Owner Of Time Warp Comics In Essex County Dies At Age 58

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — If you’re a comic book fan in Essex County, there’s a good chance that you’ve directly benefitted from the life’s work of David Bower.

Last weekend, Bower, 58 – the longtime owner of Time Warp Comics in Cedar Grove – died at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair. Born in Pompton Plains, the Bloomfield resident was undoubtedly one of the biggest boosters of the comic book industry in the region.

As his obituary reads: “Time Warp was his passion, his hobby, his world.”

A memorial service will take place on Thursday, Dec. 22 from 3 to 7 p.m. at M. John Scanlan Funeral Home in Pompton Plains.

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched in an effort to help with the memorial service and cover medical expenses. Learn more or make a donation here.

“The store is open for now, and we will do our best to meet each customer’s needs as Dave would have wanted,” a post on the comic book store’s social media page stated Tuesday.

Bower’s obituary, which can be seen on the M. John Scanlan Funeral Home website, tells more about his contributions to the community and love of comic books. It reads:

“Born in Pompton Plains, David was the son of William and Kathleen Bower. Raised in Pompton Plains, he was a graduate of Pequannock Township High School, where he excelled at art, even winning some awards for his creations.

“Leaning into his natural gift, David decided to pursue a degree in Art at William Paterson College in Wayne, and switched to focusing on business in his senior year. He perfectly merged those two concentrations when he purchased Time Warp Comics in Cedar Grove. For 35 years, David ran that store, known to many as just "Dave's", seven days a week, only closing for three days a year. Time Warp was his passion, his hobby, his world. The customers meant everything to him, and he created deep and meaningful friendships with many of his patrons. Dave treated each customer, employee, and especially friends as valid, important, and worthy of his time and attention. Dave can best be described as caring, kind, funny, generous, and compassionate.

“Many friends recall late nights with Dave in the store watching hockey, pro-wrestling (which he called silly stuntman theater,) and rocket launches. Dave was passionate about his love for his family, his friends, his customers, and his hobbies.

“Over the course of 35 years Dave introduced thousands of kids to comic books, Dungeons and Dragons, and Pokemon games. These same kids grew up to bring their own kids to the store. Dave’s store was a place for people to gather, to be their unique selves and to grow.

“David is lovingly survived by his mother, Kathleen Bower and her partner, Wayne Arvidson; his sister, Susan (Bower) Alexandre and her daughters, Dominique and Jacqueline; his girlfriend, Stephanie Soder; and many cousins. He was predeceased by his father, William, in 1995.

“Visiting hours will be held Thursday, December 22 from 3-7 pm. Cremation will be held privately.

“In lieu of flowers, donations in David's memory to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) would be greatly appreciated by his family.”

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.