Chris Pedatella found his passion for comics through his cousin, Daniel DiDato.
The pair would collect comics as kids, waiting anxiously for new releases every week. They would trade with each other, draw their own comics — Pedatella recalled his cousin’s drawings far surpassing his own “stick figures” — and shared a love for Marvel characters in particular.
“He was a big Hulk fan,” said Pedatella, 46, “and I was into Spider-Man.”
DiDato, 47, died in a one-car crash Dec. 18, 2023. He served for 19 years as an officer of the Town of East Fishkill Police Department. In the days following his death, colleagues shared memories of his fun, caring spirit, his work ethic in service to the community, and also, his love for Marvel Comics.
Pedatella has turned that shared family passion into a career, partnering with Chris Galaida to open Darkstone Comics in Washingtonville.
How Darkstone Comics was born
Pedatella and Galaida, 34, first met as drivers for Entenmann’s, and discovered their mutual interest in comic books.
They started talking about superheroes one day, and the conversation led to how the closest comic book store to the depot in Goshen, where they worked, was in Middletown.
Galaida said, “Let’s open one,” as a joke, but Pedatella thought it wasn’t a bad idea.
They became co-owners of Darkstone Comics in Washingtonville, at the 54 Brotherhood Plaza, in December 2023.
More:East Fishkill Officer Daniel DiDato was ‘one of a kind’. Colleagues share tributes.
Darkstone Comics: What you’ll find inside Washingtonville store
Both from the mid-Hudson Valley, Pedatella and Galaida were happy to find the Washingtonville location. Galaida grew up in nearby Blooming Grove, and Pedatella is from Wappingers Falls.
“The community couldn’t be more embracing,” Pedatella said. “They really welcomed us in a heartfelt way.”
People are excited to have a comic book store closer to home, they said, and it makes Pedatella and Galaida feel good they can provide something the community was otherwise missing. “There’s a bunch across the river and some in North Jersey, but otherwise, we’re by ourselves over here,” Galaida said.
There are also two schools within walking distance of the shop. After school, the older students tend to make their way over to the shop and the pizzeria in the plaza. Customers, including teachers from the schools and parents, have expressed their gratitude for a safe space for the kids to be with their friends, as well as a reason to get them into reading, Pedatella said.
Darkstone Comics is a one-stop shop for anything in the realm of “geek and nerd culture,” Galaida said, selling vintage comics, modern comics, books, trading cards, toys and posters. They also host Dungeons and Dragons games Thursday nights, and will soon be expanding to two nights a week.
“It’s been a huge hit for us,” Galaida said.
They spent a lot of time designing the shop to accommodate the retail and community gathering aspects. Pedatella said they wanted to ensure those in the front of the store shopping could read comics and browse undisturbed, while those playing could game freely.
Galaida added it’s imperative for them to offer a great customer experience.
“We are both welcoming and warm to anyone and everyone from all walks of life that come through our door,” Pedatella said.
What Darkstone Comics has to offer now, and what they may offer in the future
The owners of Darkstone Comics want to be the go-to shop in Orange County, but in the future, Pedatella said he hopes to branch out and add locations.
With comic book shops’ main competitors being online markets like Amazon and eBay, being able to provide comics for the lowest price they can has served Darkstone Comics well and created a loyal customer base. The owners said they prefer to meet people where they’re at.
“If we can’t buy something at a significantly reduced rate, where we can sell it at a lower cost, we pass on it,” Pedatella said.
On June 6, the shop will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony with community members and officials, followed by a grand opening celebration that weekend.
Pedatella plans to share his family story at that event, and tell attendees about his childhood love for comics.
DiDato once told him he planned to help out with the shop after he retired. Even though his cousin never got to see it, Pedatella said he was glad to be able to open it in his honor.
For more information, visit Darkstone Comics’ website, darkstonecomics.com. A free comic book day event will be held Saturday, May 4.
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: NY comic shop honors fallen East Fishkill police officer’s memory
East Fishkill Police Officer Daniel DiDato shared a love of Marvel Comics with his cousin, Chris Pedatella, who went on to open a store in Washingtonville. Read More