Collecting Comic Books - Comic Book Collection

Comic Book Collecting,
A Starting Point
Jump Start
Your Collection
Using Internet Resources
By: Dave Gieber
And: Johnny Blue Star
1
© 2005 - 2010, Dave Gieber
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
All work contained in this book is the copyright of Dave Gieber. No
part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted for resale or
used by any party without express written permission from the
author.
LEGAL NOTICE
While all attempts have been made to provide effective, verifiable
information in this document, neither the Author nor Publisher
assumes any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, or omissions. Any
slights of people or organizations are unintentional. The information
contained in this package does not make any claims or guarantees.
Many variables affect each individual's results. Results will vary. The
author does not make any promise of your personal success. The
author has no control over what you may or may not do with this
information, and therefore cannot accept the responsibility for your
results. Any and all references to persons or businesses, whether
living or dead, existing or defunct, are purely coincidental.
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Table of Contents
A Gentle Warning to the Reader: Preface ........................................................................ 4
Introduction: The Purpose of this Book ........................................................................... 5
The Origin of Comic Books, Chapter One ....................................................................... 7
The Ten Great Comic Books, Chapter Two ................................................................... 13
Comic Book Collecting-for Fun and Profit, Chapter Three ............................................ 24
The Different Ages of Comic Books, Chapter Four ....................................................... 27
Legendary Artists of the Comic Book Industry, Chapter Five ........................................ 48
Grading Your Comic Books, Chapter Six ...................................................................... 54
Cataloging and Pricing Your Collection, Chapter Seven ................................................ 57
Comic Book Conventions, Chapter Eight ...................................................................... 60
Preserving Your Collection, Chapter Nine ..................................................................... 62
Comic Book Art Collecting, Chapter Ten ..................................................................... 65
Final Thoughts .............................................................................................................. 68
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A Gentle Warning to the Reader:
Preface
Comic book collecting is not the same as comic book reading. When you
read comic books, you soar into the sky with your favorite comic book hero and
fight outrageous battles against Doc Ock or Lex Luthor. When you collect comics,
you may not only have to spend a whole lot more money than you did when you
were a happy little reader, but you also will surrender a lot of valuable comic
reading time to your new hobby. And where will your money go? Not just to the
comic books themselves, anymore! No, you will be spending your precious funds
on price books, acid-free cardboard backs, Mylar covers, specially constructed
storage boxes, money for hotels and airfare or just plain gas when you visit
conventions. Instead of going on joyous adventures in your own mind or laughing
at your favorite characters parading around on newsprint before your enchanted
eyes, you will be spending a lot of time counting, stuffing, grading, pricing,
buying and selling the stuff you used to love. What was purely a joyous fantasy
now will become partially a numbers game. If you are a collector, you are
somewhat between a book reader and a bookkeeper, between an art collector and
an art dealer. You have to love this sort of thing and be prepared for it if you are
going to be happy as a collector.
So, collecting isn‟t just a simple, fun thing. It is a serious, focused,
often money-centered activity. And, furthermore, it‟s you and your art
conservation techniques against the clock. Because comic books, although they
are the grand purveyors of your wildest dreams, are, in fact, just fragile things,
made with self-consuming ink and paper. Love them, treasure them, but always
be aware- they don‟t last forever!
Dave Gieber
Webmaster and Operator of
http://www.comic-book-collection-made-easy.com/ebook
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Introduction:
The Purpose of this Book
The purpose of this book is to rapidly bring the reader into a knowledge of
the methodology of collecting comic books. This book focuses on the way the
Internet has allowed the Collector to move into levels of access to the marketplace
and to essential resources. To be found are high levels of information and
discussion, as well as information on pricing and cataloging of an individual‟s
own collection. After reading this book, the reader will know where to go and
what to do if they want to start a comic book collection and, also some of the
flavors and sensibilities of the hobby. This book isn‟t meant to do everything for
you, but it is meant to get you started- fast!
The Internet has really affected the collecting of comic books as it has
everything else. It allows you to buy and sell, price, organize your collection,
examine the history of comic books, get in touch with experts and fans, etc. I have
decided to emphasize the tools and resources of the Internet so to best help the
reader jumpstart their collection using the most contemporary tools.
There is no doubt that history is what drives comic book collecting,
particularly in the loftier areas of pricing. Specific comics have a certain place in
this history and so they can command a higher price. In our little e-book, we will
point out elements of this history, as an illustration of how a collector needs to
think, but the actual development of a real understanding of the market and its
history may take decades. That is what a hobby or a long-term investmentcollecting scenario is all about - time, patience and the acquisition of profit
through intelligence, knowledge and strategic planning.
Although we list many resources on the Internet, we cannot be responsible
for the demeanor, efficiency or integrity of all the companies, vendors and
persons we address in this book. This book is a guide to the use of the Internet
and other resources for comic book collecting. It shows you how to research, buy,
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sell, organize and communicate, but leaves the rest to you. As in everything else,
you must do your own background research, if appropriate, before you spend
your money or your time. We are here to give you an overview and approach to
what you are doing. Spend your money wisely and research yourself before you
actually spend your hard-earned capital.
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The Origin of Comic Books, Chapter One
The origin of comic books is somewhat a controversy. Perhaps the jury is
still out. Since the reader is probably interested in how the product he longs to
collect got started, I shall try to touch on this mystery.
Perhaps we could go back to the cartoonish broadsheets of the Middle
Ages, parchment products created by anonymous woodcutters. As mass
circulation of these broadsheets became possible, they soon developed a marketparticularly at public executions, popular events for centuries which drew
thousands of happy spectators. Many of which, came to invest in an artist‟s
rendering of a hanging or burning, making a very lucky day for the sheet seller.
Below is a type of woodcut indicative of the “look” or “style” of this art.
The broadsheet evolved into higher-level content as humor was
introduced. Eventually, all types of broadsheets emerged, which were eventually
bound in collections, the prototype of the modern magazine. Magazines
formatted like the popular Punch, an elegant British creation, became the
primary focus of documentary accounts of news and events, fiction and humor.
One can see in Punch, the sophisticated evolution of a comic style, particularly in
respect of the evolution of comics in Great Britain. Still and all, from an historical
standpoint, the comic strip stood in the alley, waiting to be born.
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Some say England‟s Ally Sloper‟s Half Alley was the first comic book, an
1884 black and white tabloid that had panels of cartoons mixed with a sliver of
news. Sloper led to an abundance of halfpenny titles, led by Comic Cuts and then
with Illustrated Press in 1880. These were pioneered by the Amalgamated Press,
whose Alfred Harmsworth made his mark on the marketplace by cutting prices in
half. The halfpenny roared to popularity, again in England, where a lot of the
action was.
Now while all this was going on in Great Britain- this inching towards the
comic book- the United States had its own brand of evolution. Instead of
magazines, US newspapers took the lead in creating the comic book industry.
Newspapers took the first steps as their single image gags evolved into multipaneled comic strips.
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It was during this period that William Randolph Hearst scored a knockout
with the Yellow Kid, which was actually printed in yellow ink.
By 1905, “Little Nemo in Slumberland,” created by Winsor McCay, with its
more urbane middle-class story of an affluent child‟s dream excursions, became
very popular. George Heriman‟s “The Dingbat Family” was another great success,
which eventually evolved into “Krazy Kat,” the comic that gave him his historical
place in the industry.
So where did the actual comic book begin? Some say with reprints of Carl
Schultz‟ Foxy Grandpa- from 1901 to 1905. Remember though, that other say it
was Great Britain‟s Ally Sloper‟s Half Alley. Then there was Little Nemo,
transformed into a 10” x 14” book in 1906. In 1902, Hearst published the
Katzenjammer Kids and Happy Hooligans in books with cardboard covers. Bud
Fisher‟s popular “Mutt and Jeff” found themselves in a 5” x 15” book in 1910. For
a time, the Yellow Kid himself was a top contender. But, you see it depends how
rigid you are in your description of a comic book. But, for sure, there were
predecessors to the modern comic book, which exploded in the 1930‟s.
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Many of these were reprints and, indeed, the likes of Charlie Chaplin in
1917, Tarzan in 1929 and Mickey Mouse in 1931 found themselves in some type of
book format, all before the comic book industry began to define everything in an
explosion for original content. The closest contender, a book with appearance of
the modern comic book, may have been the ten cents Comic Monthly.
Just before the industry grabbed America by the throat and shook it for all
its dimes and nickels, an alternative contender emerged, the still collectible BLB‟s
or Big Little Books, which essentially featured a page of text followed by a comic
book panel without the balloon.
.
Buck Rogers, Tarzan and Little Orphan Annie found their way into BLB‟s
with Dick Tracy leading the pack in 1932. But BLB‟s were not to last. The modern
comic book was on its way.
The Whitman Publishing Company, which launched the BLB‟S in 1932,
also became one of the pre-launchers for the modern comic book. In 1934, it
published forty issues of Famous Comics, which was a black and white hardcover
reprint.
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The first regularly published comic in the recognizable modern format was
Famous Funnies. It featured such greats as Joe Palooka, Buck Rogers and Mutt
and Jeff.
Harry L. Wilderberg, sales manager at the Eastern Color Printing
Company of Connecticut, created famous Funnies. His motivation was to
develop a really good giveaway program. He got Gulf Oil to buy into the concept,
giving the impetus to 64-page, cola comic books.
Further enlisting the aid of the legendary Max C. Gaines, color comics
were produced for Proctor and Gamble, Wheatena and Canada Dry, with high
printing runs, some as high as one million copies.
Gaines made his industry mark when he worked for the McClure
Syndicate. There, Gaines used its color presses to produce Dell Comics. Advised
by his friend, Shelton Myers, he passed on one bit of advice to Dell: Publish
Superman! Gaines went on to launch All-American Comics, Flash Comics, and
Sensation Comics before he founded his own company, EC (Educational Comics),
which specialized in Bible Stories.
When he died, his son made history by
developing some of the most renowned and notorious horror and mystery comics
as well as Mad Magazine. The former “Educational Comics” had now become
Entertainment Comics, or EC Comics.
