Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.05.2013, Síða 33

A Gourmet Experience
- Steaks and Style at Argentina Steakhouse
Barónsstíg 11 - 101 Reykjavík
Tel: 551 9555
argentina.is
tel. 578 8555www.gamlasmidjan.is Lækjargata 8
Opening hours:
mon-thu 11:30-23
fri 11:30-06
sat 12-06
& sun 12-23
Heavenly pizzas!
Home delivery
See our menu at www.gamlasmidjan.is
B O R G R E S TA U R A N T - P Ó S H Ú S S T R Æ T I 9 - 1 1 - 1 0 1 R E Y K J AV Í K
T E L : + 3 5 4 - 5 7 8 - 2 0 2 0 - I N F O @ B O R G R E S TA U R A N T . I S - W W W. B O R G R E S TA U R A N T . I S
breakfast - weekend brunch - lunch - happy hour - dinner
The word on the street is out...
k100
k60
The latest addition to Reykjavik´s restaurant scene is Borg Restaurant. Located on
the ground floor of the monumental Hotel Borg – in the heart of the City, Borg
Restaurant is the place for people across all hours. Open for breakfast, lunch,
afternoon drinks, dinners and weekend brunch, Borg Restaurant is a bustling and
breathtaking space in one of Iceland´s landmark buildings.
A stunning mix of vintage and modern brought together by an ever-changing
menu filled with dazzling surprises. The bar is in a league of its own. Hand
crafted original cocktails with homemade syrups and bitters and a wide selection of
premium spirit´s; local, as well as international.
The kitchen is run by award-winning chef and co-owner Chef Volundur Volundarson
who has worked in top restaurants all over the world. His innovative vision and
talent have earned him many national & international awards in recognition for
culinary excellence. His first book, Delicious Iceland, was chosen one of the best
100 cookbooks published in the world by Gourmand World Cookbook Awards and his
TV shows have aired in over 50 countries and on channels such as the BBC Lifestyle.
The Restaurant is quickly becoming a neighborhood fixture, serving up flavorful
and fresh cuisine at affordable prices to local denizens.
Come To The
Dark Side
We have free comics
Traditionally a niche market, Gísli
says comics are becoming more and
more mainstream. “The comic busi-
ness,” he says, “has gone through
a lot of growing up in the last de-
cades.” In addition to classics such
as ‘Batman’ and ‘Spiderman’ becom-
ing more mature, new material like
‘Watchmen’ and ‘Scott Pilgrim’ has
expanded on the traditional comic
format with themes like dark politi-
cal drama and wacky teen romance.
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT
QUEUING UP FOR
FREE STUFF
Half an hour before the doors open,
the line has grown from a dozen to
well over a hundred, and is the only
time you will see Icelanders queue in
an orderly fashion. Most of them seem
to be in their late teens and early twen-
ties, with equal numbers of boys and
girls. Many have come year after year,
and they drag their friends along to in-
troduce them to the hobby.
Once the clock strikes one, the fans
burst in, eager to get comics from their
favourite lines. This year the store of-
fers seven thousand free comics from
fifty different lines featuring themes
and stories that appeal to all kinds of
readers. Gísli tells me the free comics
are appreciated by enthusiasts, but
also bring new readers into the hobby.
They are often excerpts from larger
books, and make for an easy transition
to established series. “The appeal of
the day isn’t lining up for free comics
as they are relatively cheap to buy,”
Gísli says. “It brings together people
with shared interests and offers a vali-
dating experience.”
For the third year in a row, a free
Icelandic comic called ‘Ókeipiss’ is
distributed. It features a collection
of short stories and ads from 21 art-
ists and writers, including Hugleikur
Dagsson who is known for his dark
humour. Whilst ‘Ókeipiss’ is bursting
at the seams with quality amateur
submissions, the domestic comic
book scene has had difficulty publish-
ing, and there are few who can make
a living from making comic books.
BRINGING DIVERGENT
HOBBIES TOGETHER
Nexus goes above and beyond what
many European stores do for the day,
making it into a fan celebration, Gísli
says. In addition to offering a range of
TV series, films, books and, of course,
comics, Nexus is a hub for fringe inter-
ests. “It brings people together to de-
velop hobbies like roleplaying, collect-
ible card, board and war games, which
don’t translate to other mediums like
computer games,” he says. On occa-
sion, they also have special film pre-
mieres like for the latest Star Trek and
nerd films.
Three hours after the event has
started, at least a thousand fans have
gotten what they came for, and most
of the free comics have finished. The
few fans that trickle in just before the
store closes blame exams, hangovers,
or unfortunate working hours for their
tardiness, but they are all happy to get
their comics.
Free Comic Book Day is held on the
first Saturday of every May, so keep
your eyes open for it next year.
- Tómas Gabríel Benjamin
Whilst most of the city is still asleep on a cold Saturday
morning, a handful of loyal fans have already set up camp
outside of Nexus. Undeterred by the elements, they wait
patiently and count down the hours until the twelfth annual
Free Comic Book Day starts. Gísli Einarsson, the owner of
Nexus, tells us the store has participated in the interna-
tional day from the beginning and the number of attendees
increases year by year.
Photo: Gunnella Thorgeirsdóttir
33 Comics