Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gabe Fowler. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Gabe, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
As a lifelong nerd, I’ve never doubted my own interests and figured there must be others out there like me.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My shop Desert island has been going strong for seventeen years, spotlighting the international art underground. We curate illustrated books and prints, and allow anyone self-publishing relevant material to sell in our store. Over the years, we have organized huge free festivials for underground comics in Brooklyn, hosted countless artist events in the store, and published counteless zines and books, including our free tabloid Smoke Signal, which is about to release issue forty-three.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
More than anything, commitment has allowed our effort to flourish. It took along time to build an audience and become somewhat financially stable without a secret source of income. Commitment to our mission of raising awareness and availability of experimental illustration and comics has helped weather several storms (2009 recession, covid, relocating our space). Part of my obsessive commitment to a modestly successful endeavor comes from disappointment as a young fan, when I would get excited about a new zine, venue, or shop and it would pretty swiftly cease to exist. I want my store, events, and publishing efforts to a rock for everyone else to lean on.
My best advice is to commit to what you’re already doing and always look for ways for it to serve people outside of yourself.
Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
We have been without a lease at out Brooklyn storefront for seven years, and someone recently approached our landlord offering almost double what we’re paying in rent. The landlord said if we could match the offer we could have a three year lease, and if not we would have to vacate. They sent the vacate order and it seemed like death. My customers wouldn’t stand for it and insisted we have a fundraiser to make up the deficit. We hesitantly started a gofundme and raised the deficit ($79,200) in two days.
While this amount would’ve allowed us to stay, we would have the same problem in three years. Unbelievably we were able to secure a comparable storefront one block away (almost impossible in Williamsburg), have signed a ten year lease, and will be re-opening in March 2025.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.desertislandbrooklyn.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/desertislandcomics
Image Credits
Photos courtesy Desert Island
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
