Michael Ausiello Lost His Husband to Cancer -- Now He's Built a Smurftastic Tribute to Him

Kit Cowan and Michael Ausiello

In one of the sweetest parts of Michael Ausiello’s acclaimed memoir, Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies, the TVLine President and Editorial Director gushes about life with husband Kit Cowan.

The two are living in the greater Hudson Valley area, and running a local gift store that sells (among other things) Cowan’s antique, designer furniture pieces while also displaying Ausiello’s prized collection of Smurf memorabilia — a childhood obsession that’s held emotional weight for the New Jersey native.

Ausiello, 46, describes their time in the store with such affection. Cowan happens to be in the Smurf room, showing a customer one of the hundreds of thousands of Smurfs in the space, each “tastefully displayed” within museum-quality cabinets. Nearby, clear jellybean-like dispensers filled with identical Smurf figurines await for the purchase. And Cowan — who initially scoffed at Ausiello’s love of Smurfs — has, three decades into their relationship, finally become a “Smurf Expert” all his own. 

After closing up for the night, the two make their way “down the quiet, twinkling street” together, off to celebrate another Christmas with one another.

But, sadly, it’s all just a dream. Because after an 11-month battle with a rare and brutal form of cancer, Cowan died in February 2015 at the age of 43. And 13 years after the two met and fell in love, Ausiello is now alone.

Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies recounts that love and loss, in a touching and tender tale filled with humor and hope. The hardcover edition was released last September and quickly became a best-seller, now currently in its fourth printing. A paperback edition arrives Sept. 18.

The success has kept coming from Ausiello from there. Last December, Jim Parsons’ That’s Wonderful Productions optioned the title for a feature film adaptation, with Parsons attached to play Ausiello. And then J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot came calling, teaming with Ausiello to develop a half-hour dramedy about his childhood in small-town New Jersey — a childhood that prominently featured that aforementioned Smurf collection.

Somewhere in there, Ausiello found time to check another item off his bucket list.

He went back to that longtime dream of creating a part store, part museum Smurf shrine. And on Tuesday, after seven months of work and a lot of teasing on social media, Ausiello finally unveiled The Blue Store: a spectacular, Smurftastic space in his Los Angeles home that’s very much a dream realized.

Find out more about Aussiello's project — from its biggest challenges, to its most treasured item - at People.com.