We had the good fortune of connecting with Shelby Ferguson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shelby, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My business partner and I had invested a little money in bitcoin and made a nice profit and were considering different options when I found a nice collection of star wars comics and action figures for sale. We talked about it and decided to start a comic and collectible business and bought the collection, made a profit and HotKey Comics was born!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
What really sets HotKey Comics apart from others is our focus on foreign comics. During the summer of 2021, we decided to start focusing solely on foreign comics and it has been an amazing journey of learning and discovery!

It hasn’t been easy, the world of foreign comics is so much different than the world of American comics. With American comics, we pretty much know all the details about the production process, all the way down to the print runs. With foreign comics, there are so many unknowns about that process, and what might exist, and it changes from country to country. It really has a Wild West aspect that a lot of people in the community really love.

We got to where we are today from consistently being the main online presence for people who love foreign comics. From our early Mercari and Ebay stores, to our weekly live WhatNot and Instagram Live sales, to our convention presence with panels and booths, to our upcoming TikTok sales, we have consistently brought more available inventory to the public than anyone else for over a year now.

All we want the world to know about us is that we love foreign comics and we want to increase awareness about them in the comic and collectible communities. They have such rich history and beautiful art and really deserve more awareness around them!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
HotKey Comics wouldn’t be where it is without the continued support of Greg Weaver. From investments, to business advice, to strategy discussion, to help at conventions, and to everything else he has done since we started to support this business. He has been just as responsible for the success of HotKey Comics as I am.

Website: https://hotkeycomics.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hotkeycomics/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068923093083

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDNN1G_srfFMP4qsVwsXh3w

Other: WhatNot live sale link: https://whatnot.com/invite/hotkeycomics

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutMichigan is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.