we can help with your nemesis problem

If there is a cooler thing than Brooklyn Superhero Supply in the world it could only be bacon.  We grabbed brunch today in Park Slope and popped by this surreal store on the way back home.

The store in reality is a front for 826NYC, the NY branch of the nonprofit organization, 826 National, that fosters writing and creative skills in young kids.  In that sense the name of the store is a sly allusion to the real superheros who volunteer their time to that organization.  They have other store fronts like the Pirate store in San Francisco.  826 was founded by Dave Eggers; the same person who started McSweeney’s publishing and has written a few well received books such as A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.  I’m always fascinated by people who can be successful at starting a variety of enterprises.
There’s obviously no way the store can quite live up to the hype that your inner child creates when you see a store like this, but they have put enough effort into it that you are pleasantly surprised.
Much of that effort is in the design of the store and the products inside. There is a tremendous amount of attention to detail.  Instead of generic cans of antimatter or antigravity paste, the cans have been designed to the point that if the stuff really existed you could use these cans.  The backs have detail about the product and where it is made.  The store is heavy on humor to like the “Cocky Fighter Pilot” suit you can buy. It’s all quite cleverly done.

There are real things for sale here too like suction cups for climbing walls and see-in-the-dark glasses. Lots of capes and headwear. There are also a few ‘exhibits’; the devillainizer and a skeleton displaying cyborg enhancements that you can order.

My two kids were a little too young to fully appreciate the spectacle. I’m guessing that a 7 year old boy is going to go nuts in a place like this.  I suspect I will take them back again in the future.