▁the ▁b oss ▁in ▁the ▁series . ▁His ▁interest ▁in ▁com ics ▁was ▁spark ed ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁com ic ▁Hot ▁St uff : ▁The ▁Little ▁Dev il ▁# 1 , ▁which ▁he ▁obtained ▁at ▁a ▁c andy ▁shop ▁in ▁his ▁native ▁Queens ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁five ▁years ▁old . ▁He ▁assign s ▁Alex ▁the ▁difficult ▁task ▁of ▁tracking ▁down ▁a ▁copy ▁of ▁that ▁book . ▁Thor ▁Parker ▁- ▁The ▁store ' s ▁Social ▁Mark eting ▁Manager ▁and ▁Events ▁Director , ▁who ▁is ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁arr anging ▁store ▁events ▁such ▁as ▁book ▁sign ings , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁selecting ▁new ▁books ▁to ▁put ▁on ▁the ▁store ' s ▁ra cks . ▁Parker ▁became ▁interested ▁in ▁com ics ▁while ▁in ▁elementary ▁school , ▁through ▁the ▁Marvel ▁Comics ▁trad ing ▁cards . ▁He ▁eventually ▁grav itated ▁to ▁more ▁independent ▁com ics , ▁such ▁as ▁Daniel ▁C low es ' ▁David ▁Bor ing ▁and ▁Art ▁Sp iegel man ’ s ▁M aus . ▁His ▁favorite ▁com ics ▁today ▁are ▁Sand man ▁Myst ery ▁Theatre ▁and ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁Johnny ▁Ryan . ▁His ▁dream ▁com ic ▁to ▁own ▁is ▁Advent ure ▁Comics ▁# 4 0 , ▁which ▁is ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁first ▁appearance ▁of ▁the ▁Golden ▁Age ▁Sand man . ▁Parker ▁began ▁working ▁at ▁Mid town ▁Comics ▁after ▁discover ing ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁h iring ▁while ▁visit ing ▁friends ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁from ▁his ▁native ▁T ampa , ▁Florida . ▁He ▁and ▁Alex ▁later ▁appeared ▁in ▁E pisode