Community Superhero: Megabrain Comics

When Jean Michel’s mom and sisters handed him a crinkly brown paper bag in the summer of 1983, little did the seven-year-old know it held a key element his future — in the form of Marvel Comics’ The Incredible Hulk #286.

Despite his teacher confiscating that first comic book (which he never got back!), Michel innately understood the importance of this illustrated form of storytelling, spending much of his childhood within comic book stores’ colorful walls. “Myths and legends weren’t scholarly pursuits, they were stories we would use to explain the unexplainable and make us feel at ease in our beds at night while also entertaining us,” he says, likening them to the Netflix of the 80s.

Though he worked as a creative director and UX/UI designer, Michel always kept comics in his life, eventually launching Megabrain Comics, a comic publishing company in 2009. Two years later, he found himself at New York Comic Con, debuting a comic book he produced with a group of friends called “American Dark Age” (sadly, it lasted two issues).

It wasn’t until July 2017 when Michel and his now-wife Alexandra were chatting with a friend about comics when Alexandra turned to him and said, “You should open up a comic book store in Rhinebeck.”

“It felt like she had turned the lights on in a room that had been dark for a very long time,” says Michel, of Alexandra’s supportive words. Just four months later, Megabrain Comics opened on Garden Street. “The day we opened to the public was one of the greatest days of my life.”

After all, Michel knew the value a business like his could bring to Rhinebeck. “Comic book stores are community spaces that invite rousing, yet respectful, discourse and also an atmosphere where people from every walk of life share the things that they love with each other,” he explains. “I wanted to give my kids and the families of Rhinebeck that experience and that space to call their own.”

And it worked, with Megabrain Comics soon becoming a popular hangout, especially for students. Michel remembers one moment when a couple of kids ran back inside just before closing to thank him for opening the store. “There were many tears of joy that night,” he says.

Part of what makes Megabrain a community- oriented, inclusive space is Michael’s emphasis on showcasing diverse comic characters. “When I was growing up, the only comic heroes I had to choose from that looked like me were usually either sidelined heroes ... or cartoonish stereotypes that sometimes felt hurtful,” he says, adding that he most related to The Incredible Hulk because of his own “anger and frustration of being a Black kid in America” and Spider-Man because the character hid behind a mask and could be “absolutely anyone.”

“In our store, fighting like a girl is not an insult, it’s an anthem; BIPOC stories are inspiring and exciting, and LGBTQ+ life and love is just that – life and love,” he says. “Every kid should have the opportunity to open a comic book and see a hero that looks like them.”

Despite the store’s popularity, finances were tough in the first year, so Michel “sent up the Bat-signal” looking for a partner. The beam brought him Rhinebeck local Brian Tamm who, according to Michel, has a “much better head for finances” and also experience with retro arcade machines. Soon, the shop’s back game room became an arcade with video game machines like The Simpsons, Street Fighter II and a Kiss pinball machine, which added more incentive for visitors to hang out.

In February 2020, Megabrain moved to a more prominent, bigger space at 15 East Market Street, and the increased foot traffic gave the business the boost it needed. Once lockdown started, they operated on an abbreviated schedule and used the time to launch online sales, which, along with a generous donation from friends, has helped them thrive.

While Michel hopes to eventually find his way back to writing and drawing comics, he’s currently laser focused on the store. “My overall vision is for us to continue growing, but to always keep the spirit the same — a place where everyone can walk in and know they’ve found a place that sees who they are and welcomes them.”

By Rachel Chang

Photography by Rebecca Fogg

Volume 5