sfcityduck

The letter is referring to the truly ancient, barely older than me, 1965 paperback reprint of the Bradbury EC stories.

For me a signature voluntarily provide for, worse yet, paid for well after the publication of the book is not something for which I would pay a premium. The items I have with signatures were either obtained by me for personal nostalgic value to commemorate meeting a creator (and thus worthless to anyone who was not there) or were published as a limited signed edition. .For me, I am far more interested in a comic owned by a creator than a book signed by one. So a Jerry Robinson owned book would garner a premium from me whether signed or unsigned. So I would want to know if the comps for SS books up thread were not just signed but also owned by Tobinson. The only SS books that would get a premium from me would need to have some historical significance. The boing volume Barks inscribed to Willits on the day he met his first fan would be an example.

Where is it for sale?

They started filming in October and the studio head said they are getting faster at the production details; however, there is an industry-wide visual effects shortage that is impacting all these shows. Probably early 2024 is the best bet for RoP with Andor and GoT a bit later. Still not bad given the intervals we had when I was kid waiting for Star Wars films.

Who plays big bad Edward Teller? A comic tie-in:

Andor Season Two started filming two days ago!

The more I learn about Dave, the more amazed I am at how little anyone has spent learning about this guy and his role in comic fandom. I mean c'mon, look at his highlights: * Went toe to toe with Wertham in the national press; * Picture printed in magazines and newspapers for his defense of comics; * Name checked in Timely publication editorials defending the comic industry from Wertham; * Incredible effort to buy comics and original art through ads in magazines and newspapers throughout the nation; * Extensive interaction with the comic industry, including correspondence with creators; * Gifted OA by creators; * Corresponded with and became friends with creators, most notably Basil Wolverton; * Corresponded with industry higher ups, including Monty Bourjaly and the head of Dell Comics who asked him to write a book on comics; * Name checked in Xero's "All in Color for a Dime" series when he was consulted to fact check the first serious article on comics; * Extensive knowledge of comics, including creator pen names, industry law suits, etc. * Sold comics through the RBCC and to dealers, including...; * Sold Russ Cochran a complete mint EC set which became Russ's personal and highly loved bound EC volumes; * Comic original art inscribed to him now in top museum collections. How did this guy drop off the radar for decades?

Bad draw for Wexham. Tough Championship level (one level below EPL) opponent which means less money and still a likely loss.

And here's something interesting that accompanied Ivan of PBA's description of the bound volume. It's the AP's recommended caption for the back of an original copy of the pic (from a newspaper archive) of Dave Wigransky that first appears at the top of this thread: It's a horrible summation of Dave's argument. Why didn't I bid? For the second time in my life I found out about what for me would have been a grail auction at PBA only shortly after it occurred. The other time was for a set of paintings by Chiura Obata that I learned about the day after the auction. In that case, eventually I acquired the set, but man was I disappointed!

And here's photos of the books themselves, which apparently were well-loved by Cochran. He bound a complete set of mint EC's?

Here's the RBCC ad courtesy of PBA's auction listing: More info to learn here: * Dave was actively buying at least through 1955, and had all the New Trend (which Cochran did not buy when he was a kid - hence his desire for upgrades and a full set in 1966). * Dave was collecting Mad Magazine all the way up to the 1966 date of the ad. * Dave was sufficiently part of the collecting community that he was selling in the RBCC in 1966. * Dave was likely getting all the way out of comics in 1966 given he was liquidating his entire EC collection including a run of Mad Magazines that spanned all the way to the date of the ad.

Wrexham advanced in the FA Cup on Saturday behind a Paul Mullin hat trick. FA cup draw for the “Third Round Proper” occurs today with The EPL teams entering the pool. Every smaller team, including I am sure Wrexham, are praying for a game against an EPL team at the EPL team’s home stadium. Why? Big attendance payoff. I imagine Wrexham fans want a game against one of the relatively local EPL teams in the Manchester/Liverpool area. "Super Paul" Mullin stated he wanted: “Liverpool away or Everton at home. I’d favour either of the ties. Liverpool would be more special to me, with me being a Liverpool fan, but equally playing Everton here would be a nice opportunity to cause an upset.” Me, I want to see them either play a very weak opponent with a chance to advance or a London team like Arsenal. Draw is coming up and in a few hours so we will know soon! FA games will be televised and it looks like the National League teams may be getting second half of of the season permission to televise games. A victory Wrob and Wryan.

