St. Mark's Comics

Last updated
St. Mark's Comics
Type Private
Industry Retail
FoundedMay 1983
Headquarters51 35th Street [1] , ,
United States
Number of locations
1 (formerly 3)
Area served
New York City
Products
OwnerMitch Cutler
Website www.stmarkscomics.com

St. Mark's Comics is a New York City comic book retailer. It opened its first store at 11 St. Mark's Place in Manhattan in 1983, and eventually opened two other locations, in Lower Manhattan and one in Brooklyn Heights. In late January 2019, St. Mark's Comics announced it would be going out of business at the end of February 2019. On July 30, 2021, It re-opened at a new location in Industry City, Brooklyn. [1]

Contents

The store's St. Mark's Place location was noted for its underground sensibility and cluttered, over-stuffed decor, and for employing female staff members long before that became the norm in the comics retailing industry. [2] In addition to comics, graphic novels, and manga, St. Mark's Comics sold trading cards, action figures, toys, T-shirts, and other pop culture collectibles. [3] [4]

History

St. Mark's Comics was founded in 1983, [4] and acquired a year later by Mitch Cutler [5] when he was still in his teens. [6]

Cutler founded a second location at 148 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights in 1988. That location closed in 2012. [7] [ self-published source? ] The store had another location at 150 Chambers Street in lower Manhattan that closed in 2004 in part due to the after-effects of the September 11 attacks. [8]

A fire damaged the St. Mark's location and some of its inventory in 2011, but the store was able to recover. [9]

In October 2017, St. Mark's Comics launched a GoFundMe campaign to keep the store open, but it only raised $1,201. [10]

On January 29, 2019, Cutler announced that St. Mark's Comics would be closing at the end of February. [2] Reasons cited by Cutler included 90-hour works weeks, higher rents and a changing marketplace. [5] The announcement prompted tributes from comics creators including Neil Gaiman, Brian Michael Bendis, [4] [11] and Dean Haspiel. [2]

On July 30, 2021, St. Mark's Comics re-opened at a new location in Industry City, Brooklyn. [1]

Comics

In issue 12 of Brian K. Vaughan's comics series Ex Machina #12, the main character, Mitchell Hundred, laments the closing of a beloved comic book store in Lower Manhattan following the September 11 attacks, and a friend mentions some real-life comics shops that are still open, including St. Mark's Comics, Jim Hanley's Universe, and Midtown Comics. [12]

Television

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crown Heights, Brooklyn</span> Neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City

Crown Heights is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Crown Heights is bounded by Washington Avenue to the west, Atlantic Avenue to the north, Ralph Avenue to the east, and Empire Boulevard/East New York Avenue to the south. It is about one mile (1.6 km) wide and two miles (3.2 km) long. Neighborhoods bordering Crown Heights include Prospect Heights to the west, Flatbush and Prospect Lefferts Gardens to the south, Brownsville to the east, and Bedford–Stuyvesant to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wegmans</span> Supermarket chain in the northeastern United States

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is a privately held American supermarket chain. It is headquartered in Gates, New York, and was founded in 1916 in Rochester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dumbo, Brooklyn</span> Neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City

Dumbo is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The area used to be known as Gairville. It encompasses two sections: one located between the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges, which connect Brooklyn to Manhattan across the East River, and another that continues east from the Manhattan Bridge to the Vinegar Hill area. The neighborhood is bounded by Brooklyn Bridge Park to the north, the Brooklyn Bridge to the west, Brooklyn Heights to the south and Vinegar Hill to the east. Dumbo is part of Brooklyn Community Board 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forbidden Planet (retail chain)</span> UK-based science fiction, fantasy and horror collectible shop chain

Forbidden Planet is the trading name of three separate businesses with online and retail bookstores selling science fiction, fantasy and popular culture products. They can all trace their history to a store opened in London in 1978 named after the 1956 feature film of the same name. Specialising in movie and television merchandise, the shops sell comic books, graphic novels, fantasy and horror, manga, DVDs, video games, and a wide variety of toys, clothing, and other collectible merchandise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manhattan Mall</span> Shopping mall in New York, United States

Manhattan Mall was an indoor shopping mall at 33rd Street and Sixth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. There are entrances to the New York City Subway's 34th Street–Herald Square station and the PATH's 33rd Street station on the second basement level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Harris (artist)</span> American comic book artist (born 1969)

