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SW3D

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Journal Entries posted by SW3D

  1. SW3D
    Matt Fraction will be donating his royalties for this issue to Hurricane Sandy relief. That means the more copies that sell, the more money gets donated. "It occurred to me that if this is too successful that this could be the most painful check that I ever write... but c'mon, make it hurt!"
    Today on my lunch break, I headed over to Midtown Comics Grand Central. I asked one of the very friendly and knowledgeable staff what was new and interesting... and he informed me that the new issue of Hawkeye, #7 features Clint Barton caught in a storm in NYC... ala Hurricane Sandy.
    But that's not what's really makes me dig this comic (which I have yet to read)... it's the very fact that Matt Fraction is donating his royalties to Hurricane Sandy Relief.
    So I bought a couple of issues... will buy some more tomorrow.
    Little things like this goes a long way!
    Anyway... now I'm a bigger fan of Matt Fraction!
    Here's the full scope: http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/11/27/hawkeye-7-covers-hurricane-sandy

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  2. SW3D
    The Distinction between Non-Restorative Pressing and Pressing as Restorative Technique...
    Allow me to say, in the following journal entry, I am in no way accusing the CGC of any kind of misconduct or misrepresentation or any intentional or unintentional Pressing during the encapsulation process of comic book grading and encapsulation. And I will go further to say that in no way, am I qualified to make a statement in regards to the grading and encapsulation processes undertaken by the CGC, for I have no knowledge of the techniques and processes they utilize for such endeavors. I will further state, it is in my opinion, the CGC provides an invaluable service to all Panelologists and Comic Book Collectors looking to achieve, at this present time and juncture, the very best in Third Party Grading, Conservation, Preservation, and Archival services. And I will further declare: I support their efforts wholeheartedly, in every way, for doing their due diligence in achieving the very best results for unbiased Third Party Grading, Conservation, Preservation, and Archival services.
    Allow me to also apologize to fellow Collectors Society member Tnerb, if, for any reason, in the following journal entry I am posting, I accidentally misconstrue, misrepresent, or take out of context, his thoughts and comments as he has previously posted in his journal entry "Pressing the Virgin Snow", as already seen on the Collectors Society portal.
     
    In regards to "Pressing the Virgin Snow", Tnerb has postulated a very interesting point. Is pressing taking place during the encapsulation process? For background I will sample a snippet from the aforementioned journal entry "Pressing the Virgin Snow":
    "I don't know but I was curious so I asked around about how that could have been done and one person came up with a most interesting aspect, that when the book is slapped they get pressed.
    How could that be? But have you ever open a slab? Inside the well is another plastic that is sealed shut. How was it sealed shut without pressure and heat. IS every single slab we purchase being pressed during the encapsulation process?"
    Now that is very interesting point Tnerb has brought up, one that never dawned upon me. It is a valid question that I cannot answer and only the people behind the encapsulation process can shed light on.
    I will say this... if pressing is indeed involved in the encapsulation process, it is in my opinion, done not with the intention to restore or alter the condition, grade and or appearance of the comic book fitted into the well and slab, but done to fulfill the necessary steps to Conserve, Preserve, and Archive said comic book, and therefore should be termed as Pressing as Non-Restorative Technique.
    Many of us will agree, intentional Pressing, through Professional or Amateur means, is undertaken to achieve a desired modification in condition and/or grade for the purpose of enhancement or restoration. This shall be termed Pressing as Restorative Technique.
    So these distinctions shall be noted as:
    Non-Restorative Pressing (NRP): Pressing as a result of Conservation, Preservation, Archival, and Encapsulation.
     
