In the heart of Lisbon, along the bustling Avenida Almirante Reis, lies Kingpin Books, the largest comic book store in Portugal. The store is a haven for comic book enthusiasts, thanks to its founder Mário Freitas. At 52 years old, Mário’s journey from a management graduate to the kingpin of comics is both inspiring and fascinating.
Here is an interview with Mário, conducted by Stephen from People of Lisbon.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
I loved to draw. Then I stopped doing it. I really don’t know what I wanted to do. I was probably already too pragmatic. And then I went to college. I took a management degree. But then I was absolutely fed up with that kind of thing. In 1999, I opened Kingpin Books, then only as an online comic shop and later as a physical shop.
This is a child’s dream, don’t you think?
Yeah, of course. This is actually the perfect blend of my passion and my professional degree.
Why the name “Kingpin Books”?
It was a pun with a kingpin of crime and then kingpin of comics. Later on, I changed it to Kingpin Books because I was not only selling comic books but also graphic novels.
What’s the comic book scene like in Portugal?
It’s probably much better than it has ever been. But it’s a niche. If you really want to make money doing comics, you have to work for the American or French market. So, most of the authors do it for the passion of it.
Spider-Man is your favorite character, isn’t it?
Yeah, it’s my favorite character. I’ve grown up with Spider-Man since I was six years old. In 1978 in Portugal, they started broadcasting the TV series. And then they started publishing Spider-Man in Portuguese too. I started buying it. And so it stuck with me.
Do you still read comic books?
Of course. As a retailer, as a creator, I have to keep up with what’s been doing. If you ask me if I read many comics from Marvel or DC, no, I don’t. But I read many, many graphic novels.
What’s the most difficult thing about running a comic book store?
The business side, of course. People always say, “Oh, it’s great, you have this business and your dream job.” Yes, but part of the dream job is the hustle. And we’re not exactly at this time in Portugal in a great economic situation. Before the pandemic, it was the best time ever because people were eager to buy, people were eager to go out. They had money then. It was a fantastic time.
I’m told you’re quite opinionated.
Yeah, it seems like it. I like to be sincere and I like to say what I think of books. But in Portugal, we are always afraid to share our opinion because people cannot separate the creators from the creation. So when I comment on some book and if I don’t like it, it’s like I have something against the creators, be it the writer or the artist. And that’s a little problem here in Portugal. That’s the problem of being a small country.
How has Lisbon changed since you were young?
Oh, so much. Everything has changed. Everything. The lifestyle, the bars, the discotheques, the restaurants. There’s so much of everything these days compared to what it was three or four decades ago, even one decade ago. So, yeah, definitely it’s a much more cosmopolitan city now.
How do you feel about all the different people that come from all over the world to live here in they city?
Well, it’s normal. It happens in every capital in Europe. So it was just a matter of time when that it would happen in Lisbon and it just happened. The biggest problem in Lisbon is the price of the houses. That’s a problem for everyone.
How do you keep your young energy?
Its probably because I’m a child at heart. I’m a creator. I like to create. And for that, you need to have a child’s mind
Give me some emotional words to wrap up.
Well I think we need to think more. If we human beings on the planet Earth, if we all thought more about what surrounds us, about the way we are to each other, we would be better to everyone else. And that certainly would make the world a much better place, a much more intelligent place.
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