Comic Coverage

Comicland

One of my favorite old photos has to be Comicland, picturing a little guy dwarfed by hundreds of future collector's items, lost in an adventure.

Part of what I love so much about the photo is how it reminds me of my own "Comicland Moment" when I was a kid back in Duluth.  See, before comic book specialty shops and the "Hey Kids! Comics!" wire racks at 7-11, there were the old-fashioned newsstands.  I still remember visiting Downtown Book for the first time and being struck speechless by row upon row upon row of brand new comic books (easily five times the amount pictured above).  Like the lad in the photo, my friends and I basked in the glory of all those comics, unsure of whether to actually buy something or just drop to our knees and worship at the foot of the towering, cathedral-like shelves.

Of course, time rolls on and the traditional newsstands have largely become a thing of the past, replaced by comic specialty shops, mega-chain bookstores and online bookselling empires.  Don't get me wrong, these new venues have their advantages, but part of me feels just a little bit sorry for younger fans who never really had that "Comicland" newsstand experience.

Drippy nostalgia?  Maybe.  But equal parts gratitude.

 

Got $23,000 laying around?

If you happen to have $23,000 burning a hole in your wallet, check out this eBay item I came across this evening:

You know, despite being a huge Captain America fan, I still couldn't imagine spending that kind of money on a single comic book....even if I had that kind of money to blow. 

Yeah, I know....the people buying and selling these things are primarily the "Investor Class", people who most likely don't have much of a personal attachment or interest in comics...but know they'll be able to unload it in six months for 10% more. Still, there's just something obscene about paying that much money for a comic book.  I guess that makes me a poor candidate for the Investor Class.

Simply the Best: Superman #187

As a life-long fan and collector of Superman comics, I've seen my share of great (and not so great) covers featuring the Man of Steel.  As memorable as so many of them are, I don't think any of them can quite surpass a special cover that, in many ways, remains my favorite.

Why is that?  Well, quite simply, Superman #187 (1966) was the very first comic book I can remember reading.

My grandparents had a modest stack of comics for us grandkids to read when we visited.  Although most of them were Gold Key Disney and Looney Tunes comics, there was one comic book that wasn't at all like the others.  There was this "Superman" guy, hefting a huge golden key to unlock the ultimate secret clubhouse.  A "Fortress of Solitude"?  What's this?  A city in a bottle?  An Interplanetary Zoo?  An undersea Fortress in addition to the ice Fortress?  Even the phrase "80-page Giant" seemed cool beyond belief!

Obviously, I was in "Kid Heaven" with concepts like these...and can you think of any better crash-course introduction to superhero comic books? 

I can't tell you how many times I read and re-read this comic book when I visited my grandparents. A few years later, I started collecting comics and eventually bought my own copy of Superman #187.  Needless to say, it's still one of the highlights of my collection. Not only for its status as "my first comic book", but also for its association with my grandparents (now long gone).  In a way, it almost feels like a "souvenier" from a happy childhood.   

So, it might not win the "Most Awesomely Mind-Blowing Cover Design of All Time" award, but to me, it's Simply the Best.

It's Official: I'm Strange.

After three days of Family, Food & Fun, it's good to be back home.  Now that we've unloaded the Deluxe Family Transport, it's time to "play with the toys"...but first, a realization that (no doubt) many of you have also experienced.

I'm strange.

You see, in the northern Minnesota town where I was raised, men do basically three things:

1.  Hunt

2.  Build/fix stuff.

3.  Watch football.

I do none of these things.  I'm not the least bit interested in these things.  I'm fine with that, as is my family.  But I've gotta say, there are times when the gulf between me and the rest of my family's more traditional "menfolk" is more keenly felt....like Christmas day...which I will reenact for you now:

"Okay, Dad,  it's your turn."

"Wow!  A new hunting vest...and a box of ammo....thanks!"

"Hey, Mike (my brother), your turn."

"Yeah!  A new compound miter saw!  Just what I wanted!"

"Next?  You're turn, Mark....what did you get?"

"A Marvel Masterworks 'Doctor Strange' collection!  Excellent!"

(cue sound of crickets chirping).

"Er...Doctor what?"

Compound that reaction with my opening of my Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVDs (vol. 4) and the Krypton Companion, and it occurs to me (for the 4,687th time) that I'm not what you'd consider your "Traditional Northern Minnesota Male".  In fact, I'm just a little...Strange!

On the Flipside: Multiverse 101

When I was a young lad in the early 70's, my friends and I were hardcore "Marvel Fans" (this was long before the term "Marvel Zombies" was coined).  However, something that began to change our minds when it came to DC Comics (or "Dumb Comics" as we dismissively called them) was the animated TV show Super-Friends.  Essentially a simplified version of the Justice League of America, Super-Friends familiarized us with DC's basic "pantheon" of heroes.  Of course, we already knew who Superman and Batman were, but the rest?  It was all new to us...and quite exciting to explore some interesting new "fictional territory".

It wasn't long before someone in our merry little band picked up DC Limited Collector's Edition C-46 (1976), an oversize treasury edition of Justice League reprints. The dynamic cover (by either Neal Adams or Dick Giordano...or both, from the look of it) featured the now-familiar core group on the cover. 

However, it was the back cover that really blew our minds.

At first glance, we thought the back cover was simply a duplicate of the front cover...but upon closer inspection, we realized that some of the heroes were subtley different versions of the familiar icons on the front, or...in some cases, completely different characters occupying the spaces of JLA members.

(click on the images for larger views)

Why was the Flash suddenly wearing a helmet and blue pants?  Is that a skirt on Wonder Woman?  What's the deal with Green Lantern's red shirt...and his ring on his left hand?  How about the slightly different chest logos on both Superman and Batman...and who's the guy with the cool golden helmet?

This was obviously my first introduction to DC's legendary "multiple earths" concept and, counter to the conventional wisdom that new readers are frightened away by such "confusing concepts", I still remember how my friends and I couldn't wait to find out more about these fascinating new (yet familiar) heroes. 

Gradually, I dug up other comics here and there (mostly from friends, considering this was the pre-comic shop era), and eventually found out about The Justice Society of America, and how it all fit together with the JLA.  Over thirty years later, those characters and their connection to their Earth-1 counterparts are just as interesting and exciting to me...despite DC's over 20-year banishment of the concept.  Happily, DC seems to be warming up to the multiverse concept once again, so perhaps that same delightful sense of "anything goes" the above pair of covers suggests can find it's way back into our modern cynical age.

Are You At Risk For MEDS?

As both DC and Marvel Comics transition from one cosmos-shaking Mega-Event to another, it's important for comics fans everywhere to watch for the warning signs of Mega-Event Derangement Syndrome (or MEDS for short).  MEDS symptoms include intense confusion, chronic hyperbole fatigue and a rapidly deflating wallet!  If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, put the comic book down and call your doctor! 

