My Comic Shop History

Host Anthony Desiato finally comes face-to-face with another ALTERNATE REALITIES legend, former co-owner Prem Itharat, to mine stories about the eBay and Pokémon years, Prem's formal (and informal) business education, and long-forgotten pranks at 700 Central Park Ave. in Scarsdale. Support this podcast

Host Anthony Desiato takes a ride to the Scarsdale/Yonkers border for an on-location recording at American Legends--formerly known as ONE IF BY CARDS, TWO IF BY COMICS--with co-owner Mark Rubin (wife & co-owner Donna tags in for Mark on the After Show, available on Patreon). Mark recounts opening across the street from Dragon's Den, selecting the shop's original name, navigating the sports card market, rebranding in 2002, and seeing most of the other shops in the area fall away. Support this podcast

Host Anthony Desiato revisits another former White Plains institution, COMIC BOOK HEAVEN, with longtime employee & customer Saad Siddiqui. They reminisce about the store's owners (the husband & wife team of Morris & Irene), eccentric manager ("Bishop"), renowned back issue selection, various moves, and ultimate demise. Support this podcast

Host Anthony Desiato brings everything full-circle in Season 5 with a look back at the lost comic shops of Westchester County, capturing a microcosm of the comics industry during the pivotal 1990s. Up first is the White Plains, NY, location of distributor and retail chain HEROES WORLD, the site of Anthony's first-ever comic book purchase. Along for the ride is legendary returning guest Steve Oto, who--years before he would co-found Alternate Realities--shopped and worked at Heroes World. Support this podcast

Be part of the journey as host Anthony Desiato takes you behind the scenes of his upcoming feature-length documentary film, MY COMIC SHOP COUNTRY! In this special bonus episode of My Comic Shop History—which also marks the podcast's four-year anniversary—Anthony and his wife/producing partner, Stephanie, share road trip stories, off-camera anecdotes, and insights into the creative process. Music featured in episode: "Too Bad" (acoustic version) by Rosewood Rebels. Support this podcast

Host Anthony Desiato takes one last lap around the convention floor with Undiscovered Realm owner Chris Wilcock in the Season 4 finale. Anthony asks Chris about the life of a vendor on the road at three dozen conventions a year. My Comic Shop History returns with Season 5 in 2019. Additional podcast content (including a Season 4 epilogue with Archie Comics President Mike Pellerito on 12/12/18) is available year-round exclusively on the My Comic Shop History Patreon page. Support this podcast

Host Anthony Desiato goes old school with Jeff Beck (owner of East Side Mags in Montclair, NJ) to dig through long boxes at the Clifton Comic Book Expo, a traditional convention focused squarely on comics. They also unpack Jeff's experiences as a retailer at conventions generally, from choosing shows and setting up a booth to interacting with guests and other dealers. Support this podcast

Host Anthony Desiato wades into the cosplay waters with his wife, Stephanie, and seasoned cosplayer Peggy Pincurls, who has appeared at comic conventions across the country as Agent Carter, Winter Soldier, Black Widow, and more. As they explore this fascinating aspect of con life, Anthony, Stephanie, and Peggy address the power of cosplay to connect & inspire, important issues of gatekeeping & consent, and the practical realities & physical toll of donning a costume on the convention floor. Support this podcast

Host Anthony Desiato pulls back the curtain on the Diamond Retailer Appreciation Breakfast at New York Comic Con 2018. Anthony and former Alternate Realities owner Steve Oto recount their entire NYCC experience, from powdered eggs and retailer presentations to convention floor farewells and an impromptu back issue hunt. Support this podcast

Host Anthony Desiato pulls up a chair next to two New Jersey comic book artists, Len Danovich and Nick Justus, to talk about the convention grind from the perspective of a creator. They discuss cost-benefit analysis (in deciding which shows to attend), fan interactions, and networking at shows. Support this podcast

Host Anthony Desiato kicks off the second half of "Con Season" with industry veteran Vincent Zurzolo, COO of the famed Metropolis Collectibles. Anthony and Vincent view decades' worth of convention history through the lens of Vincent's extensive experience on the con floor. Support this podcast

