Mike Dreese

Mike Dreese is chief executive officer of Newbury Comics, Inc. He cofounded the company in 1978 with his MIT roommate, John Brusger.

The original Newbury Comics store, a converted studio apartment, was located in Boston's Back Bay area. As an early specialist in the burgeoning new wave/punk music scene, the chain grew rapidly. In the early '80s, Dreese cofounded Modern Method Records, an imprint to Boston's emerging punk scene, and in the '90s helped launch Black Wolf Records. Newbury Comics now operates 26 stores throughout New England and employs approximately 400 people.

In 2002, 2003, and 2004, the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) named Newbury Comics Retailer of the Year/Mid-Size Category. Overall, Newbury Comics has been awarded Retailer of the Year by NARM five times. Newbury Comics was also named Video Retailer of the Year in 2005 by the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA) in the 20+ Store category.

Dreese currently serves on the board of NARM. Prior to his recent reappointment, he served for nine years on the Berklee board and was the former chair of the Institutional Advancement Committee as well as the Vision Committee. He also served on Berklee's Presidential Search Committee. In addition, he served for 10 years on the board of the Boston Institute for Arts Therapy (BIAT).

Dreese is also a partner in Subversion Media, a Boston-based high-definition music video production firm. Subversion Media has worked with artists such as Coldplay, New Order, the Hives, Interpol, and Gnarls Barkley and holds the worldwide HDTV broadcast rights of performances by artists such as the Doves, Oasis, and the Pixies.