Remember...the staff here at Comic Coverage cares about you!

Artist's rendition of a typical victim of MEDS.

Simply the Best: Marvel Treasury Edition #1

Have you ever experienced a Perfect Storm comic book cover?

Okay...back up. Let's define our terms first. A "perfect storm" is a situation where, due to the confluence of different factors, what might have been a minor occurrence ends up being magnified to proportions that are out of control. In the case of a perfect storm comic book cover, the converging factors include (but aren't limited to):

1. A cover featuring a favorite character.

2. Drawn by a favorite artist.

3. "Stop you in your tracks" shelf presense (cover layout, logo, use of color, format, etc)

4. The age of the viewer (the younger and less jaded the better).

In my own experience, only a handful of covers qualify for that earth-shaking "perfect storm" status, and chief among those mindblowing covers has to be Marvel Treasury Edition #1 (1974), starring The Spectacular Spider-Man!

The Favorite Character factor? Listen, in 1974, Spider-Man was at the top of the heap. Granted, I was still fairly new to the bewildering world of comic book superheroes, but Spidey grabbed me right away....reinforced by the Spider-Man segments appearing on the PBS series "The Electric Company".

Favorite Artist? Come on...it's Jazzy John Romita, whose style has always blown my mind...even before I knew enough about cartooning myself to fully appreciate his skill. His dynamic choreography (or "posing"), perfect foreshadowing (trust me...it's hard!) and sublime inking give a real sense of volume, weight and "grounded mass" to his Spider-Man. This is very different from alot of the interpretations of Spider-Man I see from lesser artists, who tend to draw Spidey as either an emaciated waif or a manic contortionist. Under the watch of Romita, Spider-Man's presense had an elegance, and his movements a physical lyricism nobody's been able to match, much less surpass.

As for the Shelf Presense, the only thing more arresting than a bright red cover is when that bright red cover is also a whopping 10" x 14", towering over the nearby standard-size comics. Mix in the cool logo (with the snazzy Spidey-eyes nestled above it) and the Spidey-centric web-pattern, and you can't help but come to a full stop when this cover catches your eye....

...especially when you're eight years old! Yes, the final (and perhaps most important) factor is your age when viewing a potential Perfect Storm cover. Younger fans are obviously much more impressionable and receptive than their "Been There, Done That" older counterparts, and generally much more open a classic, front-and-center "money shot" of Spider-Man. As some have said, the true "Golden Age of Comics" isn't so much a fixed point in history as it is the age of the reader; the younger the fan, the more golden the experience. This period of time was absolutely my own personal "Golden Age of Comics", and seeing the cover of (and immediately buying) Marvel Treasury Edition#1 in the old Downtown Book in Duluth, Minnesota was certainly one of the highlights of that special time.

Brag Books: Fifty-One (and a half) Years of Superman

You know, since I've been reading and collecting comic books for most of my life, I guess that entitles me to a little bragging about my collection from time to time. 

Not in a snotty "Ha, ha!  I've got something you don't!" way, but rather from that sense of pride I get when talking about my collection with people who at least have a prayer of knowing what I'm talking about. 

If talking "old comic books" isn't your thing, there are at least 500 other blogs that discuss this week's new comics, Manga and/or Joe Quesada, so off you go. 

As for the rest of you...to the Geek Cave!

Portrait of an Addict

All This, and Bubble Gum, Too!

In the bedroom my brother and I shared as kids, there was a closet door covered with stickers.

"Covered" as in "every square inch covered", and not just with any stickers, mind you, but all the stickers 70's kids loved. 

Zany Rat Fink hot rods, hippy-trippy slogans like "Stop the World, I Wanna Get Off!" or "Keep on Truckin", the infamous, eternally-hilarious and vaguely naughty Wacky Package stickers and, of course, Marvel Superheroes.

Oh, sure...they featured the same kind of frozen stock poses you'd expect from superhero stickers, but it was the humorous commentary of the characters that made the stickers such a hit with the kid crowd.

Sure...not too funny by today's advanced standards of irony-soaked snarkery, but at the time, they were enough to get a chuckle out of a grade school kid. In other words..."mission accomplished".

As a "perfect marriage", of sorts, between bubblegum card kings Topps (the guys behind the Wacky Package stickers) and the "Crazy Uncle Hipster" vibe of Marvel Comics, the superhero stickers mirrored Marvel's flare for self-depreciating humor...never afraid to show their heroes acting a little silly or out of character (unlike DC Comics, their stodgy crosstown rivals).

I mean, come on....seeing the Incredible Hulk making a deodorant joke?  Comedy gold to a nine year old, pal!

To keep their legions of sticker collectors on track (and buying more bubblegum cards), Topps included a handy checklist card with every pack of stickers (showing all 40 characters in the set).

Better yet, the reverse side of each checklist card had a full-color section of a famous Marvel comic book cover. 

Collect all nine unique cover sections, and you had yourself a complete cover. The one I still remember collecting (and completing) was a puzzle of Fantastic Four #100, still one of the all-time great "crowd scene aniversary issue" covers (click image to enlarge).

Of course, that closet door of stickers has long since been cleaned up (not at easy job, as I recall), but man...that thing had more zany hilarity per square inch than an entire season of Laugh-In.

The Complete 1977 Shopping List

As the grocery shopper in our house, I usually bring a list the length of a toilet paper roll and end up spending anywhere between two to three hundred dollars.  The other day, as I drove home from the store (exhausted), I thought back to a simpler time, when I had a much smaller list to bring to the store. 

Here's what my typical shopping list looked like in June of 1977:

A Marvel Superheroes Slurpee® drink.

Pop Rocks: The carbonated candy that literally sizzled in my mouth.  Add a swig of Coca-Cola for extra head-exploding fizzing action.

Zotz: Hard candy in a variety of flavors, each with a fizzy sour center.

A pack of bubblegum cards from that
cool new "Star Wars" movie.

...and last, but certainly not least...

Comic books!  From an authentic 7-11 squeeky spinner-rack, no less!  The trick was to get there before all of the comics had been bent over the wire rack from careless browsers...and to avoid the clerk scolding us that "this ain't a library"!

In case you're wondering, YES...these ARE the very same comics that came out in June of 1977...I remember buying them!

TOTAL:  Oh, this is just a guess...but it was probably three bucks for the whole works.  You know, the price of one comic book today!  Arrgghh!

Simply the Best: The Neal Adams Wrap-Arounds

It was cool enough that DC's early 70's line of 100-Page Super Spectaculars not only featured new stories, but scads of reprints from the mysterious and (at that time) largely unseen "Golden Age of Comics".