My research into Dave's story continues and I was surprised to discover in an auction description for a bound volume of WEIRD SCIENCE #12 (1st issue, May-June, 1950) through #11 (Jan.-Feb., 1952) at a local auctioneer an item that literally caused me to jump with joy. The auction description stated: "Provenance: Bound to order by Russ Cochran in 1966." Quick digression, Cochran was, as most of us know, an EC superfan who started the third local chapter of the EC Fan-Addict Club as a 16 year-old in 1953. So him owning a bound volume of WS 12(1) through 11 is not surprising at all. Cochran has related that "Gaines pulled the plug on the ECs at just about the same time that I was supposed to grow up and go to college, so that's basically what I did." Cochran put his ECs in a box, locked it and hid it away in his mother's attic. "That was kind of a strange thing to do with comic books, but I somehow knew that there would be a time in the future when I would want to revisit those books." Later, in the 1960s, he regained his passion for comics, met Gaines, saw that Gaines had bound all of his ECs, and Russ decided he wanted a bound set like that owned by Gaines. This bound volume was one of the bound sets Cochran put together in 1966. The ultimate precursor to the various incarnations of the EC Library that Russ has been behind. End of digression. So why was I jumping for joy? Because we now finally know what happened to some of Dave's comics. Here's what floored me. From the auction catalogue: The auction description continued: Amazing! Dave sold his EC collection to Russ Cochran. A handing off of a baton if ever there was one. Dave's collection was, as it appeared, "newstand fresh" and well cared for. Dave's collection was comprehensive - I mean every frigging EC!?! That means he was active in collecting at least through the start of the new trend. And with that I think on a very broad brush level the story of Dave Wigransky's comic collecting is pretty much defined. I've info that other dealers might have been buying his collection at that same time period. If anyone's got an RBCC #44 handy and please post a pic or scan of the ad. I'd also appreciate if anyone could scan other RBCC's from that time period for "Dave Jay" ads. The best part of this info? Comics can be traced back to Dave Wigransky! Anyone owning a Russ Cochran bound volume has a Dave Wigransky comic. Provenance could be established for other comics also, maybe. Super cool! If anyone wants to sell me such a comic or bound volume, let me know, because it would mean a lot to me personally as I finish up Dave's story to own a comic he once owned. Kudos to Ivan at PBA Galleries here in SF for putting that info together! (Anyone know his name here?) What's left? Some more detail about Dave, moving detail about him that paints the picture of who he was in a much more fuller fashion than I've written on this thread. His is an amazing story which just keeps getting more amazing as new discoveries are made.

Leonard, Thanks for the very nice comments!

I know you know that, but I'm trying to make this easy for the other readers.

Many apologies! Enjoy your posts and not trying to silence you. But, your "you have to have lived in the UK to understand" line rubbed me a bit wrong. I was pointing out that while knowledge of the EPL can lead to insights, and I did appreciate many of your insights (especially the details on the geography and reputation of the Wrexham area), but that's just one facet of a multi-faceted issue. I think on the financial issues you missed the mark in the particulars I identified. Nothing wrong with disagreement you wanker! LOL! I'm well aware of the yo yo ride that Aston Villa fans have had and the likely relegation of Burnley. Clubs go up and down. Which is what makes the EPL so much cooler than American baseball and its minor leagues which are frozen at their levels. But finances are the key to success in the EPL. We all know the richest teams have the most success. Where we disagree is you appear to think that Wrexham AFC's present is less funded than I do, and you think it is future will include less finances than I think it will (because I believe the ownership will evolve as time goes by). In the end, only time will tell. As for your very reasonable questions: (1) If it were me in charge, my goal would be League 1 in five seasons. That's assuming they make it up to League 2 this season - which I think they likely will. (2) Rob and Ryan are long-term thinkers. Ryan's been with the same show for 16 years. He played the long game on that show, taking little money early in his career in exchange for creative control and then renegotiating as the years went by. Ryan knows how to build businesses as diverse as cell phones, marketing, and spirits - undoubtedly with lots of help from expert advisers. I suspect that they have a very realistic plan and expectations. On the show, they speak of timelines that span 15 years or so. That may well be realistic.

