It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s Dewey’s Comic City — Back in Madison!
When Anthony Marques reluctantly packed up Dewey’s Comic City in the early part of the Pandemic four years ago, he knew he would someday return to Madison.
That day finally came earlier this year, when Dewey’s triumphantly returned to the Rose City.
“When we had our grand opening on January 20, it was incredible. It was so busy,” said Marques. “It felt like It’s a Wonderful Life, when everyone shows up for George Bailey at the end of the movie.”
It was a long-awaited homecoming for a shop that’s been part of the fabric of Madison since 1990.
Dewey’s Comic City has been a borough institution since 1990, when former owner Dan Veltre opened the store on Madison Avenue. He moved twice — once to Waverly Alley, and then again to the corner of Park Avenue and Community Place and Park Avenue.
Marques and his wife, Jaclyn, purchased Dewey’s in 2015. Things were going well until COVID-19 shut down the world in March of 2020.
With retail business and foot traffic nearly non-existent, the Marques family thought the best course of action would be to relocate the comic book shop to The Joe Kubert School of Art, a 40,000 square-foot facility dedicated to cartoon and graphic arts they also own in Dover, NJ.
The Kubert School had 40,000 square feet of space with room to spare, and it made the “most sense,” said Marques. “But we were really sad.”
Fortunately, Dewey’s customer base was loyal and supportive, and many people made the trek from the Madison area to Dover to stay in touch with the comic book community and make their purchases.
These connections made it that much easier to solidify the decision to move back in 2024.
About the Marques Family
Anthony Marques, a resident of East Hanover, is a talented and accomplished comic book artist and entrepreneur in his own right. In addition to owning Dewey’s Comic City and The Kubert School, he has illustrated several big-name comic books, including Batman, the Green Hornet, Doc Savage, Back to the Future, and Ghostbusters — and has a few exciting, even more famous projects on tap.
His wife, Jaclyn, grew up in Madison. Her parents owned the much-loved bowling alley Plaza Lanes, and she attended Saint Vincent the Martyr School, where she and Anthony now send their own two children.
All of these factors made the call home even stronger.
“We missed being in Madison,” said Jaclyn. “It’s just such a great community.”
They were on the hunt for a retail location when they discovered the opportunity on Green Village Road in the historic James Building. An acupuncturist and chiropractor had formerly occupied the space, and it offered the bonus of beautiful, naturally lit classroom space above the ground-level storefront.
That sealed the deal. “We wanted to bring some of the teaching from The Kubert School to Madison,” said Marques. “That’s one thing that really differentiates us from some of the other shops, because we have an incredible faculty and student base that we can draw from.”
The children’s classes on Saturdays filled up quickly, as did adult classes on weeknight evenings. Plans for summer comic and art camps will be announced soon, the Marques family promises.
A Key Part of the Community
Everyone was thrilled to welcome Dewey’s back to Madison — including Mayor Bob Conley. “They were certainly a great part of our downtown in their first round and it’s great to have them back,” he said. “They’ve already created quite a buzz of activity,” Conley added, referring to opening day celebrations and excitement around classroom offerings.
And Veltre, the former owner of the shop, is also rooting for the Marques family. “Please support them,” he said. “He (Anthony) is a wonderful person. He’s bringing retail comics back into the area. It’s important not just to the industry but for Madison itself — and it’s wonderful to see.”
Up next for the comic book shop is Free Comic Book Day on May fourth, as well as many more educational and for-purchase offerings in Madison.
“I want to continue to build this business, and keep things moving forward,” said Anthony. “I’m excited to see where we can take it.”
For more information about Dewey’s Comic City, please visit the shop at 6 Green Village Road in Madison — conveniently located across from the Museum of Early Trades and Crafts. More information is also available online at https://www.deweyscomiccity.com/.
For more information about The Kubert School, please visit kubertschool.edu.
This story was originally published in the Madison Eagle on March 14, 2024.