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It was Max C. Gaines, the father, who brought “Superman” to Dell‟s
publisher, Harry Donenfield. Donenfield scored the comic coup of the century
when he published a story written by two teenagers, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shusterand so “Superman of Metropolis” (the title of their short story they wrote in their
own fanzine) was born. Superman was to set a standard for comic book heroes
that persists to this day.
People speculate what influenced Shuster and Siegel. Many attributed a
major influence to be Hugo Danner, the hero of Philip Wylie‟s novel, Gladiator.
Like Batman, Superman had a dual identity, reminiscent of characters of film and
radio like Zorro and the Shadow.
Although the first editions did not do well, there was a buying spree on the
fourth edition. Donenfeld rightly deduced that this Superman fellow might be
something else- a potential Blockbuster. Circulation, syndication and eventually
radio led to amazing notoriety for Superman and created soaring circulation
figures. The comic book grossing almost a million dollars in 1940.
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The Ten Great Comic Books, Chapter Two
Mitchell Brown is a Canadian journalist and longtime comic book fan,
living in Toronto, whose hobby is comic book collecting. He has compiled a list of
the 100 Greatest Comics of the Twentieth Century (This link was good as of this
update)! We have brought you an abridged version of his comments. The prices
are from an online price guide and their pricing would need to be re-researched,
to the particular guide in affect at the time, by the reader if he is a contender for
buying one of these fabulous books. Current estimates can be found in the latest
Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide.
Fine
Very Fine
Near Mint
Mint
$150,000
$425,000
$500,000
$650,000
COMIC OF THE CENTURY #1.
ACTION COMICS #1:
Superman ushers in a new Golden Age of heroes
2010 Update: In February an 8.0 (Very Fine) copy sold for 1.0 million
dollars. And then in March an 8.5 (Very Fine +) sold for 1.5 million dollars. 2010
became the year of the million dollar comic book!!
FILM FANS ARE FREE TO ARGUE about which film is the greatest
movie of all time, but there can be no such argument among comic collectors. For
them, there are only two kinds of comics: Action Comics #1 and everything else.
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To put it as simply as possible, this is the one comic book that made all the others
possible. Before the introduction of Superman, comic books were either
collections of already published newspaper comic strips or depositories of
immediately unforgettable characters. Superman was the first true superstar of
the comic page, and his phenomenal early success spurred thousands of
imitators, all rushing to cash in on his popularity.
Sure, heroes were nothing new in 1938 -- the Shadow, Flash Gordon and
other heroic types had entertained readers for years in comic strips and movie
serials. But how many of those guys could lift an entire car over their heads?!? In
our jaded time, it's impossible for us to imagine the feeling kids must have felt
when they saw that first issue.
Superman was the first true "superhero" of modern times. Myths of gods
and men with near-impossible strength have thrilled humanity for thousands of
years. It was left though, to two young men named Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
to create a new mythological hero for the 20th century, a man "with powers and
abilities far beyond those of mortal men."
This comic book has to be the first on any greatest-books list because
Superman was the first true comic-book superstar. Before him, the heroes of the
industry were mere mortals and funny animals; after him, the public's demand
for more sent publishers back to the drawing board to create entire universes of
super powered beings. The very fact we call them superheroes testifies to the
place Superman occupies in the pantheon of our modern-day heroes. Action
Comic #1 was the beginning of a character -- and an entire industry -- which
continues to thrill readers into the 21st century. For that reason alone, it deserves
to be called the greatest comic book of this -- or any other -- century.
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Fine
Very Fine
Near Mint
Mint
$115,875
$328,312.50
$386,250
$502,125
COMIC OF THE CENTURY #2
DETECTIVE COMICS#27:
The Batman begins his crusade against crime
2010 Update: To continue the year of the million dollar comic book, in
February an 8.0 (Very Fine) copy sold for 1.075 million dollars.
NEXT TO ACTION COMICS #1, Detective Comics #27 is perhaps
the most sought-after comic book in the world today, and there is only one
reason why: Batman. Conceived by a young artist named Bob Kane,
Batman was a mysterious vigilante who worked under the cover of
darkness to punish evildoers.
Batman is often called the Dark Knight, and for good reason -- while he
is not above using a little physical persuasion to get what he needs from a
criminal, he lives by a strict code that absolutely forbids him to kill. He has
been bruised and beaten by his enemies, he has witnessed horrors beyond
belief and he lives with the guilt of knowing he can never do enough, but
he never gives up. Just as we need a Superman to remind us of the value of
doing what's good, we need a Batman to remind us of the need to do
what's just.
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Fine
Very Fine
Near Mint
Mint
$3000
$8500
$10,000
$13,000
COMIC OF THE CENTURY #3
NEW FUN COMICS #1:
The First Comic Book To Publish Original Material
Debuts
NEWSPAPER COMIC STRIPS were hugely popular in the early
decades of the 20th century, and it was only a matter of time before
someone got the idea of repackaging the more popular strips in a magazine
format for collectors. When Eastern Color launched Famous Funnies, a
collection of reprinted Sunday comics, its success encouraged others to get
in the game.
One entrepreneur by the rather odd name of Major Malcolm
Wheeler-Nicholson was keen on the money to be made in the new-fangled
comic books. As he saw it, the big problem was that the newspaper
syndicates charged exorbitant fees for the rights to their strips. WheelerNicholson figured that publishing new material would cost less, and so he
hired writers and artists to produce original material. His creation, New
Fun Comics #1, thus became the first comic book to present all-original
material.
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Fine
Very Fine
Near Mint
Mint
$90,000
$255,000
$300,000
$390,000
COMIC OF THE CENTURY #4
MARVEL COMICS #1:
The Very Beginnings of A Marvelous Universe Debuts
MARTIN GOODMAN WAS A SUCCESSFUL publisher of pulp fiction
magazines that covered all the bases: war, horror, romance, adventure and
science fiction. But he had never created titles to rival those created by his
competition, which was probably why he was receptive to a business proposal
from an outfit called Funnies Inc.
The deal was simple: Funnies Inc. was prepared to give Goodman a
complete package of artwork every month for him to print, and the printing costs
would be covered by the service fee asked by Funnies. By 1939, several publishers
had proven the profit to be made in the comic industry, so Goodman decided to
give it a shot.
They probably had no idea of the history about to be made. Funnies Inc.
employed several veterans of the booming superhero business, and they came up
with a lot of new ideas for costumed adventurers. Bill Everett's creation, the SubMariner, was given the anchor spot. Carl Burgos, seeing Bill's watery creation,
perhaps saw a fitting balance in the Human Torch, an android whose artificial
skin burst into flames upon contact with oxygen. And Ben Thompson created Ka-
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Zar the Great, a character that carried the civilized-man-in-the-jungle theme just
far enough away from a certain Lord of the Apes to avoid any lawsuits.
Fine
Very Fine
Near Mint
Mint
$11,400
$32,300
$38,000
$49,400
COMIC OF THE CENTURY #5
SHOWCASE #4:
Flash Signals The Start Of A Silver Age In Comics
BY THE LATE 1950s, the comics industry was in pretty bad shape.
Except for Superman, Batman and a handful of others, the heroes of the Golden
Age were forgotten. No one knows whose idea it was, but the creators at DC
began toying with a superhero revival in the mid-1950s. It fell upon editor Julius
Schwartz to resurrect the speedster from his four-color grave.
But the new Flash would not be the same as the old Flash. Schwartz edited
the original Flash Comics until the book's cancellation in 1949, and he was not
interested in looking back. He agreed to bring back the character, but only if he
could make a few changes. It's hard to overestimate this book's impact on comic
history. The Flash's phenomenal success spawned revivals of other famous heroes
from the past -- Green Lantern, Hawkman, the Atom, the Spectre, Dr. Fate and
more were given new leases on life. It didn't happen quite as fast as the Flash, but
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there was no denying the excitement that was building. Comicdom's Silver Age
had officially begun.
Fine
Very Fine
Near Mint
Mint
$9,696
$27,472
$32,320
$42,016
COMIC OF THE CENTURY #6
FANTASTIC FOUR #1:
It's (Sales)Clobberin' Time For Marvel's Super-Team
BY 1961, STAN LEE AND JACK KIRBY had done more for the comic
book industry than just about anyone else in the business. Legend has it that
Marvel publisher Martin Goodman had seen the phenomenal success that DC
was enjoying with its newly revived heroes, and the Justice League of America -a team-up book that featured all the heroes fighting together -- was one of its
biggest bestsellers.
They did it by taking every superhero cliché and throwing them out the
window. Their team had no secret identities to hide, and they were a family more
than a team -- literally, in the case of Sue and Johnny Storm (Sue and Reed would
eventually get married -- another comics first). The book would soon do better
than Goodman could ever have hoped for -- it would quickly become the flagship
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title of an entirely new line-up that would completely change the face of the comic
industry.
Fine
Very Fine
Near Mint
Mint
$14,400
$40,800
$46,560
$62,400
COMIC OF THE CENTURY #7
AMAZING FANTASY #15:
Is He Strong? Listen, Bud...
LIKE DC'S OWN HERO in red and blue, Spider-Man almost never
came to be. When Stan Lee approached his publisher with an idea for a new
teenaged hero who had "the proportionate strength and agility of a spider," he
didn't exactly get an enthusiastic response. No one likes spiders, they said.
Teenagers work better as sidekicks, not as superheroes in their own book. And
what's with the depressing origin story?
But Lee believed in it, and he pushed for his creation. And that was that.
The title was over, and it was up to the readers to decide what came next. When
the book became one of the company's biggest bestsellers in years, it wasn't hard
to figure out why. Lee got the green light to go ahead with The Amazing SpiderMan #1. Spider-Man broke all the rules for superheroes. Spider-Man cursed his
new abilities almost as often as he reveled in them. He paid bills, looked after his
sickly Aunt May, and often wondered where his next rent check was coming from.
