Doctor Who, Flash, Gold Key, Valiant, Star Trek, and assorted other oddities.

I started out collecting a a very young age. I was about 8 years old when I purchased a cop of Alpha Flight #1 with Fantastic Four #257 at the 7-11 down the street from the pool we frequented. I was introduced to the earlier that summer by an uncle who was into Byrne X-Men at a time when it was really cool. We sometimes forget that there was a time before message boards, before Internet, before monthly price guides and speculating, and yes, before CGC. Comics were about the pure joy of stories and artists, and the most collectable thing about comics was, well, comics.

I can also remember things like the death of Robin, the excruciating wait to find who in fact DC was going to "kill off" of one of their greatest franchises. I thought for sure it was going to be Alfred or Comissioner Gordon. We were shocked to hear it was Robin. And, then there was the eager anticipation of crossovers, new titles, and of course, independent releases. Some don't know or remember that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was in fact a magazine-sizes rarity at first that few shops carried, and it wasn't until the comic and movie craziness that it was in every shop, albeit by then regular comic-sized.

It was many years into the hobby that I found myself immersed in the many loves I now enjoy. The Flash was around 1993, although I'd owned many Flash books growing up, a friend hooked me on the Wally West series of the 90's. Doctor Who was in my interests in 1986, but I didn't get into the comics until the mid-to-late 90's. And, the boom of Valiant Comics still echoin today ushered in an appreciation for the Gold Key series that spawned them. I'm working towards a full set of every Magnus Robot Fighter, Solar Man of the Atom, and Turok Som of Stone ever printed. Turok's 130 issues are daunting, and expensive, but it's certainly a goal. I'm also hopeful of owning the entire silver ago Flash run, and every Doctor Who comic graded CGC 9.6 or higher one day. I think it's good to set goals.

Of course, the future Is full of so many wonderful possibilities. Valiant is returning. Doctor Who is running strong in the seventh series of the new show. Flash has been reborn as a significant member of the DC universe, and so many fans are coming to or returning to the hobby everywhere you look. The overproduction of the late 90's may have finally had its venom wear off enough. There are movies about comics every year. And, it's almost to the point where a blockbuster every year is a comIc-inspired movie. There are many things to look forward to, for any fan. But, we should never forget what comics represent... Stories told with pictures to entertain and delight. Here's to many more decades in the future!