Located on 5th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. is a one stop shop for all your superhero needs. Signs on the outside advertise everything, from costumes to “invisibility”. They have everything a superhero could ever need to fight crime including grappling hooks, monkey cyborg parts, and helium gum (to change the pitch of your voice, of course).

Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. was one of the first weird experiences I had in Brooklyn. I just thought maybe it was as costume store or something. Researching further, however, reveals that Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. isn’t really a superhero supply store, at all! The store is just a front for 826NYC, a non-profit creative writing center for kids. All of the store’s proceeds go directly to 826NYC. The idea is that children would much rather receive tutoring in a superhero supply store, as opposed to being tutored in a plain, boring environment.

Dave Eggers (most notably known for his book Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genuis) is the man behind the operation. Mr. Eggers runs a similiar store in San Fransico based around a pirate theme. In fact, there is a whole 826National non-profit organization, which also includes 826LA, 826 Seattle, 826 Chicago and 826michigan.