East Hampton resident, Andrew Piver has realized a childhood dream of owning his own comic book shop with an unusual twist: The Dragon Wagon is a mobile comic store that he plans to take from the East End to New York City and everywhere in between.
When Andrew Piver was in the fifth grade his grandmother gifted him a dead tree silver jubilee edition boxed set of “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings.”
“I still have it,” Piver said in a recent interview with SciFiSland.com.
Tolkien’s immersive mythology started his fascination with sci-fi and fantasy, which only deepened when he discovered the world of “Dune.” He says his childhood in the 80s was reminiscent of “Stranger Things.” He was heavily into role-playing games and dreamed of having his own comic book store one day.
“I love comic books,” he said. “I love stories.”
A semi-professional writer and artist, who has created his own comics and children’s books, Piver transitioned from a prior career in the mortgage business to focus on his passion of bringing comics to his community Out East.
He lives in East Hampton, miles from the nearest comic book store. This comic book dessert inspired him to pursue his dream of owning a shop but there was one problem. As you might imagine, the rent in East Hampton is nothing to sneeze at so Piver got an idea. He started searching online auctions for something with wheels that he could park at events and outside libraries.
What he found was a 1993 Toyota Dyna 20 in Tennessee.
“It’s super one of a kind,” said Piver.
The auction ended with no buyers so Piver made the seller an offer and next thing he knows he’s flying down south and driving the truck back to Long Island.
The Toyota Dyna is what Piver describes as a workhorse of the world, converted for a variety of purposes. Some mundane, like delivery vehicles, and others more exciting, like a firetruck.
Or a mobile comic book shop, which is what Piver did with his.
The vehicle is a right-hand drive, manual 5-speed with a diesel engine, factory air conditioning, and electronic handbrakes. It also has a 30-watt PA system that Piver says can “pump some tunes.” Despite topping out at 50 MPH on his road trip from Tennessee to New York, the ride was as thrilling as it was nerve-wracking. The truck, he says, is actually pretty easy to drive once you get used to it. The back bumper flips down into stairs, making for easy access and it is fitted with racks and shelves for the comics. He is still devising a system to hold the books in place while he transports them.
Maintaining a 30-year-old Japanese truck comes with its challenges, but Piver is committed to making it work. (He’s in the market for a diesel mechanic who specializes in Japanese imports if you happen to know one.)
The name of his endeavor is also apropo of Piver’s roots in D&D and Lord of the Rings: The Dragon Wagon.
His mission is to encourage literacy in kids through comics and hopefully use revenue from the mobile comic book store to fund scholarships. He would also like to donate books and money to support like-minded programs, for example libraries.
The truck has booked a couple of events already including Raw The Hamptons, who invited Piver to roll in on June 21st, and one at Greenport Skate Park on July 13th.
He envisions the Dragon Wagon as a mobile community space, where he can set up a pop-up tent and camp chairs, and host role-playing games and drawing sessions. His goal is to make these events free or donation-based to support the truck’s operation. He also plans to feature local artists with three already enlisted: Jackie DeVito, Max Rodgers, and Kieran Conlon.
Piver plans to take the Dragon Wagon from Out East to the Outer Boroughs and everywhere in between, bringing joy and inspiration to people of all ages. His vision is clear: he wants to create something cool and unique that aligns with his sensibilities.
“If we can do it selling comic books that would be a win,” he said.
But mostly, Piver wants to realize his childhood dream of being a comic book store guy, on wheels.
“It’s going to be a spectacle,” he said.
Find the Dragon Wagon online at www.dragonwagonbooks.org or @dragonwagonbooks on Instagram.
