0
  • entries
    127
  • comments
    0
  • views
    1,506

Entries in this journal

What are the gems in your collection?

For me the comics I consider the greatest gems aren't first appearances or super high grades per say or the most desirable or most valuable. They are comics that, at least at this point, are entirely unique as in I own the only one in existence. This to me brings the whole idea of preservation to the forefront. Here is my list of my collections top gems. 4. Western Comics #25, A 9.0 isn't stunning but it does have white pages. What makes this one special is it is the only CGC graded copy in ex
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

Would You Purchase?

A Mile High Comic at 2 to 3 times guide There are lots of Pedigree's and from my experience most are priced just about exactly the same as non-Pedigree comics. There might be a slight bump but not much over 5%. However, Mile High comics are priced generally at 2 to 3x guide. There are at least three examples I have in mind of a comic priced at over 2x guide because they are Mile High and they have sat there for at least several years. You might think these are just sellers fishing but I don't
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

A Steal of a Deal on EBAY

Latest addition to my collection I am super pleased to unveil my latest acquisition. This year has been absolutely amazing when it comes to auctions for me and this one may be my best deal yet. I won issue 122 of All American Western. This is the ONLY CGC graded copy of the issue. It's a golden age comic from 1951 graded 9.4 with white pages and an awesome Alex Toth cover. This also puts me in the number one spot in the All American Western set. I won't tell the price I spent but let's just sa
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

Latest Addition to my Collection

Trying to reach number 1 is a pricey task. When building a Golden Age collection you have to take your opportunities when they arrive. In the case of Captain Marvel Adventures there are many issues with 5 or less graded copies total so if you miss your chance you may never see it again. I had set a spending limit for myself but found an auction item I couldn't pass up so I've gone into deficit spending that fills my quota into early September. I won a lovely 9.2 copy of issue 45 for over $200
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

Man of Steel Breaks all Sales Records

According to Wikipedia Man of Steel has made $2,555 million dollars. This puts it right behind Avatars 2.78 billion and it was done in less than 2 weeks. *ahem, I think Wikipedia may have an error To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

One Last Posting on Man of Steel

Man of Steel doesn't need my help and by the end of next weekend will likely pass the half billion dollar mark but I wanted to do one last posting in defense of the film. Of all the criticisms leveled at the movie the one that gets me the most is that this is a darker Superman. Even defenders seem to admit that this version of Superman is darker. No No No. The Superman in Man of Steel is as good or better than any other interpretation I've ever seen. What he did at the end of the movie was una
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

What I Disliked About Superman Returns

When Superman Returns came out in 2006 I went to see it with my wife and I was psyched. It was the first Superman movie in almost 20 years and the reviews were very favorable. When the John Williams theme kicked up as the audience flew through outer space I leaned over to my wife and warned her that I may geek out. And then the movie started. Within 2 minutes things started falling apart so here are the top five reasons why I didn't like Superman Returns.... 1. Lex Luthor. The first Christophe
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

What I Liked About Superman Returns

Superman Returns was a huge disappointment for me but there were some bright spots in the sea of bad. What I liked about Superman Returns 1.It was a lovely film to watch. For me the high point of the movie was Superman rescuing Richards Branson's plane. I loved the blue skies and the dreamlike quality of it all. There was a very calm lovely blue feel to the movie (except for the ugly New Krypton). Even the scene where Superman was spying on Richard and Lois was beautiful to look at and I enjoy
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

Message Board

Why Me??? For whatever reason my last two journals have not allowed people to respond on the message board even though I logged in. A shame since I love to be able to have people respond and it's a thread I'd love to discuss. To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

Man of Steel w/Spoilers

Don't read if you haven't seen the movie and don't want spoilers revealed. I've seen a lot of reviews from internet reviewers, often big fans of Superman who are foaming mad about this movie. Some anger is legitimate and some seems just bizarre. I've heard a lot of reviewers complain that the movie is just BORING. That one just doesn't resonate with me. Other complaints like the overuse of CGI are legitimate. So is Man of Steel appropriate for a 12 year old? I would say no. The volume of dea
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

Man of Steel

My take on the new movie I'm a big fan of Superman, my favorite superhero. I'm a fan but I'm not a fanboy and if I don't like it I'll tell it like it is. I found Superman Returns to be a tremendous disappointment and it's 75% on Rottentomatoes was incredibly generous. The casting and set design were awesome and it had its moments but the plot was terrible. Man of Steel, by contrast, has garnered a very weak aggregate 55% which as far as I'm concerned is equally inexplicable because it is so mu
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

Mid Year Assesment

As far as my CGC collecting is concerned this year has been almost all Captain Marvel Adventures. I've added six new issues and continued to slowly work my way towards the top position. Exceeding the 2009 Golden Age Set of the Year is going to be a long hard road. Mostly this year has been about focusing on one set and reducing my purchasing. Last year at this point I had purchased 11 CGC comics and bought 27 total throughout the year. This year I have purchased 7 CGC comics and intend to buy
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

