If comic books have taught us one thing, it's that the hero must rise up against evil, no matter the damage the villain has caused. That lesson hits home for Blockbuster Comics owner, William Insignares, but the evil he has faced isn't a maniacal villain, but a treacherous flood brought on by cracked waterline from a neighboring pizzeria. (UPDATE/CORRECTION: We have been informed that investigations by both the location's insurance company and an independent contractor have determined that the leak did not originate at More Italian Pizza Bistro. We apologize for the error.) Beyond the damage to the treasured comics and memorabilia lies the real story though, how Insignares plans to strike back, for his store, and for his community.
Blockbuster is nestled between AMC Regency 20 and a local pizza restaurant in Brandon, at what would seem like the ideal spot for an independent comic book shop.
Owner William Insignares found out how problematic his location could be when he walked into his storage room to find a deluge of water that had crept in from the adjacent restaurant.
Valuable comic books and memorabilia, dating back to 1950, and spanning industry leaders Marvel, DC and Image comics were no match for the onslaught of the flood. Though many pieces were destroyed, Insignares vowed to not let the disaster end his tale.
“Inspired by comic book heroes, I decided to turn a bad situation into a good one,” Insignares said.
The 23-year veteran of the Tampa Bay comic retail scene, assembled a team including Brandon artists David Noll and Ivy Brown from SeriouslyFun LLC to turn the damaged comic books into an art piece.
SeriouslyFun LLC is well-known for creating custom art using raw and salvaged materials. Pages and covers from the damaged books will be utilized to create a vibrant pop-art showcase out of the location's current front door. The art will be permanently sealed into the door, a process that is due to be completed later this month.
The elaborate project goes far beyond simply creating a new origin tale for the popular location though:
“We will showcase the comic book pop art and then donate the actual door to a non profit or museum. My hope is that I inspire others to save comics and art whenever possible,” said Insignares.
Contact community@savethecomics.com if you would like your non-profit or museum to receive this heroic piece of comic book history.
You can follow the transformation on Facebook at “Save the Comics.”
Blockbuster Comics is at 2498 W Brandon Blvd, Brandon.
This article appears in Feb 26 – Mar 4, 2015.