Calling all Megabrainiacs! Beloved comic book store Megabrain Comics is asking for community assistance. Following a year when dozens of comic book shops across the country were forced to close their doors, many of whom had been in business for decades, the team at Megabrain counts themselves lucky to have made it this far.

Comic Book Culture Invades the Hudson Valley and Beyond

First of all, I have to say comic books are very important to me. Growing up, I read Superman, Batman, Spider-Man and Fantastic Four comics religiously. I would go to Walden Books in the Poughkeepsie Galleria (I know, I'm dating myself) and see their latest selection. I remember getting immersed in DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline. Today, I may not read as many comics as I used to, but I still love watching comic book movies and shows. Lately, I've been binging Invincible and The Boys on Amazon. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, the DC Extended Universe, Amazon's string of hit superhero shows, and so many more originate from the pages of comics. They influence so much of today's culture! So if you enjoy any of these things, it's a smart idea to help a local business like Megabrain out!

Megabrain Comics is Rhinebeck's friendly neighborhood comic book shop and board game cafe! The comic book store offer loads of game nights, programs, and free events for the community. They offer a vast range of comics and graphic novels, new and old, spanning popular titles such as Star Wars, Transformers, DC, Marvel, and Manga along with independent titles. You can also pick up merchandise for some of your favorite brands with toys, collectibles, vinyl albums, decorations, games and more. Not to mention, Megabrain has their own merchandise you can buy, which highlight both the Megabrain lifestyle and Rhinebeck as a whole!

Help Megabrain Comics in Rhinebeck, NY Weather the Storm

 

The GoFundMe was created by Jean Michel, Co-Owner/Founder of Megabrain Comics. At the time of writing this article, the GoFundMe for Megabrain Comics has reached $13,870, over halfway to their goal of $23,900. 169 Hudson Valley residents has pitched in to help out the Rhinebeck staple in their rough time. It's easy to see that Megabrain means a lot to the community.

Jean Michel says,

We hoped the holiday shopping season would be the healing balm to get us back on track as it had always done since opening our doors 6 years ago, but it’s become increasingly more difficult to compete with the likes of Amazon and the many corporate retail behemoths that can not only offer “ease & convenience” but deep discounts that smaller shops like us just can’t match.

Michel understands the landscape for families and businesses in the Hudson Valley. "Being a parent with a mortgage I understand that folks have been struggling with higher costs of housing, food, clothing and transportation among many other inflated costs, so it’s not surprising that sales have gone the way that they have."

Upcoming Megabrain Comics Events and Collaborations

Despite weathering a financial storm right now, Megabrain Comics has plans to connect with the community in a variety of ways. Already, Megabrain Comics is planning on collaborating with local businesses and organizations such as:

  • Rhinecellar in Rhinebeck on February 13th for “Cocktails & Comics presents a chat with Black creators on making historical comics of influence” with guest speakers from Milestone Media, DC and Marvel Comics, Joe Illidge, Micheline Hess, and ChrisCross.
  • The weekend bonanza of February 24th & 25th when Jean Michel will be moderating the panel Winter Horrors With Werewolves Within Director Josh Ruben and Friends on Saturday at Spillian in Fleischmans, NY and then welcoming Josh and Invader Comics into the Megabrain clubhouse the next morning to promote his upcoming comic book DARLA
  • Their continued gaming events including our upcoming Nerdy Trivia Night and Sip n Paint event with our friends at Lasting Joy Brewery in Tivoli
  • The exciting 2024 Red Hook/Rhinebeck Pride Celebration plans with BeckHook Pride
  • A very exciting and special community event being planned with the amazing team at Camp Ramapo here in Rhinebeck.

To help participate in Megabrain's GoFundMe campaign, visit the link here.

7 Places to Buy Comic Books in The Hudson Valley

The Worst Marvel Moments of 2023

The lowlights from a pretty bad year for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Every DC Comics Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best

From Superman and the Mole Men to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, we ranked every movie based on DC comics.

More From Hudson Valley Post