Video Jack - Conclusion

The Sorry Final Issue Issue 6 opens with Pop Culture putting Jack through 'This is Your Life and Death' a takeoff of the old show 'This is You Life' He brings out Kojak, Jack's mom and Doreen in a rather pointless section. Damon then comes out and he and Jack engage in a long battle across channels. The comic starts using a whole ton of guest artists perhaps because they were just trying to complete the story and grabbed up anyone who could get them to that goal. Here are the various channels
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

Video Jack - Issue 5

Things are not going well for a series that started with so much promise The first guest penciller for issue 5 is Al Weiss. We see that Uncle Zach has zapped Jack and Damon into a pirate movie and Damon is the captain. Things look bad for Jack until Doreen and her own attack Damon's ship. An odd looking ship comes sailing up on the pirate ship captained by the now grayish green looking Uncle Zach who presses the remote sending everyone into one of those late night soap opera's (think Falcon Cr
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

Video Jack - Issue 4

Summary of Issue 4 Jack and Damon are still in the jail cell in the Andy Griffith show when they witness, what they previously thought was Otis, killing Deputy Fife with Fife's own gun. He turns it on the boys but Lucky for them Barney Fife only ever loaded his gun with a single bullet. The serial killer runs off deciding that a one on two fist fight wouldn't go in his favor. Jack and Damon head over to Floyd's barbershop to search for Kojak who previously swallowed the remote. Floyd had given
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

Video Jack - Issue 3

In my intro to Video Jack I wrote that it was a six issue limit series but I don't actually know that to be true. It does last six issues and it does have an ending but they may have rushed out the ending once the series was scheduled to be cancelled. I'll speak more on that later but it is about impossible to find out anything on Video Jack on the internet so I can only speculate. Suffice to say I don't see anything on the comic labeling it as a limited series which in 1987 would have been stan
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

Video Jack

Based on number of journal views it seems like a lot of people are losing (or never had) interest in Mr. A so I'm switching to something else. I'll return to Mr. A later. Video Jack was a six issue limited series from 1987 published under Marvel's EPIC line. Keith Giffen and Cary Bates are given co creator and plotting credits with Bates doing the scripting and Giffen the penciling. I would have been 17 when the comic first came out. The story opens in the town of Hickory Haven with the disc
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

Mr. A - When is a Man to be Judged

Don't think I dislike Mr. A or these stories. I actually finding them immensely fascinating and highly recommend them. In fact I wish there were more characters like Mr. A in mainstream comics. Not necessarily the same views but views and methods that are unconventional after all we live in a world where people believe all sorts of different things. Not only is it possible that a man in tights (or white dress suit) might hold unconventional beliefs it's probably more than likely. The tough part
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

Mr. A - Right to Kill

Let me start this journal by saying that comics are generally created for the purpose of entertainment. Mr. A is not about entertainment, Mr. A is about prosthelytizing the views of Ayn Rand and advocating a way of thinking and living. However if a writer is suggesting a viewpoint to be applied to the real world it would make sense that the stories should take place in the real world. For instance it wouldn't make sense to write a serious story where the solution to the proliferation of nuclear
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

Mr A - Part 1

I know I've been promising Mr. A for awhile but this is a tough one for me because you can't discuss Mr. A without getting political and CGC is certainly not a political forum but here goes. Mr. A is perhaps unique in the history of comics in that it is the baring of a writer's most cherished beliefs in comic form. But this is not just any writer, Steve Ditko is a comic legend. Frank Miller is another example of a highly regarded writer whose outspoken views have made it to the comic pages but a
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

Blue Beetle (The Question) Last Issue

Continuing The Question With each issue Ditko seemed to push the envelope a little further with the final issue being the most bizarre. An art critic named Boris Ebar goes absolutely ballistic when Vic's Sage's friend and television producer Nora Lace shows him a painting of a man standing in a triumphant pose. Boris is under the belief that the only worthwhile artwork is one where man is shown to be crushed by society, a shrunken huddled mass cowering in a corner. It's a strange view particul
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

Blue Beetle (The Question)

Part 1 of The Question The comic I'm discussing in this journal is The Blue Beetle but the character I'm interested in is The Question created by Steve Ditko for the first issue of the 1967 Blue Beetle series. The blank faced, trenchcoat wearing crime fighter was the inspiration for Rorschach from Alan Moore's Watchmen. In truth Rorschach was actually a combination of The Question and another Ditko creation called Mr. A who was essentially The Question taken to the nth degree. The Question w
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

Hawk and Dove

This week will be Steve Ditko week. I will start with the tame stuff and work my way up. If creating interesting characters that endure is a sign of success for a series than the 1968 Hawk and Dove series was a success. However as far as creating a long term comic run it was a failure and probably didn't need to be so. So what happened to cause it to last just 6 issues? Hawk and Dove were created by Steve Ditko and Steve Skeates for Showcase #75 with a premise that a writer could really run
David Swan1

David Swan1

0

Prez

I'm going to be staying on Joe Simon for one more day. Yesterday I said that I really enjoyed the awesome weirdness of Brother Power the Geek but I can't say the same about Prez. You would expect a comic like Brother Power to be surreal but I wasn't expecting Prez to be even stranger. Prez Rickard ends up benefiting from a new Constitutional Amendment that dramatically lowers the age of presidential eligibility by becoming the first teenage president of the United States. There is a whole l
David Swan1

David Swan1

0
0