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Fine
Very Fine
Near Mint
Mint
$112.50
$318.75
$375
$487.50
COMIC OF THE CENTURY #8
CEREBUS #1:
Canada's Dave Sim Starts An Aardvark On His Journey
A SWORD-SWINGING AARDVARK this high up on the list? To
paraphrase a Canadian television commercial from the 1990s: "Is this some kind
of Canadian joke, sir?" When Cerebus was first published, it could hardly have
had a less auspicious beginning. Writer and artist Dave Sim printed about 300
copies and sold them at a few comic shops in the Toronto area.
Sim's creation soon took on a life of its own, and quickly became one of the
most literate (not to mention unpredictable) series in comics history.
Other comics are valuable for the characters they introduced, or the
companies they helped get off the ground. Cerebus belongs on this list because it
shows how far one person's reach can go with just a pencil and an idea, and it
serves as an inspiration to every aspiring self-publisher who dares to dream.
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Fine
Very Fine
Near Mint
Mint
$5100
$14,450
$17,000
$22,100
COMIC OF THE CENTURY #9
PEP COMICS #22:
Archie... Archie Andrews, Where Are You?
THE DATE WAS DECEMBER, 1941, and the Allied forces needed all
the heroes they could find to help fight the Axis menace. The major heroes had
already been recruited to boost morale and help sell war bonds, and the comic
publishers were cranking out even more to meet the demand for patriotic men in
tights. How ironic, then, that the company's most famous character turned out to
be as far from a superhero as you can get.
Pep Comics was an anthology series, featuring several stories within each
issue. Issue #22 saw the debut of Archie Andrews, a freckle-faced teenager who
lived in Riverdale and whose biggest worries were fixing his car and choosing
between two very attractive girls (we should all have such problems). Archie was
a hit from the start. Archie Comics has made several attempts to revive the
superheroes from the old days, but Archie and the gang remained the company's
top draw throughout the century, and arguably the stars of the best-selling humor
books of all time.
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Fine
Very Fine
Near Mint
Mint
$7500
$21,250
$25,500
$32,500
COMIC OF THE CENTURY #10
FUNNIES ON PARADE:
Everything Has To Start Somewhere
BEFORE 1933, COMIC BOOKS as we know them today didn't exist.
The newspapers were where most of today's great comic writers and artists would
have had to publish their work if they wanted to get into the business. Of course,
back then comic strips were more detailed -- and a lot more highly regarded -than they are today. Once the syndicates realized how popular their strips were,
they published hardcover and soft cover collections of the black-and-white daily
strips and the color Sunday comics.
In 1933, three men at the Eastern Color Printing Company in Connecticut
-- Harry Wildenberg, M.C. Gaines, and Leverett Gleason -- were amazed by the
full-color comics that rolled off their presses, especially their ability to increase
the sales of newspapers in which they appeared. They figured that the brightly
colored pieces of paper could also sell other products, if they were marketed in
the right way. The promotion was a success, and other manufacturers were soon
sold on the idea. The comic book, at least as a promotional item, was born. The
rest, as the saying goes, is history.
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Comic Book Collecting-for Fun and Profit, Chapter Three
When you go for advice about collecting comics, be sure and go to an
expert. We did. We went to James F Payette, a rare books and comic book dealer,
operating out of Bethleham, New Hampshire. With over eighteen years of
advising the Overstreet Guide, the most prestigious comic book price guide in the
world and over ten years on the Grading Committee at Sotheby‟s. Mr. Payette
brings a very personalized knowledge to the business of collecting. He also puts
his money where his mouth is by buying thousands and thousands of dollars
worth of collections, having often successfully bid on the top collections in the
world. At times he will pay up to 100% or more of your comic book price guide for
comics of special interest.
Mr. Payette at first made clear to us that not all collectors have the same
objectives. “There are really three types of collectors- those who collect for pure
enjoyment, those who invest purely for monetary gain and those who do a little of
both.”
“Knowing the cost of comic books these days, I certainly would prefer that
people invest in the long term, for themselves or for their heirs, rather than waste
their money on the huge number of comics that just cannot hold their value.
Among these comics, are one‟s that were published in the late 70‟s to the present.
These comics are published in the millions and have little or no true resale value,
although here and there, as in any era, there are some moments of interest.”
“So we want to pick our investments carefully- thinking, someday I want to
have something for all my trouble. “
“To do this, first, we must focus on higher grade books. These books
should also be highly collectible. They must be the right titles or be published by
the right companies. It might be best to invest in comics published before 1965,
VG (Very Good) or better. If you are going to buy something from 1965 to the mid
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70‟s, it ought to be 9.2 or better (that‟s Near Mint or better, according to
Overstreet). If I were to invest, I would certainly look at Timely Comics, which
fostered such masterful titles as the Sub-Mariner, the Human Torch and Captain
America. Most collectible are 1-75 of Captain America and 1-92 of Marvel
Mystery. 1-34 of the Human Torch is a nice, lucrative set of collectibles. Young
Allies is also a very nice title, whose early numbers have moved exceptionally
well. Timely evolved into Atlas and eventually into Marvel. There were probably
400-500 books put out by Timely. I would also look at Atlas products, who put
out a lot of Horror, War and Romantic comics before they morphed into Marvel.”
“Of course, there are the mainline DC investments, like Superman or
Batman. Be sure these are VG or better. Take a look at More Fun from DC. From
1-51, More Fun was kind of oriented to Adventure. But 52-100 brought in some
great Superheroes, like the first appearance of AquaMan and Doctor Fate.”
“Relatively scarce, Centaur comics, another company, are very collectibleas long as they are a very solid VG or better.”
“In general, you always do good with #1‟s. You do well with originals. You
do well with certain companies. Certain themes sometimes do better at one time
to another. Right now, classic horror comics- like weird Mysteries or Weird
Horror- have somewhat leveled out after a fairly recent peak. Be wary of media
splashes- like buying Daredevil because of the movie. These things don‟t usually
last.”
“Perhaps the most remarkable example of media splashing was the Death
of Superman fiasco, where DC published something like 5.2 million copies to the
point that it would be easier these days to find a Near Mint “Death of Superman”
than one in “Good” or “Fine” shape. I remember, shortly after the publication,
how one woman bought two copies so she could put her daughter though college.
That kind of fantasy thinking doesn‟t work well. There is a basic economics to
collecting. If there is no scarcity, there is not going to be much of a market. Of
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course, even with scarcity, there must be demand. If there is no demand, there is
no value whatsoever.”
If you are reading this and have a real good comic collection you wish to
sell (maybe you inherited it or are working on cataloging your uncle‟s favorite
comics), feel free to contact Mr. Payette at 603-869-2097 or email him at
[email protected].
26
The Different Ages of Comic Books, Chapter Four
Gemstone Publishing, which publishes the Overstreet Price Guide has been
leading the debate in trying to classify the ages of comic books, which formerly
were Platinum, Golden, Silver and Modern- with Bronze sometimes thrown in.
DATES
NAME OF AGE
1828-1882
1883-1938
1938-1945
1946-1956
1956-1973
1973-1985
Victorian Age
Platinum Age
Golden Age
Atom Age
Silver Age
Bronze Age
1986-1992
1992- ???
Copper Age
TRIGGER
Action #1
Showcase #4
Amazing #121
featuring Death of
Gwen Stacy
DC‟s Crisis
The purpose of this chapter is to allow the reader to get the sense of this
discussion and how this effects the value and goals of his collection. In our first
little discussion, we lump together the Bronze Age and the Modern Age into one
category.
Platinum Age
1897-1932
These comics were described in detail in the first chapter. They were
developed prior to the real comic book industry Very popular titles included the
Yellow Kid in McFadden Park, the Mickey Mouse Book, Buster Brown and his
Resolutions, Little Nemo. These are not necessarily all extremely hot items, but
even at Very Fine, they are pricey. And, as they deteriorate- and as comic book
historians continue to piece together the early history of the industry, they may
get more important.
Because of their priciness, the lack of public awareness of the titles
(because a lot of people who read them are now passed away) and their rarity,
they are not going to be candidates for the usual comic book collection. This is
27
not to say they are not fine for the sophisticated, knowledgeable collectorparticularly for those who wish to take their part in archiving comic book history.
The Golden Age
1933-1955
Spanning the 1930‟s and 1940‟s, the Golden Age of Comics not only
features a whole new cast of characters, artists and publishers but really
represents the beginning of the comic book industry.
The stars of this industry are “The Big Two,” DC (Detective Comics) and
Marvel, beginning in 1937 and 1938 respectively. As to titles, there are enduring
superheroes like Superman, Superboy, Batman, Captain America, Captain
Marvel, Green Lantern, Sub-Mariner; great kid comics like Little Lulu, Bugs
Bunny, Porky Pig, Archie; and others that once potent, are now obscure- like
Plastic Man, the Rawhide Kid and Tom Mix. The Golden Age set the stage for
everything else.
These items, depending upon the title, are very sellable- but, of course, the
condition is very important to get a good price. For this reason, you may not be
able to afford some of the better comics in the very highest grades. You need to
develop a reasonable perspective as to what you can and cannot collect from the
Golden Age.
The Silver Age
1956-1973
As Mitchell Brown notes in our Chapter on the Top Ten Comics of the
Century, the Silver Age begins with DC Showcase #4, which was released in
September 1956 with the reintroduction of the Flash. From 10 cents to $49,400,
as priced by our online price guide, well, that‟s what I would call appreciation.
28
The new Flash followed on the heels of a Senate Investigating committee
having been spurred on by the wide-ranging criticisms of comics, voiced by Dr.
Fredric Wertham. Actually, although many people did not appreciate Wertham‟s
excesses, magazines like “Tales of the Crypt Comics,” which was ultimately
banned New York State, were filled with hellish, disgusting gruesome images that
quite possibly had no redeeming value. There may have been some good that
came from Dr. Wertham‟s criticisms.
Great new titles began to come center stage- like the Amazing Spider Man,
Daredevil, the Incredible Hulk, X-Men, the Fantastic Four- many of which have
danced in other venues- like television and film. These characters were more
human, more real than the former superheroes and had more foibles and
eccentricities and soap-opera type problems than their predecessors.
The Modern Age
1974- Present
In 1971, the Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide was introduced
and set new standards for the Marketplace. New independents began to appear
like ElfQuest and Cerebus the Aardvark.
