Union, New Jersey, the town where I grew up, was a victim of the comic shop implosion of the 1990s. By the time I left town for college in 1998, a couple of the stores where I had bought books over the years had closed. I had no idea whether there were any stores near my school, so I ended up switching my pull to Dewey’s Comic City in Madison, 20 minutes from where I grew up and where my best friend and to-this-day podcasting partner, Matt Lazorwitz, shopped and ultimately worked for 15 years.
Dewey’s was a store I always found to be well-stocked and well-staffed, with one of the best Free Comic Book Day events around. It helps that the shop is located near the Joe Kubert School, and as such draws a number of its notable instructors and up-and-coming student artists to sketch, sign and schmooze with comics fans every year.
These days, Dewey’s is owned by Anthony Marques, a comic artist who also owns the Kubert School. For a time, Dewey’s had moved into the school, in nearby Dover, as a matter of convenience during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the store is getting ready to return to downtown Madison, opening its new location later this month.
ComicsXF talked to Marques about the move, the challenges and advantages of Dewey’s previous location, and some of his recent comics work.
Marques also shared process photos of the new shop under construction. Check those out here.
Photos provided by Anthony Marques
Dan Grote: Dewey’s moving every few years is a time-honored tradition. I still remember picking up my pull from the store in the alley on Waverly Place in the late 1990s, and that was four locations ago, back when Dan Veltre owned the place. What prompted this latest move?
Anthony Marques: I have to say … I absolutely HATE moving! Our last big move to the Joe Kubert School in Dover, New Jersey, happened because of COVID. We weren’t sure how things were going, and we really felt that it made the most sense for us to set up a space at the school. We had always intended on having a second location at the school, but due to the state of the books, it wound up becoming our primary location. I always missed having a location in Madison, New Jersey, and would check in on different locations when they would become available. One day I was driving home and speaking with my wife, Jackie, and she told me about this space that was opening at 6 Green Village Road in Madison and she asked if I would want to take a peek at it. It just so happened that I was driving right past it at that moment and a giant cartoon bolt of lightning struck me on the spot. I knew it was perfect and told her 100% yes, let’s go check it out.
Dan: What kind of business was the current space before you got your hands on it?
Anthony: It used to be an acupuncturist’s office. He had multiple rooms in the space, but when we walked in you could just see how much potential was in there.
Dan: The pictures you’ve shared of the new shop coming together are gorgeous. Who gets the credit for this physical transformation? Did you get to pick up a hammer or paintbrush at any point?
Anthony: CTOTO in Madison has done most of the work at this point. They removed all of the walls, brought in the electrician, put up the new brick wall section of the store, fixed the ceiling and lights, repainted everything and really made it look fantastic! Now is when I, as well as my whole family, from Jackie down to Avery and Liam, will start getting a bit more hands on as we need to set up all the shelving, sanding and staining the art desks, TVs, bookcases, props, etc. It’s gonna be a lot of fun!
Dan: What are you looking to do differently at this location?
Anthony: We really want this space to be immersive. Dewey’s Comic City isn’t just a comic shop! It’s also a place where you’ll be able to come and learn how to draw your own comics! I’ll be teaching the adult art classes on Wednesday evenings and we also will have Saturday Kids Classes for our young artists! There will be a great rotating assortment of original comic art on display for guests to come in and see with the overall look of the space set up to feel like an old fashioned cartoonist’s studio.
Dan: What size staff will you have at the new place?
Anthony: Four to seven individuals. Maybe a few more to handle other things, but that number would consist of our core group that will handle the day-to-day and classes.
Dan: What can people expect in the way of a grand opening party?
Anthony: It’s going to be awesome! A real celebration when we reopen our doors on Jan. 20 in Madison! Our doors open at 10 a.m., and we are counting down the days! We have some incredible guest artists as well who will be on hand from 1-4 p.m. Lee Weeks, Chris Campana and the one and only Fernando Ruiz!
The reaction by the people and town of Madison to our return has been so overwhelmingly positive, and we are just so appreciative of it. We went to the shop to do some work, and people have been leaving little notes on the door to welcome us back, or posting and sharing about it online, other businesses reaching out to say hello, and it just makes you feel so great.
Dan: What were the advantages and the challenges of having the store in-house at the Kubert School prior to this?
Anthony: Having the shop at the school was great! I really enjoyed having it there and plan on keeping some elements of it there! I would say that the biggest challenge was the lack of foot traffic that we had in Madison. Where the school is located is very residential. It’s a great area but didn’t have the community feel to it that Madison offers.
Dan: I’ve seen comics retailers get particularly grumbly online late last year, but what’s your perspective on the health of comics retail? What could the industry be doing differently to support its retail partners and attract new readers?
Anthony: I think it’s very important for retailers to know their audience. Know your customers! Don’t fall into traps of overordering. It’s great to have books on the shelf, but I think we need to remember that it’s a business and we need to sell these books! I know a lot of the folks at DC, Marvel, Dynamite, etc., and I can tell you that they’re all working so hard to create great new books for readers. I really think we’re on the verge of a new age in comics with exciting new writers and artists. It’s already happening, and I can’t wait to be even more a part of it! Be kind to your customers, make your space inviting and somewhere where people, fans and nonfans, will want to visit!
Dan: Last month, you had a short with Dan Jurgens in Titans Beast World Tour: Metropolis, in which you got to draw Jimmy Olsen once again transforming into a giant turtle. I assume the script was just a note from Dan that said, “Just have fun”?
Anthony: I wish it was that easy! That was a real bucket list item for me to be able to work with Dan Jurgens! He was my art hero as a kid, and to be able to spitball ideas back and forth with him was just great! It was a really fun story, and the overall response to it has been great!
Dan: Finally, if your kids got their own staff picks endcap at Dewey’s, what would they put there?
Anthony: My kids are so excited to be a part of Dewey’s. It’s been so incredible to see how much they have enjoyed the shop throughout the years. I still have the video of them celebrating our first Free Comic Book Day, and it’s the best. Avery and Liam have a lot of ideas for what they want to do in the kids section, whether that be having the Hulk bust out of a wall, bean bag chairs for kids, a little coloring book for kids to take home with them, they have been just awesome with ideas. They’re also the best marketing agents one could have. Everywhere we go they want to talk about the shop! I must say that we’re all so excited and can’t wait to see everyone on Jan. 20 when we reopen our doors in Madison! We look forward to seeing you, and everyone else, there!
Dan Grote is the editor-in-chief of ComicsXF, having won the site by ritual combat. By day, he’s a newspaper editor, and by night, he’s … also an editor. He co-hosts The ComicsXF Interview Podcast with Matt Lazorwitz. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, two kids and two miniature dachshunds, and his third, fictional son, Peter Winston Wisdom.
