Kevin Smith Says Goodbye To The Secret Stash

Smith Salutes Secret Stash

Kevin Smith is turning out the lights. The famed film auteur and comic book geek are shutting down his comic shop. The famed Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash is ending one chapter of its life. The store, located in Red Bank, NJ, is moving to a newer, bigger location just down the street. However, it’s still the end of an era as the geek mecca built by Smith changes with the passing times. Smith took to Twitter on Sunday to give a salute to the comic shop:

Tomorrow’s the last day @The_SecretStash will be open at 35 Broad St. in Red Bank, NJ! Opened in 1999, the ol’ girl was where we shot 7 seasons of @ComicBookMenAMC (as well as this baby Harley pic). Next month, we open the NEW Secret Stash just down the block at 65 Broad St. pic.twitter.com/GwwGswIe8M

— KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) January 10, 2021

Named after two of his most famous (or infamous) characters, the shop has attracted geeks and nerds across the country. Not only known for being an excellent comic shop, but it is also a shrine for wannabe auteurs, film and comic fans, and a local institution.

Smith And The Comic Book Men

While the shop has been around for over twenty years, it came to larger fame through television. The AMC series Comic Book Men, starring employees of the shop with special guests, brought the shop, and many comics, to a larger audience. Hosted by Smith, it starred comic artist/manager Walt Flanagan, employee Mike Zapcic, regular Bryan Johnson, and webmaster Ming Chen. Abhorred by critics but adored by viewers, the show lasted seven seasons from 2012 to 2018. Flanagan is also known for drawing some of Smith’s comics, such as Batman: Cacophony. It brought more attention to the shop and brought comic fandom more into the mainstream.

While the old store where those episodes were made is no more; a new future awaits. Smith has promised the new location will be bigger and better than the old store. An hour train ride from New York City, it will definitely be the hallmark of any trip into the wildland that is New Jersey.

Just make sure the employees intended to be at work that day.