Flashpoint’s origin story: An escape from Cuba and a grandfather’s American dream

Danny Martinez did not believe comic book stores existed any longer growing up. Watching the portrayal of those stores on television shows, such as “The Simpsons,” led him to think it was only around in the 1980s and early 1990s. 

At the time, Danny and his brother, Alex Morales, often went to a GameStop at the Palm Beach Lakes Mall, where they lived at the time. Not only did he enjoy the feeling of buying a new video game, but also the camaraderie of talking about them with other enthusiasts. Danny wanted to work at GameStop when he grew up, but Morales mocked the idea, telling him it was not a career.

After moving to Orlando in 2011, Danny said he was pleasantly surprised to discover multiple comic book stores in the area, and a place he once thought was gone became reality.

“When I found the comic book stores, I said, ‘Holy cow! Comic book stores are the GameStop of 2000,’ he said.  “You come here, talk comics, sit down, and read them. So I found like a lot of joy in it being the new age GameStop for me, for how I grew up.”

Seeing the community in comic book stores showed him this wasn’t just a career, but a dream. Like the American Dream his grandfather, Eleuterio Martinez, was passionate about.

“My grandpa’s proudest moment in his life was becoming an American citizen,” said Danny. “We asked him why, and he said, “Because I can vote.”

A political prisoner of Cuba in the early 1980s, Eleuterio was given the option of being sent to the United States or remaining in prison for life, according to Danny. Before leaving his home country, Eleuterio offered Danny’s immediate family to join him in immigrating to the United States, wanting to provide a better life for them.

Eventually, they settled in Loxahatchee, a more than 30-square-mile expanse of swampland, gridded and bisected by canals that drain to the sea just west of West Palm Beach, Florida.

Coming from a family of divorce, Eleuterio became a father figure throughout Danny’s upbringing. For Danny’s mother, Jackie Laureano, having to work two jobs to sustain a living caused her to miss certain moments throughout his childhood. 

“I remember very many times looking in the [baseball] stands, and the only person there was my grandpa,” Danny said. “And I’m so thankful he was there.”

Continuing to follow his dream, Danny served as manager for two years at The Collective: A Comic & Game Community at Altamonte Springs, launching an in-store comic book convention in the process. 

“It was a huge success,” Danny said.  “We got our first-ever booth at MegaCon, and that store now does MegaCon every year. So I’m very proud of what I was able to build there, despite it not being under my name.” 

Little did he know his future wife, Lauren, would walk through the door. She said she approached Danny, eager to learn more about the science fiction television series “Firefly.” What could have been a short conversation lasted for three hours, ending with Danny renting her a Firefly-themed board game. After that, she kept coming back.

“I was trying to find excuses to come hang out at the store he worked at because I had a huge crush on him,” Lauren said. “It took an embarrassingly long time for us to realize.”

After almost two years of friendship, Lauren and Danny married in April 2024, changing their last names to “Martinez” to honor the man who stepped up in his life.

“We were talking about the meaning of names and Danny mentioned his dad was not present,” Lauren said. “I don’t want our child to share a name with someone who caused you so much pain. And what a beautiful way to honor your grandfather’s memory than to take his last name when he has no heirs of his own.” 

Helping build a community at The Collective: A Comic & Game Community was only a taste of what Danny had to offer. His experiences and motivation from Lauren opened Danny’s eyes to the potential of bringing capital and a name for himself.

With that, Flashpoint Comics & Games opened its doors on March 1, 2025. The store’s name takes inspiration from Danny’s favorite superhero, the Flash, and references Lauren’s time working at the City of Winter Park Fire Department. 

Just weeks after the birth of their new business, their son, Maverick Martinez, was born on March 19. Danny worried about being present in his son’s life with his newfound workload.

“It was something we thought we had tried to prepare for,” Danny said. “We knew we were about to open a brand-new business while having a newborn. Part of the decision going into that was we’re not getting any younger. But if we wait until later…I might miss baseball games or things at school.”

