Geeks Rejoice at Unwinnable Geek Flea Saturday

Fans of comic books and video games can get their fix this Saturday at the Unwinnable Geek Flea in Kearny, an eclectic flea market that will feature vendors hawking comic books, games, toys, memorabilia, collectibles, and arts and crafts, according to organizers.

The free event, being held at 1st Presbyterian Church of Arlington at 663 Kearny Ave. from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., is expected to draw droves of people from the surrounding area such as Newark, Montclair, Belleville, and Jersey City, said Stu Horvath, one of the organizers.

In addition to 37 vendors hawking items, there will be indie arcade consoles from Babycastles, an "art house" Brooklyn arcade, Horvath said. For hungry flea-goers, there will also be "fair food" like burgers and hot dogs and even pulled pork, empanadas, and hot sauce.

This is actually the second Geek Flea this year, which has sold out of vendor tables, according to Horvath. The first one was held in March.

"The first Geek Flea was for an experiment, it was a wild success," said Horvath. "Five hundred people came in. There were 24 tables."

The Geek Flea is being set up under Unwinnable, "an eclectic, personality-driven website" dedicated to video games, comics, movies, and other geeky, pop culture stuff, according to Horvath, who also serves as editor-in-chief of the site. The website is about 18 months old and has been growing in popularity and traffic, he said.

"We try to make it intelligent," Horvath said about himself and contributors. "We are not a bunch of fanboys. We try to bring critical thought to it."

A recent sampling of articles featured reviews of the video game Gears of War 3, the movie "Drive" with Ryan Gosling, and a critical analysis on why famous comic book artist and writer Frank Miller is overrated.

The Geek Flea was a natural fit for Unwinnable, said Horvath, a self-proclaimed geek who's a long-time Star Wars fan.

"We want to reach out to the local geek community," he said.

Jose Robles, owner of the Newark comic book store Fortress of Solitude, gives the event a thumbs up. He has been helping the organizers by promoting it at the store.

"It hasn't been done in years," Robles said about the flea.

The Geek Flea is being sponsored by local businesses such as Loop Lounge, Comic Explosion, Barcade, Tail Slate, and Paradox Comics, Horvath said. About 25 people are volunteering to help set up event.

Horvath said they are hoping to looking to do the event twice a year.

"It's going to be a great time," he said. "There's going to be plenty to see and buy. It's a great place to meet people and expand your geeky horizons."

More information on the event can be found at the Facebook event page of the Unwinnable Geek Flea.