[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING]
MARISOL REED: I'm Marisol.
I'm the manager at
Loot Comic Shop.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
We're comic book fans,
and comic shock fans.
And we were nostalgic
for a time when
you used to be able
to go down the block
and buy a comic at the bodega
for, like, a couple bucks.
So we're here to create a space
where kids could come and be
introduced to the
world of comics,
and also, create
their own comics.
And we're called Loot because
we want to offer kids a chance
to earn their own store credit,
which we're calling loot,
by reading and reviewing comics.
So if a kid reads
ten comics a month
and reviews, which encourages
them to think critically
and to begin
writing, we will give
them store credit to
buy a comic or to use
towards the membership.
A lot of the kids that we know
are heavily into Fortnite.
And we wanted to
provide a place that
gives some of the
aspects of Fortnite
a place where they can
interact with each other.
So, instead of being
behind the screen
and just playing with each other
here, they can read the comic
and engage, talk about it
together, and then eventually,
make comics together.
We want them to have, like,
little comic teams where,
if somebody likes to
write as opposed to draw,
they can get with their friend
who likes a draw and color
and produce their own
comics, and eventually, we'll
put them on the walls also.
When they make their
own books, they're
going to use text the way
that comic books are used.
And they're going
to use-- they're
going to learn how to
draw fire and lightning
and develop their
own characters.
We kind of really
like Captain America
versus, like, this monster.
MARISOL REED: Eventually, we
hope that their character,
their superhero character,
can be something they make
into a costume or make
their own t-shirt,
like I made this t-shirt
with a vinyl cutter.
And crayons-- whatever
they want to make,
we're going to take it, utilize
cardboard and some found
material-- recycled materials.
So that once they
have something on TV,
we can turn it into,
like, something that
really comes out from the page.
Here, we offer a library of
over 3,000 comics for kids
to check out.
They can buy a monthly
membership for $30.00 a month,
or a comic for $5.00
To have this space
available, um, a place for him
to come create has been--
uh, yeah.
It just seems to work well
with, kind of, who he is
and what he does.