Tony Harris is an American comic book artist, known for his work on series such as Starman, Iron Man, and Ex Machina. He has been nominated for nineteen Eisner Awards and has won two.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooklyn Heights</span> Neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City

Brooklyn Heights is a residential neighborhood within the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Old Fulton Street near the Brooklyn Bridge on the north, Cadman Plaza West on the east, Atlantic Avenue on the south, and the Brooklyn–Queens Expressway or the East River on the west. Adjacent neighborhoods are Dumbo to the north, Downtown Brooklyn to the east, and Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">8th Street and St. Mark's Place</span> West-east street in Manhattan, New York

8th Street is a street in the New York City borough of Manhattan that runs from Sixth Avenue to Third Avenue, and also from Avenue B to Avenue D; its addresses switch from West to East as it crosses Fifth Avenue. Between Third Avenue and Avenue A, it is named St. Mark's Place, after the nearby St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery on 10th Street at Second Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn</span> Neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City

Bedford–Stuyvesant, colloquially known as Bed–Stuy, is a neighborhood in the northern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Bedford–Stuyvesant is bordered by Flushing Avenue to the north, Classon Avenue to the west, Broadway to the east, and Atlantic Avenue to the south. The main shopping street, Fulton Street runs east–west the length of the neighborhood and intersects high-traffic north–south streets including Bedford Avenue, Nostrand Avenue, and Stuyvesant Avenue. Bedford–Stuyvesant contains four smaller neighborhoods: Bedford, Stuyvesant Heights, Ocean Hill, and Weeksville. Part of Clinton Hill was once considered part of Bedford–Stuyvesant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Brooklyn</span> Central business district in New York City

Downtown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in New York City, and is located in the northwestern section of the borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is known for its office and residential buildings, such as the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower and the MetroTech Center office complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borough Hall/Court Street station</span> New York City Subway station complex in Brooklyn

The Borough Hall/Court Street station is an underground New York City Subway station complex shared by the BMT Fourth Avenue Line, the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line and the IRT Eastern Parkway Line. The complex comprises three stations: Borough Hall on the IRT lines and Court Street on the BMT line. Located at the intersection of Court, Joralemon and Montague Streets at the border of Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights, it is served by the 2, 4 and R trains at all times; the 3 train all times except late nights; the 5 train on weekdays the N train during late nights; and limited rush hour W trains.

The BMT Nassau Street Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway system in Manhattan. It is a continuation of the Brooklyn BMT Jamaica Line after crossing the Williamsburg Bridge into Manhattan; it continues to a junction with the BMT Broadway Line just before the Montague Street Tunnel. Afterwards, the line reenters Brooklyn. Although the tracks continue past Broad Street, there has been no regular service past that station since June 25, 2010. While the line is officially recognized as the Nassau Street Line, it only serves one station on Nassau Street: Fulton Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">N (New York City Subway service)</span> New York City Subway service

The N Broadway Express is a rapid transit service in the B Division of the New York City Subway. Its route emblem, or "bullet," is colored yellow, since it uses the BMT Broadway Line in Manhattan.

The BMT Fourth Avenue Line is a rapid transit line of the New York City Subway, mainly running under Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn. The line is served by the D, N, and R at all times; the R typically runs local, while the D and N run express during the day and local at night. During rush hours, select W and northbound Q trains also serve the line. Limited rush-hour N trains operate local on the line in the reverse-peak direction. The line was originally built by the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company and is now internally operated as part of the New York City Subway's B Division.

The Comic Art Convention was an American comic book fan convention held annually New York City, New York, over Independence Day weekend from 1968 through 1983, except for 1977, when it was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and 1978 to 1979, when editions of the convention were held in both New York and Philadelphia. The first large-scale comics convention, and one of the largest gatherings of its kind until the Comic-Con International in San Diego, California, it grew into a major trade and fan convention. It was founded by Phil Seuling, a Brooklyn, New York City, teacher, who later developed the concept of comic-book direct marketing, which led to the rise to the modern comic book store.

