Funnybooks Says Goodbye Penny, Hello 'Funnyrama'

As part of its 20-year anniversary celebration, Lake Hiawatha's Funnybooks Comics & Stuff is saying farewell to the one-cent coin.

Owner Steve Conte promised that he would host a special show to mark the store's birthday, and he's making good on that: "Funnyrama" will hit the stage of the American Legion Hall at 91 N. Beverwyck Road Oct. 20 from 1-6 p.m. As part of festivities, he said that he will announce that for the foreseeable future, Funnybooks will no longer accept or give out pennies.

"I realized over time that I hardly give pennies," he told Patch. "If I owe someone three cents, I generally give them a nickel. If they owe two cents, I don't ask for it. Just about everyone who shops here is cool with that.

"So I figured, let's just phase out the penny altogether."

Opening his cash register, Conte showed that it contained only one penny.

Conte said he thinks the moratorium on the coin won't ruffle feathers. 

"Funnyrama," however, is a different story.

"I hope people will have a lot of fun celebrating with us," he said of the Oct. 20 party and show, which will feature appearances from comic book VIPs including DC Comics artist Amanda Conner, Marvel Comics artist Tom Raney, "Stuff of Legend" artist Charles Paul Wilson III and special guest Shane Davis, who illustrated the Superman Earth One hard covers.

The show will also feature a rock-paper-scissors tournament, a costume contest (Conte joked that he is bound and determined to win), games and what's called the Lake Show.

"That's our own talk show, hosted by me, Funny Steve," he said. "We even have a theme song."

Conte played the tune for us, and while it wouldn't win any Grammy Awards (Conte and his background vocalists are, shall we say, a little pitchy, dawg), the song elicited laughs from those listening in the store—which is precisely the reaction Funny Steve wanted.

The penny prohibition, however, is no joke.

"It's no joke, we're not going to be taking any more pennies," he said. "If someone comes in and says, 'I have five pennies,' I won't do it.

"I won't take the pennies."

According to Conte, the penny pronouncement will be one of several "big announcements" that will be made at "Funnyrama."

"I think it will start a trend. I think other businesses will start doing it too," he said of his forthcoming ban.

So if you plan on popping by Funnybooks and using pennies to pay for the latest issue of X-Men or Life with Archie, you have until Jan. 1, 2013.

Of course, if the ban becomes a bust with the public, Conte said he may be willing to reconsider.

"Nothing's written in stone," he said. "We'll see how it's received and go from there."

Funnybooks Comics & Stuff is at 98 N. Beverwyck Road. For more information, call 973-263-1733 or surf to funnyrama.com.