One of the weird fun things of the Modern Age was Eastern and
Laird‟s self-depreciating Teenage Ninja Turtles. This 3000 copy, self-published
bonanza roared to mainstream multimedia and toydom star status in a way that
proved that home brew still worked in America.
I am ambivalent about the Modern Age. Many reading this book won‟t
have that luxury because they weren‟t born until the Modern Age began. They
therefore won‟t know the pleasures of comic books being sold, hawked and traded
everywhere. Now, I admit that albatrosses like the “candy store” or the “drug
store” where they sold a variety of items besides candy or drugs and had a
required soda fountain- were not always as elegant as a comic specialty-shop.
29
Specialty-shops are now a mainstay of the comic business- but comics were not
so much art then as they are now. They were a part of fantasy and exuberance
and the joys of trading with your friends. I am saying they were part of life and
not so much a collectible treasure.
On the other hand, specialty comic book stores bring a certain
professionalism to the realm of collecting even if they are a product of a change in
the mass media atmosphere. So, in a sense, for the serious collector, they are a
kind of treasure in themselves, a newcomer to the industry that is now firmly
planted in the realities of distribution.
But this is an extremely limited view of the comic book ages and does not
even touch the real controversy and the depth that serious collectors and scholars
are approaching it. The following is an excerpt from a tremendous article on the
Ages of Comic Books. Click here for the entire article by Ken Quattro.
© 2004
by Ken Quattro
[email protected]
30
Special Thanks to Dr. Michael Vassallo
and Dr. Jerry Bails
Assuming that comic books are deserving of serious study and assuming
that future comic book historians need a framework on which to hang their
studies, then it follows that a logical framework needs to be constructed. As it
currently exists, the concept of comic book ages is a rickety patchwork of quaint
terms, myopic prejudices and totally arbitrary time spans. The entire premise and
terminology of comic book ages needs to be amended.
Certain terms, specifically Golden Age and Silver Age, have themselves
developed historical validity having been in use for many years. Indeed,
according to fanzine historian Bill Schelly, "The first use of the words "golden
age" pertaining to the comics of the 1940s was by Richard A. Lupoff in an article
called "Re-Birth" in COMIC ART #1 (April 1960)." Silver Age has a more vague
origin, but it came into common use sometime later, around 1965-66. To re-label
these periods now would cause unnecessary confusion. However, subsequent
terms, such as Atom Age (why not the Television Age?), Bronze Age, etc., not only
should be changed, but make little sense. The temptation to continue the "metal
motif" is the obvious raison d’être for most of these labels. The problem is that
they do little to either describe the eras or explain them. My proposal attempts to
remedy this.
There is a strong tendency amongst present day comic book fans and
historians to equate all of its history to superheroes and their comics. The fervor
of the fan sometimes overstates the true importance of the genre. While the
impact of superheroes, the main contribution of comic books to popular culture,
is indisputable, in reality the history of the medium has more variables than just
that one. Looking dispassionately at the history, it is apparent that changes
occurred periodically in reaction to outside events, economic factors and trends.
Industry wide changes in editorial direction should be the determining factor
when delineating the comic book Ages.
31
I am not the first to question the accepted comic ages definitions. Dr. Jerry
Bails, one of comic fandoms founding fathers and probably the first to look at
comic books historically, summed up his thoughts on the subject in an email to
me. "I did not prefer the terms Golden & Silver Age because the term Golden
Age was already in use by fans of syndicated strips. ''Golden Age'' referred to
the late 1920s and 1930s, when so many of the great newspaper strips were
thriving. I recall at the first significant fan gathering at my house, the Alley
Tally, I posted banners using the terms ''Second Heroic Age'' in a gallery of
original art I set up. I think that was 1964???
I preferred the terms First Heroic Age and Second Heroic Age to refer to
the 1940s and the emerging phenomenon of the 1960s, which I hoped would not
fade out again.
I would certainly NOT start the Silver Age in the mid-1950s. That is
entirely revisionist fantasy. The Martian Manhunter was a backup feature,
and did not spark any copycats. Ditto Charlton's brief efforts, and a few others.
Only Flash in the late 1950s, GL (note: Green Lantern), and the JLA
(Justice League of America) broke open the dike, and led Martion Goodman
to instruct Stan Lee to create a group-hero book. Others followed."
The second continuing problem with defining comic ages is that the
milestones are often arbitrary. To ascribe the end of the Golden Age to the end
of World War II is one such example. To end the Silver Age with either the end
of the 12 cent cover price or just the final year of the 1960s is another. Again, my
proposals hope to better define the time periods. That said, here is my comic ages
proposal:
32
Pre-Modern (1933 and earlier)
Nascent Age (1933-1938)
Golden Age (1938-1949)
First Heroic Era (1938-1955)
Genre Age (1950-1958)
Code Era (1955-1958)
Second Heroic Era (1956-1986)
Silver Age (1958-1968)
Neo-Silver Age (1968-1986)
Post-Heroic Age (1986-Present)
Third Heroic Era (1986-Present)
You will notice that I've subdivided several Ages into Eras. I did this in
order to hone in more closely to trends and influences that affected comic books.
These Eras don't necessarily correspond exactly with the Ages. Trends sometimes
precede an Age, as a harbinger of what would eventually become the prevailing
direction of the comic medium. Other times, they span several Ages. Here is how
I arrived at these Ages and Eras:
Pre-Modern & Nascent Ages: Important comic: Funnies on Parade (1933)
As Robert Beerbohm, Dr. Richard Olson and Doug Wheeler have written, while
Funnies on Parade wasn't the first comic book, nor was it the first to contain
original material, it was the first to be published in the format associated with the
modern comic book.
Mr. Beerbohm, et al. have conducted extensive research and continue to expand
the knowledge of these Ages. However, I believe lumping everything prior to 1938
33
(and post-Victorian) into a single "Platinum" Age dilutes the watershed
importance of this book and its subsequent imitators. The modern comic
continued to develop during this time period (1933-1938) and the proposed
Nascent Age recognizes that fact.
Golden Age: Important comic: Action Comics #1 (1938)
The first appearance of Superman not only was the single most important
event in comic book history, but resulted in the 'purest' and most easily agreed
upon starting point of any Age. Where I differ with the current definition is in the
duration.
Dawning concurrently with the Golden Age and the introduction of
Superman in Action #1, was the First Heroic Era.
Although the height of the Golden Age and the predominant superhero
genre may have occurred during the years of W.W.II, and many titles may have
ended soon after, the franchise comics of most stable publishers continued for
some time. The superhero genre lasted far longer. I set the ending of the Age in
1949 due to the ending of so many established comics and characters in that year.
A partial list includes: Human Torch, Sub-Mariner, Marvel Mystery, The
Flash, Green Lantern, Smash, Crack and the Green Hornet. All contained
super-hero strips and it's significant that so many ended in such a short time
period. The superhero genre continues (actually, limps) into the 1950s and truly
doesn't reach its nadir until 1955.
Just Fading Away...
With the end of World War II, many marginal costumed heroes
disappeared, particularly those from the plethora of small publishers that sprang
up in the War years. Over the next several years, the attrition rate accelerates as
the genre loses popularity and others gain. Finally, in 1949, most of the
34
remaining second tier heroes lose their comics and even franchise players begin
to give up. This trend continues into 1950.
TITLE
CHARACTER
LAST ISSUE
The Flash
The Flash, Hawkman*
Human Torch
Human Torch
35 (March 1949)
Green Lantern
Green Lantern*
38 (May-June 1949)
Black Terror
Black Terror
27 (June 1949)
Sub-Mariner
Sub-Mariner
33 (July 1949)
Moon Girl
Moon Girl
8 (Summer 1949)
Green Hornet
Green Hornet
47 (Sept. 1949)
104 (Feb. 1949)
* Continued appearing in All Star Comics until #57 (Feb.-March
1951), which in actuality went on sale in late 1950.
Comics in transition
Quite often, a costumed hero lost their venue as their comic was
transfigured into a different genre. Captain America provides a perfect
example as it evolved from a superhero comic into a horror book.
#70 (Jan. 1949)
#71 (March 1949)
35
#72 (May 1949)
The leading Timely/Atlas/Marvel historian, Dr. Michael Vassallo,
details the chronology at that company: "At Timely, the immediate post-war
period saw the rise of teen comics like Patsy Walker, Millie the Model and
others. By cover date Fall/47 Timely introduced 2 crime titles patterned after Lev
Gleason's Crime Does Not Pay. Timely released Justice Comics and Official
True Crime Cases. In 1948 they followed with Crime Fighters,
Lawbreakers Always Lose, Crime Exposed and Complete Mystery.
Following Simon and Kirby's Young Romance, Timely introduced their
romance comics with My Romance in 1948 and 29 other romance titles in
1949! Horror as a genre began with Amazing Mystries #32 (May/49) and
Marvel Mystery Comics #92 then changed to Marvel Tales #93 (Aug/49).
Then the 2 Captain America's Weird Tales issues, #74 (Oct/49) and #75
(Feb/50). With #74 & 75 superheroes at Timely were dead and the genres took
off."
The transition in a microcosm
Probably no comic went through more changes than the EC title Moon
Girl. What had started out as their lone superhero book in the Fall of 1947,
became a virtual chameleon, changing genres every few issues. Moon Girl #5
(Fall 1948) contained EC's first horror story, Zombie Terror. By issue #7 (MayJune 1949), the title had changed to Moon Girl Fights Crime, to cash in on
36
that popular genre. With #9, the title becomes A Moon, A Girl...Romance
(Sept.-Oct. 1949), breathlessly relating "True Stories of Young Love."
The short, strange trip ends when the title disappears totally with #12 (MarchApril 1950) and has its numbering taken up by one of the defining titles of the
Genre Age, Weird Fantasy #13 (May-June 1950).
Genre Age: Important comics: EC "New Trend" titles, among them Crypt of
Terror #17, Weird Science #12 [#1] and Weird Fantasy #13 [#1]
(all 1950)
The transition from the Golden Age into the Genre Age took place over
a period of several years. With the ending though, of so many established
costumed character comics the preceding year and the advent of the very
influential EC "New Trend" titles in 1950, this seems to be a likely line of
demarcation.
