#34: Desert Island Comics
An oasis for creators
The Shop: Desert Island Comics
Williamsburg, Brooklyn: 540 Metropolitan Ave
Desert Island Comics is one of my favorite places on the planet. Like its next door neighbor Quimby’s, Desert Island serves up off-beat finds with laid back, effortless charm. The store itself feels like a piece of alt comic art, from the ever changing window display, the intact facade of the bakery that once owned the storefront, to the wall art which includes some lusciously psychedelic Jack Kirby pieces. This is not the spot to stock up on X- Men or Superman— alternative comics reign supreme in this shrine to the likes of Charles Burns, Moebius, Simon Hanselmann and other artistic envelope pushers. The best part of this store is the care it shows to artists, evident in its selection of diverse creators and it’s curation of the phenomenal yearly festival Comic Arts Brooklyn. Artists and artist lovers, take note of this spot.
What I got:
Crisis Zone
Already one of my favorite comic artists, Simon Hanselmann captured my heart with Crisis Zone, a daily comic strip featuring Hanselmann’s Megg, Mogg, Owl and their toxic cadre of frenemies that Hanselmann released on Instagram throughout the pandemic. This series helped me maintain my sanity through the COVID chaos of spring and summer 2020, expertly weaving poignant character exploration with social and political commentary. No other book will capture the COVID zeitgeist like this one.
Creepy #76
My love for horror comics well documented on this blog, I’ll just say that Creepy rocks— love the mix of campy macabre presented in stunning black and white hosted by curmudgeonly ghoul Uncle Creepy himself. I’ve been seeing a ton of Creepy back issues on display at Desert Island and other local comics shops recently so I guess I’m not the only one riding this wave!
Lizard Dad Dies
I grabbed this comic just because it looked cool, but owner Gabe had a whole lot to say about it’s creator, including a tale of a summertime signing of hers at Desert Island which devolved into the wildest party the store’s ever seen that involved a lot of alcohol, “goth Barbie chicks,” and a whole lot of Britney Spears. Needless to say I am even more psyched to read this.