Editor’s Note: Ever wonder what’s the story behind that person you see picking up roadside garbage in Old Lyme? Or what’s the deal with that usher at the Garde Arts Center in New London who takes your tickets with a giant smile? The Day is launching a Get to Know Your Neighbors series, where for the next week you will learn about the people in your community who make a big difference but often go unnoticed.

Mystic ― Brett Swanson jokes that he might be the most photographed man in Mystic.

The 55-year-old artist and comic book publisher from Stonington has worked as a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier for the past 30 years and since 2008 dutifully walked a route in downtown Mystic.

With a mail bag slung over one shoulder, Swanson weaves his way through the throngs of tourists, showing up in the background of photos as families and couples strike poses in front of places such as the historic drawbridge or under the Mystic Pizza sign.

Swanson was honored by the U.S. Postal Service last month as part of its “For the Long Haul” initiative that celebrates the commitment and dedication of employees who have worked more than 25 years in the same position. Swanson had started as a postal clerk in Groton in 1992 and started as a carrier in 1994. His route, part of it on foot, takes him to more than 600 residences and businesses.

Swanson has become a fixture, part of the fabric of the downtown Mystic community, said longtime Mystic Disc owner Dan Curland.

“That’s what makes Mystic Mystic. The thing I love about this place is you get to know everybody,” Curland said. “(Swanson) doesn’t just come in and drop off the mail. He comes in and talks.”

Marge Macris, owner of The Blue Horse Children’s Shop, agrees and said in addition to being a “cool guy,” Swanson is one of those people business owners like herself depend on just being there. Some of Swanson’s artwork adorns the wall of her store, postcard-sized abstract art prints that Swanson used as “thank you” notes, Macris said.

As much as he loves his job with the postal service, Swanson’s first love remains art. His fine art and abstract work can be found at art shows and exhibitions, and his comic book art can be found at comic conventions.

Prior to landing a job at the postal service in 1992, Swanson attended the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art with his sights set on a career in art.

“Marvel wouldn’t give me the time of day. I was literally a starving artist and needed a job,” Swanson said.

A job with the postal service, he said, was a way to pay the bills. Meanwhile, he self-publishes “The Sentinel!” and “Power Kid Comics” under the Sick Puppy Studios label and enjoys sharing his craft with youth.

In addition to presentations at places like libraries and schools, Swanson this fall will teach a five-course series on comic books at the Mystic Museum of Art. Swanson will take participants through the entire process of creating a comic book ― from the writing and drawing to the inking and coloring.

“I just really enjoy it and it’s really cool that my job allows me to do it,” Swanson said.

Swanson resides in Stonington with his wife, Terri, and three dogs, Penny, Sheldon and Dude. Penny and Sheldon are characters in the popular sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” one of Swanson’s favorite shows. He said he has another 30 dogs along his route that he looks forward to visiting every weekday.

“It’s not glamorous,” Swanson said of his job, “but I have met a lot of folks that are awesome that I call friends.”

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