Gareb Shamus has created many worlds for himself over the years. Now delighted to have paint in hand and a load of fans casually posing for long-shot selfies nearby— Shamus drew on a very different canvas earlier in his life.
Growing up in suburban New York with three brothers, his first world was the world of comic books, toys, and Superheroes. The collection of the three boys grew so large that their mother decided to open up a store where they could sell some of their comic books and sports cards. Over time, Shamus turned his passion for comic books and collectibles into an empire unlike any the business world had ever seen.
After graduating from SUNY Albany, Shamus moved back home and began working at his mother’s store again. While he was in college, Shamus sold advertising for the school newspaper and became an expert in Apple’s desktop publishing, when it first emerged. Shamus put his skills to use back at his mother’s store and created a newsletter about comic-books for the store’s customers. The newsletter became so popular that in 1991 it became the monthly magazine, Wizard: The Guide to Comics — with monthly circulation hitting north of 500,000 copies worldwide.
Painting was a Natural Outlet
With the magazine a smash hit, Shamus and his associates launched several other magazines such as ToyFare, InQuest Gamer, Toy Wishes, and Anime Insider. Shamus was at the forefront of geek and nerd culture and all that changed in 1996, with his foray into the Comic Con world. Shamus made it fun to be passionate about superheroes at a time when it wasn’t cool. Comic Con eventually grew into a behemoth with two dozen events all across the United States, reaching millions of fans. Shamus left in 2011 to spend time with his family and pursue his creative outlets:
“I had so many ideas floating around and literally needed to get them out of me. That’s when I discovered my love for painting. I was able to express myself however I wanted, no judgments, just me and my ideas.”
Gareb Shamus, contemporary artist and speaker at Miami Art Summit
New Worlds to Explore
Shamus developed his own method of painting that connects a series of paint drops together into dynamic, three-dimensional patterns that represent his life experiences. His paintings quickly gained popularity and soon after he began painting, Shamus held his first solo show on the Lower East Side of New York City. That same year, Art Basel extended him an invitation to exhibit his latest work in Miami. Shamus is currently the artist-in-residence at the Pivot Gallery in New York City.
Shamus recently dived back into the Comic Con world in 2017, he created ACE Universe with his brother Stephen Shamus. ACE Universe currently puts on Comic Cons around the country with the goal of creating a highly immersive experience with curated speakers for Superhero fans. ACE Comic Cons take place in arenas that provide attendees with a more intimate experience that gives fans direct access to their favorite global Superheroes, like Gal Gadot, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Tom Holland, and Brie Larson.
“We want to be able to engage the fans in ways that they haven’t been able to engage before, sometimes these shows either get too big or they might be so all over the place that it’s hard to get immersed in that experience.”
Gareb Shamus, ACE Comic Con founder and keynote speaker at Miami Art Summit
In addition to hosting ACE Comic Cons all over the country, Shamus will also be speaking at the Grit Daily’s Miami Art Summit this week. And who knows? A celebrity from his other “world” might show, too.
