I’ve been reading through some old magazines focused on comic books and something I came across surprised me. Back in 1981, it wasn’t as easy as it is today to create advertisement. As a result, you get ads like this one, which caught my eye:
Two full pages of tiny writing advertising everything that the Koch brothers had to offer. It’s admirable to have that much content on these two pages.
Amazing Heroes magazine began publishing in 1981 from Fantagraphics out of Stamford, CT and many of the ads came from comic shops in the New York City area, including Joseph and Peter Koch. Those names struck a chord with me, as I remembered a spot I’d have been to multiple times in Brooklyn. Turns out, it’s one and the same. There’s a spot in Sunset Park that comic book dreams are made of. The Koch Comics Warehouse sits in an unassuming building and is full to the brim of amazing nerdy goodness. Even writing this, I am reminded that I want to go back there the next time I’m back in Brooklyn.
Looking back to the comic book shops I frequented as a kid, all of them are gone. It’s really nice to see longevity with honesty in comics.