, part workshop, and all Garside.