My Trip To The Secret Stash by David Isaac
December 24, 2014 1:55 pm | Leave your thoughts
I was 19 or 20 when I first saw Clerks and was working in a little cafe/store in Plainfield Vermont at the time. Clerks hit home with me in a huge way, I was definitely the Dante character as in I went in when called, worked hard, and had no idea what I wanted to do in life, and yes I am still looking for my ultimate career path. When I wasn’t at work I was more Randall, snarky, quick witted and didn’t care who I offended as long as it made my friends laughed. I followed Kevin Smiths career ever since and though I didn’t get to see his movies in the theater I did indeed rented them the minute they were released on video. Probably the one that resonated with me the most was Dogma because I had begun questioning my faith and the existence of God and all major religions. Funny enough that movie made some great points with me and while it restored Kevin’s faith it actually made me question any organized religion more but what it did make me realize is that no one is wrong and people use religion in the wrong ways. I’m not claiming to know the answers and will never tell someone their beliefs are wrong but I prefer to stay open minded and let people believe what they want if that’s what helps them through life. My tirade aside, Smith, to me, has always been able to mix a foul mouthed, raunchy humor brand of comedy with something poignant that talks to me.
I have always known Kevin to be a huge comic fan and when he opened Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash I knew he opened a comic shop that I needed to visit. When DVD’s first came out my first purchases were quite a few of Smith’s movies and I found that these DVD’s had a ton of cool extras. My second job afforded me the time to watch these special features, such as commentary tracks, behind the scenes and even intros to the extras filmed in the Stash. This made me want to visit it more but even more than that they showed me that Kevin always thought of his friends and family first and foremost. See he didn’t buy a comic shop for himself, he bought it so his friend Walt Flannigan, the one who reintroduced Kevin into comics, could have his dream job.
Being that the Stash is located at 35 Broad St, Red Bank NJ, it was never just an easy trip to go down just to see it or even to buy a comic but it was always on my bucket list. I was going to make it there at some point. A few years ago I was listening to a pod cast where Kevin mentioned the Stash was going to be featured on a reality TV show and Walt and Brian Johnson, from the Tell Em Steve Dave podcast which I also loved, would be featured. The Stash, Tell Em Steve Dave, Kevin Smith, I’m fucking sold without seeing a single frame of footage. I watch every second of every season and see my Mecca on TV every week. The racks, wall hangers, toys, props from the movies and NJ Devils memorabilia, now being a Bruins fan I can leave the Devils stuff but understand Walts fandom and respect Martin Broduer like no other.
One day my mom calls me and says, “What do you think about me getting Becca (my daughter) a decorating class at that Cake Bosses guy place for her Christmas present?” Well that sounded like the best present she would ever get as she is a huge Cake Boss fan and loves to bake. She then asks me if I would like to go and I’m a little hesitant at first until she tells me they have a place in Red Bank. What?!?! Red Bank?!?! You better believe I’m going. I tell her I’ll go but we have to go to Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash and explain what it is to her and she is agrees.
After a 6+ hour drive we get to our hotel and then immediately depart for Red Bank which turns out to be another 1 1/2 hours because of Black Friday and city traffic. After finding a parking spot I walk down the block as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. You enter and as much as it looks like it does on Comic Book Men it also looks vastly different. The real check out counter in by the front foot on the right as you enter, the left side is a wall stacked full of new release individual comics and just past the checkout counter is a small wall which separates the checkout counter you see in the show which is not done up as you see in the show. On the opposite side of that is the shelves with graphic novels, toys, trades and memorabilia and just beyond the shows counter is the beat up poker table followed by more comics and items, some of which you have seen on the show. Up above somewhat hanging from the ceiling in the Bluntman and Chronic costumes and in the back corner a case with the Buddy Christ.
To say this place is small is an understatement. It is maybe 20 feet wide and about 100 feet long. They do a phenomenal job making that store look bigger than it really is but it is every bit as epic as I had hoped.
So I picked up a couple of Green Lantern trades that Jared Gafford from The Joe Schmoe Comic Show pod cast had suggested, Widening Gyre that I had Walt sign and Jay and Silent Bob Funco Pop figures, along with a magnet and a cup. I chatted a bit with Mike Zapcic as I was checking out and had told him we were going to Carlo’s bakery to get some goodies. He kept mentioning their chocolate mousse cake, which I have had and agree that it is wonderful. Now Brian from Pop Culture Leftovers asked if I could get an intro from at least one of the boys but being that it was Black Friday the Stash was packed, no deals to speak of just people out shopping, and I felt uncomfortable asking him to do so with as busy as it was.
We left and went to Carlo’s and while I was there I decided to grab Mike a mini chocolate mousse cake and bring it back to him and asked him to record an into for one of my favorite podcasts, which he did gracefully, to be fair he probably would’ve done it without the cake bribe. I grabbed a sweatshirt (no Tell Em Steve Dave shirts there, have to order those through the mech table on the website) and left elated.
On our way back to the hotel we stopped to get something to eat and as I was trying to edit out some of my jibberish I ended up deleting it. I was so fucking pissed. We ran back to the Stash and I explained what a fucking idiot I was and asked if he’d rerecord it which he did. I left again much happier and immediately sent it to Brian before I fucked up and did something to screw it up again.
All in all it was everything I had hoped for and if I ever get the chance to do it again I will go in a heartbeat. Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash is not just for Kevin Smith or Comic Book Men or Tell Em Steve Dave or even I Sell Comic fans, it truly is a comic book fans shop. I highly suggest any fan of comics, Kevin Smith or the podcasts to visit it at least once in their lives.
I hope you enjoyed reading this but probably not as much as I enjoyed going. Just to clarify I do love everything Smith has made with the exception of Cop Out and I have not seen Tusk yet so no opinion on that yet but yes that means I even liked Jersey Girl. Until next time Snoogans bitches.
by David Isaac
BE SURE TO LISTEN TO POP CULTURE LEFTOVERS PODCAST ON iTunes & STITCHER!
Tags: david isaac, Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash, pop culture leftovers
Categorised in: Headlines
This post was written by Leftover Brian
Leave a Reply