Using the revamped EC line as a starting point is a logical choice. Most
assuredly, EC did not publish the first science fiction comic, or the first horror
comic, or the first war comic, but they defined those genres with well-crafted
comics and their success spawned a phalanx of imitators.
It should be mentioned that the First Heroic Era lingers into this
Age, but suffers casualties along the way. By 1955, the list includes; the Black
Cat, the entire Fawcett Marvel clan and the Timely triumvirate of Captain
America, Human Torch and Sub-Mariner. After a brief encore, these
characters finally disappeared (in the first incarnations) by the end of 1955.
Plastic Man, alone among the non-DC super-heroes, made it into 1956.
37
The Code Era was a very important influence not only on the
Genre Age, but even upon the subsequent Silver Age. To ignore
this fact by not crediting it with its own historical period is a major
oversight of the current system. The emasculation of the E.C. line
and its imitators along with the editorial changes necessitated to
comply with the Code altered the entire industry. Traditional comic history
roughly overlaps the installation of the Comics Code with the beginning of the
Silver Age. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Silver Age was a
Renaissance of the industry, while the Code Era nearly caused its death. The
Code resulted in the collapse of some publishers, reduction in others and
retrenching by most of the survivors.
Tales from the Code Era
No comic book company suffered as much or as publicly as EC.
Publisher William Gaines made his famously impassioned if flawed, defense of
his comics before the Senate subcommittee investigating the industry. In the
pages of his comics and in the bulletin of the EC Fan-Addict Club in particular, he
pled his case to his devoted readers. "Your editors sincerely believe that the
claim of these crusaders...that comics are bad for children...is nonsense. If we, in
the slightest way, thought our horror comics, crime comics, or any other kind of
comics were harmful to our readers, we would cease publishing them and direct
our efforts toward something else!" (from EC Fan-Addict Club Bulletin #3,
June 1954).
The handwriting, however, was on the wall and as they announced in
the September 1954 Fan-Addict Club Bulletin, "...we at E. C. are giving up!
WE'VE HAD IT!" Desperately, EC sought ways to comply with the Comics Code
they had signed onto out of necessity. Drained of the violence and 'disturbing'
subject matter they were known for, the results were a bowdlerized, no longer
'weird', science fiction book entitled Incredible Science Fiction and painfully
38
non-engaging New Direction titles such as Psychoanalysis ("stories of people
searching for peace of mind through the modern science of psychoanalysis").
A brave effort branded Picto-Fiction attempted to circumvent the Code
by presenting 'adult' comics in a black and white magazine format. The same
format that was wildly successful for Mad was a commercial failure for such
titles as Shock Illustrated. Neither fish nor fowl, they left retailers scratching
their heads where to rack them, misread their core market and the consequential
poor sales led to a quick death. Nearly a decade later, Jim Warren would revive
the format, beyond the clutches of the Code, successfully in his horror books,
Creepy and Eerie.
However, not all companies suffered equally during the Code Era.
Neither Gilberton, publishers of the Classics Illustrated comics, nor Dell
submitted their comics to the Comics Code Authority for its approval. They didn't
feel that it was necessary.
Gilberton enjoyed marginal respectability (and the thanks of homework
pressed students) for its visual representations of 'real' books. Meanwhile, the
Dell imprint ran on a wide range of licensed material that was generally viewed
favorably, or at least innocuously, by the public.
Dell president and CEO Helen Honig Meyer's assertion during
Congressional hearings that, 'Dell comics are good comics,' was such a powerful
statement that it became part of the ubiquitous Dell Pledge to Parents that
appeared on their books in the late 1950s. Their claims resonated with concerned
parents and were reflected in their sales as their flagship licensed title, Walt
Disney's Comics and Stories, often sold over two million copies a month.
Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #197 (February 1957)
39
Silver Age: Important comics: Showcase #13 & 14, Lois Lane #1,
Challengers
of
the
Unknown
#1,
Adventure
#247
(all
1958)
Here lies my greatest disagreement with the current historical ages.
Showcase #4, which featured the origin of the revamped The Flash, is most
assuredly an important comic book. However, its currently accepted place as the
starting point of the Silver Age is incorrect. As mentioned earlier, the prevailing
influence on comic books at this time was the adoption of the Comics Code
Authority in 1955. The companies that survived its impact were desperately
trying to find ways to continue publishing under its strict guidelines. Showcase
was DCs forum for trying out potential comic book formulas and The Flash was
but one of the trial balloons. As Dr. Bails has pointed out, The Flash didn't
really catch on until his third Showcase appearance, in issue #13. That same
year, Lois Lane became the first Showcase graduate to get her own title,
followed quickly by the Challengers of the Unknown. Amazingly, in
approximately the same month (April 1958), the first appearance of the popular
Legion of Super-Heroes occurred in Adventure #247.
By late 1958, the first issue of The Flash's new comic, #105, appeared
on the newsstands (though dated early 1959) along with the first new offerings
from Atlas following its disastrous "implosion" in 1957. Dr. Michael Vassallo
explains, "After the implosion Stan Lee used up inventory and new work by
Maneely, Ayers and Keller on the westerns and Goldberg, Weiss and Hartley on
the teen books. Fantasy and war was old inventory. Then in mid 1958 Stan
called back a small core of artists. Kirby, Ditko, Heck, Reinman, Sinnott and
Ayers are the core but Forte, Williamson, Wildey, Forgione and others also
contribute. Strange Worlds #1 (Dec/58) is the first pre-hero type book in the
fantasy genre. World of Fantasy is next with Tales to Astonish, Tales of
Suspense, Strange Tales and a revived Journey Into Mystery. They start
as sci-fi type books but eventually morph into monster books by mid 1960. To
peg Marvel' s Silver-Age down you seem to need super-heroes and this would
really be FF (Fantastic Four) #1 but the roots of FF #1 are back in the
40
monster books. The same creators were working on them but they were going
nowhere. FF #1 jumpstarted everything."
Placing the beginning of this historic age in 1956 denies the prevailing
tenuous nature of the industry at that time. Calling Showcase #4 the first comic
book of the Second Heroic Era is accurate. But it occurred in the Genre Age,
not the Silver.
Neo-Silver Age: Important comics: Showcase #73, 74, 75, 76 & 77,
Iron Man #1, Captain America #1, Silver Surfer #1, Nick Fury Agent of
Shield #1, etc., (all 1968)
Perhaps the most misunderstood ending of one Age and beginning of
another. The problem arises from the fact that most of the predominant
characters and comics continued publication, unlike previous Ages, which were
signaled by the ending of established comics and characters. It was virtually a
sequel to the previous Age, yet it spawned new comics, new characters and new
directions.
The comic book industry, and DC in particular, had experienced a brief
boom and was beginning to suffering from a "post-Batman television series
depression" as the popularity of that show waned and the 'campy' trendiness that
dogged the industry in that period thankfully went away. The flurry of publishers
that sprang up and tried to profit from that superhero boom had either failed (i.e.
Tower's Thunder Agents, M.F. Enterprises version of Captain Marvel) or
gone back to what they knew best (Archie) by 1967. This left a de facto twocompany superhero market, despite the sometimes valiant attempts by Charlton.
There was also DCs increasing awareness of Marvel as the industry's
style setter. Marvel‟s brash self-image as 'The House of Ideas' bore a lot of truth
and its popularity with a 'hipper' audience than DCs core 12-year olds turned
heads at the long established industry giant. Their response to the Marvel threat
41
is noted by Christopher Melchert of Oxford University, England, who points out,
"Also significant about 1968: the sacking of what was it five? major writers at
NPP (note: National Periodical Publications, DCs official name at the time) & the
hiring of enthusiastic young fans like Skeates & Friedrich to take their places,
along with promoting Infantino & making various artists into editors to take
the place of the old writers like Schiff, Miller, & Weisinger."
In 1968, DC began a vigorous attempt to add life to its line with a series
of original concepts in its long-running Showcase title. The first of these was
Steve Ditko's DC premiere with The Creeper. DC had trumpeted for months the
arrival of Ditko to their ranks ("Steve Ditko Strikes Like Lightning!"). Ditko and
Jack Kirby were the main architects of the 'Marvel style' and his coming to DC
was a major coup. Ditko left Marvel over conflicts with Stan Lee and The
Creeper was a more personal hero in the mold of his Charlton character, The
Question. As described in the text introduction in Showcase #73, "As for The
Creeper, it wasn't just a matter of thinking up a new feature for
Steve...Bearing in mind all the past and current crop of comic magazine heroes,
we strived to create a different sort of hero."
Subsequent issues of Showcase featured Howie Post's Anthro,
Ditko's Hawk and the Dove, Aragones'/Cardy's Bat Lash and the Bob
Oksner humor comic, Angel and the Ape. They also began their 'mystery' line
of comics with the revamped House of Mystery #174. Even in their war comics
DC had changes with the ending of the bizarre, if entertaining, War That Time
Forgot series in Star Spangled War Stories and the revival of Joe Kubert's
classic, Enemy Ace in SSWS #138 (April/May 1968).
Many of DCs attempts this year appeared to be of the 'let's throw it
against the wall and see what sticks' variety. One of the monumental mistakes in
comic book history was the Joe Simon creation, Brother Power, The Geek.
The comic tried desperately to tap into the hippie culture of that time, but only
succeeded in being an embarrassment.
42
Meanwhile, Marvel itself was experimenting with the splitting of its
established anthology titles Strange Tales, Tales to Astonish and Tales of
Suspense into single character books. The Silver Surfer, Captain Marvel
and Capt. Savage premiered in their own comics this year and Marvel made its
first foray into the magazine format with the two issues of Spectacular SpiderMan and a collection of strips from various men's magazines entitled Pussycat
aimed at the adult market. What should be noted is that these books are the first
comics
published
by
Marvel
to
not
carry
the
Comics
Code
seal.
A Year of Changes...
Marvel added by division. A case in point: Strange Tales #168 (May 1968)
begat Doctor Strange #169 and Nick Fury, Agent of Shield #1 (both June
1968).
