Rising rents blamed for closure of iconic East Village comic book store

Another St. Mark’s institution will close after more than three decades, amid rising rents in the East Village.

St. Mark’s Comic’s, an underground favorite for comic book aficionados, will close at the end of February, according to EV Grieve, an East Village news blog. The shop lasted a little more than a year longer than another now-shuttered St. Mark’s Place staple, Continental, a renowned dive bar that sold five shots for $10.

Rising rents and online shopping were blamed by owner Mitch Cutler for the store’s closure. “I have been working 90 hours a week for 36 years, and I no longer have the wherewithal to fight them,” he told the publication.

Cutler even reportedly started a GoFundMe page in 2017 with a goal to raise $75,000, but could only raise about $1,200 from devoted customers. [EV Grieve] — David Jeans