Long before Don Woodworth ever imagined owning a comic book shop, he was a kid who loved comics. Every week his mom would drive Don and his brother to Prairie Dog Comics. They’d walk through the doors, look through the racks, and choose the comics that would become part of their growing collections.

Prairie Dog Comics wasn’t just a placce to buy comics. It became part of Don’s childhood.

Decades later Don’s relationship with the store came full circle. In July 2025, Don left his career in Construction to become the store manager at Prairie Dog Comics. And in July 2026, Don and his wife Barbara became the proud owners of the store.

The kid who once came in every week to buy comics now gets to help decide what the next generation of readers discovers.

We’re Don and Barbara Woodworth, and comics have been a pretty big part of our lives for a long time.

For the past twelve years, we’ve also had the privilege of hosting Air Capital Comic Con, a local Wichita convention built around our shared love of comics and the people who make the comic community so special.

We’ve met creators, collectors, retailers, artists, cosplayers and most importantly, countless people who simply love comics. We brought that experience with us when we took ownership of Prairie Dog Comics.

AIR CAPITAL COMIC CON

For more than a decade, we’ve worked to bring Wichita’s comic community together through Air Capital Comic Con. It’s a local convention with a simple goal: celebrate comics and create a place where fans, creators, collectors and families can come together.

That same spirit is something we want to bring to Prairie Dog Comics.

A Wichita tradition since 1976

July 1976 Prairie Dog Comics opens its doors to the public. Marc Brown took a chance on selling the books he loved to the local community and made it his life’s work. The store moved locations a few times before finally settling at it’s current location on West Maple in 2009.

Marc wanted to retire and sell his legacy to someone he believed would continue to grow the business and make it their own. He knew Don and Barbara through them purchasing books at his store and him being a vendor at Air Capital Comic Con. Don became the manager in July 2025 to learn the business. Negations happened and the sell of the business happened in July of 2026.

Where our story begins

We believe a comic shop should be more than a place to buy a book.

It’s where someone discovers their first comics.

Where a reader finds a series they never expected to love.

Where collectors hunt for the missing issue.

Where friends meet on Wednesday.

Where parents bring their kids—and someday, those kids bring theirs.

That’s what Prairie Dog Comics has been for Wichita since 1976.

And we’re honored to help write the next chapter.

Come visit us, we’d love to meet you.