43
DC tried the opposite. In an attempt to save two struggling Silver Age
starwarts, they teamed them up in one comic. Two years before Green Lantern
and Green Arrow attempted it, The Atom and Hawkman combined forces in The
Atom and Hawkman #39 (Oct.-Nov 1968), one month after their own titles
ended.
In an effort to make a fading star more relevant and 'hip', DC drastically
revamped its leading lady, Wonder Woman, with #178 (Oct. 1968) of her
comic. In this issue, WW gives up her super powers and under the guidance of a
blind mentor named I Ching, becomes a martial arts crime fighter.
Obviously patterned after the Mrs. Peel character of the then popular TV show
The Avengers, she continues, sans costume and powers, until issue #204.
A similar renovation attempt, Blackhawk #242, in an issue drawn by
Pat Boyette, the old team and classic uniforms briefly return. Its fate, however,
had been predetermined and the comic was canceled, ending its original run, in
the very next issue.
...and Beginnings
44
The Neo-Silver Age was sparked by a definite change in editorial direction
for the major players at DC and Marvel in 1968. To accord its beginning to the
price change from 12 to 15 cents in 1969 is meaningless. It bore no more
significance than any previous or subsequent price change. To end the Silver
Age with the end of the sixties decade is another arbitrary line that has no
relationship to what was published. Some end the Silver Age with Kirby's
defection to DC or the publishing of Conan #1 in 1970, but neither event was
followed by the sea-change in content that occurred in 1968.
Post Heroic Age: Important comics: Watchmen #1, Batman: The
Dark Knight Returns #1 (both 1986)
The dissolution of the Silver Age universe began with DC‟s Crisis on
Infinite Earths in 1985. In 1986, however, not only did that important series
finish, but also two highly influential series started. Alan Moore's Watchmen
and Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns comics completely
changed the way super-heroes would be portrayed. Their "dark" and edgy
characterizations impacted the comic industry and redefined the heroic genre.
For that reason, I've called this the Post-Heroic Age that apparently continues
to this day. Note too that this redefined hero model gives rise to the Third
Heroic Era.
45
Daredevil #168 (Jan. 1981)
Swamp Thing #20 (Jan. 1984)
Both Watchmen and The Dark Knight had antecedents that were
vanguards of this Age. Miller's work on Daredevil, particularly the issues he
scripted starting with #168, lay the groundwork for the anti-hero paradigm he
fully realized in his characterization of Batman. Moore's Swamp Thing issues
(beginning with #20) took comics in directions never explored before in
mainstream books and subsequently, beyond the constrictions of the Comics
Code Authority. The highly individualistic, and successful, work produced by
these creators induced the two industry giants to give greater creative freedom to
all artists and writers.
A parallel development that defines this Age is the rise of the creator
owned comics. This trend had a sporadic past, first manifested in underground
comics and the independent work of such artists as Dave Sim (Cerebus),
Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Pini's
(ElfQuest).
Emboldened by the success of Eastman and Laird, a brief burst of black and
white independent comics, circa 1984-86, proved to be a fertile ground for young
artists and widened the opportunities for creative efforts beyond the mainstream
publishers.
46
Eventually, with the clarity that comes with some distance over time, the PostHeroic Age may be further fragmented into defining Eras.
Hopefully, these offerings will be seriously considered. The purpose of
these proposals is not to cause controversy, but to provide a coherent language
for the discussion of comic book history. Many years of research and many
conversations with comic book fans and historians led to these conclusions.
Obviously, there is still much more research and refinement to be done and these
proposals will surely evolve.
47
Legendary Artists of the Comic Book Industry, Chapter
Five
WILL EISNER
Will Eisner, an icon of the comic book industry, was born in
Brooklyn in 1917. During the latter part of his life he would chronicle growing up
in the New York tenements in a series of legendary graphic novels. His first comic
works debuted in “Wow! What a Magazine,” a short-lived venture that functioned
solely to cement his friendship with Jerry Iger. This friendship would blossom
into Eisner and Iger, home of the Eisner-Iger Studio, which was the first outside
studio to supply comic book art for publishers and helped developed artists like
Bob Kane and Jack Kirby who became giants in the industry. His first strip was
called Scott Dalton. Then came Mess Em Up Donovan, followed by Eisner‟s Hawk
of the Seas.
Eisner‟s work gained commercial acceptance because he pioneered his art
during a period in which the life of the dying pulps were transfusing their
commercial blood into the new comic book genre.
But history making or not, the partnership ended fairly soon later and in
1939 Eisner was with another company, helping to develop a 16-page syndicated
feature that turned into “The Spirit,” the vigilante detective, who became Eisner‟s
best known character. This feature became the laboratory for Eisner‟s ground48
breaking cartooning techniques, which brought the drama of film-making into
the dramatic quality of exciting new “splash pages,” focused lighting and
drawings cast at thrilling angles, as if seen through the lens of a camera. Above
all, there was the story. Eisner became a master of sequential art.
After a stint in World War II, Eisner came back to work on the Spirit,
somewhat tarnished by his departure. Great-cartoonists-to-be Jules Feiffer and
Wally Wood joined him in his attempt to renew the vitality of the Spirit, a
character that would endure for decades afterwards. His American Visuals
Corporation, a commercial art company, was launched soon afterwards- taking
his cartooning talents into more commercial and educational fields. In 1978,
Eisner returned to the comic art form and developed 4 sequential art pieces
called, “A Contract with God” which Eisner has said was the first
attempt to produce a serious editorial, very adult and substantial material in this
medium. This was followed by a set of graphic novels, including one that explored
his life in New York as a young boy. Eisner tried to bring a new dimension to
comic art, outside the realm of children‟s stories.
We explore some of Eisner‟s influence in our final chapter. He taught at
the School of Visual Arts in New York, where he lectured on sequential art and
tried to impart a knowledge of storytelling to his eager protégés. His two books,
Sequential Art and Graphic Storytelling were enduring contributions to the
teaching of sequential art. He has been the inspiration and host for the Eisner
awards for many years.
BOB KANE
Bob Kane, who died at 83 in 1998, was the co-creator of Batman, one of
three comics (including Superman and Wonder Woman) in continuous
publication for over fifty years. His career began when working for Jerry Iger and
Will Eisner at their studio at Fiction House. During the end of his stay at the
49
Eisner-Iger studio, he also worked at DC Comics, where Superman had begun his
endless flight.
He developed Batman with writer, Bill Finger, who was his collaborator on
a number of adventure stories before the Dark Night was conceived. How did this
come about? In looking at a book of inventions by Leonardo DaVinci, Kane was
seized by the image of a flying machine in the drawings. One of a giant sled
driven by a man with giant bat wings and the enigmatic phrase, “Your bird will
have no other model than that of a bat. Another influence was Douglas Fairbanks
Sr.‟s “The Mark of Zorro,” depicting a prosperous Spanish nobleman in the day
and fought injustice as Zorro at night.
Unlike many other unfortunate comic books artists, Bob Kane sought and
obtained a copyrighted interest in Batman, which was propelled to ever-greater
levels of popularity by many other talented artists. Batman was launched in
Detective #27 in May of 1939. (See Mitchell Brown‟s description of this piece in
Chapter 4). Other credits include the development of the Courageous Cat TV
series and the character, Cool McCool. Work on the campy, but highly successful
Batman series, was his ticket to Los Angeles. During the latter part of his lifetime,
he did a lot of appearances and exhibitions in art galleries.
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ROBERT CRUMB
I was never that much of a funny comic book fan, except in my earliest
days of Little Lulu and Donald Duck. I was much more a serious superhero kind
of guy. But the works of Robert Crumb, growing up in the 1960‟s always
resonated with my funny bone. Most of all I loved Mr. Natural, an anti-guru if
there ever was one.
Crumb, was born in 1943, in Philadelphia
and was destined to become the victim of a
dysfunctional
family.
He
was
prodded
into
cartooning by his older brother, Charles, who
became a kind of slave master/mentor to the young
artist, with Pogo and Little Lulu as key influences.
Depressed and saddened by his lot in adolescence,
Crumb decided to “get revenge on the world by
becoming a famous cartoonist.” But his world changed and he achieved his
primal inspiration when he discovered Harvey Kurtzman and Mad Magazine.
Years later, Crumb would approach Kurtzman with an infamous early rendering
of Fritz the Cat which eventually landed him a short term position with Kurtzman
at Help!, which eventually published the Cat.
With the psychedelic revolution
and 1967 came Crumb‟s Zap Comics and the beginning of world notoriety,
including the creation of Mr. Natural and his friends, Schuman the Human and
Flakey Foont.
Crumb‟s work has really escalated since the days when he and his wife
were selling Zap Comics, created on a crude, hand-fed press, on the streets of San
Francisco and to selected head shops for pennies. Is Crumb the Vincent Van
Gogh of underground comics, destined to shoot the rooftops off of auction
houses?
NEAL ADAMS
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Neal Adams started training early as an artist. He pursued his chosen field
at the School of Industrial Arts when he was thirteen and, upon leaving school,
was immediately rejected by DC Comics, his company of choice. Instead of DC, he
wound up at Archie comics, where he did artistic surgery on Ben Casey for a
number of years- until the mid 60‟s. His subsequent work at Warren Publishing
brought him in collaborative contact with science fiction giant, Harlan Ellison,
who he worked with for decades.
Adams broke through into new territory when he helped developed
“Deadman,” a carnival character that lived on as a ghost, hunting for revenge.
With his entry into the Brave and the Bold series, Adams helped engineer weird
team-ups, including ones with Deadman. His move to Marvel precipitated the
resurrection of a doomed title that would bring him enhanced notoriety and
introduce characters that would eventually create the legend that X-Men
eventually became.
Returning to DC in 1970, Adams began a great deal of revolutionary
artistic work- from Man-Bat to Green Lantern/Green Arrow. 1974 brought him
the legendary assignment, Superman vs Mohammed Ali. Later on, he would work
on the famous Twilight Zone series with Harlan Ellison.
Eventually, Neil Adams developed Continuity Comics, which morphed into
a more comprehensive multi-media business called Continuity Studios.