    Pressing as Restorative Technique (PRT): Pressing through Professional or Amateur methods, undertaken to achieve a desired modification in condition and/or grade for the express purpose of enhancement or restoration.
    Once again I must state, I do not know if pressing is indeed taking place during the encapsulation process, but if it is, then it must be disclosed and noted in the labeling. As a result, if a minimal degree of pressing has occurred due to the encapsulation process, by default, modifications in the current labeling system are in order.
    So I thought this through and have come up with some suggestions on how this may be achieved:
    ALL color labels will carry a default denotation: NRP (short for Non-Restorative Pressing). This is across the board for all label colors.
    However, the Purple Color labels will have some variant distinctions:
    All comic books that have Restoration work done minus Pressing as Restorative Technique will carry the following denotation: RNRP (short for Restoration, Non-Restorative Pressing).
    All comic books that have Pressing as Restorative Technique done, but no other Restoration, will carry the following denotation: PRTNRP (short for Pressing as Restorative Technique, and Non-Restorative Pressing).
    All comic books that have Restoration work done along with Pressing as Restorative Technique will carry the following denotation: RPRTNRP (short for Restoration, Pressing as Restorative Technique, and Non-Restorative Pressing).
    I believe this is fair since it addresses all the Pressing concerns once and for all. Yes, many comics which have been intentionally pressed to enhance condition and/or grade, will be subject to a new Purple Label designation. And I know this will upset many collectors. I am sorry about that, but it is the correct thing to do.
    And I also understand this will change the entire industry and cause ripple effects, but I believe in the long run it is for the greater good.
    Final words: I believe everyone is entitled to opinions and suggestions, myself included, and with that I ask, if you are going to submit comments in response to this journal, do so with an open mind and with the intentions of contributing something useful, practical and thought provoking to further the discussion.
    I thank you for reading, your understanding, and support.
    SW3D
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  3. SW3D
    There's a saying, You can't see the forest for the trees. No... sometimes you can't... not until you take a step back that is... and wait... and close your eyes and clear your mind... then open them... and just look without thinking... then suddenly there it is! Viola! The answer!
    Sadly, I am a fool for not realizing this sooner... for the answer was in front of me all along... hidden in plain sight... but my eyes were blind to it all... caught up in the hoopla... caught up in the novelty of it all... caught up in comic lust.
    Well I can understand the fallacy of it all... where the confusion lies and the deception begins. Such things have shaped the modern world. I can see it in so many places, and the chaos that it brings. Shadows lingering in the open light... you can't see it but they are there... laughing in your face... invisible in sunlight... but laughing none the less.
    But even the best of charades and deceptions come undone.
    Here's another saying: "Who's born as a donkey can't die as a horse."
    Riddles? Perhaps... but everything happens for a reason.
    Sometimes a system is created with only the best of intentions. A system designed to be unbiased and hold itself to the highest of moral and ethical standards... standing for something... something great... something good... something we can all aspire to... an ideal... much like a superhero. But as time and history have consistently shown, even the highest of ideals which begin with the best of intentions are vulnerable, and often veer off course from their intended paths... misguided by a few ethically challenged individuals. Such a sad thing really. But it happens. Every day. Everywhere on God's Green Earth.
    Perhaps you have no idea what I am referring to? Perhaps you have no clue? Well there's a simple solution... stand back... close your eyes... clear your minds... now open your eyes and then you may see the forest for the trees.
     