Very minimal spoiler potential here - no plot points - just film criticism. Watch the episode first so you form your own opinions untainted by my views and then tell me what you thought. Episodes 6, 7, and 10 were all fantastic. Three very different events - all potential Hollywood tropes that could go dreadfully awry - and all masterfully portrayed. But Episode 12 was the stuff of legend. For example, from the moment the bands start tuning up until the speech begins - almost a 9 minute sequence but there is probably only 45 seconds or so of dialogue, and almost all of it is two to six word sentences. When a nod sufficed, that's what happened. Just the band, minimal dialogue, and lots and lots of story and emotions being conveyed without words. Simply incredible acting. And then ... The band stop playing. Everyone stands in silence - and the speech begins. And softly the score for Andor starts playing underneath the speech. Matching its tone, always below its volume, but adding emotional resonance, and increasing in volume as the speech becomes more agitated. And all we see visually for the four minutes of the speech is feelings conveyed by faces. Not a single line of dialogue. The speech and the backing track underly everything, but everything important is conveyed by the faces of the people listening to the speech - anger, loss, sadness, determination, understanding - it is all there. Four minutes - no dialogue - and a torrent of information about how the characters are feeling. Almost 13 minutes of incredible acting, incredible scoring of music (both played by the band on screen and played by the orchestra for the background score), and a masterclass on how to tell a story with the most minimal dialogue. For me, Andor is the tv equivalent of the best pages of Bernie Krigstein's seminal comic story "Master Race." That's the highest praise I can give. I just hope it gets the recognition it deserves and proves influential. Amy I geeking out? Heck yeah I'm geeking out. I've watched this episode multiple times. Each time I see something new. Legendary!

Definitely. But be warned, the first three episodes are somewhat slow and focused on background. It's all relevant the significance becomes clearer later. This is not the Star Wars of my childhood. This is Star Wars for grown-ups.

Two final points. The grant of £40 million (if made) is a government, not bank, grant that falls into the category of "leveling up funds" - as you said a one-time payment. But it is a one-time payment which defrays over 40% of the new stand's cost. Banks don't "bail out" anyone - but they DO make them loans or support private bond offerings, both of which fall into the category of leveraged capital infusions. It is likely that the stands are also funded in part with a hefty loan or bond. As for attendance, Wrexham AFC is selling out its stadium at its present capacity for many games. It has recently had to cap UK resident memberships (a subscription for the opportunity to buy tickets to each game) at 10,000 because they could not guarantee member tickets upward of that amount. The demand is stripping capacity for many games. And across a season, 9,400 in attendance for a 12,000 seat stadium is a fantastic figure (it is 9,949 so far this season). That attendance is not only the best in the National League, it exceeds average attendance for both League 2 and League 1 teams (the next two highest leagues above them now). And it is not an aberration. Wrexham was top 2 in attendance in the National League in the last pre-Covid season before Rob and Ryan bought the team - Wrexham AFC has a strong and dedicated fan base, which is undoubtedly one reason why Rob and Ryan's sports franchise acquisition advisors recommended they buy Wrexham instead of some other team.

I disagree with you because your financial analysis, to my eyes, appears naive. You are analyzing Wrexham from the perspective of it being a National League team when the correct analysis should be as a team trying to return to the EFL. An operating loss of £2,000,000 is simply not a major concern when the payoff after sustaining that loss would be EFL participation. It is properly viewed not as a loss, but as an investment. And the return on investment ("ROI") for Wrexham in moving back to into the EFL is considerable. Which is why Rob and Ryan and their advisors believe this is a reasonable bet to make (and the present table suggests it will be a winning bet). Did I miss the discussion of wages? No. One of the points made by Harvey is that if Wrexham AFC succeeds in moving up to the EFL they will be able to attract better players for LESS wages. And part of that point bears emphasis because I think you are missing something important: The spending of Wrexham AFC is not intended to be in tune with a budget aimed at sustaining a team in the National League - it is a budget intended to propel the team into the EFL. Can Rob and Ryan, doing business through the RR McReynolds Company a California LLC (the actual entity through which Rob and Ryan bought Wrexham), afford to fund payroll to the tune of a few million pounds? Yes - clearly, they can and are. Not sure why you are engaging in handwringing over this. As I pointed out previously, Wrexham AFC are not the owners or producers of "Welcome to Wrexham." The documentary pays off Wrexham AFC to the tune of $400K per hour of documentary. That's a nice payment to AFC, but that is just a line item in the budget of "Welcome to Wrexham." Rob and Ryan are earning salaries for their roles in the tv show and, most importantly, are earning profits as the owners of the show (not the team, the show) which undoubtedly result in them making much more off the "Welcome to Wrexham" show than Wrexham AFC is losing in payroll expense. Wrexham AFC is not defaulting on its payroll obligations for the simple fact that Rob and Ryan have ample ability to make up Wrexham AFC's payroll shortfalls with additional cash contributions. Again, those payroll expenses are likely more than fully covered by the profits they receive from the highly successful "Welcome to Wrexham." No handwringing is necessary. Your main premise that "Rob and Ryan don't have the money" underestimates their personal resources, the money they make off the documentary, and most importantly the nature of their ownership of Wrexham AFC. Can RR McReynolds Company LLC obtain capital infusions as time goes by? Yes. They can expand the ownership of the LLC which would result in capital infusion. It might well be a very attractive investment for many very rich people who like Rob and Ryan and the attention that the investment can bring. Sports team ownership often has a high degree of vanity. The notion that the future of Wrexham AFC is capped by Rob and Ryan's personal wealth is faulty. The ownership of the LLC entity which owns the team can always expand and change (and I'm ignoring the whole issue of leveraged debt). Your additional point about Championship Clubs losing "on average £30-40 MILLION" misses an important consideration. The leap in value of a club when it moves from the Championship into the EPL is astounding. Promotion is worth at least £150 million to the team earning promotion. (Which is why the Championship League play-off final is the game with the highest payoff to the winner in all of sports.) For those that win promotion it is a bet well-made. And, as I'm sure you know, the biggest losses in the Championship League are usually sustained by the teams winning promotion; whereas some of the smallest losses are sustained by teams being relegated downward from the Championship league. As you acknowledge, EPL clubs are selling for billions. Sports franchise ownership is often an equity play not a revenue play. Rob and Ryan have gotten in to EFL game with a minimal equity investment of a few million. The upside on that bet is potentially extremely high. So, again, I'm not shedding any tears for them or the additional owners which will likely board their ship as the journey continues.

