By Sibylle Dorndorf

People and their passions: worlds colliding at Ultra Comix. Trying to describe this store is like trying to showcase the full splendour of a summer meadow in full bloom with a black and white picture. You need to indulge in this multiverse which is spread across roughly 1000 square metres and three floors. If you take the plunge, you will experience a part of your emotional self undergoing something of a radical rejuvenation. The result: an Alice-through-the-looking-glass kind of feeling which makes one’s heart sing never-before heard tunes. No surprises here then that the product range leaves you speechless.

The anarchy of daily life

Ultra Comix is a concept that defies the trappings of a concept. Any sorting, categorising, or pigeon-holing is bound to fail. What’s more: it would destroy the magic of this unique microcosm of unfulfilled and unlived dreams in the macrocosm of opportunities, forever lost. And whether willingly or not, the question that manifests itself is: Who am I? Who do I want to be?

The ultimate kidult: maxed out

Product range concept? What for? Why apply limitations? Ultra Comix sets the stage for a karaoke of playing paired with art, culture, kitsch, and kidult romanticism. Magic wands, so enchanting because of how they look and feel, that’s how beautifully they have been made. And hidden at the bottom shelf of a display cabinet right by the entrance, so as not to be found by just anyone. You are supposed to look for the magic. The magic spell? To each their own. And that covers everything from comics to manga, books, games and LCGs, fantasy, tabletop, trading card games, roleplays, knick-knacks, merchandise and gifts, calendars and cards, figurines, statues and sculptures, monsters, graphic reproductions, limited editions, art... and Playmobil.

A smile

And across all floors – Playmobil, over and again. When you least expect it, yet another display pops up. Within the Ultra Comix aura, Playmobil packaging at first seems to be somewhat displaced. And then the insight: the Playmo universe has been construed in a new setting here. Suddenly, there’s that feeling again, the fascination for the brand, when you see the smile that is almost as famous as Mona Lisa’s. The little guys and girls are not some pesky accessories owed to a young target audience. They are no must-haves sacrificed under the pressure of sales. They are smirking claqueurs, well-versed protagonists who take on their roles, are at home on a big stage, dressed in their professional attire.

Driven by passion

Ultra Comix and its predecessors, the Aladin toy store and Projekt 7, were and remain the embodiment of passion. Founded in the late 80s, merged in the 90s, the playful teamed up with the fantastical, uniting art with comics, sparking something of a crazy love between Stefan Will and the Trautner brothers. The founders of Ultra Comix were brought together by life and their passion. The result: more comics, games, and manga is not possible. Ultra Comix is where the owners form a mega-creative triumvirate. Every one of them sends out their legions into battle at the point of passion day in, day out. They each have a passion that they act out and showcase with verve at Ultra Comix. There is always topics to discuss which keeps the fire burning at Ultra Comix. The charisma of the business is not just its unique product assortment – it is the people behind it.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way

The Lords of the Things practice something of a division of labour qua profession. Stefan Will is the Playmobil enthusiast. With an eye for detail, the globetrotter indulges in the same scenery at home that he has been collecting over the years. His motto: Here I am child, here dare it to be. Will’s words carry weight. Even at the Playmobil headquarters in Zirndorf. It is for him to determine which sets and (licenced) themes find their way into Ultra Comix. And that is anything but a given. Big brands tend to be very clear about who fits in with their marketing concept. However, at Ultra Comix, an evolved anarchy reigns supreme, even in relation to this self-limiting sales practice. Lex Ultra Comix says: if it’s fun, it’s a fit. Unwritten rules which are followed in any possible way.

Appreciating art without collecting

While Stefan Will gladly terms himself a collector of treasures of the most varied kinds, Stefan Trautner completely dismisses this. “I don’t collect. I prefer to go on holiday.” Such emphasis is suspicious. This impression is further intensified during a tour of Ultra Comix. This is a man who knows how to conceal his passion for collecting and for art deep within the product range. When Stefan Trautner goes to an auction, he does so for professional reasons only. Or not. He maintains a professional yet dedicated distance to the items and products he sells – if he sells. He would never part with the elephant, a figurine made from pewter by Pixi from the The Adventures of Tintin volume titled Cigars of the Pharaoh. One of these rare exhibits recently sold for 3700 euros.

Art and its many forms

Is it the passion for the eternal quest that drives Stefan Trautner? The entrepreneur who places the USP of his business above all else? Who cares. The huge collection of outstanding graphic reproductions, largely personal publications, is owed to his long-standing knowledge which draws in a faithful, continuously growing clientele and collectors’ community. The collection includes works by Uli Oesterle (Hector Umbra), Thommy von Kummant (Gung Ho), Christian Moser (Monster des Alltags) or Toni Burghart (Albrecht Duck), to name a few. Stefan Trautner sources Moulinsart designs with motifs from Hergé, Moebius and many more from France. To add to the Franco-Belgian comics, there are rare figurines and statues by Aroutcheff, Attakus, Fariboles, Galerie Oblique, Garage Franquin, Pixi and Moulinsart. This is where prospective buyers need a credit card. Prices are not in the pocket money range, but they are surely a great investment.