    http://www.cgccomics.com/news/viewarticle.aspx?IDArticle=3226&
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  4. SW3D
    Pressing: An anathema to the industry? What is it and why is it such a controversial issue?
    Before you start bombarding me with hate mail, allow me to spew forth my venomous opinions and distaste for pressing, for I harken pressing to a growing taint and malignancy in the comic book collecting community which needs to be pacified!
    Perhaps I'm going to the extremes and I don't want my tirade to be misconstrued as a "witch hunt", but I do think there should be greater transparency and disclosure in the comic book collecting community and an adherence to a code of conduct and protocol. I believe all owners of pressed comics should do the ethical thing and reveal to the collecting community at large the comics which have been pressed.
    What is pressing and why do it? The very goal of pressing is to improve the current condition of a comic book... to flatten and smooth out whatever spine rolls, bends, folds, creases, wrinkles, and other similar defects that affect the pages and covers of a comic book, in order to restore the appearance, condition, or grade of said comic book. The desired effect is a restoration to a Mint or Near Mint state. So any comic which, as a direct result of Pressing, achieves a superior or modified grade (in other words physically altered from its pre-pressed state), has been through a restoration process... pure and simple.
    Better yet... here's an explanation I pulled out from the Official Overstreet Comic Book Grading Guide Third Edition (2006): "Pressing can be a complicated procedure that includes fully disassembling a comic book, performing work on one or more of its constituent parts, and then reassembling it. Pressing can also be something that is done to a comic book as a whole. In each case, there are a variety of measures which can be taken and they produce a variety of results, some positive and some negative. Even stacking and storing comic books a certain way can produce some of the effects of pressing."
    That definition was later changed to a new one... "Pressing: A term used to describe a variety of processes or procedures, professional and amateur, under which an issue is pressed to eliminate wrinkles, bends, dimples, and/or other perceived defects and thus improve its appearance. Some types of pressing involve disassembling the book and performing other work on it prior to its pressing and reassembly. Some methods are generally easily discerned by professionals and amateurs. Other types of pressing, however, can pose difficulty for even experienced professionals to detect. In all cases, readers are cautioned that unintended damage can occur in some instances. Related defects will diminish an issue's grade correspondingly rather than improve it."
    Ask any collector why they choose to press. What's the motivation? Is it for vanity's sake? Or is it something else entirely? The answer comes down to dollars and cents. Collectors who choose to press, do so in order to alter the appearance, condition, or grade of a comic, which in turn will directly influence its fair market value... in other words... the better the grade or the comic... the more its worth! It's a fairly simple principal... Who doesn't get it? Of course that's the answer. It would be absurd to think of any other reason. I mean why else would you spend time and money on it? We all know how many more dollars a vintage comic can fetch when it goes from an 8.5 to a 9.2 or even 9.6 or 9.8.
    Also cited from the Official Overstreet Comic Book Grading Guide Third Edition (2006): "Writing on the broader topic of restoration, archivist Tracey Heft of Eclipse Paper Conservation noted, 'No less an authority as the International Institute of Conservation (IIC) has defined restoration as 'any attempt to return an object to its original form and purpose, in the attempt to recreate an earlier known state or condition.'"
    By that definition alone, pressing falls under the domain of Restoration. And for all you Pro-Pressers out there I ask you... If Pressing isn't Restoration... then what is it? Cosmetology? So what's the big deal if pressing is considered restoration? Why are pressing exponents so afraid of the Restoration Label? That too comes down to money. Why? Well, anything labeled "Restored" has a perceived "taint" on it which negatively affects its fair market value. Or as the OOCBGGTE puts it, "Restoration -- the word carries with it a lot of baggage, particularly in today's comic book market."
    So what? What's wrong with wanting a better grade through pressing means? What's the big deal? Here's a scenario: Imagine if two CGC copies of a particular vintage comic come up for sale at the same exact time, and both are of the same grade, lets say 9.6, and both are on sale for the same exact price, but you find out through CGC registration's grader notes that one of the comics went from a 9.0 to a 9.6... Would you ask why? Why the big jump? How did it go from 9.0 to 9.6? And if you investigate further and discover the original grader notes through the CGC database reveals a number of defects which when first graded suddenly mysteriously disappeared upon second grading. What conclusions would you draw? If restoration is not detected on the grader notes, than any Sherlock will come to the elementary conclusion pressing was involved (pressing is a challenge to detect and the logical conclusion would dictate as such). Then ask... "Now that I know this info will it effect my decision to purchase said comic? Will I choose one over the other because of this? And knowing a comic has been pressed will it have an impact on its retail value?" The answer would be yes!
    Mind you, pressing is not Conservation nor is it Preservation... it is Restoration. I myself am a "Condition Purist" and if I am on the market to purchase a vintage comic book of high grade I would want to know if pressing was involved in achieving its grade just as much as I would want to know if any other restorative techniques were involved.
    So is pressing fair? Is it fair to all those collectors and their comics who got a legitimate high grade... 9.2, 9.4, 9.6, 9.8... etc... and who didn't resort to pressing or any other restoration techniques? The answer is yes if there's disclosure, and no if there's not. I personally appreciate those collectors who are honest and reveal whether their comics have been pressed or not. I also appreciate the collectors and archivists who manage to preserve and conserve their collections and achieve high grade. Such legitimate high grades are a testament to their hard work and efforts, and allowing non-disclosed pressed comics into a pool of "clean" comics is not only diluting the purity of this comic pool but it is also a slap to the face of any collector and archivist who doesn't rely on restorative means.
    Here's another scenario: Imagine if you were to take a high grade pedigreed comic, let's say a 9.4 or 9.6 and decide to have it pressed just to get it up one or two or potentially three decimal points... can you imagine the ripple effects on the market if such pedigrees were altered? Is it ethical to even do such a thing?
    But let's face it... collecting vintage comics books is a business and many of the community members will not be open and honest about their pressed comics when it's time to sell. So with that in mind, the CGC must actively create a new label system that will account for changes in the gr

