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Jesse Humiston was furloughed from his job as an electrician during the pandemic. When that door closed, another one opened.

Humiston and his stepbrother Zach Arnold invested part of their stimulus check in one of their favorite childhood hobbies: old comic books. Multiple garage sales, comic shows and vendor events later, the two curated their own comic collection to sell and trade around Syracuse called Funky Town Comics.

At Saturday’s Coffee and Comics event, Funky Town Comics showcased Golden Age comics from the 1940s to mid-1950s and Silver Age comics from the mid-1950s to 1970, as well as Halloween features and classic reprints. Coffee and Comics, a celebration of local culture and talent, featured the budding Funky Town Comics and simultaneously unveiled the new coffee-bakery addition to Marketplace on James, where the event was hosted.

Humiston was first introduced to comics when his uncle gave his mother the graphic novel “Captain America #109.” Being a child, and not knowing its worth, he treated it recklessly. But a few years later, he discovered the value of the comic was around $300, which piqued his interest. From there, he began collecting comics in any way he could.

“I kind of never grew up,” Humiston said, reflecting on his lifelong passion for comics.

Reprints are an excellent way for someone new to comics to read classics without having to pay the high price of vintage graphic novels, Humiston said. Some of the big comic names being sold at Funky Town are “Archie Comics,” “Captain America,” “Fantastic Four” and “The Amazing Spider-Man.”

Funky Town and Marketplace on James hosted the special sale, Coffee and Comics, to promote both businesses. If a customer bought a Finger Lakes coffee at Marketplace on James, they could also choose a free comic, mainly assorted reprints and Halloween editions, to take with them.

Marketplace on James is a small shop in Eastwood that functions as a vendor for local creators. Central New York artisans can buy floor space to showcase their products, and in return Marketplace on James keeps a small portion of the sales.

Funky Town Comics showed vintage comic books from as far back as the 1940s, including “Captain America,” “Spider-Man” and “Fantastic Four.”
Rachel Raposas | Staff Writer

Eileen Porto, the owner of Marketplace on James, has always loved antiques and spent many years selling them through Etsy. The internet marketplace, however, presented a few too many hurdles, so Porto decided to open a physical store in Syracuse.

“The joy of this business is shopping, anyway,” she said with a laugh.

Inspired by Porto’s passion for vintage pieces, as well as her desire to help local artisans, Marketplace on James features products such as soaps, candles and essential oils.

Now, Marketplace on James also offers coffee and breakfast foods to its patrons. This new addition is simply a way of adding to the customer experience.

“We didn’t want to compete with any of the local businesses. We just wanted to enhance ours,” Porto said.

Marketplace on James’ new food additions are specialty muffins, which Porto affectionately called “Mainly Muffins at the Marketplace.” Porto plays around with her own concepts for baked goods, and she recently featured a fan-favorite taco muffin, as well as pizza and meatball sub muffins.

On Nov. 7, Funky Town will be at the Central City Comic Show, located at the North Syracuse Veterans of Foreign Wars post, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The comic book shop will showcase over 50,000 comics at the event.

“My goal is to be a part of bringing more geek events to Syracuse,” Humiston said.

Published on October 25, 2021 at 12:07 am