It was cool enough that the 100-Page Spectaculars had no interior ads to gobble up the page count.

It was cool enough that the Super Spectaculars were pretty much the biggest, fattest comics a kid could buy for 50¢.

Though never really a sales success for DC Comics, their 100 Page Super Spectaculars were the coolest thing a young comic book fan could hope for.  What could possibly make them any cooler?

A Neal Adams Wrap-Around cover, that's what!

Indisputably the hottest comic book artist of that generation, anything Adams touched always seemed that much cooler, and his covers for a trio of Super Spectaculars were certainly no exception. As if the fact that Neal Adams drew them wasn't enough, these particular covers were:

1.  "Wrap-Around" covers, which (as the name implies) feature one continuous image encompassing both the front and back covers.

2.  Perfect examples of "crowd scene covers", one of my favorite sub-categories of comic book covers. I've always loved covers packed with characters, whether embroiled in action or in a classic "yearbook" shot of gathered heroes. Pouring over the small details while trying to identify everyone was a true joy for me as a kid (and, yes, as an adult).

The first of the "Adams 100-Page Trilogy" was titled World's Greatest Superheroes (click on the cover images for a larger look-see).

Published in late 1971, the cover featured the line-ups of both the Justice League of America (front cover) and the legendary Justice Society of America (back cover), including the Golden Age (or "Earth-2") versions of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.  By the way, did you catch the little switcheroo with the two Wonder Women?  See, at the time, the Earth-1 Wonder Woman had forsaken her costume and powers for the life of an Emma Peel-like adventurer, so the more classic-looking Wonder Woman of Earth-2 was moved to the cover, while the white-garbed Diana Prince was moved to the back cover with the JSA. Sneaky, huh?

The next Adams wrap-around cover was for Batman #238 (1972), which featured a disparate gathering of Batman, Robin, the Doom Patrol, Aquaman, Sargon the Sorcerer, Plastic Man and, as if that somehow wasn't enough, the entire Legion of Superheroes (including the loopy Legion of Super-Pets)!

The final (and my personal favorite) of the three covers is the spectacular Superman #252 (1972), featuring "The World's Greatest Flying Heroes" soaring through a bright yellow sky.

As an avowed Golden Age groupie, I loved the inclusion of so many first generation superheroes, such as Kid Eternity (upper left), the Ray, the Spectre, the Shining Knight (on the winged horse), the original Green Lantern, and many others.  Another great touch I appreciated was the Golden Age Hawkman (flying next to Superman) wearing his original helmet with the full hawk's beak.  Normally, the full-beak hawk helmet looked silly to the extreme...but here, after Adams got done with it, strangely cool looking!

"But Wait! There's MORE!"

Yup.  That's not quite the end of what made the 100 Page Super Spectaculars so gosh-darned Super Spectacular.  In addition to the widescreen majesty of the Neal Adams wrap-around covers, each issue also included a handy visual key and character bios on an inside cover, so young fans could confirm the identities of the heroes they recognized and learn about the ones they didn't!
Imagine that...making things easier for a new reader!  Looks like the modern comics biz could learn a thing or two from those primitive Old-Schoolers!

Memory Albums: The Soundtracks of Summer

In the midst of some early fall cleaning and organizing, I came across an old box of vinyl record albums I hadn't laid eyes on for years. 

In our current age of ever-miniaturizing technology and super-jukeboxes the size of a credit card, I was a bit taken aback at how large and unweildly those albums seemed...but man, what fond memories they still hold.  You see, as the "first born" in my family, I didn't have older brothers and sisters to inherit albums and absorb music knowledge from...so the first music I really latched onto as a young teenager was movie soundtracks. 

As odd as that might sound, it was certainly the perfect era to discover that kind of music, since epic adventure movie soundtracks were enjoying a grand comeback courtesy of John Williams' mindblowing (and very successful) Star Wars score in 1977.  Over the next five years or so, every summer had at least one unforgettable movie soundtrack, with the vast majority of them composed by Williams.  Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Superman: The Movie (1978), Lord of the Rings (1978), Star Trek: The Motion Picture (composed by John Barry, 1979), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Superman II (1980), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T.The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), and Return of the Jedi (1983)....what a fantastic time to be a teenager!

I spent alot of time listening to those albums as a kid.  I listened to them while reading (books or comics, no doubt), drawing, brooding (as teenagers occasionally do), or just dreaming.  As a whole, the larger-than-life nobility, high adventure, and sheer excellence of that music gave me something more than the passing fancies of pop music ever could. In a word, it was transcendent...even before I even knew the word or what it meant (it was just something I felt).

Of course, all of that music has since been digitized and funneled into my iPod...but I'm still not quite sure what to do with all those old albums. Do I sell them to vinyl collectors...or keep them around to show my grandkids someday?

Sure, they're really not much to look at...just a bunch of black, vinyl discs.  With really cool (large scale) album art.  And liner notes you could actually read without a microscope.  And all kinds of surprises, like the laser-etched "S" shields on my Superman II album (which was DANG cool for 1980, let me tell you):

Oh, yeah...I'm definitely keeping them.

Convention Tips for Dealers: How to Sell More Comics

So I took a drive over to FALLCON on Saturday.  As Minnesota's (and the upper midwest's) biggest comic book convention of the year, it's always worth checking out.  Obviously, it's nowhere near as big or well organized as the major national conventions, but sometimes that's a good thing.

None of the panels really interested me, so I spent most of my hour and a half at FallCon tracking down and buying back issues (before the heat and B.O. got the best of me).  While searching for the issues I needed (at the best prices), I was astounded at how miserable the shopping experience was at so many dealer tables.  So much so, that I thought I'd put together a little list of tips on how comic book dealers can increase their convention sales.

1.  Try to leave more than one millimeter of space between the comics in your long boxes.  Wedging in more comics than the box can hold may save you space, but the comics are nearly impossible to look at without (possibly) damaging the books and exhausting my patience.  Ideally, your customers should be able to see the issue numbers, the title logos, and a bit of the cover art to allow for quick scanning.  Why the cover art and not simply the issue number?  You'd be surprised how many comics I buy on the strength of an attractive cover.  If I have no hope of seeing the cover art, I won't bother looking through your over-packed boxes.

 

2.  Most dealers are pretty good about putting their stock in order alphabetically and by publisher, but a depressing number of them still show up with a mishmash of books in no particular order, leaving it up to the hapless customer to sort through the entire mess to luck onto something they might be looking for.  If you can't take the time to organize your stock, I won't take the time to look at it.

 

3.  If you're going to display your stock two or more tables deep from the main aisle (creating sort of a "mini-store" experience), please... PLEASE make the aisles large enough to fit the Big Boys.  Some of the Con attendees are tipping the scale at three to four hundred pounds, and they're not going to maneuver well in your little lab rat labyrinth, thereby blocking the rest of us from escaping your booth.