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  5. SW3D
    Perhaps one of the best storylines ever written by Chris Claremont for Uncanny X-Men.
    Vintage newsstand purchased comics are not easy to obtain in high grade, and rarely do they receive Mint or Gem Mint designations. Unlike their comic speciality shop brethen, newsstand distributed comics are notoriously abused by the handlers at newsstands who are oblivious to the snot nosed kids (that is me) who treat comics like a precious ring (think LOTR).
    I remember back in the day, before I had the previlage of stepping into an LCS, I had to rely on newsstands, stationary stores, bookstores, and other outlets that had comics on spinning racks or wall-racks. I would make weekly trips and take hours deciding on which issues to buy based on the cover art, the condition of the comic, and how much money I had. For a kid, it was like trying to solve the riddle of the universe. And what made it even more challenging was the lack of sympathy and sensitivity of the cashiers at the point of purchase. My skin would crawl and my temper would boil when the cashier's would bend my comics and stuff them harshly into paper bags as if they were worthless. I don't know many times I would cringe at the sight of grubby hands violating my fragile babies. It really pissed me off!... But how can a child impart to an adult about transgressions suffered over comic books?
    Back in October of last year, I attended New York ComicCon with the intention of submitting several comics I purchased as a child growing up in Queens, NY.
    One such issue was Uncanny X-Men 142.
    Uncanny X-Men is a landmark issue, with a storyline that takes place on an alternative earth (Earth 811), in an alternative future, where the X-Men's worst fears have come to reality. Mutantkind has been outlawed due to the assassination of Sentor Robert Kelly, and the government has sanctioned the use of Sentinels to hunt, arrest, and kill mutants. It is a very bleak vision of the future and although I was only 12, I will never forget the horrorific images portraying the deaths of three of my favorite X-Men: Wolverine, Storm, and Colossus. I don't know which was most shocking: seeing Wolverine incinerated down to a mere adamantium skeleton, or Storm harpooned to death, or Colossus (my favorite X-Men next to Nightcrawler), sobbing as he holds her lifeless body in his arms until he lashes out in a beserker rage fit to rival Wolverine... only to meet his demise. Now that I reflect on it... even before Jim Starlin's The Death of Captain Marvel, before Alan Moore's Marvelman, before Frank Miller's Dark Knight, this is probably the first comic I ever read to deliver a truly mature and graphic portrayal of its fictional characters. For that Mr. Claremont, I thank you for giving comicdom one of the greatest stories ever conceived and written.
    I'm also happy to say, Days of Future Past is the basis for the new X-Men movie currently in pre-production. Read about it:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-Men:_Days_of_Future_Past
    So stealin' a line from The Replacement's single/Jennifer Love Hewett movie: Can't Hardly Wait!
    But back to the actual comic... earlier today, I received notification from CGC, that my newsstand purchased Uncanny X-Men 142 has received a 9.4 Grade (Near Mint). That's very respectable for a comic that I've held in my possession since 1981 (32 years and counting) and was abused from the get go by the newsstand distribution system.
    And I am also gushing with joy over Chris Claremont's signature as it appears on the cover. I love his signature... it's like a signature that belongs on the Declaration of Independance, and I love the fact that he obliged my request to date it as well.
    Two days ago I purchased tickets to Wizard World NYC (June 29th) and in two days, tickets for NY ComicCon are due to go on sale. If Mr. Claremont should be attending either show, I definitely will be on line, to not only thank him for his brillance, but also for adding his John Hancock on my treasured collection.
    FYI: Back in 1967, one of my favorite Progressive Rock Bands, the Moody Blues, released on Decca Records, a concept album that was way ahead of its time. Much like the Beatles Sgt. Peppers and the Beach Boys Pet Sounds, it was experimental where the Moodies combined symphonic orchestrations, poetry, and rock all in one album. That album was called Days of Future Passed. There's no apparent connection... save for a similar sounding title, but I wonder if that trippy music serve as some king of inspiration for Mr. Claremont's imagination... I wonder.
    Let me know of your favorite X-Men stories. I means the one's you actually bought as a child or first hand hot off the presses... not the holy grails you find out about later in life and spend a gazzilion on. Share!... share!... share!
    Happy Collecting!
    SW3D

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  6. SW3D
    Back in the early 80's, John Byrne was my favorite artist. Anything that had his stamp on it... I bought it. During his Marvel days, he made his true impact in Uncanny X-Men, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and Alpha Flight. In 1980, John Byrne illustrated Captain America beginning with issue 247, but left by issue 255, after having penciled a measly 9 issues on said title. I was bummed.
    But flashforward three issue to 258, and Mike Zeck comes on the scene... and suddenly, I forgot about John Byrne. Huh? How did that happen?
    Well... it's simple. Mike Zeck is a brilliant artist.
    And back in 1983, he illustrated one of the best covers I have ever seen, depicting Captain America trading fisticuffs with the cybernatic Super Soldier of the Future: Deathlok.
    It is a beautiful cover... and I really can't describe why it's beautiful, except to say the art is so crisp and clean, and the colors are the perfect shades making it instant comic book eye-candy. I just love the blueness of Captain America's uniform juxtaposed against the vermillion of the firey background. And Cap looks tough... almost mean... holding back no punches. He's obviously got the edge on Deathlok who misses poorly with his weapon.
    This particular comic is from my childhood collection. It is the newsstand edition I bought back in 1983... 30 years ago! Can you believe it! And I'm so happy that it is in Near Mint condition, designated with white pages.
    What's your favorite Captain America cover? Share your opinions.
    Happy Collecting!
    SW3D

