Desert Island is one of those places that shines in the consumer retail rough. Proprietor Gabriel Fowler openedthe Williamsburg store in February of this year, with nothing more than a bank loan, a small community of artist friends, and a desire to share some of his favorite comics, zines and books. Fowler grew up around indie record and comic shops in Florida, which “were the only exciting places to hang out in a cultural wasteland.” Independent comics and graphic novels make up the bulk of the store’s inventory. The biggies, like Adrian Tomine and R. Crumb, share space with cult favorites Julie Doucet and Michael Kupperman, as well as occasional mainstream hits, like Watchmen. Local New York comics are also featured, including self-published work like “Paping,” whose creator John Mejias is organizing the Brooklyn Heights Soapbox Derby on August 23. The store also stocks a solid collection of foreign artistry, from mainstream titles like “Persepolis” to handmade, silkscreened books imported from overseas; journals like Cabinet and Juxtapoz, handmade zines, art and music books. Screen prints from collectives in Finland, Paris, St. Louis and elsewhere line the walls and are all available for sale. Some of the prints, first created to advertise the store’s many readings, are produced by Mr. Fowler himself, and offer an affordable sample of the artists’ work. This one by Lauren Weinstein, for instance, is available for under $20….Desert Island, 540 Metropolitan Avenue at Union in Williamsburg. Open from 12-9, Tuesday through Sunday. Check desertislandbrooklyn.com for more events and recent acquisitions.
—Brooklyn Based