Marty Ketola

An honest, colorful, sometimes bitter comedy about the frustrations of owning your own business. C.B.D.: The Comic Book Diaries is the story of John Burns and Pete Reynoso. Two owners of a struggling comic book store where nothing at all seems to sell, relationships end in the worst possible manner, employees are fired for smoking pot behind the store, shoplifters are abused before being set free and even the artists are quite literally dying. Has financial salvation for John and Pete arrived at last in the form of out-of work, has been, comic book artist Nick Levine?

Screenwriter Billy Shaw is desperately trying to finish his latest screenplay. The screenplay he's writing is about "Fren-Zee," the hottest comic book property that's being turned into a movie at the moment. Billy finds his muse in a comic book shop run by John and Pete. Why does the store inspire Billy so? It might have to do with the fact that Nick Levine, the creator of "Fren-Zee" died there.