As of this month, one of the country’s most popular comic book stores has been open for 20 years. Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, a comic store owned by fan-favorite filmmaker Kevin Smith, officially turned 20 the week of January 11.
To mark the occasion, Smith took to Facebook to post a commemorative certificate he received from Diamond Comic Distributors, which signified the accomplishment. In the post, Smith gets nostalgic as he goes over some of the shop’s highs and lows over the past two decades.
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“In year one, @tellemants [Bryan Johnson] used to run the counter and Walt Flanagan ordered books from Diamond Comics while still working at the Highlands Recreation Center,” Smith said in the Facebook post.
Originally located on Monmouth Street in Red Bank, New Jersey, the store moved to its current location after two years in existence. Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, also known as just The Stash to some of the store’s closest followers, is the filming location of AMC’s Comic Book Men. The main location behind Comic Book Men, The Secret Stash has also been home to several other adventures of Smith’s and company.
“When it looked like we might close up shop seven years back, suddenly Comic Book Men gave the store a new lease on life and made @amc_tv stars of @mingchen37, @michaelzapcic, Bry & Walt,” reflected Smith. “Thank you to every customer who has ever walked through our doors or bought stuff online.”
The show was featured in a scene in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and plays host to many podcasts under the SmodCo, a multimedia production company owned by Smith, umbrella. Most notably, the shop serves as the frequent host of Tell ‘Em Steve Dave, a weekly podcast hosted by Walt Flanagan, the shop’s manager, Bryan Johnson, both of which are featured on Comic Book Men and Brian Quinn, part of truTV‘s Impractical Jokers.