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  7. SW3D
    The 1st Appearance of Angela, Medieval Spawn, and Cogliostro.
    This issue is unique in many ways. Not only does it mark the initial appearances of the above mentioned characters (who play key roles in the Spawn mythology), that it is also a Newsstand Variant, but it would eventually become the center of a heated legal battle between two modern icons of the comic book industry: Neil Gaiman and Todd McFarlane.
    Back in 1992, Todd McFarlane's Spawn made its debut under publisher Image Comics. Formed that same year by some of the biggest creators in the industry, Image Comics was unique for it was the champion of the hot issue of the 90's: creator-owned properties. Eight of the biggest names in the industry: Todd McFarlane, Rob Leifeld, Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, Erik Larsen, Jim Valentino, Whilce Portacio, and Chris Claremont, left Marvel Comics in a dispute over ownership and creative control over their works.
    Sometime in 1993, in an effort to promote Spawn, Todd McFarlane's Productions, the studio owned and run by Todd McFarlane and produced Spawn (published under the aforementioned independent Image Comics label), hired Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Dave Sim, and Neil Gaiman, to write a single issue for the new title. Neil Gaiman's contribution was published in Spawn 9 and introduced the characters Angela, Cogliostro, and Medieval Spawn, who were also illustrated and designed by series creator Todd McFarlane. These characters proved vital to the Spawn mythology, giving it a far richer texture and tapestry it initially lacked and grounded the Spawn character with much needed history. The trio would continually reappear throughout the course of the next decade, and were subsequently republished in various Spawn volumes and reprint formats, and also appeared in other Spawn-related media: the 1997 Spawn film, and the HBO animated series Todd McFarlane's Spawn.
    Flash-forward to 2002, and Neil Gaiman files suit against Todd McFarlane, claiming he co-owned these characters and was entitled to royalty payments and creative control. McFarlane's defense was based on "work-for-hire" and therefore Gaiman was not entitled to co-ownership. Eventually the courts ruled in favor of Gaiman, and granted joint ownership to Gaiman and McFarlane. To this day, all three characters are co-owned by both men.
    And this is why I bought the comic to begin with... because of the irony it represents. I have never even read it. I actually own three copies: all bought sometime last year, and have just recently returned graded from the CGC. But I never read one of them. Instead I own a reprint of it, which appears in Spawn Origins Collection Volume 2... but I have yet to read that as well. And I imagine the story is quite good, for Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite writers and Todd McFarlane is equally awesome. But McFarlane's failure to recognize Gaiman's co-creatorship and legal rights to the characters he co-created is the irony that draws me to this comic... for McFarlane was one of the principal forces behind the creation of Image Comics... and creator-owned properties the very reason he left Marvel Comics. Isn't that ironic?
    SW3D

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  8. SW3D
    The 1st Appearance of the Green Lantern known as Mogo!
    This little beauty was delivered to my greedy little hands yesterday afternoon. It is a newsstand bought copy of Green Lantern, Volume 2, Issue number 188. I bought it for a measly 75 cents back in 1985 and read it once or twice, maybe three times. It was graded 9.4 (Near Mint); not bad for a 28 year old comic!
    Lamentably, I can't remember what the main story is about... I have just a vague recollection based on the cover: John Stewart decides to share his secret identity with Coast City and the rest of the DC Universe... and sadly that's all I can remember.
    However, it is the back-up story, the "Tales of the Green Lantern Corps" written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons that truly makes this issue special. Said story is a key 1st Appearance of the Green Lantern known as Mogo. Who? Mogo is a sentient planet... that's right... a living, breathing, planet! This is something I truly love about Alan Moore's wildly active imagination! Who the hell would think of such a thing? A sentient planet and a Green Lantern no less? But it makes sense... Why couldn't planets be living organisms? Now just imagine Galactus trying to cannibalize Mogo? I think he might be in for a rude awakening. Now that would make for a cool story!
    Anyway, Mogo is introduced in this whimsical little tale, as narrated by Corps favorite Tomar-Re to rookie Anisia. It is a very brief story, and also introduces a villain named Bolphunga the Unrelenting: a bad- alien mutha-f*cka along the lines of Lobo. So this pink-skinned alien comes looking to pick a fight with Mogo... based solely on Mogo's reputation for being the toughest Green Lantern in the universe. I don't want to give any more away, but it is a clever little piece and worthy to read and to collect, not only for the fact it is written by Alan Moore (stamped with his wicked and sardonic sense of humor), but also because of Mogo's eventual mention in The Prophecy: The Blackest Night: "The Planet-Form Green Lantern Mogo will be the last to fall, as Ranx explodes a Blink-Bomb within his core. And after that, there will only be the Demons dancing in the ruins of OA to the rhythm of drums bound with taut blue skin."
    Just for clarification, that last quote does not appear in GL188 but comes from Alan Moore's other TOTGLC classic story "Tygers", first appearing in Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Annual 2, 1986. In "Tygers", Abin Sur (Hal Jordan's predecessor) journey's into the nightmarish planet known as Ysmault, in space sector 666, where a distressed ship has crash landed. While on the rescue mission, Abin Sur encounters Ysmault's demonic denizens and the ghastly being known as Quill of the Five Inversions, who bestowes upon Abin Sur the apocalyptic prophecy of the horrific end of the corps: The Blackest Night... thus this little story serves as the impetus and inspiration for Geoff Johns' Blackest Night.
    If anyone is interested in reading these stories, you can find them both reprinted in: DC Universe: The Stories of Alan Moore, in both soft and hard cover formats. I highly recommend this book for any fans of Alan Moore... heck for anyone in general!... for it also contains the classic Superman stories: "For the Man Who Has Everything" and "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow Parts I and II"; and the classic Batman story: "The Killing Joke".
    Back to GL 188... as you can see, the cover features two signatures: One from veteran artist Joe Stanton (co-creator of E-man), and the second from the legendary Dave Gibbons (of Watchmen fame). I was lucky to get these autographs at the New York Comic Con this past October. Both artists were true gentlemen; very gracious with the public and me. If you care to look, if you visit my gallery of images from my CGC collection, I took a photo of Joe Stanton autographing the comic pre-encapsulation (see link: http://comics.www.collectors-society.com/registry/comics/ComicDetail.aspx?PeopleComicID=366984&PeopleSetID=67626 ). I also snapped a shot of Dave Gibbons, but sadly it came out too blurry (I must have been nervous), so it didn't make the cut. Oh well, perhaps next year.
    If you have any stories about your comics and what makes them special... please share.
    And if you're wondering why I'm back on the Journals... I am suffering from a bad case of writer's block and really need a "breath of fresh air".
    And with all honesty... I miss it here!
    Happy Collecting!
    SW3D