I don't live in the UK, it is true. But I've been a football fan my entire life. And I have the advantage of working for an international law firm headquartered out of London. It does not hurt that my practice deals extensively with investment banks. And here's what I think you are missing. Rob and Ryan are much more intelligent (and wealthier) than you think. They didn't buy Wrexham on a lark. The story told in the documentary is not false, it is just grossly incomplete. They hired a top investment bank to gameplan this all out. They shopped around and considered teams for over a year before they bought. They are advised not only by specialists in sporting team acquisition but by top law firms and financial advisors. The notion that that they bought the team on a lark or on Humphrey's advice or without Blake Lively knowing are all about as true as eBay was created because the founder's wife was a Pez collector - in other words: Not at all. Yes, Rob and Ryan know the history of Wrexham intimately, including that in the 1970s Wrexham drew much larger attendance (up to 20,000) than they do today, but that's all because they had top level advisors when they sought to make an acquisition. None of this effort is based on ignorance. It is based on the same very careful planning that has allowed a TV sitcom actor (Ryan’s first big break) to own a mobile phone company, a very successful marketing company, and an increasingly successful spirits business, as well as Hollywood production companies. These guys are NOT babes in the woods and they are not flying blind. So whatever the conventional wisdom of the folks in the cheaps seats is ... really does not matter to me. I'm trusting their business record, that of their advisors, and the fact that additional investment and investors is always possible (especially if you're a pair of Hollywood stars) as this journey continues. There's no shortage of billionaires in the world who might want to invest later on, especially if you are a pair of very popular and well-liked hollywood stars. Heck, there's 116 billionaires in my area (SF) and 45 or so in LA where Rob and Ryan live. We live in a world where billionaires like Ballmer feel no hesitancy to pay massive amounts for sports franchises in the US and EPL teams like Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Burnley, Crytal Palace, and Fulham are all under full or significant U.S. ownership. Half the EPL is under foreign ownership. Do any good EPL teams remain under Brit ownership? I don't think capital will ever be a problem for Rob and Ryan no matter what the conventional wisdom in the cheap seats is.

That was stunning! I'm stunned!, I really hope that George Lucas is enjoying this series and feels vindicated at how the universe he created can give rise to incredibly serious award worthy shows. The acting is and remains incredible. The story is fantastic. The fact it takes place in a Star Wars setting adds, not detracts, from what is clearly a show with far more gravitas than any Star Wars show to date. Many times I watch a show or read a comic and think "I could write that formulaic B S." Here, I just sit back think: "We're not worthy!" Wow. Two year wait is one year less than I waited for 2 hours of Empire. It will be worth it.

Better than Argentina!

A few things worth noting: Wrexham AFC are the subject of the documentary not the owners of the documentary. The club is paid $400k per hour of the doc. I have seen the $3.2m for total income to AFC from Season 1. The show is a hit. Rob and Ryan are likely each making much more from the doc than they paid for the team. The stadium cost is (1) decreased by govt. funding, (2) undoubtedly spread out over many years via loans or bonds, (3) significantly defrayed by extra ticket income and extra income derived by the new indoor spaces for events in the stands, (4) will attract more non-AFC events to the venue, and (5) is being undertaken with significant investment bank advice so we can assume it makes financial sense. Yes costs will increase as the team moves up leagues (as will income), but so does the value and potential value of the club. Rob and Ryan can bring on board additional ownership to boost capital. The value of EPL teams runs into the billions. I see no reason to shed any tears for Rob and Ryan.

I got that poster back when it came out, it looks nowhere near as well preserved as yours!