<i>Ex Machina</i> (comics) Comic

Ex Machina is an American creator-owned comic book series, created by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris and published by DC Comics under the Wildstorm imprint. Ex Machina launched in 2004 as part of DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint. The series ended in August 2010 with issue fifty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Apple Comic Con</span> New York City comics & pop culture convention

The Big Apple Comic Con is a New York City comic book convention, the longest-running comic book/speculative fiction/pop culture convention in New York City. It was started by retailer Michael "Mike Carbo" Carbonaro in March 1996 in the basement of the St. Paul the Apostle Church. During its heyday from 2001 to 2008, the Big Apple Comic Con often featured multiple shows per year, with a large three-day "national" convention held in November, usually held at the Penn Plaza Pavilion. The show was owned by Wizard Entertainment from 2009 to 2013, but was reacquired by Carbonaro in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midtown Comics</span> Comic book shops

Midtown Comics is a New York City comic book retailer with three shops in Manhattan and an e-commerce website. The largest comic book store in the United States, the company opened its first store in the Times Square area in 1997. Its second was opened on Lexington Avenue in 2004, and is known as the Grand Central store for its proximity to Grand Central Terminal. Its downtown store was opened on Fulton Street in the Financial District in November 2010, and its Astoria, Queens outlet store opened in March 2020. It also used to operate a boutique inside Manhattan's Times Square Toys R Us.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairway Market</span> American grocery chain

Fairway Market is an American grocery chain, founded in 1933 by Nathan Glickberg. It is currently one of the store banners owned by the Wakefern Food Corporation, a company known for its flagship supermarket cooperative network, ShopRite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooklyn Heights Promenade</span> Esplanade in Brooklyn, New York

The Brooklyn Heights Promenade, also called the Esplanade, is a 1,826-foot (557 m)-long platform and pedestrian walkway cantilevered over the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, New York City, United States. With views of Lower Manhattan's skyline and the New York Harbor, it came about as the byproduct of competing proposals for the highway's route that were resolved in the midst of World War II. Actual construction came after the war. As a structure built over a roadway, the Promenade is owned by the NYCDOT and is not considered a park; however, NYC Parks maintains the entire Promenade.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Weaver, Shaye (July 30, 2021). "NYC's famous St. Mark's Comics officially opens at Industry City". Time Out . Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 MacDonald, Heidi. "St. Marks Comics is closing after 36 years – UPDATED with statement". Comics Beat (January 29, 2019).
  3. Lewis, Jeffrey (February 26, 2019). "Opinion: So Long to St. Mark's Comics: The store, which closed after 36 years in the East Village, was a haven in my youth". The New York Times . Archived from the original on February 26, 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 Pereira, Ivan; Meghan Giannotta. "East Village staple St. Mark's Comics closing after 36 years: The comic shop will hold a closeout sale through February". AM New York (January 30, 2019).
  5. 1 2 McBain, Amelia. "New York Institution St. Mark’s Comics Closing After 36 Years," WNBC .(January 30, 2019).
  6. MacDonald, Heidi. "Kibbles ‘n’ Bits 1/30/19: More on the closing of St. Marks Comics," The Beat (Jan. 30, 2019).
  7. Taylor, Chuck. "A Sad Farewell: After 24 Years, St. Mark’s Comics Shutters On Montague Street," Brooklyn Heights Blog (November 30, 2012).
  8. Lish, Samantha. "Two More Will Take Its Place: St. Mark’s Comics vs. The Forces of the Universe," Storefront Survivors (2017). Accessed Jan. 30, 2019.
  9. Hedlund, Patrick. "St. Mark's Comics Reopens After Fire — Minus Some Lightsabers". DNAinfo . (February 18, 2011).
  10. Rosenberg, Zoe (January 30, 2019). "St. Mark's Comics will shutter after 36 years". Curbed New York. Archived from the original on January 30, 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  11. Garcia, Kristine. "Iconic St. Mark’s Comics closing after 36 years". WPIX website (January 30, 2019).
  12. Brian K. Vaughn  (w),  Tony Harris  (p),  Tom Feister  (i). "Fact v. Fiction Part 1" Ex Machina  12(August 2005), Wildstorm Productions
  13. "Tour the Top 25 'Sex and the City' Locations" on Fodors.com
40°43′46″N73°59′20″W / 40.72945°N 73.98899°W / 40.72945; -73.98899