 

4.  Can you guys who bring the shabby, disheveled comics separated with bent cardboard or particle board dividers just not bother showing up? Same for the guys who display the comics in dilapidated long boxes that look like they were exhumed from the Tomb of Horror.  Do you really think I'm going to look through those piles of garbage?  There's a place for you guys at it's called "eBay". 

What drives me so crazy about the skeezy collections is that convention booths probably aren't cheap. More reasonable than the San Diego Comic Con, I'm sure, but probably not a pittance either.  You'd think after paying the fee to display comics, a dealer would have the basic marketing sense (and common sense) to make his stock as appealing and easy to look through as possible.  Years ago, sure....they could get away with a sloppy presentation, but now?  Come on guys...you've gotta up your game if you want anyone to look at your stuff, much less buy it.

5.  I really like the guys who show up with competitive pricing.  The "50% Off" tables are the only ones I bother visiting, since the prices make it worth my time to patiently review the stock.  I understand that some 50% Off dealers may play games with their sticker prices (in fact, I can spot those guys immediately), but most of them are straight-shooters and I appreciate their willingness to price their comics to move.  I say all that to transition to a type of dealer I don't much appreciate or understand.  These are the dealers who show up at conventions with all of their books priced at absolute top dollar...at, or most likely, far beyond the Overstreet Price Guide.  I realize a handful of Mr. Moneybag collectors pick up high grade comics with no concern for the cover price, but I venture the vast majority of attendees won't be paying $85 for a mid-1970's issue of Daredevil...especially when I can get the same issue at the same condition for $5 two tables over.  The price gougers are usually the same guys I overhear moaning and groaning about how slow the sales are that day.  Gee, pal...I wonder why?  I mean, wow...who wouldn't want to pay 130% of guide for a comic book?

6.  There's gotta be a better way to sell reduced price stock (a.k.a. "the Quarter Bins") than throwing it all under your table on the floor. It's a spectacle that's hard to describe, as bargain-starved fanboys on hands and knees dig through them like squealing pigs at a trough, completely oblivious to who sees their canyon-like butt cracks.  My fellow Fanboys...have you no dignity?  Is it really worth all that to get a full run of Team America or Atari Force?

So, to all of those FallCon dealers lugging boxes of unsold comics back to whatever hole they came from, try to keep some of my pointers in mind if you come back again next year.  Put a little time and thought into improving the presentation of your stock.  That way, maybe I'll give you some of my time...and, most important to you...my money.

Halloween Memories: "The Comic Book House"

Exactly thirty Halloweens ago, my friends and I strategically chose a new neighborhood for our Trick-Or-Treating campaign. Besides having far more houses to visit, that part of town was also more conspicuously wealthy than the neighborhoods we were used to.  Even as knuckleheaded kids, we were savvy enough to understand that Ritzier Houses = Better Candy.  Not only did the wealthy folks hand out more candy, but they'd occasionally blow our minds with FULL SIZE candy bars, not the stubby, ironically-named "fun size" candy bars.  No lame popcorn balls, apples or pennies from those Big Spenders!

Just when we thought it couldn't get much better than receiving full-size candy bars and (I swear) dollar bills, we knocked on the door of the Purple House, a large home whose eccentric owners had painted the exterior with a bright, retina-blasting purple.  What happened next is kind of a blur. The door opened...then (I think) a Heavenly chorus sang praises while a hand dropped a beautiful, glowing COMIC BOOK into each of our bags.  Not lame comics like Richie Rich or Archie, but real, honest-to-goodness superhero comics! Since all of us were avowed superhero comic book fans, you can imagine our joy and dumbfounded astonishment over receiving such an unexpected bounty.

Me?  I vividly remember getting Secret Society of Supervillains #5, which featured a clash between an army of DC's greatest heroes and villains.  In other words, a cosmic out-of-body experience for my eleven year-old self.

Once we all came back down to earth, my friends and I did what any kids would do in that situation:  we hastily rearranged and mix-matched our costumes to appear that we were entirely different kids and went back for more comics!  We probably didn't fool the Purple House dwellers at all, but they gave us more comics anyway.

Needless to say, from that time onward, the "Purple House" would then be known as "The Comic Book House".

So there you have it....my most fondly remembered Halloween night.  An embarrassing amount of candy, a little cash, and a couple of free comics.  I ask you: could life get any better?

This post brings a close to my month-long Blog of Horror celebration. I  hope you've enjoyed it as much as I've enjoyed planning it and putting it together.  Thanks to everyone who dropped by to vote on a poll or to offer a comment. Your feedback and participation really make my day!

Happy Halloween!

Attacking the Stack

You know, I'm usually pretty good about filing away my comics.

I seldom let more than a few weeks go by before finding a place for them in those familiar white boxes. Ahh, but sometimes...well, sometimes I don't quite keep up.  When I don't keep up, things can get ugly.  Really, really ugly.  Like this past weekend, for example.

First, a little background.  Prior to building our current house in 1995, I'd always kept my comic book storage boxes out in the open within my home art studio.  Not only did they take up precious space, but they were also a big eyesore.  When my wife and I were designing our home in '95, I took the opportunity to include a cute little room (well, basically a glorified closet) just off my studio that could be used exclusively for comic book storage. Using sturdy steel shelving, I've been able to expand my collection while keeping all of those bland looking boxes out of sight (not to mention climate controlled and out of the light). 

So...maintaining and growing the collection while preventing it from taking dominating the room?  Best of both worlds, right?  Well...yeah, most of the time.  When I'm on a "discipline jag", it's a great thing.  Buy comics, put 'em in bags, then into the box. Just like clockwork.  However, when an extremely busy time hits (like summer or the Christmas season) or, frankly, when my discipline runs out of gas, the comics I need to file start multiplying like rabbits.  Really affectionate rabbits.

Adding to the stack of new comics to put away are older comics that I, as an active comics blogger, occasionally remove from their boxes to reference, scan, or skim for material.  The logical thing would be to put away any comics I use for that purpose, but when I'm in the middle of gathering material for a fun post, it's easy to set them aside to put away at some nebulous future date.

Which brings us to this past weekend.  After ignoring the messy stacks of comics to file (or "CTF's") for months, I finally broke when I realized every single storage box had comics stacked on top of them...which had to be shifted out of the way to remove the box lids...which pretty much defeats the entire purpose of having storage boxes, right?

Having seen the light, I grudgingly began the time-consuming process of sorting, bagging, occasionally boarding, taping, alphabetizing, and...yes...filing away nearly four months of CTF's (both old and new).  Two hours later, as I placed the final comic book into its proper box, I vowed, "Never again will I let it come to this!"

