St Marks Comics

St Marks Comics' pride lies in the fact that they carry every book on the market, from the inoffensive Archie comics to the questionably offensive XXX books, and more racy independent comics. Of course, this makes the store one of the better stops, considering there are some shops that would censor what they chose to sell.

Walking in the door, one is greeted by a barrage of T-shirts, posters, and specialty items, such as stickers, sci-fi related greeting cards, and key chains. The walls are lined with available T-shirts, featuring comic art, Star Trek characters, and more. The walls are lined with Trade Paperbacks and the newest issues of comics. An island in the middle of the store is filled with toys and statues.

A warning, however: some of the new books tend to sell out fast, so Wednesday night or Thursday morning is the best bet for non-Marvel/DC, or Image books.

The back room is action figure and back issue heaven, with the prices only marginally marked up on most items. Sure, some of them may get priced a tad higher than seems acceptable, but no one is twisting your arm. Look and enjoy.

One last great thing about St Marks Comics: this store is one of the pillars of "freak employment" in NYC. One look around at all the people with piercings, coloured hair, and individual dress styles, and you will know why many goths, industrial kids, and punks have held a job there at one point in their life.

Commentary by Joan Rachel Dennis, Saturday, January 10, 1998.