Joe Tamborello

joe.tamborello@indystar.com

Greenwood Park Mall store opens Friday, Nov. 4.

A Castleton Mall store is slated to open on Nov. 11.

Note: We will be live on IndyStar's Facebook page from the new Greenwood Park Mall store's grand opening around 9:15 a.m. Friday. Tune in!

Purveyor of geek culture, ThinkGeek, is opening two locations in the Indianapolis area.

A store in Greenwood Park Mall is scheduled to open on Friday. And a store in Castleton Square Mall will open Nov. 11.

They are the company's first Midwestern locations.

If you or someone you know is a fan of Star Wars, Star Trek, Dr. Who, Harry Potter, Marvel and DC comics or several other fictional worlds and categories of geekiness, this is a store you'll want to check out. You may have never known your need for an Enterprise-D pizza wheel or light saber floor lamp — until now.

The retailer is mostly known for its website: thinkgeek.com. There are 16 ThinkGeek stores already open with 12 more stores coming soon across the U.S.

A grand opening is planned for both area locations. And cosplay is "highly encouraged."

The new stores will be focused on collectibles, according to a ThinkGeek news release. Photos posted to the official Facebook pages for the stores show Star Wars Stormtrooper helmets, various Pop Vinyl figures, T-shirts and more.

Geek culture has grown, not only in Central Indiana but everywhere, said Tony Troxell, "head geek" and founder of the local blog Geeking in Indiana.

"When I was in high school, back in the mid-'90s, openly liking things like Star Wars, fantasy or comic books, meant you got picked on and made fun of," Troxell said. "Now, some of the most anticipated films of 2016 are a Marvel comic film, a Harry Potter universe film and a Star Wars film."

Indianapolis also has become a magnet for conventions based on geek culture, with GenCon, Indy PopCon and others drawing large crowds to the Indiana Convention Center and Downtown.

The growing geek culture also has led to more local stores opening to cater to different niches.

"We're the first U.S. location for the Australian-based Good Games. Then we're getting not one, but two ThinkGeek stores, of which there are only a couple of dozen," Troxell said. "I think it says a bit about the geek culture in this city."

Australian gaming store opens first U.S. location in Indianapolis

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