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  9. SW3D
    My Favorite Iron Man Cover: Iron Man 96
    I don't know what it is about this particular cover, but it captured my imagination as a child.
    Back in the mid-70's, my oldest brother, Carlos, introduced me to the world of comics. He was mostly into Marvel, and he bought a ton of them: The Avengers, Fantastic Four, 2nd Generation X-Men, Captain America, Incredible Hulk, Daredevil, and Iron Man. One day I saw this issue, Iron Man 96, on top of a pile of comics. I remember being captivated by the image of Iron Man, looking defeated... beaten to a pulp... his armor is tattered... torn apart in places... looking the obvious worse for wear. But is he truly defeated? The gathered crowd behind him thinks so. But look at the conviction in his eyes... they say it all. And his hands... spread open with the Repulsor Rays brimming at the ready... ready for another round of battle... potentially to the death. And the colors... such amazing and vibrant comic book colors... gold and crimson against an indigo blue background... just a brilliant work of art!
    I can't remember exactly what the plot of the story was about. I just have shards of memories which come up to the murky surface... fragments of images that have long stayed with me: Ultimo, a blue giant humanoid of a creature, walking with nothing more than a loin cloth through the streets of Washington DC; A golden hovercraft which transported Tony Stark and a shield agent; Iron Man battling Ultimo in front of the very steps of the White House and the Capitol.
    Sadly, my brother's entire comic collection somehow vanished including that fabled issue. When and where did it go? What devilish agent played a diabolic hand in my brother's missing collection remains a mystery to this day. Decades later, he's gotten over it. In fact, he gave up the hobby long, long ago. But I believe his fleeting love affair for the hobby was not for naught... for it may have served a purpose... perhaps even being divine intervention: the heavenly spark that was the flame to my imagination!
    Many years later, sometime in the mid-2000's, I found this bronze beauty at a local comic shop called Rick's Comic Cave. RCC's was a long narrow slit of a shop in Forest Hills, Queens. It mostly catered to the baseball card, Magic the Gathering , and Toy Figurine collecting crowds. They had comics too, hence the name. But my all-too brief forays into their shop made me feel like I was the only one sifting through their back issues... the only one who truly cared about comics. It was in one such foray that I found this childhood gem, all for the low asking price of $5 bucks! I'm happy that I not only discovered my favorite childhood cover, but I also recognized the amazing condition it was in. So I snatched it up but never read it, hoping to preserve its condition. And last year, at the New York Comic Con on October 12th, I submitted it for grading, and it has returned from the CGC in 9.6 (Near Mint+). Not bad for a 37 year old comic!
    Now my next step will be to obtain a reading copy... to finally revel in the delights of this magical comic... and to take me back to the days of my youth.
    I hope comics do the same for you... and keep you forever young!
    Happy Collecting
    SW3D
    Side Note: I did a little research into Ultimo and he turns out to be a very interesting villain. He first appeared, albeit a cameo, in Tales of Suspense76 (April, 1966) and his first full appearance is the very next issue: TOS 77 (May, 1966). I am inserting a direct quote from a Wikipedia article about Ultimo's origins (which is fascinating):
    "Ultimo is a gigantic android that is thousands of years old, and he was constructed by an alien species that has since been destroyed by their own creation. They called the robot "The doomsday device", apparently a combat instrument and a weapon of mutual assured destruction. Ultimo confirmed that his "masters" have not contacted him in "thousands of years. The first time (chronologically speaking) Ultimo is depicted in print (in flashback in Iron Man vol.3, #24), he is already traveling through space, and has attacked the planet Rajak, ultimately killing all its people. The only survivors, a group of merchants who were off-planet at the time, attempted to destroy him, but had to flee before his might. In the end they managed to lure him into an asteroid belt, where both he and the ship were battered by space rocks until they were driven off-course and separately crash-landed on an unknown planet -- Earth. This happened around the 1840s."

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  10. SW3D

    My First Radio Interview...