To the stars

At some point, the Naboo starfighter from Star Wars Episode 1 promoted Hasbro’s action figures. Sebastian ‘KL52’ Lohmeier, a street artist gave the flying object an artist’s makeover exclusively for Ultra Comix. An absolute collector’s item for sci-fi fans with a casual grip on reality and the respective budget. Either way, at Ultra Comix, it is the desirability that takes to the fore, not the price. Every exhibit has its very own value and tells a story. Even the life-sized Stormtrooper – an eyecatcher in the Ultra Comix shop window – with a 13,000-euro price tag, will find its place, either as a design object in someone’s living-room, as a martial doorman or just for fun.

Nons vous présentons: Tintin et Milou

Change scene: Presenting the Adventures of Tintin. In Europe’s capital of comics, Brussels, you can see them everywhere. Not only in bookstores or souvenir shops, but also as murals adorning houses, as metres-high graffities or at tube stations: Tintin. The investigative reporter wearing plus fours, a blue V-neck jumper and a trench coat with his wire fox terrier Snowy (in French, Milou), his loyal companion. The legendary heroes from the plume of Hergé on board their shark submarine are just one of the jewels at Ultra Comix. Tintin nostalgia which Stefan Trautner also indulges in. Tintinologists will happily pay the 1500-euro price tag. Boy oh boy, there are so many treasures yet to discover. Browsing Ultra Comix’ rarities and antiquarian displays are well worth a visit: www.galerie.ultracomix-shop.de

Consumer addiction vs. a desire to buy

Amongst the most important items in the product range of Ultra Comix is the remarkably large and in-depth game department which is second to none. This segment grew exponentially during the pandemic and has settled at a high level. Adults make up more than 90 per cent of Ultra Comix customers and relax following their non-digital leisure pursuits and meet up, for example, for games nights. Cooperative games in particular are in demand, Stefan Will tells us. This trend is boosted by campaigns such as Beer & Boards. People get together after work at the pub around the corner – and play. Events like these get about – also, but not exclusively, within the scene. Ultra Comix is the games universe. Rare, out-of-print games can be found at the Ultra Comix K1 department for antique games just around the corner, next to the rarities and immense number of items from over 50 years of comic and media history.

All things gimmick

It is a big and yet a small step from a classic game to a fantasy roleplay. At Ultra Comix, it is possible to try out this kind of experience. If you ever wanted to be a heroic knight, a furtive scout or a smart magician protecting villages against Orcs and Skeletons or explore ancient magic towers, this is the place to be. Entry-level merchandise allows for first roleplay experience. The product range includes: The Dark Eye, Dungeon and Dragons, Splittermond, Pathfinder, Cyberpunk Red and an RPG designed especially for kids called So nicht, Schurke.

Special edition: Ultra Comix’ own creations

Is it true that there is nothing that doesn’t exist? One thing is for sure: To maintain such a creative product range and continuously search for products that are a good fit means that ultimately, you will want your own ideas to come to fruition. The Ultra Comix Edition publishes books, comics and various items that have been developed by the owners themselves. Christian Moser’s Monster des Alltags as screen prints, mugs and calendars; Gymmick with book and mugs; Ben Beck’s S.F.E.K.M.D. and Erebus; Uli Oesterle print reproductions; Thommy von Kummant, Johannes Stahl, Laska and Toni Burghart.

What do books, sci-fi and Funko Pops! have in common?

You can find them all at Ultra Comix. Science fiction has been one of the most innovative and dynamic light fiction genres for over a hundred years. Ultra Comix stocks just about every German-language SF paperback that is available, plenty of background literature and much more in this segment, including novels from pertinent and well-known authors such as Peter F. Hamilton, Frank Herbert, Robert Heinlein, Stephen Baxter, David Weber, John Scalzi. And always: rare and/or out-of-print copies to be found at K1.

The who-is-who of Funko Pops!

One of today’s phenomenal booms are Funko Pop! figures. They usually portray popular pop culture celebrities and typically have a large head, small body, and stand-out details. From movie and TV characters to comic figures to musicians and athletes, there are over 8,500 different figures available by now. This makes a collector’s heart beat faster – and not just theirs. Gold diggers watch out: there are Funko Pop! figures that are worth more than 200,000 euros by now.

Customers play the leading role

Those who consider a tour of the Ultra Comix erratic and unorthodox need to know: that is exactly what the store is like. It does not follow a red thread, a concept, but rather its inner voice, an invisible compass. To enter Ultra Comix and quickly pop up to the third floor to grab something that’s on the top left shelf is not how the store works. Setting foot in this store means to go on an adventure through the kidult universe where, at the end of it, following a happy landing on planet Kidultopia, the question that presents itself is: I’m not a nerd, am I?! But why not? Somewhere in a hidden part of every person it is there, our inner child. At Ultra Comix it makes itself felt and heard: There it is again, this crazy, annoying and loud I-want feeling...

About the author

Sibylle Dorndorf has been covering the toy industry for almost 30 years. The journalist last worked as the editor-in-chief at the TOYS family of magazines of the Göller Verlag publishing house from Baden-Baden, Germany. Her passion: Companies that reinvent themselves; brands that credibly position themselves; people who have something to say; and products with a future.