By Sunayana Prabhu
RED BANK – Nearly 200 fans lined up outside Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash June 10 to see filmmaker Kevin Smith and actor Jason Mewes at an all-day signing event celebrating the release of the new comic book “Jay & Silent Bob: Jays of Future Past.”
The new comic book, written by Smith and illustrated by Giuseppe Camuncoli, marks the long-awaited crossover of the iconic characters Jay and Silent Bob with the Marvel Universe.
Jay (Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) are fictional characters created by Smith for his 1994 directorial debut “Clerks.” The duo are the main characters in Smith’s View Askewniverse and have developed a cult following over the years, with appearances in Smith’s other films, such as “Mallrats,” “Chasing Amy,” “Dogma,” “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” “Clerks II” and “Clerks III,” as well as comic books, video games and music videos.
The latest comic book is a collaboration with Marvel Comics. Jay and Silent Bob encounter Marvel heroes, including Spider-Man, Deadpool, Wolverine, Hulk, Thor, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and the Avengers.
“This is phenomenal,” Smith said while signing the newly released comic book. “This is something I tried to set up 30 years ago,” he said, adding that he always wanted Jay and Silent Bob to meet their Marvel heroes in a comic book crossover.
Smith first pitched the idea to the late Stan Lee himself, the creator of Marvel Comics, the day he shot a cameo in Smith’s 1995 movie “Mallrats.”
“It took me three decades to get it done, but here we are. Dream realized after 30 years,” Smith said.
Outside the downtown comic shop, fans waited for hours for signatures, photographs and a chance to speak with Smith. The crowd included multiple generations of fans, from teenagers discovering Smith through Marvel comics to longtime followers who have watched his films since the 1990s.
Brick resident Etta Burry, 73, said her favorite Smith film is “Dogma,” “because I went to Catholic school, and I think it’s funny.”
Fifteen-year-old Kevin Cohn of Brick said he has “been reading a lot of Marvel and DC,” but Smith’s characters, he said, are “relatable,” and he likes “the way they act.”
Some of the fans traveled for several hours to attend the event. Zach Tobin came from Philadelphia, while his friend Nick Williams traveled from Orange County, New York.
As for the collaboration between Marvel and Jay and Silent Bob, “It’s never been done and it’s just really exciting,” Tobin said.
For some fans, Smith’s stories resonate because they reflect their own experiences growing up in central New Jersey.
“I was Jay; my best friend was Silent Bob,” said Matawan resident Vince Fay. “I see us in all the jokes. Those are the same jokes I would tell my friends.”
J Bunner, a tattoo artist from Virginia Beach, Virginia, said he’s been a fan of Smith’s work since the 90s and finds inspiration in Smith’s upbringing. “I worked at a video store when I was a kid. I was raised very, like, conservative Christian, just like Kev. In and out of the comic book stores, played hockey. He and I just had so much in common.”
Smith, who turns 56 in August, said he remains surprised by the broad age range of his fan base.
“It’s lovely to have stuck around long enough where there’s an age range in the fan base,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to keep us relevant for three decades.”
He attributed that longevity in part to creating spaces where fans could engage directly with his work.
“I think we’ve been a nostalgia act since Day One because I’ve always leaned into that very heavily,” Smith said, adding that he has owned the downtown comic book store Secret Stash since the ’90s. He said he has been building various platforms to stay connected with his fans, including movies, comic books and other platforms.
“Affording fans and people who are into the movies moments and opportunities like this where they get to come meet two people they’ve seen in the movies and whose work they’ve seen for years is mutually beneficial,” Smith said.
He noted his recent work with Marvel helped make the crossover possible.
“I’ve been doing a lot of work with the good folks at Marvel lately. I cut my teeth in comics years ago, writing ‘Daredevil’ for them. So, I’ve recently returned and started doing a bunch of projects. This is one of them,” he said.
As “a kid who grew up reading Marvel,” Smith said, being able to “put my characters into the world meant absolutely everything.”
The article originally appeared in the June 18 – 24, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
