Early on in my comic book collecting career, my primary purchasing locations were stationary shops, convenience stores, newsstands and such.
Yes, comic books were also printed on stone, illustrated with charcoal and lettered in Sanskrit.
One year for my birthday a friend, who lived in a much more “relaxed and groovy” type area than I did, sent me a package of stuff bought from an actual comic book store.
Included in that packet was an issue of Judge Dredd, which served as a mind blowing introduction to the über violent fairly satirical location that is Mega City One.