Carmelo Chimera, '13: Giving Away Comic Store Through Essay Contest
Owner of La Grange Chimera Comics to give away his Oak Lawn store — with an essay contest
If you love comic books and think the greatest job in the world would be owning a comic book store, a golden opportunity may have just come your way from the owner of Chimera Comics in La Grange.
Carmelo Chimera plans to give his store at 4915 W. 95th Street, Oak Lawn, to the person who submits the best essay — in 500 words or less — on what makes a great comic book store.
“This could be a life-changing opportunity for one person,” Chimera said. “But it can also be an inspiration for many others.”
Essays will be accepted until Feb. 28, or until he receives 500 essays, although he’s shooting for 2,000.
The limit was set to get a representative sampling of people genuinely interested in comics, discourage competitors from stacking the deck with their employees submitting essays and assure people that the contest is real.
“I don’t want people thinking this is just some sort of scam, or that I’m just trying to get rid of my debts,” Chimera said.
Chimera, 29, was born and raised in Oak Lawn and graduated from Brother Rice High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and went on to get a law degree from the University of Chicago.
The Chicago resident practices law in downtown Chicago, and operates the chain’s flagship store at 15 ½ S. La Grange Road in addition to the Oak Lawn store. He previously operated a Chimera Comics in Woodridge.
Read more at Chicago Tribune