Calling All Warrior Magazine Fans! Can I enlist your help?

Call me crazy. Perhaps I am going about this the wrong way. Perhaps this isn't the platform or forum for such an enormous undertaking... but I need your feedback and opinions... and ultimately your help.

I'm a big fan of Alan Moore... I mean who isn't. Do I need to mention how this force of nature changed the landscape of graphical storytelling forever?... No, but i will. The author, illustrator, and modern day shaman, ushered in the 80's British Wave (which brought in the literary talents of Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, Jamie Delano, and Peter Milligan to American shores), but is most recognized for producing timeless masterpieces such as: Watchmen, V for Vendetta, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, From Hell, Batman: The Killing Joke, as well as reinventing the character mythologies of Marvelman and Swamp Thing, and giving comic and horror fans occult detective John Constantine, aka Hellblazer. For those who are novices to comics or have been living under a rock, do yourselves a favor and pick up a hardcover book titled Alan Moore Storyteller, written by Gary Spencer Millidge, which covers the fascinating, humble and controversial career of a creative tour-de-force, or see the mind-altering 2003 documentary The Mindscape of Alan Moore.

Anyway, before I get further sidetracked by my love of Alan Moore, I want to talk about an important piece of comic book history: Warrior Magazine. This early 80's British magazine, published and edited by Dez Skinn's Quality Communications, in black and white serialized formats, is best remembered for some of Alan Moore's early works: Marvelman, V for Vendetta, and The Bojeffries Saga. Sadly, Warrior Magazine folded after just 26 issues, cut short by the financial impact caused by the trademark infringement lawsuit filed by Marvel Comics over the use of the name "Marvel" in Marvelman. The rest is history as Eclipse went on to reprint and colorize all of the Marvelman strips and allow Alan Moore to complete his monumental vision. DC followed suit, and gave V for Vendetta the same illustrious treatment.

So, on the strengths and merits of Marvelman and V for Vendetta alone, it goes without saying, Quality Communications' Warrior Magazine is an important part of comics history and deserves grading and encapsulation services afforded to American comic magazines...

...However...

...Back in early October, I telephoned the CGC and had an insightful conversation with a very helpful and knowledgeable employee of the CGC. I had called to inquire about the pricing and grading certification for my collection of Warrior Magazines. Sadly, because of its oversized format (larger than the standard US comic magazines), I was informed CGC currently does not provide grading certification and encapsulation services for it, nor for any other similarly sized magazines. From the conversation, I also understood that it would take a considerable financial investment for the CGC to produce a slab large enough to comfortably fit a Warrior Magazine.

So here's the dilemma... How can I, or we (the unified collectors and comics community), persuade and influence the CGC to reconsider its current position and provide grading services for Warrior Magazine? Do I start a petition? Maybe we hold a peace rally at the steps of CGC's Sarasota offices all wearing Guy Fawkes masks? Probably not. Do I petition Alan Moore's involvement? Highly unlikely (the man has better things to do, but it would be something if he lent his support). But perhaps the best way to go about all this is by flooding the CGC with an outpouring of love (via e-mail or snail mail) for these oversized magazines, which might inspire CGC to reconsider and invest in grading oversized magazines in general. I can think of a dozen or so magazines, graphic novels, and newsprints (2000 AD, the birthplace of Judge Dredd and Alan Moore's The Ballad of Halo Jones, Future Shocks, and D.R. and Quinch, comes to mind), that deserve CGC grading services.

Anyway... Tell me what you think. Your thoughts, opinions, feedback, suggestions, and support are most welcome!

Happy Collecting!

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