    By SW3D,

    Well, it's not conducted on a big time radio station but a very small internet radio venture spawned from a Social Media concept kicked around by the good people at the Roger Smith Hotel in New York City.
    As you may well have guessed, I work at the Roger Smith Hotel. That's me in the middle, sandwhiched between the interviewer, John Knowles (on my left), and Mr. James Knowles, President of the Roger Smith and Artist Extraordinaire.
    They're very aware of my comic book addiction, and support it 100%... which is awesome! To get support from family, friends, colleagues, and community, not to mention from the guy who signs my paycheck is pretty darn out of sight! I am truly grateful for it.
    The interview was conducted earlier this month. It is actually much longer and has been edited... probably because I'm boring the sh*t out of anyone listening. Well, I gave it my best shot, and I can honestly say, it's not easy. Listening to it, I don't know if it makes any sense, but in my defense it was impromptu, I had little prep time, and I had to mentally battle through stage fright, so all in all it's not totally bad with all things considered. And since it was my first such interview, I can only hope to get better... if they invite me back again.
    Maybe next time I will actually bring a comic or two to discuss.
    Here's the link on youtube:

    And now you can put a face to the nick.
    Hope everyone's doing well.
    Happy Collecting!
    SW3D
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  11. SW3D
    Cornering the Market Redux... I own 2 1/2 percent!
    It's been awhile since I posted a Journal... since February 2nd... and that's by design. I took a very long break from creative writing... much too long! I will admit... I'm a lazy . But discovering CS Journals and the wonderful collectors behind them, gave me back my writing juices and for a brief and shinning moment I became a mainstay... almost to a point of an addiction... but now I'm parlaying that wonderful, passionate, positive energy, back into creative writing. For the last few weeks I've been writing the outline and treatment for what I hope to be either a very long short story or novella.
    But I do miss regularly contributing to the Journals. I miss sharing what I've been collecting and my love for all things comic books... and I so truly miss the supportive feedback I've come to cherish. If anyone is a writer out there... you'll understand my position when I say this... writing can be a very solitary experience... quite a lonely one. But the CS Journals make me feel I'm part of a community... and who doesn't like being a part of something?... to embrace an ideology and share it with other ideologists.
    Anyway, I'm getting off the beaten track as usual. So what's new with me? Besides creative writing, I've been trying to spend less and less money on comics in order to pay back the enormous debt I owe: money I borrowed from credit cards in order to build my current CGC collection. How else do you think I managed? Money don't grow on trees ya know! And in order to pay back the debt completely, it means making some serious sacrifices: I must avoid further CGC purchases until sometime in late summer or early fall when I estimate the debt will be fully paid. But I'm okay with this. My initial goal when I first joined CS was to have my childhood comics graded and potentially sell them to purchase the Holy Grail comics I so truly want. At the moment, I have about 44 comics on queue and nearly graded by the CGC. They'll serve as the perfect antidote for my comic buying abstinence. And the other positive side to all of this: I can concentrate on my creative writing, and get all those long awaited ideas that have been seemingly floating forever in the ethos of my brain, into fruition.
    So here's a contribution... albeit not a final one... but it will be some time before I post another as I sojourn off on my self-imposed hiatus... hopefully to return with a completed novella.
     
