Kevin Smith wears many hats – he’s a director, writer, actor, podcaster, and now he’s the producer of a reality show based in his New Jersey comic book store, Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash.
The new series, Comic Book Men, which will debut on AMC Sunday night right after a new episode of The Walking Dead, follows Kevin’s real-life fiends, Mike, Ming, Walt, and Bryan (who doesn’t work at the store but always seems to be there), as they buy, sell, and marvel over geeky treasures customers bring to the store. As Kevin explained at a recent press event, it’s like “Pawn Stars in a comic book store.”
Kevin also appears on the show with the guys in a series of podcasts that are woven throughout each episode.
According to Smith, the guy’s authenticity is what makes the show special. “It was easy for credibility because there’s no way any of these cats are going to sell out on the geek community”, he explained.
Between debates over which horror movie is best or which comic character is sexiest, these guys manage to squeeze in some friendly competition and lots of (loving) abuse- most of which seems to be directed at Ming. After watching the first episode don’t be surprised if you recognize many of your own friends in these “Comic Book Men”, so much so you may want to pay them a visit- and you can!
Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash is located at 35 Broad Street in Red Bank, NJ (and yes, the guys on the show are really the same guys who run the store). They are open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 11am – 6pm, Friday 11am – 7pm, Saturday 11am – 6pm, and Sunday 12pm – 5pm. But, don’t expect to Kevin to be there even though he owns the joint. “If I’m in Jersey, I’m there,” Smith said. But sadly that’s only a few times a year.
Check out a preview of the show at AMC.com.
