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Only Adults With Children Allowed in Brooklyn's Loot Comic Shop

Published Tue, 15 Oct 2019 13:30:28 -0500

Back in August, Bleeding Cool reported on Loot, a new comic shop in Brooklyn with a difference. At the time we wrote,

Founder of the store – and of Fancy.com – Joe Einhorn has explained that he wants to form a creative space where children could be introduced to the world of comics as he used to when he was a kid, but modern prices make that a lot harder. To that effect, he has created a library of over 3,000 comics that can borrowed, one at a time, for a $30 a month fee. They can also earn store credit by reviewing titles for others, and by creating and selling their own comic books through the store.

Loot, which opened in July, is above Frank's Wine Bar on 457 Court Street in Carroll Gardens. "Only adults with children are allowed!" proclaims a sign next to its buzzer. The space has a striking display of around 400 comics, perfectly aligned in multiple rows, which burst with color against the stark white walls. "It's like Pinterest in real life," Mr. Einhorn said.

The $30 monthly membership fee pays for the art materials and instruction and entitles the young subscribers to borrow one comic at a time. It costs $5 to keep one. The focus is currently on single issues, but the library will soon add graphic novels.

And there are a few well known members who have ponied up for the ultimate status

The online eyeglass retailer Warby Parker and Louis Leterrier, the French film director whose latest project is the "Dark Crystal" series on Netflix, and others have paid for 100-year-long memberships.

And even former President of DC Comics has popped by

"Loot isn't really a comic shop — at least not yet. It's more of a great art experience. With arts education in public schools fiscally challenged, it's great to have folks like this stepping up to fill the gap… I wish I had some of those tools for my college course on writing graphic novels."

And we get some of the details of the comic books being created.

Mae Lower, 8, wrote and drew a comic (with colors by Joan, 4, her sister) about a girl named Ekua who is being bullied in school. Ekua learns to adapt and prospers over 16 pages. Mae goes by the pen name Stella Rojo, and her story concludes with a note to readers: "If you have a question, I won't be far to answer it."

Then there is Leo Hutchinson, 7, who stopped by with his mother, Kara Pfaffenbach. "I'm one of those kids who likes military and fighter jets," he said. One of Leo's comics is about a SWAT team. Another is about Ace, who is a spy.