Yeah....right!

What about you?  I don't really see this sort of mundane "housekeeping" stuff discussed in the comics blogosphere...but at the same time, every collector has to do it, right?  So, how often do you "Tackle the Stack"?  Are you a highly-disciplined soldier who files them away as soon as you're done reading them?  Do you keep them around a few weeks before they hit the white boxes...or do you just toss 'em wherever they land and deal with them "later"?  Let me know...I'd love to find out how different people handle the always daunting task of "stack management".

eBay Oddities

I've enjoyed buying and selling comics on eBay since about 1999.  Early on, I was amazed at how easy it was to track down comics I needed for my collection, with the element of competition making it all the more exciting.  Eventually I started selling some of my own comics on eBay (mostly doubles or stuff that had fallen out of favor), using the proceeds to complete other parts of my collection and nab other goodies I had my eye on.

Although I'm not nearly as active on eBay as I used to be, I still enjoy checking in from time to time for good deals. Sometimes when I'm browsing, I'll come across some curious, misguided or flat-out bizarre comic book auctions.

For example, take these three auctions I spotted
yesterday (click on the images for a larger view):

1. "RARE Barney & Betty Rubble
     comics No. 8 (early 50's)"

Wow....a rare early 50's comic book starring two of the Flintstones cast? One problem:  The Flintstones didn't debut until September of 1960.  Oh well, the seller's apparently from Australia, so the "finer points" of American pop culture are probably a little fuzzy.

2. "Brenda Starr 14 (All-Time
     CLASSIC Kamen Bondage Cover"

Umm...eeww? Bad enough there's such a thing as a "classic" bondage cover....but an "All-Time" classic bondage cover?  That would imply there are bondage cover connoisseurs out there who actually track this kind of thing.  Again I say:  Eeww.

3. "Human Fly #1-35 Cent Variant"

Yeah, yeah...I know. The 35¢ version of the cover is rare....but would somebody really be willing to pay $104.98 for the first issue of The Human Fly....one of the lamest comics of all time?  Now, if you really, really need a copy of The Human Fly #1, why not let the Bunky Brothers set you up for a mere $3.00?

Personally?  That's still $2.99 more than I'd be willing to pay.

Overstreet Price Guide: 1982

While sorting through stuff in my studio, I came across an old 1982 edition of the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. Needless to say, comic book collecting has changed dramatically over the past 26 years (for better and for worse). Despite its high falutin' reference to comic book collectors as "panelologists", the 12th edition of the Overstreet Guide was an ambitious yet humble affair...with impressive full color cover galleries offset by hundreds of junky-looking comic shop ads. Of course, the real appeal of my first price guide was its extensive listing of just about every comic book known to man.

Just for fun, I thought I'd see what some of the most famous comic books were going for in near-mint condition back in 1982 (followed by their approximate current values in parenthesis). Many of them are shockingly affordable!

1.  Action Comics #1 (first appearance of Superman): $13,500 ($450,000)

2.  Detective Comics #27 (first appearance of Batman): $7,500 ($382,000)

3.  Marvel Comics #1 (first Human Torch & Sub-Mariner): $16,000 ($325,000)

4.  All Star Comics #3 (first JSA): $1700 ($52,000)

5.  Showcase #4 (first Silver Age Flash): $1100 ($39,000)

6.  Fantastic Four #1: $1200 ($34,000)

7.  Amazing Fantasy #15 (first Spider-Man): $1000 ($42,000)

8.  Brave & The Bold #28 (first JLA): $275 ($7,500)

9.  Avengers #4 (Re-intro of Captain America): $120 ($2,500)

10.  Incredible Hulk #181 (debut of Wolverine): $16 ($1,250)

11.  Giant Size X-Men #1 (debut of the New X-Men): $56 ($1,100)

12.  Amazing Spider-Man #129 (debut of the Punisher): $2 ($1,100)

Recent Acquisitions

Confession time...my interest in the weekly deluge of new comics has been on the wane for some time, with more titles falling under the ax every month, it seems.  However, my interest in collecting older comics remains undiminished.  In fact, if anything, it's stronger than ever...especially with a great marketplace like eBay around.  So, instead of jumping on the bandwagon and talking about the new comics I bought this week, I thought I'd brag up some of my eBay winnings over the past couple of days. I mean, like proud grandparents flashing around photos of their grandkids, collectors love showing off their prizes, right?

Okay, here's the latest and greatest (click on the images for a larger look):

1.  A nice trio of Bronze Age Marvel Team-Ups.  These issues were published right about the time I started collecting comics (1975). In fact, the middle one is the very first Spider-Man comic book I ever purchased new (being a recent Electric Company convert).  Considering the seller only wanted 1¢ each for them (that's right....one cent!), and only $1.75 shipping for all three, this one was a no-brainer.  Heck of a deal and three solid stories (including the one where Hercules pulls the entire island of Manhattan with a giant chain)!

2. Amazing Spider-Man #115 (1972) 
Reasons to buy the issue:

(A) I absolutely adore this era of Spider-Man (late Silver, early Bronze).

(B) Doc Ock is one of my favorite Spidey villains.

(C) John Romita Sr. (a.k.a. "Perfection Personified") not only did the pencils but the inks for this issue...and believe me, you haven't experienced a Spider-Man story until you've seen him on both. 

(D)  Aunt May's packing heat.

(E)  It was only $5.00...with Free Shipping!  Who wouldn't buy this?

3.  Amazing Spider-Man Annual #9 (1973):  I've been after this companion piece to the magazine-sized Spectacular Spider-Man #2 for some time (which I blathered on about here).  It features the same interior story (minus seven pages), and a line art version of one of my favorite cover images...and at only $3.00 with reasonable shipping, I was compelled to make a bid.  Surprisingly, the bid held up and I won it!

4. The Lone Ranger #76 (1954): What a fantastic cover, huh?  I actually owned this issue for quite some time before I decided to give it to my dad for Christmas one year*, and I've been looking to replace it ever since.   It's somehow reassuring to know the Ranger was on the right side of the Civil War (pity the Confederate soldier in his crosshairs).  Throw in an American flag, and this cover is pushing all the right buttons with me.  Better yet, the "Buy It Now" price was exactly the same as the opening bid price (which normally doesn't happen), so I scooped this one up no questions asked.

* Yeah, my dad's always claimed he never owned a single comic book as a kid, so I figured I'd give him his official "first comic book".  Since he was a western fan as a kid and I'm a superhero fan, I thought the Lone Ranger was the perfect synthesis of the two genres. Dad got a big kick out of it.

