Sometimes art imitates life and life imitates art. But what happens when an aspiring writer and filmmaker writes a script set in a comic book store, bases it on his previous work experience, and ends up filming the script AT the real store? Is that life imitating art imitating life or art imitating life imitating art imitating life?
Now that your brains are nice and melted…
The store in question is Comic Relief, located in Lawrenceville, NJ, just off of Route 1. Featuring thousands of mainstream and independent fare, Comic Relief is a haven for the central NJ comic book fans in search of back issues, new releases, statues, figures and much more.
In the past, the store, along with sister branches in Toms River and Levittown, have been host to industry stars such as Neil Gaiman, Jeff Smith, Chris Claremont, Ron Frenz, Tom Defalco, Colleen Doran, Moebius, Kurt Busiek, Peter David and Joe Kubert, and many more.
Issues creator Scott Nap had originally developed the fictional hangout of Zeke, Mack, Jackson and the band of bookies with Comic Relief in mind. While attending The College of New Jersey in Ewing, Scott spent two years stocking the shelves, ringing up customers and, of course, collecting his own issues. Upon graduation, Scott stopped back at his old haunt to see how business was going and to talk shop.
While the “bookies” of Zeke’s store are sometimes a little more eccentric than some of the people Scott dealt with, many of the customers and situations were inspired by his time at Comic Relief and in working other retail jobs.
”One of the big things I wanted to (and still want) to get across is that being a fan of superheroes and manga is more mainstream than you’d think. I’ve seen political junkies scream at each other until they were blue in the face, bar fights between Eagles and Giants fans, grand debates over philosophy and religion…Comic books can tell a story that would be financially irresponsible to tackle in any other medium, and can still present positive messages that are important to the times,” Nap has said.
“My time at Comic Relief was invaluable in hearing out opinions and understanding what it means to be a Fan of something. I had one of the best times on any job just talking with customers and the staff. Even though the ‘bookies’ are over-the-top, they are good people.”
Comic Relief is open seven days a week and is located in the Mercer Mall, Route 1 South in Lawrenceville, 08648 and can be reached by phone at 609-452-7548.
