In a small Lafayette store front, down a long narrow hall adorned with earth's mightiest heroes, is where you'll find Teresa Moran.
For the last three decades, she's watched over Acadiana Comics and Collectibles, a small store housing big stories.
At 68, Teresa doesn't meet the stereotype of a guardian of such sacred texts as Star Wars or Wonder Woman. But like many heroes, Teresa was brought here by fate.
"A guy was advertising for help, so I interviewed and he said, 'I think you're over qualified.' "
The economic downturn in the 80s had left jobs scarce, so leaving a job selling homes for a builder, Teresa started working at the small comic store.
"It got bought up by a lady's husband. He was a geophysicist with Tenneco and she was an accountant," she says. "And she left the area and just ended up dumping [the store] in my lap."
For seven and half years Teresa worked six and half days a week to keep the comic book shop on stable ground.
Through the work, she learned some importance lessons about prioritizing and not letting the details weigh her down.
Because in the end, Teresa says, the job is not just about selling comics, but sharing in the memories these comics have created for so many.
"One day I had a little boy come in and before I could even say hello his dad said, 'I'm bringing you here just like my dad brought me.' "
She's been the guardian of this small store for over three decades and has seen three generations of customers coming in to get their weekly updates on their favorite stories.
And for 26 years, Teresa received help with the store from her husband before he passed away.
"He only went down the last year in 2018, but I have a break room here and I was able to bring him here and keep him close and look after him," she says.
So while her husband has passed, Teresa still minds the store, keeping the shelves her husband helped build stocked, and remaining a fixture in Acadiana's comic culture.
"They're like my family," she says.
