Desert Island (comic shop)

Desert Island was founded by Gabriel Fowler in 2008 in response to the lack of alternative comics stores in New York.^[2] The store opened in a location formerly occupied by an Italian bakery, and maintains a modified version of the bakery's signage.^[3] The store stocks a wide variety of underground and alternative comics, zines, artist's books, graphic novels, art magazines, and screenprints,^[4] sold from both the store's own stock and on a consignment basis from individual artists.^[2] The store's "no-restrictions consignment" was inspired by the eclectic selection of Quimby's Bookstore in Chicago,^[2] which would open an additional location in New York in 2017 directly adjacent to Desert Island.^[5][6] The business's storefront features rotating displays and art pieces by comic artists, including Lauren Weinstein and Marie Lorenz.^[4]

Since 2013, Desert Island has organized Comic Arts Brooklyn, an annual comic book festival and art book fair.^[7] The store also publishes Smoke Signal, a free quarterly comics anthology newspaper.^[2] In 2014, Smoke Signal was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Anthology.^[8] RESIST!, a special issue of Smoke Signal guest edited by Françoise Mouly, was distributed nationally at the Women's March in 2017.^[9] Desert Island also hosts a variety of special events, such as author signings and lectures.^[10]

• Official website