5.  Fantastic Four Annual #2 (1964): Like the Lone Ranger issue, this is another replacement.  I foolishly sold my first one on eBay five or six years ago when I was still in the grip of "E-Z Sell Fever".  When I was getting decent money for sought-after comics, it became easier and easier to justify selling many of them.  For the most part, I made good decisions on which ones to part with, but this is one of them I've regretted selling.  So much so, that when I saw it for under $10 yesterday evening, it was as good as mine.  I mean, when you're as big a Doctor Doom fan as I am, owning the issue that first revealed his origin story is a given. Plus, I've always been a sucker for those symbolic "looming supervillain with heroes in his grasp" covers....so come to papa!

So there you go.  All great additions to the collection.  Be sure to drop me a comment on some of your own "recent acquisitions" as well!

Marvel (De)Value Stamps

As I've mentioned before, my big entry point into the world of superhero comics was the summer of 1974...exactly the year Marvel began their infamous Marvel Value Stamp promotional program.

The first series featured stamps of 100 different characters printed on the letters pages of most Marvel comics, which naturally encouraged fans to pick up more Marvel mags to complete their Value Stamp collection. Marvel also sold a 16-page booklet for eager "stamp collectors" to display their clipped-out Value Stamps.

So, what we had here was Marvel, in effect, telling thousands of young comic fans (like me) that it was okay, even admirable, to mutilate their comic books! Oh, and mutilate them I did. I mean, what eight year-old could resist the siren call of this bombastic message:

"This is it! Your MARVEL VALUE STAMP for this issue! Clip 'em and collect 'em!"

I still recall clipping them, occasionally trading them with friends, and proudly displaying them on the closet door next to my Marvel Superhero stickers.  Obviously, as I grew older and developed the inevitable "collector's mentality",  I was horrified by my clip-happy behavior. 

However, as I've grown older still, I've come to view comics with clipped Value Stamps with a nostalgic fondness. So much so, that I never get too worked up when I buy a 1970's Marvel back issue missing its Value Stamp. See, to me, it's less a "permanently devalued" comic book and more an "artifact" preserving a moment of young enthusiasm, feverishly clipping a piece of clip art from a pulpy letters page. This is why whenever I'm searching through back issue bins at a comic shop or convention, I usually buy the issues marked "Stamp Missing".  Even though many of them are still in excellent condition, the fact that the stamp is missing usually knocks the official value way, way down....so they're usually significantly cheaper than issues with their stamps intact.

That closet door of Marvel stickers and Value Stamps has long since been dismantled and cleaned up....so I have no idea how many stamps I actually manged to collect (though I recall having all the stamps pictured above).  I think the highlight of my collection was the "rare" 100th stamp, featuring none other than Galactus, appearing in Amazing Spider-Man #145 (1975). As you can see here, clipping the Value Stamp really didn't have much of an effect on its overall value.

If you'd like to find out more about this odd (yet fondly remembered) promotion, check out the excellent Marvel Value Stamps website, which includes a complete index of all the stamps!

If it's springtime, it must be...MICRO-CON!

I use the term "springtime" lightly, since most of Minnesota received a surprise last-blast of winter over the past few days...including snow in many parts of the state. It's a bit like those psycho-killer movies where the psycho-killer pops up one last time before going down for good (or until the next sequel).

Anyway, a springtime tradition here in the Twin Cities metro area is the Micro-Con, which (as it's name implies) is a scaled-down version of Fall-Con, the area's largest comic convention (which I covered here last October). Instead of an all-weekend thing, Micro-Con is one day only with about the same number of comic book dealers, but not as many of the "extras" like programing and A-list guests. Oh, we have the reliable cast of local pros showing up, but none of the "headliner" guys Fall-Con specializes in. For me, it's essentially a chance to do some hardcore "comics shoppin".  So, with my want list in hand and my iPod securely attached to to my head, I'm off.  I'll check in later today with a full report.

UPDATE:  Okay, I'm back.  Some random thoughts on Micro-Con:

1.  Not much "Micro" about it as far as attendance goes.  Hitting on a cold and periodically snowy April weekend did wonders for drawing hordes of people to the Con.  In fact, when I got there at !0:00, there was a line several blocks long waiting to get in.  I thought that sort of thing only happened in San Diego!  Of course, being a middle-aged dude, I was dressed for the weather, but alot of my younger fellow geeks were wearing shorts and t-shirts (!) and looking quite cold. Oh, and another thing:  bright pink hair and multiple piercings lose a substantial amount of coolness when said pink-haired-multiply pierced person is hunch-shouldered and shivering uncontrollably. 

2.  I was surprised to see so many costumed people wandering around...since Micro-Con hasn't normally been a "show up in costume" kind of event.  There was even a guy in a Gonk costume (the "box robot" from the Star Wars movies) awkwardly wobbling about.

3.  As with Fall-Con, I was at Micro-Con strictly for hunting down deals on back issues.  I typically spend about half an hour just walking the floor to get a sense for who's there to move some comics and...who's not.  The guys selling their comics at the Overstreet Guide or above...buh bye.  Guys with 50-75% off?  That's where you'll find me.  However, even those guys you have to watch out for, because 50% off a $14 comic book is still too much to pay for a book that should only be $3 to $4...and that's something you can only get a sense for if you've been doing this awhile.  Not to brag, but it's good to have a working "Spidey Sense" that can tell me in seconds if a dealer's display is worth my time searching through. Once the walk-through is done, I "swoop" in a scoop up the deals.

4. Speaking of the deep discount tables, I was pleasantly surprised to see how many dealers were willing to sell their stuff at 50-75% off the marked prices.  Whether it's a result of heavy eBay competition or the economic downturn, I don't care.  It's good news for collectors like me looking to get the most bang for their buck.  Sure, a couple of dealers stuck to their usual "150% of guide" pricing policy, which scared off most of the browsers. However, I suppose for those guys, if they sell a handful of comics at horribly inflated prices, their Con visit was worth the money and the trouble to set up shop.

5. Finally, how about a look at "The Stack" itself?  My enthusiasm for 1970's Marvel Comics keeps on rolling, as nearly 90% of the comics I bought are prime Marvel Bronze. Some highlights (click on the comics for a larger view):

Marvel Team-Ups: One of my favorite titles as a kid was Marvel Team-Up, especially the first couple of years of the series.  It served as a neat little "primer" to the Marvel Universe, as a favorite hero (Spidey) met dozens of new and exciting characters. There was also a real effort to tie the storylines into the continuity of the Amazing Spider-Man title, so you really had a sense that these team-ups had some bearing on the characters' lives and the overall Marvel continuity (unlike the somewhat isolated feeling of DC's team-up titles). The great Gil Kane drew the covers for issues #7 and 24, while John Romita Sr. did the Spidey/Iron-Man one in the center.