Checkout more about Neil‟s background and his current activities at Neal
Adams' offical website.
WALT KELLY
I don‟t know. There was always something about Pogo. He was developed
by versatile cartoonist, Walt Kelly, who was born in 1913 in Philadelphia. Fortune
52
smiled on him as a young man and, in 1936, he found his place as an animator,
working for Walt Disney. After working on such legendary masterpieces as
Dumbo and Fantasia, he found himself in the middle of a strike. He chose to
vacate Hollywood for the cool wasteland of Connecticut where he went to work
for Dell, working on several titles, including Animal Comics, which proved to be
the first platform for the amazing Pogo.
Like everyone else, Walt got caught up in the war and wound up writing
prosaic army manuals. When he came back, he brought Pogo to the newspapers,
first to the ill-starred New York Star, which lasted about eight months- and then
to the more enduring New York Post. Pogo became a vehicle for Kelly‟s wit and
social commentary. Walt got into a lot of trouble for this commentary,
particularly during the McCarthy era.
He was often banned or yanked from the comic pages, but, like his
characters, he endured, regularly running Pogo for President. Okefenokee,
despite everything, appeared all over the country and Pogo became the poster
child for Earth Day. “We have met the enemy and he is us,” proclaims the image,
as Pogo walks beside a garbage dump in the middle of a forest.” His critics could
not silence Kelly. He died in the 1970‟s, having showed the power of comic books
to affect public sentiment.
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Grading Your Comic Books, Chapter Six
Grading comic books can be fun and is an essential part of estimating a
correct price, for buying and for selling. But it is not necessarily easy and the
novice could easily overlook what the professional or seasoned collector could
spot in a New York second, particularly in the better grades.
The one requirement for decently grading a comic book is a profound sense of
self-honesty. There is a lot to wish for, particularly when one is buying or selling a
comic book and it is all connected with its grade. You have to abandon everything
to the grim god of objectivity and brute realism. You have to look carefully at
everything. Is the comic book ripped or torn? Is it creased or wrinkled? Did some
old tape pull off and leave a splotch of color from a pristine cover? Is the paper
aging visibly? Did someone mark up the book, perhaps even leaving a little dab of
magic marker?
We will discuss only the most conventional grading processes. There are some
alternatives and probably more precise methodologies of grading- like the
decimal system used in the Overstreet Comic Book Price guide.
Mint
You don‟t need to be a genius to get this one. The comic book has to be
practically perfect- like you just bought it fresh and new. Wonderful, bright
colors; gleaming, clean staples; properly flexible, clean, fresh paper; a nicely put
together spine. Don‟t get uptight about your ultimate decision, but, again, don‟t
lie to yourself. Mint is mint. Any imperfection has got to be almost invisible.
Near Mint/Mint
What a difference a slight imperfection makes? And that‟s the difference
between Near Mint/Mint and Mint. No crying. Continue to grade.
Near Mint
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You are actually still in a very good place. A very good price, too- so, take a
deep breath and be sure this baby is close to perfect, with an emphasis on the
word “close” (which also means “near”). Scrutinize the book for bindery tears
over 1/6th of an inch, visible stress marks, the cover even a little slightly faded?
Rust free staples. Square corners. Paper like new. Spine flat. Everything you
always wanted from a comic with, perhaps, some tiny imperfections to mar your
perfect view. Like a towering, uncannily picturesque mountain with a tiny sloping
hill in the corner, barring a complete view of an intriguing, rugged northeastern
slope hardly noticed in the entire breathtaking splendor.
Very Fine/Near Mint
Slightly less, but still very appealing. A half a grade worse.
Very Fine
Still holds its own- bright, flexible pages with a corresponding bright, flat
color. Stress lines and a bit longer (1/4”) crease- OK. A slight discoloration of the
paper- tan to yellow is allowed.
Fine
You look at this and you know it‟s been read, but it‟s also been treasured- or,
at least, adequately preserved, by accident. Cover has a slight bluntness, but still
some brightness. Pages haven‟t turned brittle, but yellowing, quite possibly, has
begun.
Very Good/Fine
Another subtle hybrid.
Very Good
This comic is intact, but used, somewhat creased- somewhat faded, somewhat
soiled. It could even have a ¼” triangle missing from corner. All kinds of
stamping and marking from stores or distributors are permitted in this grade.
55
Even a loose cover with bindery problems and page corrosion is allowed. Even
some tape damage.
Good/Very Good
A little less than very good.
Good
All pages and cover, but pieces might be missing. ½” triangle or ¼” square
may be missing. All kinds of creases, scruffing, soiling, fading, but it‟s still whole.
Fair/Good
I want to say, “why bother?” but I won‟t.
Fair
Fairly horrible condition- soiled, faded, torn- up to 1/10 of the cover missing.
Readable, but barely. This is the last stop on the road for a serious collector.
Worth about 50-70% of value.
Poor
You‟ll recognize this one, all right. It‟s got tears and stains and mildew and
dullness in the cover. Chunk of the cover and pieces of the pages are missing or
marked up. A page may be missing, but it must be clearly noted for this messy
monstrosity to even get this grade. You don‟t want this in your collection, unless
there is something exceptional about it. Give it to your little sister or five-year-old
daughter, whatever‟s appropriate.
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Cataloging and Pricing Your Collection, Chapter Seven
At the outset, we would recommend that everyone who is going to collect
comic books, invest in “The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide,” the single most
authoritative price guide on the market today. Even if you were going to look at
other price guides, it would be unfortunate if you would not take this resource
seriously as a barometer of honest, pricing information. You can review this all
encompassing guide and decide for yourself how useful it may be at:
http://www.comic-book-collection-made-easy.com/overstreet
Another famous price guide is Wizard Magazine. Their price guide is basically
oriented
on
currently
published
books.
Check
out
their
website
at
http://www.wizarduniverse.com.
One interesting free price guide is http://www.comicspriceguide.com. Anyone
can use it and it appears to be fairly comprehensive.
One of the coolest resources we‟ve found for comic book collecting is a
company called Nostomania. Nostomania allows you to manage your collection
on-line for free- all in one place, with a lot of other resources, if you appropriately
register.
In this article, we are specifically recommending Nestomania for its assistance
in helping you develop your catalog online.
Want to play three-dimensional chess with your inventory list? With
Nostomania, you can view your collection in different tiers. For instance, you can
see the value of your entire collection at a glance and can see the value of each
title. Your collection can be developed as a whole, but also displayed as a sales
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and want list. These lists can be printed and archived separately or taken with
you to your local comic convention or friend‟s house.
At the next page, the website summarizes each title in your collection- with
items in your collection proper, items that you want and items you wish to sell.
There‟s also a summary of the item. You can move your items around in this
page, Items may be easily moved from sale list to collection, collection to sale list,
want list to collection list, deleting items that you don‟t want anymore.
Finally, at the third tier, you can see and modify the details for any item in
your collection, sales or want list. Any changes made here will automatically be
entered in the appropriate place for the rest of your collection. To get into the
details of this, go to www.nostomania.com.
Your Friendly Comic Book Specialty Shop
We asked Erin Scott, manager of the Allston Branch of New England Comics,
to give us her opinion about collecting comics and how she helps collectors.
Her first piece of advice is rather simple, but very important.
MAKE SURE YOU LIKE IT!
Then she goes on to say“Collecting comics can be fun. Hunting down back issues in row after
row of bins, trading issues with other collectors via the internet or mail, getting a
great deal on that first appearance of your favorite character and being able to say
you have the entire run of something is totally awesome. It's a medium that is
not only great to look at but can also tell a fantastic story. So when people ask me
questions about collecting, there are a few things that I think are important and
that I try to pass onto my customers that come into my store.
58
First off is the idea of supply and demand. Many collectors are not
familiar with this concept and therefore do not understand why the comics they
bought 5 years ago are still worth cover price. Comics from the Golden and Silver
Age are valuable because you want them and there are not enough in existence
for everyone to have them. There are several reasons why people did not use to
collect everything they came in contact with. For example; paper drives during
WWII, no specialty comic book stores, and finally the good old "my mom threw
away my whole collection when I was away at camp/college/army" etc. story.
Therefore the older comics are worth more because there is more demand than
there is supply.
The second and central idea is to really like what you're collecting; do it
because you enjoy the medium not because you think that someday you're going
to be rich. I feel this is especially important in a field such as comic books.
Because, face it, comics are mass-produced in an era where everybody is
collecting something. The chance that your collection of comics from 1990 on up
will make you a fortune in 20 years is delusional.
Therefore, when people ask me if I think their collection (of modern
comics) is worth a lot or going to be worth a lot I tell them no, at least not for 50
more years. And when somebody asks me what's collectible, I ask him or her
what they like to read. This way even if you don't make bank when you decide to
sell off your collection, you at least got enjoyment out of the process and the
medium. This is not to say you shouldn't collect, just that one should be realistic
in their goals and comfortable with their time and financial investment.
So get out there people, elbows deep in the bins and dig, Dig, DIG your way
towards the completion of your collection. Explore the racks for the new and ever
evolving comics of today that could be the ace collection of tomorrow.
Erin Scott is manager of New England Comics-Allston branch. New England
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Comics
has
7 stores
in
the Boston
area
and
can
be
reached
at
[email protected] Their website is www.newenglandcomics.com.
Comic Book Conventions, Chapter Eight
A „ComiCon‟ is a comic book collector‟s convention and was first deployed
in 1964 by Bernie Bulnis, who organized a New York Convention. Comicons can
last for days. An example of this would be the “San Diego ComicCon,” which was
developed by Shel Dorf. As one comic artist, told me, this comicon is a much
bigger affair than just a comic book convention- actors, publishers, producers,
writers- everybody hangs out in San Diego because this is where things begin to
happen.
Cons are places to meet friends, artists, publishers and dealers. One major
advantage of a ComiCon is the chance for a collector to get autographed comics or
other forms of comic book art. In our last chapter, we will meet Mark Sparacio
and learn how an emerging comic book artist relates to fandom and the very
positive symbiotic relationship formed between an artist and the patrons- who, in
this case are comic book fans- of his art.
