ASBURY PARK — The former Havaianas space on the Asbury Park boardwalk is vacant no more.

A Shared Universe PodcaStudio — a podcast studio — has opened a second location in the 5th Avenue Pavilion of the boardwalk.

After seven seasons on AMC's "Comic Book Men," Ming Chen and Mike Zapcic have delved into the business of podcasting. Since 2010, the pair have created award-winning podcasts, including "Ming & Mike Show" and "I Sell Comics." Together, they have over 20 years of combined experience.

Chen and Zapcic met through Highlands-native actor, author, podcaster and filmmaker Kevin Smith. Chen started working with Smith full-time in 2002 and moved to New Jersey shortly after.

Zapcic was hired in 2000 to work at Jay & Silent Bob's Secret Stash, Smith's comic book store in Red Bank.

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Chen and Zapcic's on-air chemistry is uncanny but the idea to start a small business wasn't as obvious. They needed a little help from a friend to pursue podcasting as a business opportunity.

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"Todd Puma was the guy who actually gave us the kick in the pants that we were needing," Zapcic told the Press. "So he said, 'This is great. You've got a TV show. You're here at the Stash. What happens if this all goes away? ... What do you do?' I said, I want to open a podcast studio."

And thus A Shared Universe PodcaStudio was founded in 2018. The studio's first location is at One Main Street, Suite 319 in Eatontown.

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All walks of life are welcome to rent the studio's facilities and state-of-the-art equipment, whether you're a novice or seasoned veteran. Both the Asbury Park and Eatontown locations are open 24/7. Rates start at $25 an hour. They even have Podcasting 101 classes for beginners wanting to venture into the world of podcasts.

"A lot of people are like, 'I've never done this. Can I do this?' And I go back to a quote from our inspiration, Kevin Smith," Chen said. "You don't need talent, you don't need to go to school for this. All your stories are going to come within. Share one good experience per episode and you'll have an audience."

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A Shared Universe has become Chen's full-time gig. He also travels to Comic Cons and other events on the side. Zapcic divides his time between working at Jay & Silent Bob's Secret Stash and being at the podcast studio. Zapcic's wife, Julia, also assists with day-to-day studio operations. She takes care of taxes, payroll and is heavily involved in the classes the group teaches at Brookdale Community College.

"Podcast listenership is more than doubling every single year. The age range is expanding," Julie said. "Average listening time is going up. The format is changing to accommodate people's listening style ... The medium is only growing. There's only more diversification, more innovation. The base in terms of demographics, gender and areas of the country and ages, all of that just keeps expanding. So, I don't see how it's going to peak and go away," Julie said.

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In other words, business is booming. Smartphones allow for easy access to podcasts right at the palm of its user's hands, which has helped expand the audience. Podcasts are available on most streaming services, including iTunes, Spotify and SoundCloud.

"I think that this is the next evolution of the radio. It never went away and we're still in our infancy," Zapcic said.

The year is off to an optimistic start for A Shared Universe. In addition to teaching classes at Brookdale, a partnership with Monmouth University is on the horizon. Soon, they'll have their own streaming media channel up on Roku and possibly a third studio location in New York City.

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But, for now, their main objective is to help others find their voice.

"Whether you're 6 or 66, you can start your own show. We want to help people do that," Chen said. "So I think making it the easiest way possible [for you] is just coming here showing up and talking. And we take care of the rest."

Jai-Leen James is a digital producer at the Asbury Park Press. She can be reached at jtjames@gannett.com or on Twitter @j_james17.