Meet the Neighbors: Gary Esposito from Brooklyn Comics and More
Do you ever find yourself listening for the sound of a Tardis, debating whether or not Superman should wear underwear, or declaring that Tony Stark is way richer than Bruce Wayne? Have we got a local hot spot for you.
Gary Esposito, owner of Brooklyn Comics and More (493 7th Avenue), has spent the last two years creating, not just a comic book store, but a warm and inviting destination for both serious collectors and families alike. We stopped in last week to get to know Gary and the shop a bit better.
Where are you originally from? I grew up in Bay Ridge, lived in Bensonhurst, lived in Manhattan for 10 years, and after I was priced out of Manhattan, everyone kept saying, “Park Slope, Park Slope, Park Slope.” My roommate and I found a place on Prospect Avenue, and it was funny, because my oldest and closest friends who lived in Manhattan, moved to North Slope at the same time I moved to South Slope, so it just worked out that we all ended up here.
Why comics? That’s a good question. When I was 6-year-old, I guess I just got hooked. I went into the candy store, when candy stores used to have comics, opened one up, and something just clicked. The art, the colors, and that’s how I got into it.
Do you have a lot of kids that come to the shop? Oh, heck yeah! When I started the store, my nephews and nieces were just starting to read, and my brothers and I would give the kids comics to help with their reading comprehension. The comics really helped them, and I thought to myself, “You know, there aren’t enough comic book stores for kids.”
The joke of comics, is that the audience is mainly 40-year-old men, and the question is, when they start dying off, who’s going to replace them. Some say, it’s easier to get comics on the iPad or Kindle, but I don’t think so. People don’t know where to go on an iPad to find comics, so they still need the neighborhood store. If we’re going to try to get new customers in here, we’ve got to focus on the younger set.
We asked frequent customer, Kareem, what keeps bringing him back to the store, and his answer was immediate. Gary. He’s like the only true comic friend that I can talk to about stuff. One time, I had some problems with somebody in my church, and I came here. Just hanging out with Gary for that one day made me feel better.
Gary: It’s not just me, there’s other customers, and we all just talk. Everybody gets along in here. People come in, and we just BS. It’s great. Everybody watches Doctor Who. Everybody watches the summer blockbuster movies. We’ve just got a lot in common.
One thing that becomes obvious from the moment you start talking to Gary is his passion for the shop. If you love doing something, it’s not work. I don’t consider this work. Sure, I work long hours, and I don’t have much of a social life anymore, but it’s not work. I love doing it. I keep joking, “two years down, only twenty-seven or twenty-eight to go before I can retire.” As long as there are kids in the neighborhood, I think I can stay in business until retirement age.
What do you like about being here in South Slope? The neighborhood is great. It’s clean, everybody is friendly, everything is within walking distance, it’s just a good vibe. People take care of themselves in this neighborhood, they take care of each other, and everybody knows each other. Everyone hangs out, you see people in the summertime hanging out on their stoop. It’s not just a bunch of houses, it’s a community.
Have a kid who’s interested in cartooning? Brooklyn Comics and More will be hosting a series of art workshops, starting on January 13. Visit Gary’s website, or call the store at (718) 840-5840 for details and registration information.