Take a trip back in time at Epic Robo-Spider
“You didn’t have to wear your Zelda shirt just for me,” Sean McCue quips as I enter Epic Robo-Spider.
He got me. I did, in fact, wear my new Legend of Zelda t-shirt just for the interview. Because if you can’t show off your fandom in a comics and collectibles shop, where can you?
And Epic Robo-Spider is a veritable “bat cave” of pop culture history. It’s packed from floor to ceiling with vintage merchandise you forgot even existed. “This is just the tip of the iceberg,” McCue explains. “I’ve got even more at home, in my van, a storage locker…”
I couldn’t help it though. I felt myself slipping into nostalgic revelry but I tried to contain my excitement. Childhood memories came rushing back, it was like seeing old friends again.
“I had that!” I blurted out when I spotted a vintage Darth Vader action figure carrying case. “Oh, man, I had that, too!” as I noticed a 1980’s Nintendo “Punch-Out” trash can. “I think I still have that… somewhere…” upon seeing an old Nintendo logo patch inside a glass case. Yeah, I said “I had that!” a lot while I was in there.
“There’s been some interest in this ‘Mario Is Missing’ frisbee,” he says. To which I could only reply, “That game was terrible!”
But let me stop there before I go barreling further down Memory Lane.
I should mention that I initially approached this story under the impression that Epic Robo-Spider was a brand new business on Main Street in Highland Falls. It wasn’t until McCue said he’s been there since November of 2017 that I realized my error. If you didn’t know it was there either, you’re not alone. There’s currently no sign identifying it but the shop is located next to Maria Bonita Mexican Restaurant. McCue doesn’t really broadcast the fact that he’s there. It is, after all, a shop for a very niche market. Those who want what he’s offering will probably know how to find him.
And if they can’t find him in Highland Falls, they’ll surely encounter his booth at the many toy shows and comic book conventions he attends. McCue estimates he attends 30 to 40 such events each year, such as Hudson Valley Comic Con and East Coast Comic Con. He’s currently making plans to be at Terrificon in Mohegan Sun this August.
“It’s a lot of work, you’re like a moving company.” By the time he selects his merchandise, packs everything up, drives to the convention, unpacks everything just to set up his booth, only to have to re-pack whatever’s left and head back home, it can feel daunting. “But once everything gets going, it’s a lot of fun!”
He truly enjoys these events and getting to interact with any number of the nearly tens of thousands of attendees throughout the year. “From “babies to octogenarians,” is how he describes the crowds. “I’ve been into sci-fi, horror and comics since forever,” he says, adding that he loves geeking out all day with like-minded people.
When I ask McCue why he thinks adults are so into collecting he explains, “It’s nostalgia. People want to revisit their youth – everybody admits that.” For some collectors, it’s wanting to find that special toy again, or scoring a rare (and expensive) gem like The Incredible Hulk #181 (the first appearance of Wolverine). For those of us who grew up in the ‘80s and ‘90’s, he says it’s retro video games that are rabidly scooped up.
McCue goes on to point out that he also stocks Warhammer 40K – a tabletop miniature wargame that made its debut in 1987 and is now in its eighth edition. He says he’s looking to plan gaming events in the future, perhaps in a local parish hall or right there in the store. Others have also asked him about hosting Magic: The Gathering events. And while he’s not entirely sure on the specifics just yet, he’s definitely looking to bring gaming to Highland Falls.
If you want to learn more about Epic Robo-Spider and go down the glorious rabbit hole of geekdom, stop by the store or visit his website at www.epicrobospider.com.
