A staple of the New York City comics community now calls Sunset Park home.
St. Mark’s Comics, an East Village cornerstone for 36 years before it closed up shop in 2019, reopened last week in a shiny new space in Industry City, marking a return to brick and mortar business for the iconic shop.
“It’s the St. Mark’s Comics of old, which means we’ll have virtually everything that’s published,” said Mitch Cutler, one of the shop’s owners. “It’s nice to be in this neighborhood.”
Cutler said he was encouraged to move the shop elsewhere immediately after the closing of its flagship.
“Even while we were closing there were people saying ‘don’t close, move here!’” he said. “Industry City was one of them.”
After pulling 90 hours a week in the shop for 36 years straight, Cutler said he wasn’t ready to jump back in immediately, and needed some time to rest. Over the past two years he took part in conversations with multiple prospective venues, eventually landing at Industry City.
The shop, known for its large collection of big name comic books and lesser known titles, as well as its late night hours, now inhabits a spacious storefront in the Sunset Park waterfront complex.
“The space is gorgeous,” Cutler said. “It’s big and bright and airy, and has much higher ceilings.”
The shop, which once had a storefront in Brooklyn Heights in addition to two Manhattan shops has already hosted three book signings since opening Friday, July 30, with plans to host even more, according to Cutler.
St. Mark’s Comics is also joining forces with Cutler’s business partner Nick Giangarra’s vintage toy company Big Tin Robot Toys and Collectibles to strengthen their toy selection.
“We’ve always done vintage toys, but we’ll do a better and deeper job,” said Cutler.
Industry City Director of Development Jim Somoza pointed to the reopening of the comic shop as the latest “old school” New York business to set up shop in the sprawling waterfront campus.
“With the recent opening of HiFI Provisions Record Shop, vintage markets like A Current Affair, and antique purveyors such as cityFoundry, the arrival of a renowned comic book establishment like St. Mark’s Comics marks our campus as a haven for old school New York,” he said.
St Mark’s Comics at 51 35th St. in Sunset Park, open daily from\11am-8pm Monday-Tuesday, 10am-9pm Wednesday-Saturday, and 11am-7pm on Sundays, www.stmarkscomics.com.