Marvel Monster books: I can't get enough of the excellent Tomb of Dracula series.  The stories hold up remarkably well, many of which are genuinely spooky and well-crafted.  The other one?  Giant-Size Man-Thing #1.  I'm such a sucker for battling monster covers, I overcame my inner 4th grader's relentless snickering about the title and bought the dang thing.

Battling Man-Monsters: I recall having Hulk Annual #5 as a kid, but have no idea what happened to it (there's a segment of my 70's comics that mysteriously disappeared during "the moving years"), so I bought a replacement.  Hulk battles a gang of famous Pre-Marvel Monsters, including the first "Hulk" character (now called "Xemnu the Living Titan", upper right corner). Second, Hulk #139 (1971).  What can I say? Any cover with the hero in the middle of a "gauntlet of arch-enemies" is as good as mine. The last one is Marvel Two-In-One #50 (1979), featuring another theme I enjoy: modern hero battling a previous version of him or herself. In this case, it's the current Thing battling his lumpier incarnation from early issues of The Fantastic Four.

A Couple of Caps: Captain America #171 (1974) for no reason other than the stellar Romita cover.  Captain Marvel #30 (1973) because it's the last issue I needed in Jim Starlin's epic Thanos Saga, still one of the coolest cosmic hoo-hahs in all of comics.

Some Sub-Mariners: Not a title I've collected much, these covers caught my eye today, particularly the Dr. Doom one.  As a surprise bonus, Gene Colon does the interior artwork, which was fun since I don't recall ever seeing Colan's version of Doom before.  The Sunfire cover? Anytime a character more arrogant than Namor fights Namor, that's worth checking out.  Lastly, the new costume cover...come on, it's a Romita...of course I'm going to buy it (plus I've always liked that blue costume with the armpit fins).

A Measly Three DC Comics: I seem to be buying fewer and fewer DC Comics as time goes on.  Perhaps it's because alot of their 1970's comics simply aren't as entertaining as Marvel's (something I finally admitted a number of years ago), or that Silver Age (1960's) DC's are getting priced out of my comfort level...whatever the reason, I'm not big on looking for DC's at conventions.  When I can, I keep chipping away at my Action Comics want list, today picking up issues #363 (1968) and #447 (1975). I also picked up The Brave and the Bold #200 (1983), for most of its history a Batman team-up title. Much like the issue of Marvel Two-In-One above, this one features an earlier and current version of Batman battling a common foe. It's also got an incredibly sharp-looking cover, with that brilliant red background color, the clever positioning of the current Batman and the Bat-Signal, and that wonderful old Batmobile.

Now...time to relax and go read some of these beauties!

Do-It-Yourself Comic Book Restoration

Comic book restoration has always been a somewhat controversial practice in the world of comic collecting.  The use of meticulous and sophisticated repair techniques can dramatically improve the appearance of lower-quality comics, but not without a hitch.  In addition to being an expensive process, all restored comics are required to be advertised as such and cannot get the same prices as high quality unrestored copies. That aside, seeing the results of these extreme makeovers are dramatic and borderline magical...as you can see from the restoration of Detective Comics #31 (1939) by Fantasy Masterpieces Paper Art Restoration (click for a larger view):

Obviously, this degree of restoration requires highly specialized tools and materials as well as years of experience.

In other words, everything I didn't have when I tried my hand at "comic book restoration" as a young lad. Blissfully ignorant of the strictures of comic book grading, I would sometimes try to "improve" the appearance of various well-read comics in my collection as only a ten year-old boy could.

For example, let's take my "self-restored" copy of Avengers #114 (1973).
No, really...this IS the restored version:

Sure, it's still pretty ratty looking, but let's take
a closer look at a few of my clever upgrades:

How does a kid solve the problem of a detached cover? 

That's easy: staples!...and plenty of 'em!  Note the proximity of comic's original staples along the spine to my additional staples a good half an inch into the cover area. Crude, sure...but the cover was re-attached, so mission accomplished, right?

Next up was the problem of the black areas, which tend to show wrinkles and scuffs much easier than lighter colors.  How could I restore those areas to their original midnight luster?  Enter the Sanford King-Size Permanent Marker!

That's right, I "restored" the glossy black by scribbling all over the cover with a highly toxic permanent marker.  To my ten year-old mind, it was indistinguishable from the luster of a brand new comic book and an official Job Well Done. Click on the close-up to the left to check out my mad magic marker skillz!

Even better, check out the black marker
seepage on the inside front cover. Classy, huh?

As the years went by, and I grew in the ways of comic book care and condition, the Sanford Permanent Marker (a.k.a. "Ol' Stinky") was retired from the comic book restoration toolbox...though I'll still re-staple my comics from time to time (with a bit more precision than I used thirty-some years ago).

How about you? Any do-it-yourself restoration stories
you can recall from your early years of collecting?

Dear Editor: When Action Comics #1 was $100

It's common knowledge that Action Comics #1 (featuring the first appearance of Superman) is not only the most important comic book ever published, but also the most valuable. The 2008 Overstreet Price Guide places its value between $42,000 in rougher shape and a whopping $475,000 for tip-top "Near Mint" condition, but in many cases has sold for much more than that.

However, this "Holy Grail" of comic books hasn't always listed in the five figures-plus range...as you can see from this letter written by Guy Lillian, printed in Superman #192 (1967):

(click on the excerpts for a larger view)

Catch that? A copy of Action Comics #1 for the kingly sum of $100! Granted, $100 would be the equivalent to roughly $750 today...but that still makes an utterly unthinkable purchase actually seem within reach.

Ah, but poor Guy....the lucky owner of the comic book shut him down when it came to taking a peek at the interior, showing that even then the fussy condition-mongers were already starting to deny access of Action #1 to mere mortals...which is today only glimpsed from afar through nuclear blast-proof plastic.

Guy, taking the rejection in stride, goes on to comment upon Superman #190, which got high marks for what it didn't have...

In the spirit of Guy's closing remarks, may Supie's next 70 years be just as great (though not necessarily romance-free).

Simply the Best: Bring on the Bad Guys!

In the age before elaborately painted comic book covers (and interiors, for that matter), seeing "realistically" rendered versions of your favorite comic book characters was an incredibly rare treat. In fact, due to the no-frills budgets of the average comic book, the only place you were likely to see the magic of multiple light sources was on the covers of more expensive magazines and paperback books.

Some of the most fondly remembered of these painted covers were Marvel's series of origin reprints, published by Fireside Books (click on the covers for a larger view). Origins of Marvel Comics (1974) featured the first stories of Marvel's biggest stars paired with one of their modern adventures, along with Stan Lee's reflections. It's sequel, Son of Origins (1975) stuck to the same format as it explored the beginnings of Marvel's second-tier heroes, while The Superhero Women (1977) focused on...well, you can probably figure it out. 