Host Anthony Desiato concludes his four-episode deep dive into the extensive back issue buying and selling practices of Zapp! Comics founder and co-owner Ben Lichtenstein. In the finale of this "Beyond My Comic Shop" miniseries, Anthony and Ben discuss who Ben looks up to in the dealer world, how collections are a record of someone's fandom and life, and what Ben's road trips are like. Bonus: This episode contains a free preview of the series premiere of MY SUPER FAN HISTORY, available now at the My Comic Shop History Patreon page. Tune in for the midseason premiere of My Comic Shop History (aka Season 4B of "Con Season") in two weeks! Support this podcast

Host Anthony Desiato continues his four-episode deep dive into the extensive back issue buying and selling practices of Zapp! Comics founder and co-owner Ben Lichtenstein. In Part 3 of this "Beyond My Comic Shop" miniseries, Anthony and Ben talk about the legacy and teachability of the Zapp! buying method, the books that still excite Ben, and some of the biggest collections Ben has dealt. Support this podcast

Host Anthony Desiato continues his four-episode deep dive into the extensive back issue buying and selling practices of Zapp! Comics founder and co-owner Ben Lichtenstein. In Part 2 of this "Beyond My Comic Shop" miniseries, Anthony and Ben talk about navigating potential conflicts, the art of negotiation, price guides, and the grading & restoration of books. Support this podcast

Host Anthony Desiato begins a four-episode deep dive into the extensive back issue buying and selling practices of Zapp! Comics founder and co-owner Ben Lichtenstein. In Part 1 of this "Beyond My Comic Shop" miniseries, Anthony and Ben examine the building blocks that shaped Ben's work ethic and business philosophy. Stops along Ben's "secret origin" include his first exposure to comic books at Bernie's Smoke Shop and Jan's Lollipop, part-time job at Häagen-Dazs, and earliest convention experiences at the Creation and Fred Greenberg shows of the 1980s. Support this podcast

Host Anthony Desiato takes to the skies once more with 13th Dimension's Dan Greenfield, this time to discuss the 2018 MAN OF STEEL miniseries by Marvel-turned-DC writer Brian Michael Bendis. SPOILER WARNING. Part 2 of a two-part book club event. If you missed the previous installment, in which Anthony and Dan tackled the five major post-Crisis tellings of Superman's origin, download it now! Support this podcast

Host Anthony Desiato journeys to Krypton, Smallville, and Metropolis with guest Dan Greenfield (13th Dimension) as they discuss the five major post-Crisis tellings of Superman's origin story: MAN OF STEEL (1986) by John Byrne, FOR ALL SEASONS by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, BIRTHRIGHT by Mark Waid and Leinil Yu, SECRET ORIGIN by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank, and AMERICAN ALIEN by Max Landis. Part 1 of a two-part book club event. Anthony and Dan will be back in two weeks for Part 2, which will tackle MAN OF STEEL (2018) by Brian Michael Bendis. Support this podcast

Host Anthony Desiato recruits two convention veterans and Alternate Realities refugees, Drew Cheskin and Brian O'Dea, to share their tips for surviving comic conventions. For those attending a large show for the first time, the episode covers budgeting time and money, navigating the show floor, deciding what type of show experience you are looking for, and more. Midseason finale. "Con Season" will resume in September. This summer, be sure to keep tuning in for a two-part "My Comic Shop Book Club" event and a four-part "Beyond My Comic Shop" miniseries, all available under the My Comic Shop History feed! Support this podcast

Host Anthony Desiato heads over to beautiful downtown Harrison, NY, to speak with two of the owners of Aw Yeah Comics NY: comic book creator Franco (TINY TITANS, ENCOUNTER, and the upcoming SUPERMAN OF SMALLVILLE) and ReedPOP's Mike Negin (C2E2 Event Manager). They discuss Aw Yeah's recent "Legends" signing, Mike and Franco's comic shop histories, and some hot topics in the world of comic conventions—from the risk of over-saturating the industry with too many shows to striking a balance between the interests of old-school comic fans and the wider pop culture audience. Support this podcast

Host Anthony Desiato cracks the action figure packaging open with veteran collector Frank Rucco and delves into the fan's view of comic conventions. The duo discusses collecting habits generally (including the completist mentality and the thrill of the hunt) and at shows specifically (including buying strategies and budgeting resources). Plus, the age-old debate: mint in box or loose? Support this podcast