desert island storefront with halloween decoration by gary lieb
An unforgettable Halloween installation at Desert Island by the late Gary Leib

It’s a tale as old as time, or at least real estate. Desert Island Comics, a comic shop that has long championed indie and art comix as an outpost in Brooklyn’s ultra-hipster Williamsburg neighborhood, is might be shutting down. The cause, as revealed in social media postings by owner Gabe Fowler, was the landlord saying “I got a better offer.”

Goodbye cool world! Someone approached our landlord and offered almost double what we’re paying in rent, we have no lease, and landlord says we have to match it or vacate by January 1st 2025. Their price is untenable for our modestly successful business, and frankly it’s too much for anyone to pay. Been hesitant to post anything alarmist because there’s too many unknowns but it’s clear a change is gonna come. Much love to you beautiful people who have shared this dream with us. 💕

As revealed in a story from local website Brownstoner, a local liquor store which had been itself forced out by new ownership, offered a much higher rent for the spot. 

In response to comments from supporters, Desert Island said the liquor store in question is the one already standing on the corner of Union and Metropolitan avenues, Fame Discount Liquor and Wines. The mom and pop operation has held down that corner, in an eye-catching Queen Anne building with a turret and bay window opposite the newly revitalized Kellogg’s Diner, for longer than Desert Island has been in business. The liquor store also has to move because the building was recently sold, we hear from a source.

Desert Island has been at an incredibly convenient spot near the L and G trains at Metropolitan for nearly two decades, and to say that it has been a nexus of the New York Comics scene vastly understates its importance. Not only was the shop a frequent stop for the best comics tours, and signings, but Fowler is a stalwart of the scene. He co-founded  both the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival (BCGF) and its successor, Comic Arts Brooklyn (CAB) which shut down in the pandemic but was host to some of the best cartoonists in the world and even a giant pen. 

Fowler has also long published Smoke Signal, a print comics tabloid that recalled the great comics newsprint efforts of the past – and he even made his major publisher debut recently with Rescue Party, an anthology of comics about Covid lockdown which he edited. The word “fixture” springs to mind. 

Given the outpourings of grief, Fowler pledged to try to go on in a subsequent IG:

 

Ok folks, we’ve heard you and we’re going to try to do a fundraiser so we can keep Desert Island. We have until Oct 15 to resolve the details with our landlord. If each of our insta followers kicked in a dollar, everything would be fine 😅 Details at the link in bio

That GoFundMe can be found here, and it’s already raised nearly $75,000! Maybe enough to keep the shop running for a while and stave off the liquor menace for a bit – they need a total of $79,200 to afford a total of $201,600 for a three year lease. (I gave while I was writing this story.)

Otherwise, Fowler’s options weren’t great, he told Brownstoner:

Reopening in a new location is also uncertain. “Of course I want to continue, but I can’t be stupid about it and have a withering result. It may make more sense to call it a day,” he said. “The places I can reasonably afford are in worse locations deep in the neighborhood somewhere and I don’t think that would be viable. I need foot traffic and easy tourist access.”
 
With New York City’s real estate prices spiraling, as always, finding a spot for a quirky local comics shop that specializes in small press comics, graphic novels, and zines seems a tall order indeed. But losing it is even more unthinkable. A great city without great comics shops is nothing.
 
I can only say, personally, that Desert Island’s history and impact are unforgettable and undeniable. Its windows – decorated by some of the best local artists – were masterpieces in themselves, and finding cool stuff there was a given. That the community has rallied to give the store at least a chance, is the one bright spot in all of this. 
 

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

2 COMMENTS

  1. The good news is that as of 7:00 p.m. Eastern time, the GoFundMe goal has been met and surpassed by at least four grand. So at least this tale has a happy ending.

Comments are closed.