Beyond the Panels: How Dragonfly Comics Builds a Visual Brand With BeFunky
For Patrick Legg, comics have always been more than entertainment – they’re a way to build community, spark imagination, and celebrate storytelling. When he opened Dragonfly Comics and Collectibles, he needed a way to bring that same energy to his branding. That’s when he turned to BeFunky to create professional-looking graphics, keep his visual identity consistent, and connect with fans across digital platforms.
In comparison to the many other photo editing tools I’ve tried in the past, BeFunky is by far the most user friendly and economic.
With BeFunky as part of his creative toolkit, Legg can spend less time designing and more time growing his business. Whether he’s crafting engaging social posts, putting together dynamic product layouts, or designing in-store signage, he is able to keep Dragonfly’s brand as bold and vibrant as the comics on the shelves.
From Banking to Batman & Surviving the Unexpected
From the moment he picked up his first Batman comic at age ten, Legg felt a pull to the world of comics. "As a teenager, I used to stop into our local comic shop and one day it hit me that owning a comic shop was something I could do one day,” he recalls. That dream stayed with him into adulthood, even as he built a steady career in banking. “I spent many years working in banking before the time finally came for me to say goodbye to the world of finances and start my own business.”
In December 2019, Legg made that leap and opened Dragonfly Comics and Collectibles. The shop quickly found its footing, but just a few months later, COVID hit. “Closing a niche, small business in a small town was a little scary,” he admits. With doors shut for nearly three months, the future was unclear.
What kept Dragonfly afloat was the loyalty of his customers and the generosity of his landlord. “Thankfully I had built up a loyal customer base at that point and had an absolutely wonderful landlord who gave me a month rent free.” Making it through that period felt like more than survival. It was proof that the community valued what he had built and wanted Dragonfly Comics to succeed.
While it was an uncertain time, coming through that felt like a big win for me and in the five years or so since then, we continue to grow, even through industry changes and economic uncertainty.
How BeFunky Helps Tell Dragonfly's Story
From early on, Legg knew that visuals would be key to staying connected with his audience. BeFunky became central to his workflow, giving him the tools to design professional-quality graphics that reflect Dragonfly’s style. Like many small business owners, he carefully weighs the value of every tool. " . . . but after trying it out for a brief time, it was a no-brainer for me to pay for a subscription to BeFunky," he explains.
Since then, the platform has become part of his weekly routine. With the Collage Maker, he can drop multiple covers into a single layout, experiment with grid styles, and keep the sizing consistent so every preview looks polished. The Text tab gives him flexibility with fonts, colors, and placement, making it easy to highlight key details like event reminders or holiday hours in a way that stands out – even for followers quickly scrolling their feeds.
Being able to show off a variety of comic book covers in one single image has helped me see an increase in orders overall, and especially for some titles that might have gone unnoticed and under the radar otherwise.
For community events, such as Dungeons & Dragons nights, Legg combines these features to create graphics that are both informative and eye-catching, helping boost attendance and engagement.
“I utilize the Add Text feature and the Collage Maker every week to highlight comics that I don't want my customers to miss out on and to show them some of the great covers publishers have to pick from,” he says. “Having images and the ability to make these my own has been a great way to show off our style and brand."
He also uses BeFunky to create collages of posters, graphic novels, and manga that customers can order through Dragonfly. “This has helped me boost sales on items that some customers might not have realized were even available."
Fueling the Future of Dragonfly Comics
Five years later, Dragonfly Comics and Collectibles has not only survived industry shifts and economic uncertainty, but has grown into a thriving hub for fans. Customers come for the stories, the collectibles, and the camaraderie, while the shop’s digital presence extends that same energy online with updates, previews, and event highlights.
Legg presents his business with the same care and creativity that inspired him as a child, using BeFunky to help Dragonfly thrive both in-store and beyond. Whether you’re building a brand, a community, or just geeking out over what you love – get started with BeFunky and make it your own.
