JUNE 2015 | BOROMAG.COM | 7 Story + Images by Bradley Hawks Silver Age Comics has been hidden in the back corner of the Ditmars Blvd. subway station for the past two and a half decades. Beyond row after row packed with every vintage comic book available, glass display cases are lined with Spider Man gelatin molds, superhero Pez dispensers, Star Wars action figures and even VHS cassettes of E.T. and Monty Python. It’s a wonderland for the kid in every adult and a veritable treasure chest of perhaps the best selection of vintage comic books in New York City. As I twirl a carousel stocked with issues of Archie’s Funhouse Comics Digest, another gentleman flips through a box of baseball cards, comparing cardboard trading cards of Mickey Mantle to images he’s pulled up on his smart phone. “What can I help you with?” asks a kind-faced man about 10 years older than I am. A quick conversation reveals his identity as Gus Poulakas, the store’s owner. Next year, Silver Age Comics will be celebrating its 25th year in Astoria. Poulakas still has the original bright pink flyer he distributed years ago to advertise his shop to the neighborhood, and he pulls it from behind the register to show me. Born in Astoria, Poulakas’ father was a shoemaker down the street, and Gus worked for years at Key Food and the old Shop Rite. “This is where I was born and raised,” Poulakas says. “I used to make money, back when I was ignorant and had balls,” laughs Poulakas, reminiscing about a younger Astoria. Next, a customer arrives, and the employee behind the register begs him to make a run to get a frappe. After a few minutes of heckling banter, he asks Poulakas if he would enjoy a cool refreshment, as well. And then he disappears again into the subway stairwell before returning moments later with three frozen caffeinated drinks. “Everyone here is a regular,” Poulakas says, stepping back behind the counter. “And we are not Midtown Comics, obviously, but I would say we have a better vintage selection than they do.” Two kids run in as they leave the train after school and start perusing the corner that is loaded with new arrivals. I have never been to this store before, but instantly, I can feel their excitement. 2255 31st St. #208, Long Island City, NY 718-721-9691
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