Superheroes line the walls of St. Mark’s Comics in the East Village. But after a fire struck the store Feb. 17, the real heroes were members of the New York City police and fire departments.
“I have nothing but nice things to say about the firemen and the police,” storeowner Mitch Cutler said in reference to the quick response by both teams.
The fire, which was readily contained, ignited behind a wall at the front of St. Mark’s Comics. Apart from damage to the wall and several statues, no one was harmed and the store reopened shortly after the incident.
“The word of the fire traveled very quickly and we were very gratified to see the people who came in and the phone calls and the emails, it was a very humbling experience,” Cutler said.
St. Mark’s Comics held a fire sale to increase store traffic; by the next week, the store was back in business.
“I don’t think [the fire] is going to really make a difference on business,” Anthony Crep of the East Village said. “I mean when they put the little sale things out that say fire sale, they do sales there on a semi-regular basis, you know that brings the people in and I think that more than a fire or anything would help business or hinder business. I mean they are an institution they have been her for ages, so I don’t think they are going anywhere.”
