Deep below Southland Books lies a Dungeon full of treasures.
The unassuming storefront bordering the alley houses the audio/video side of the Southland enterprise, with a special emphasis on horror, as well as science fiction and fantasy media.
“What started out as a 500-square-foot shop has grown into a 1600-square-foot retail space filled with VHS, DVDs, Blu-Rays, LPs, CDs, cassettes, video games from PS1-PS5, Nintendo, Wii, X-Box, plus collectibles!” enthused Lisa Misosky, founder and owner of Southland.
Misosky and her brother-in-law, Jason Smart, opened The Dungeon in 2019, because they saw a need. “There was void for a shop like ours that sells and promotes VHS, DVDs, CDs, LPs, along with games,” she recalled.
Smart quipped that what he loves about The Dungeon is “we are the only one that exists!”
While streaming services offer variety and convenience, there is still a need for physical media, Misosky added, because those services often discontinue movies and series, sometimes with little warning. They also change their subscription rates. Those who buy physical media don’t have to worry about those problems, she said: “This way, you don’t ever have to be without Magnum PI box sets!”
The name arose from a nickname for the basement space. Before it was a store, it housed Southland’s eBay storage, and staff nicknamed it “the dungeon” because it was so dark and windowless.
Now that formerly dark space is jammed full of media and enlivened by movie and video game memorabilia, from a Mario figure to Smart’s poster du jour—often, a banner commemorating a visit from a celebrity. The Dungeon has hosted evenings with Samantha Newark (the voice of Jem), horror movie icon Brian Bremer, and Felissa Rose, the star of Sleepaway Camp.
Misosky and Smart share a love of physical media, or, as they put it, “legacy media.”
“Honestly, [The Dungeon] is a ‘legacy or dead media’ museum,” Misosky said. Plus, “It’s a trip down memory lane for most Gen X’ers. We have lots of scarce and collectible items from Gremlins posters to Mario Kart posters plus some fantastic LPs, video games and box sets that are out of print and not streaming!”
Richard Ewell, co-founder of FrankenCon, seconds their support for legacy media. He said, “Physical media is very important in the time we are in right now, because it’s the only way to be sure that we will have things in the future.”
The Dungeon has been a sponsor and vendor at FrankenCon, which unites fans and stars from “the spookier side,” Ewell said. The con gives folks “activities to engage with and experiences that you can’t have anywhere else.” And The Dungeon will be vending at FrankenCon again in 2026.
The Dungeon’s collection manages to be both idiosyncratic and comprehensive, with items having broad appeal—like current console games—and niche. The mix brings in all kinds of people, and that’s Smart’s favorite thing about running The Dungeon. He enjoys “meeting cool and interesting people.”
Ewell also loves that the shop “offers a place to meet like-minded people and have unique conversations.”
His favorite thing about The Dungeon, however, is that “it feels like a time machine. I can go back to a place that has all the media formats that I loved. I can pick things up in my hand, flip that box over and see what is on that movie or record.”
The Dungeon sells both new and used items. Another thing Smart loves about his job is that “every day, a new treasure comes in the door.”
Treasure, after all, is what adventurers find in dungeons! To find your treasures, visit The Dungeon, Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m. Find the store behind Southland Books, on the lower level of 1505 E. Broadway Ave., at the Five Points Roundabout. To see what’s new in the store and what programs are planned, follow The Dungeon on Facebook or Instagram.
sponsored content
hello@letsbeblount.com
(865)240-0297
