Anthony Desiato’s My Comic Shop Country

Back in 2011, I covered my hometown St. Louis International Film Festival for the now-defunct Sound on Sight and also published the reviews on this blog. One of the surprises was My Comic Shop DocumentARy, an up-close look at the Alternate Realities store in Scarsdale, New York. What made the documentary charming was the close perspective on both customers and employees of this comic shop. It was directed by Anthony Desiato, who worked at Alternate Realities for more than 10 years. His personal experience with the shop and owner Steve Oto made the film more engaging than I expected. Desiato did a Q&A at the festival, and it was clear how much the store meant to him.

Since that time, Desiato has directed several other documentaries on the interesting people that he’s met along the way. By Spoon! The Jay Meisel Story focused on the eccentric guy we first met in My Comic Shop DocumentARy, and Wacky Man: The Rise of the Puppeteer covered an idealistic puppeteer. Desiato also created the podcast My Comic History to chronicle the sad closing of Alternate Realities. In the third season of that show, he traveled to comic shops around the country to uncover the business side of running a store. I’m not a comics expert, but it’s still intriguing to learn more about what happens behind the scenes.

Desiato’s next project is a feature film called My Comic Shop Country, which will continue the work from the podcast. He’ll visit comic shops around the nation to explore how local stores function and the communities around them. Desiato has set up a Kickstarter campaign to help fund this new film. Judging by his other work, this documentary should have plenty to offer for anyone interested in the industry or even how small businesses thrive. To give a better idea of Desiato’s style, I caught up with other films that he’s created in recent years.

By Spoon! The Jay Meisel Story (2014)

The first line of By Spoon! The Jay Meisel Story is the title guy saying “fuck technology!” into the camera. It’s a sad time for parts of the industry that have been forced to change to survive. Meisel isn’t exactly a technologically advanced guy, so moving to the digital realm is unlikely. The big character spends his life in a tight spot among the comic books in the Empire State Flea Market. He’s a fiery, old-school New York guy that grumbles at customers. Of course, this doc shows how his gruff demeanor hides an endearing soul beneath the surface.

It’s the small touches of Meisel’s personality that make him engaging. He buys movie posters that aren’t particularly memorable and rarely sells them. He’s doesn’t seem that forward-thinking when it comes to other cultures, though he’s hardly that simple. The sad cloud hanging over the film is the impending closure of the flea market. It’s not like Meisel has done anything else for decades. He refuses to go on eBay and instead uses his garage. The whole thing is unfortunate.

Desiato clearly likes Meisel, and the loss of his shop feels tragic. Watching him trying to sell products out of the garage is sad. His former spot is empty and won’t be the same even when new tenants buy the space. A montage of happy interactions between Meisel and various customers pinpoint what’s now missing. It was more about the human connections than the individual comic books. This sweet film shows how many people a guy like Meisel charmed during the numerous years in his shop. Like My Comic Shop DocumentARy, it reveals wonderful characters that we often don’t see on our screens.

Wacky Man: The Rise of a Puppeteer (2016)

How does a person become a puppeteer? Zach Woliner has that dream and created the character Wally Wackiman to make that happen. Jim Henson set the standard with The Muppets and related projects, but there are still limited professional roles for puppeteers. Can Zach do it? That quest is the subject of Wacky Man: The Rise of a Puppeteer. Recording videos at home with his wife Veronica, Woliner is idealistic but recognizes that challenges he faces with this dream. Balancing it with a full-time office job makes his goals even harder to fulfill.

Woliner’s brother and parents give some background on the life that inspired him. It’s clear that this passion for puppetry has been central since an early age. You don’t get the sense that anyone pressured him to give up the dream, and that’s important. The chances of success are slim, but Woliner makes an impression at a puppeteers’ workshop. There’s something inside him that might click with others if luck goes in Woliner’s favor.

Wally Wackiman is a self-aware puppet, which opens up a new realm of comedy for Woliner. It’s sometimes tricky to separate Woliner’s persona from the puppet. The segment on that separation is one of the most interesting parts of the movie. We also see the possible limits of this character in YouTube videos. Woliner is a talented guy, but there are so many entertainers competing for our time. Observing the DIY approach of the videos shows the hard work that’s involved with online production. Parties are no easy feat either.