While searching for a unit at Villaggio Shopping Mall, the landlord mentioned that there was planned to be a Cuban restaurant opening two doors down. Even though Danny and Lauren live in Apopka, the soon-to-be-opened eatery reminded him of Eleuterio.  Suddenly, it was like his grandfather was speaking to him.

“It felt like a sign of how you [Eleuterio] are telling me this is okay,” he said.

Beyond selling stories of pages of caped crusaders, Danny and Lauren started teaching anyone interested in the Disney-themed collectible trading card game “Disney Lorcana.” Their store hosts weekly events open to children and adults, encouraging casual play.  

“Whatever level of attention you desire or questions you have, we’re here to answer them, and we’re happy to do so,” she said. “We want to share our passion with you. You will always feel welcome walking in here.”

But the community building didn’t end at talking comics and games. They wanted to do more.

Flashpoint Comics & Games participates in outreach initiatives, including conducting food drives for Winter Springs Elementary School. They initially started by hosting pop-up markets at the Winter Springs VFW (Veterans for Foreign Wars) Post 5404. Danny contacted one of the administrators of Winter Springs Elementary School via Facebook, asking about the possibility of donating.

“They always need donations at the schools because they send these kids home with food for the weekends,” said Lauren. 

Danny contacting Winter Springs Elementary School began their relationship for the food drives, and he said he has plans to branch out to middle or high schools in the Winter Springs area.

Flashpoint also donates to the nonprofit organization ComicBooks For Kids! (CB4K) and their sister charity, ComicBooks for Troops! (CB4T), and CB4K, comic books for kids battling cancer. 

“We didn’t have Maverick yet when we signed up, but it seemed like something we absolutely wanted to be affiliated with,” Danny said. “The fact that they were the same company as the ComicBooks for Troops! with Lauren’s current job background, it was a no-brainer for us.”

Danny and Lauren saw firsthand the impact reading can have on children because of their goddaughter. Noticing her low reading comprehension level during the summer of 2023 inspired the duo to take her to the North Orange Branch of the Orange County Public Library.

“We were able to get her into comic books,” Lauren said. “She has now read every ‘Wings of Fire’ book that they have out and is working her way through ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’. Things she would never have picked up had we not [said], ‘We can find you something you like and can actually enjoy.’ So she opened our eyes to the importance.”

After two and a half months of visiting the public library and checking out graphic novels, they saw an improvement in her reading comprehension. 

Their discovery is one of the reasons why Flashpoint Comics & Games established a children’s section at the front of the store. Here, children can sit at a kid-sized, red-topped table and discover what reading has to offer.

“Not all comic books are age-appropriate for young people,” said Lauren. “So we wanted them to have parents feel comfortable leaving their kids in a space where they could find something they liked and not have to worry about what they’re going to see. So that way, they could just enjoy their time.”

While working on his feet all day at Flashpoint Comics & Games, Danny keeps his infant son in mind. The store’s long hours of operation worry him about missing important moments in Maverick’s life, similar to his mother. 

“I don’t want him to ever look in the stands or the audience at his school graduation and think, ‘Dad’s not here because he’s working,’ Danny said. “So I’m willing to sacrifice the thing that matters to me for him not to have to sacrifice anything.”

However, the impact Eleuterio made on his life motivates Danny to be like the father he never had. 

Around the time Danny began managing The Collective: A Comic & Game Community, Eleuterio was on his deathbed. 

Living alone in his first apartment, Danny felt as if he didn’t have everything all together. But seeing his grandfather conscious for the last time before he died in October 2021 made Danny reassure him that he would be alright. 

“One of the last things I told him was to not worry about me because I’d made it, and I could handle myself,” said Danny.

Now, with a new family and business, Danny hopes that he’s making his hero proud.

“As a person who loved my grandpa that much, everybody tells me that he’d be proud,” Danny said. “…but if I could hear it one time, that’s the one thing that would really cement it.”