COMIC BOOK CONVENTIONS
There are so many comic book conventions, there is not room enough to
list them in this book Fortunately, the Net has some great resources for catching
up on the latest schedules and dates. For a very focused list of conventions and
plenty of information and discussion about them, go to:
http://www.comicbookconventions.com/
Comic Book collecting is an international affair. There are conventions
literally held all over the world. Just to give you an example of some of the
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conventions here in the United States, here are a few links in a quasi-geographic
way.
COMIC BOOK CONVENTION LINKS
Atlanta’s ComiCon
http://www.atlantacomicconvention.com/
Baltimore’s Comic-Con
http://comicon.com/baltimore/
Central Texas Comic Book Show
http://www.jmventertainment.com/comicbooks.html
Chicago’s ComiCon
http://www.wizardworld.com/home-ch.html
Dallas ComicCon
http://www.scifiexpo.com/
New York’s Comic Book, Art and Toy Show
http://www.bigapplecon.com/
San Diego’s Comic-Con
http://www.comic-con.org/
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Preserving Your Collection, Chapter Nine
For any potential comic book collector, it‟s best to go into collecting with
the understanding that the collection has to last long enough to be traded or sold
or kept in perfect shape as long as probable. Grading of comic books, that is
evaluating them on the basis of their condition, is a fundamental part of comic
book collecting and will likely remain an essential component as long as people
collect comic books. After all, comic books are really no different than postage
stamps, toys or vintage clothing and require special treatment to maintain their
value. But, unfortunately, the fact that a comic book is made out of paper- puts it
under significant environmental stress from the moment of its manufacture. The
tiniest imperfection, according to modern grading techniques, a stain, wrinkle or
crease can drive it to a much lower grade. And collectors very much appreciate
the Mint, Near Mint or very Fine Status. So great care must be taken, from the
outset, to guard the direction of this collection.
What are the immediate enemies of preservation? There are seven, which
the comic book collector needs to think of constantly. They are 1) Physical
damage 2) Moisture 3) Heat 4) Light 5) Air Quality 6) Biological contaminants 7)
The internal elements of the comic book itself- such as the quality of the paper
and the chemistry of the inks.
It‟s difficult to believe but the experienced collector needs to handle his
comics with extreme caution and avoid them being handled by careless or
inexperienced people, at least not without supervision. What‟s the use of having a
collection if in ten minutes your kid sister wreaks inestimable damage on the
cover of a prized Batman or, if you‟re older, your six year old spills ice cream on
an irreplaceable Teen Titans? Even you, yourself, the Supreme Collector must pay
homage to your collection by performing ablutions before perusal. This means
WASH YOUR HANDS! and do it very carefully so that the small amount of oily
substances do not tarnish and stain your collection. And you don‟t “rip” through
your comic books. Lay them down on a table or other flat surface so that you
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won‟t bend them or injure the way they are put together- with staples. Staples can
tear the paper or become bent themselves. Handle your comic books with carealways!
Outside of physical care in handling, a lot of your comic book preservation
will be spent in proper storage. This actually can be a real expense and cannot be
avoided. Using Mylar “D” sleeves and acid-free cardboard backing is probably the
most common state-of-the-art way. Stuff your comics in an acid-free storage box
custom-tailored for your comic books. Physical storage will help you handle
some of the various outside factors that endanger your collection.
For instance, physical storage in a dark, cool environment will prevent the
destruction of the delicate, comic book inks through light. While fluorescent light,
which has a high ultraviolet (UV) content, will wreak havoc with your beautiful,
catchy comic book covers, regular artificial lighting as well as sunlight can wreak
havoc on your collection also. Although you want your environment to be
relatively cool, you do not want it too moist- not only because of the direct
damage potential to your books through added moisture, but also because of the
dangers of biological infiltration, mainly through molds and fungus. The cool
temperature also puts a damper on fungus growth. Good air circulation will also
decrease the mold and fungus problem. Comics do not like garages and
basements- with the possibility of auto exhausts adding to the potential for the
corruption of the paper, making it yellow prematurely.
But, unfortunately, there is another problem- the mortality of the paper
and the acidity of the ink in the comic book itself. For the moment, there is no
permanent realistic answer to this problem. After awhile- and this could be a
good long while- the COMIC BOOK WILL EAT ITSELF! Old comics, owing to
these acids- and perhaps the natural processes of aging paper fiber- become
yellow and brittle. Comic books have a mortality that coins and toys do not have.
So factor this in before you begin a collection. If you were a genuine Highlander,
you probably would prefer hard-core antiques.
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Here are some cool sites that have state-of the-art comic supplies.
COMIC BOOK SUPPLY SITES
http://www.tcbulk.com/
http://www.grahamcrackers.com/
http://www.comic-book-collection-made-easy.com/milehighcomics
http://www.bcemylar.com/
http://www.iconusa.com/online/index.html
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Comic Book Art Collecting, Chapter Ten
When I first contacted Mark Sparacio, I was looking for some help in
developing a restoration component for this book. I had identified Mark as a
potential resource for this information, but when I got in touch with him I found
that he was no longer into restoration and was concentrating on work as a comic
book artist.
Mark and I grew up in Brooklyn and Long Island (he was in East Meadow and
I was in North Merrick). We shared a few common interests and it was enjoyable
talking to him on the phone for the first time, but I had worked with a lot of
artists and was generally disappointed in much of the art I would preview. But
later that evening, when I went to Mark‟s website, I saw these bright neon lights
flashing “talent” all over it, meaning I saw Mark as a very visionary, very
professional comic book artist.
What I did not realize, despite glimpsing some great pieces in his web
portfolio- that Mark was just beginning his journey.
Although, Mark had a great start in comic book art. In fact, when he was just
fifteen, he got a personal tour of the Marvel offices by famous artist, Marie
65
Severin, whose work he had admired as a child. As I got to know Mark and his
work, I began to realize that Mark was a true emerging artist in comic book art
and that his current direction would illustrate to the reader one of the main
sidelines of a comic book collector, collecting comic book art. But his life also
shows more- something about the traditions revolving around comic book art,
the passage of comic book artistry from one tradition to another; the
determination and will it requires to break into the industry and the relationship
between the comic book artist and his fans.
Like almost everyone who enters into the comic book world, Mark started off
as a fan. Around when he was fifteen, he and his best friend used to visit a small
gallery in Huntington, which hosted famous comic book artists. Mark began to
work for his friend‟s sci-fi magazine called “Probe” and the die was cast. He
decided to attend Manhattan‟s famous School of Visual Arts, where he wanted to
study under Will Eisner (see our cameo bio of Will Eisner). One of his best
classes was with Harvey Kurtzman, but he found that somewhat limiting as it
dealt with comic strip art and not the heavy duty, superhero sequential artwork
that Mark truly wanted to learn.
Through determination and dedicated rhetoric, he compelled Eisner to let
him in his class a year early and quickly entrenched himself as a serious student
of sequential art. As he puts it, “I also studied painting and was offered my first
job while still in school to illustrate a movie poster. I went into advertising
illustration right out of school and had a real good career there for almost twenty
years, so that's where I really developed my painting skills. I transferred this style
of painting to what I'm doing with comic book superheroes and the fans seem to
like it.”
What is strange about Mark‟s story is that his passion did not lead him in a
straight line. From a comic book apprenticeship, he wound up in advertising
illustration, honing his craft with a different set of objectives and processes. After
911, a sad event for Mark‟s family- when his brother-in-law died in the World
66
Trade Center attack- Mark‟s business, like others, began to suffer- and one early
morning, unable to sleep, he picked up a stack of comic books and began to read.
There was his answer. He would do something he truly loved. He would re-find
the thread of his dream.
He was fortunate to get some guidance from Rags Morales, a famous comic
penciller, who pointed him in the direction of doing comic covers. This led
eventually to the opportunity to show his work to Billy Tucci, who he met at a
convention. This led to continual work with Billy on his landmark comic, “Shi.”
You can see more of Mark‟s work with Shi at www.marksparacio.com.
As to his convention work- “I've been getting a very good response to my
paintings and I have been doing a lot of commissions lately with a few more lined
up. The fans that I've met have been terrific. They range from around 16 to 45,
mostly male. Of course, I know there are lot of women who are big fans of Shi. On
the whole, they are upbeat and friendly. I don't have a big reputation in the comic
book industry, yet, but the fans have stopped and spoken to me as if I did. It is
very satisfying to be respected and thought of so highly in regards to my artwork.
In the comics industry the fans want to see your signature and ask you for it. In
my twenty years in advertising I was not allowed to sign my paintings because I
67
was selling a product (and I guess not allowed to promote myself), so this is very
special and exciting for me. It's just great to meet nice people who like my work.”
And what about the technical aspects of his art? What about the limited
editions? “The materials that I use to do a limited edition print is a two step
process: first I do a fully hand rendered watercolor painting using Holbein
watercolors with Winsor and Newton series 7 paint brushes on 100% rag, acid
free Strathmore 400 series watercolor paper. After my painting is complete, I
have my lithographs printed on Howard Linen 80-lb. cover stock paper. In
regards to their being limited, I put a strict limit of 250 signed and numbered
copies. Currently, I am charging $700.00 for a fully hand painted watercolor
painting commission. But that may change.”
Final Thoughts
I hope this has given you an enlightening tour through the world of comic
book collecting. Although, I contracted this ebook out to my good friend and
partner on other projects, Johnny Blur Star, I have put in a sizable amount of
editing and formatting. He was able to put together a sizable amount of
information in a limited time. I am very grateful to him for that. Although, I did
find chapter 4, The Different Ages of Comic Books a little hard to follow, there is
some amazing discussion there.
And I really hope you drop by and visit me at my website on occasion. It has
been a fantastic experience putting it together for you and will continue to grow
over the coming months and years. Have a happy comic book collecting day.
Dave Gieber
Webmaster and Operator of
http://www.comic-book-collection-made-easy.com/ebook
And feel free to sign up for my comic book ezine “Comics Galore” at:
http://www.comic-book-collection-made-easy.com/ezine
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