However, as great as these covers are (all illustrated by jazzy John Romita Sr), my absolute favorite remains the third volume of the origin series: 

BRING ON THE BAD GUYS (1976)

It's title obviously the inspiration for my looks at lousy comic book supervillains, this cover celebrated all that was good about being bad in the Marvel Universe. Looking like the poster of a movie I'd likely never see (at least until relatively recently), Bring On The Bad Guys reminded me why I loved these villains (and their heroic opponents) so much. Yeah, the "by Stan Lee" tag is poorly placed, but that minor nitpick is more Fireside's doing than Romita's...and easily overlooked when surrounded by such slick, cinematic artwork.

Of course, something this good doesn't always jump right out of the pencil and onto the page. Click on the image to the left to check out Romita's initial sketch for the cover. Still cool, of course, but obviously a bit too "Doom-centered" to show off the other evildoers effectively. For more interesting "behind the scenes" stuff from Romita's spectacular career, be sure to add John Romita, And All That Jazz! to your Christmas list. I can't recommend it high enough.

Exhibit A: Action Comics #1

One of the great things about collecting comics is that, no matter how much you think you know about a certain topic, some new bit of information always seems to come along.

The latest mini-bombshell concerns Action Comics #1, which featured the first appearance of Superman...thereby making it the most high-profile, valuable, and exhaustively-discussed comic book in existence. However, just when I thought I knew all there was to know about the "Big Bang" of superhero comics, along came an interesting article posted at The Scoop. 

Sponsored by Gemstone Publications and Diamond International Galleries, The Scoop covers the current comics scene as well as comics history, original art, and memorabilia. A recent post titled "Action Comics #1- A Legal Issue?" brought to light the existence of a very unique copy of the famous comic book. 

You see, in the wake of Superman's ultra-popular debut, a boatload of copycat characters started popping up...one of which was Wonder Man, published by the notoriously shifty Victor Fox and (reluctantly) created by Jerry Iger and Will Eisner. DC and their team of lawyers promptly began what would become the very first copyright infringement suit to protect their Superman character.

As part of their successful lawsuit, DC submitted a copy of Action Comics #1 as one of its key pieces of evidence (along with Eisner's testimony). Stamped by the Federal Court on both March 16th and April 6th of 1939, here's a look at the cover of this extremely unique and amazingly well-preserved comic book:

 (click on the image for a larger view)

Curiously, the article didn't mention where this copy is today. I sent an email to the Scoop to learn if it's still in possession of the Federal Court or with a private owner...and how much something like this might be worth on the collector's market.  Care to take any guesses?  High six figures....seven figures? I hope I hear back from them!  Click here to read the entire article at The Scoop.

UPDATE: Well, one aspect of the mystery has been solved. According to my pal Allen, the court exhibit copy of Action Comics #1 has indeed passed into the private market and is now on display at the Geppi Entertainment Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. Allen took this photo in 2007 and has graciously allowed me to post it here.  Thanks, Allen!

   

You'll note that there's also a stamped copy of Action Comics #2 displayed next to it, and is most likely another exhibit submitted by DC's lawyers back in '39.  

Now that we know where the court copy is, all I need to know now is how much that baby is worth!  I can't imagine there are many copies in better condition than this one...so it's gotta be worth a "kingly sum".  Stay tuned! 

Simply the Best: A Cover Worth the Trouble

Have you ever seen a  comic book cover that was so compelling, you'd risk an authority figure's wrath just to touch it?

Well, that's exactly what happened to me way back in elementary school. You see, during that bygone era, kids actually bought and read comics on a regular basis...and my 5th grade pals and I were no exception. In fact, we were so enthusiastic about comics, we spent several of our valuable recess sessions looking at comics instead of terrifying girls...and occasionally buying, selling, or trading them (the comics, not the girls).

However, one afternoon during class, a pal sitting across from me took out a stack of comics and slyly held them up for me to peek at. One by one he displayed them, until he came to Marvel Team-Up #53 (1977)...the comic book I instantly knew I HAD TO OWN!!!

Overcome by the sheer awesomeness of both the rampaging Hulk and Spider-Man (two huge favorites of mine at the time), I involuntarily reached across the isle to examine the issue... despite our teacher Mr. Kadlicek trying to lead the class. As you might have guessed, Mr. K turned around and utterly busted us in mid hand-off...so close, yet so far away from getting my hands on this mindblowing cover!

As it turned out, Mr. K. confiscated my pal's comics until the end of the school day, but then told us he'd allow us to trade comics at the end of the day each Friday....with the understanding that we wouldn't mess with 'em during class. A very reasonable policy, I must say...and a kindness I fondly remember all these years later.

Oh...and I did eventually make a trade for that copy of Marvel Team-Up #53 on...you guessed it...FRIDAY!

So...are there any comics YOU risked life, 

limb, or a good conduct grade to own?

Comic Books 101: The History, Methods, and Madness!

Back in April I gave a brief preview or "heads up" on Comic Books 101: The History, Methods, and Madness, a cool new book co-written by my pals Scott Tipton and Chris Ryall. I was brought into the project to create several interior illustrations and chapter intros, which I didn't want to say too much about until the book officially hit the shelves.

Well, now that June's finally here, I can fill you in on the details behind Comic Books 101, as well as post some of my artwork. Having written about comic books for years, Tipton (comic book writer and proprietor of the Comics 101 website) and Ryall (Editor-In-Chief of IDW Publishing) pooled their vast knowledge and created a user-friendly overview of comic books that the newbie and hardcore fan alike could find informative and fun.

Part of that fun is the easy-going tone set by Tipton and Ryall, as personal opinions and asides make their "lessons" feel more like a conversation between friends than a dry, pedantic slog. As a continuation of that lighter tone, the authors wanted cartoon versions of themselves to appear in several of the book's illustrations...and that's where I came in! Creating a total of 11 color illustrations (all of which tie into various topics throughout the book), I was honored to play a part in such an entertaining project.  

And that was before I found out who else would be contributing to the book! 

Using their contacts throughout the industry, Tipton and Ryall managed to get commentaries and personal musings from several high profile comic geeks like Clive Barker, Gene Simmons, Mark Waid, Paul Dini, Marv Wolfman, Harlan Ellison, and even Stan "The Man" Lee!  Who'd have thought me and Stan would ever (sort of) work on a project together? Certainly not ME!

So, here's just some of the stuff I did for the book (click on the artwork for a larger view)...

What's going on in these illustrations?  Well, that would be telling, wouldn't it?  You'll just have to buy the book to find out!  Seriously, consider picking up a copy for either yourself or someone you'd like to introduce to the wonderful world of comic books! Click on the link below to order one from Amazon.com!

Comic Books 101: The History, Methods and Madness