What rings true in the ups and downs of Wacky Man is Woliner’s heart. This isn’t a callous guy with an obsessive dream. The strong relationships with Veronica and his brother keep Woliner grounded in a challenging field. Sesame Street is the dream job, and the moment when Wally hits the stage with Oscar the Grouch is charming. But can he break through and reach that level? The commitment is there in spades, though it may take a lot more to achieve his dream.

Interview with Anthony Desiato

Desiato was kind enough to answer some questions about My Comic Shop Country, the Kickstarter campaign, and why he’s so interested in making this project happen.

1. What initially attracted you to comics and working at a comic shop when you were younger?
The character of Superman drew me in initially when I was five, but as I got older and my reading selections expanded, I came to appreciate everything the medium can do. Comics invite the reader to engage with the material like prose books, but they also offer the visual dimension like films and television (albeit with unlimited budgets). As a medium, you really get the best of both worlds. As far as working at a comic shop, if you're a comic fan looking for an after-school job, there's really nothing better.

2. You’ve visited stores across the country for the My Comic History podcast. What inspires you to dig further and produce the documentary?
The styles of storytelling in a podcast vs. a documentary film are distinct enough that each project will stand on its own. For example, if there's a story that takes five minutes to recount, that's perfect podcast fodder, but it would be an eternity on film. At the same time, podcasts are an auditory medium, so I'm tremendously excited to SHOW these stores in the documentary. I've discovered some terrific stores with eye-catching layouts, merchandise, and displays, and I can’t wait for viewers to see them.

3. Your podcast often delves into the business side of running a comic shop. What interests you about exploring that aspect of running a store?
Maybe I secretly wish I had gotten my MBA instead of my law degree? It's funny — I'm not entirely sure why the business of comics retail appeals to me the way it does. I think it has to do with the fact that most retailers (it seems) start as fans and collectors first who decide to pursue comics as a career. The process of turning your passion into a business can be a tricky proposition, and I’m always curious to hear how people navigate that. I’m also keenly aware of the challenges retailers face on multiple fronts. However, rather than take a doom-and-gloom approach, I love to hear HOW retailers are responding to these challenges.

4. In both the feature My Comic Shop DocumentARy and your short film By Spoon!, we see the ways the industry has changed and even left some people behind. Why have some comic shops been able to thrive in this evolving world?
There are a lot of ways to answer that, but I think your question gets at a critical point. The industry has changed and continues to change, and the stores that recognize that and are willing to innovate are the ones that may just make it.

5. What continues to interest you about comic shops today?
Well, for the longest time I thought it was only MY comic shop that interested me, but when Alternate Realities closed, I re-examined that proposition and realized that the local comic shop as an institution held great appeal to me. I had captured the community of AR on film and in podcast form, and I wanted to try to capture the larger comic shop community as well.

6. How did you choose the comic shops to be featured on the podcast and the upcoming documentary?
It was a combination of factors both creative and practical. I knew I wanted a cross-section of stores in terms of geography and history. There were stores I already knew; I solicited recommendations; and I looked at trips I was already taking (for work, weddings, etc.) to see where I could tie in shop visits.

7. You’ll basically travel the country as a one-man crew for this film. How challenging with the production be for you to shoot all the footage?
These days, I have my wife traveling with me, which has been a huge help. I’d also think about bringing in a crew person if possible.  But as far as shooting everything myself, it's all I know! That's how I've made all three of my previous docs.

8. How long do you anticipate it will take to shoot and complete the film?
The plan is to shoot and edit next spring and summer, with an eye toward completing the film in Fall 2018.

9. One of the highlights of My Comic Shop DocumentARy was spending time with all the unique figures that inhabit the world of Alternate Realities. Do you hope to connect with similar characters around the country in your new film?
Absolutely. With everything I’ve done, it's always about the people above all else. Comic shops are perhaps the best place to find colorful personalities — on both sides of the counter.

10. The Kickstarter rewards include some pretty cool incentives for backers, including a cooking class with you and your wife, a portfolio review, and a superhero photo shoot. How did you go about putting together the rewards?
When I turned my attention toward designing the reward structure, I wanted to make sure there was variety in both the prices as well as the rewards themselves. Whether you're looking to contribute $5 or $5,000 — or anywhere in between — there's something for you to choose. I thought about what might appeal to someone who's followed my past work (hence rewards like exclusive podcast episodes and the My Comic Shop DocumentARy Blu-ray), but I also considered the folks coming into this cold, who might be interested in the original art, custom toy, or portfolio review rewards. There are essentially five reward categories: digital, physical, one-of-a-kind, experiential, and sponsorships.