    So last week, my San Diego Comic Con #2 comes in the mail. It's actually the fifth one I own. Yeah... that's right, the fifth copy. I'm crazy... I know it... I like buying multiple copies of keys... that's my thing... that's my obsession... that's what I collect... and it's okay to call me nuts. This 9.8 beauty comes by way of MyComicsShop (aka Lone Star Comics). I can't say enough about MCS/LSC... every comic I have purchased through them going back to August 2012, has arrived on a timely basis and has met my every expectation. I can wholeheartedly say MCS/LSC is a part of a growing list of my favorite trolling haunts (this list includes: ComicConnect, ComicLink, Pedigree Comics, WWComics, and a selection of preferred sellers found on eBay). They have my glowing endorsement. MCS/LSC makes it very easy... just like the other aforementioned auction sites... they offer a Want List option for any comics you may be searching for. And sure enough, I received an e-mail message about two weeks ago informing me a SDCC #2 in 9.8 was available. I immediately snatched it up, and at a reasonable price!
    So what is so important about SDCC #2? I first became aware of it after reading the digital copy of Hellboy Volume 1: Seed of Destruction on my Nook. Just after the conclusion of the main story, there is a section dedicated to Hellboy's roots called "Where the Hell did He Come From? Personal reminiscences by Mike Mignola." In it, Mignola showcases his early published illustrations of Hellboy and you can see the evolution of the look and feel of the character. Hellboy actually starts off looking like a cross between DC's Etrigan the Demon (Jack Kirby's 70's Creation) and Marvel's lesser known character The Gargoyle (1st Appearing in Defenders #94). Mignola writes: "This is a drawing done for a convention program book. I added the name Hellboy at the last minute and it made me laugh. The name stuck and the character started to take shape in my head." That particular illustration is the very first conception of Hellboy, who not only has a pair of long pointy horns (ala a bull's) protruding from the sides of his head but also has a front pair filed-down in typical Hellboy fashion. This initial incarnation also wields a chain-linked mace-like weapon, and wears a very large belt around his waist, with a numbers of unusual items affixed to it including: a dead fish, a dead crab, a skull, a couple of daggers on each hip, and capped off with a gigantic belt-buckle with the name Hellboy inscribed. He also comes replete with a pair of wings, his long tail, and a pet Vulture sitting on his back. Said illustration is considered by many to be Hellboy's first published appearance, printed in 1991 in a pamphlet given away at the Great Salt Lake Comic-Con. I have searched high and low for a copy of that pamphlet... and so far nothing. This is one very rare piece of comic history! I have no idea how many copies were printed or how many survived. The pamphlet actually predates the 1993 Italian fanzine Dime Store Press No. 4, where another proto-type gray colored Hellboy minus coat, appears on the cover battling a bat-winged and pointy-tailed rendition of sci-fi detective Nathan Never. I often see this one listed on eBay with a very high asking price. CGC key notes on Dime Store Pres No. 4 states, "Hellboy cover predates first US appearance". This is an obvious mistake and should be corrected since the Great Salt Lake Comic-Con pamphlet was published in 1991... a couple of years before Dime Store Press No. 4. Many will argue that GSLCC Pamphlet is not the genuine published first appearance since the character was still in prototypical form... but the same argument can be said of the Dime Store Press cover appearance which is also a prototype. To kill the sticky argument entirely... in my book... I say forget either of the two one-piece illustrations which amount to almost nothing, not even a cameo (cameo's can only happen when there's an actual story), and stick with SDCC #2... and I will explain why in the next few paragraphs.
    Side note: the Dime Store Press No. 4 cover illustration is not mentioned in Hellboy Volume 1: Seed of Destruction... I wonder why.
    Anyway... There are three additional early illustrations included in Hellboy Volume 1: Seed of Destruction, where once can observe the evolution of the character as it gestates into the Hellboy we all come to know and love.
    Moving past the proto-illustrations, in what Mike Mignola describes: "The following stories are the first Hellboy stories ever produced, done to promote the miniseries and introduce the character. The first story ran in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2, and given away at 1993 San Diego Comic Con. The second story was published in the Comics Buyer's Guide." That first original 4-page black and white story published in SDCC #2 by Dark Horse, is reprinted in color, in both the digital and trade paper back versions of Hellboy Volume 1: Seed of Destruction. It is here where one can plainly see the character comes into full fruit

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  12. SW3D
    Tales of the Zombie #7, CGC 9.4: This one came in yesterday. I bought it on auction through eBay. I got it at a fair price and I'm so happy to add it to my TOTZ collection. A gruesome cover, keeping in line with the TOTZ theme... I just love the look and feel of its retroness... like a horror movie poster from the 50's or 60's. The thick scarlet running down the dagger's blade and the collected pool of blood on the tree stump draws me in first... then the Zombie's freaky pupil-less orbs... and then I soak in the whole image of each character and their expressions of horror and surprise. And then I realize the Zombie looks stiff... as he should be... like a slow moving creature fighting through rigor mortis. And then I notice the moon-lit back ground... and it magically takes me into the Louisiana bayou... or the sub-tropic jungles of Haiti... or some dark misbegotten place where Voodoo Magic reigns supreme! The cover is a supernatural classic! But ask yourself... who's the brilliant artist? His name is Earl Norem.
    Earl Norem... one of my all-time favorite cover artists who probably fits in with traditional "classical fantasy school of artists" heralded by the late great Kelly Freas, whose influences probably harkens even further back to the great American Master: Norman Rockwell. For any reader unfamiliar with Kelly Freas or Norman Rockwell... Google Image search and begin the journey of fascination and love for these long-forgotten masters. While you're at it... please do the same for Earl Norem!
    I first fell in love with Earl Norem's brilliant talents with the cover of Savage Sword of Conan #78. That 1982 issue was my first introduction to the world of Robert E. Howard and Conan, not to mention Marvel's sensational black & white magazine line. Earl Norem's photo-realistic painting depicted a thick bronze-skinned Conan, with sword in-hand, defending a beautiful lass at his feet, from a gigantic Yeti-like creature (that makes the Wendigo look like a p*ssy!), on a snow-swept mountain, while another, weaker warrior in the back-drop, looks-on in horror.
    I can't say enough about Earl Norem... he got me into Conan and Tales of the Zombie, but he's also a hero in his own right! He bravely served his country in World War II. Here's an excerpt appearing in an all too-brief article from wikipedia:
    "Norem saw military action in World War II with the 85th Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division. He trained in Colorado and Texas, and fought the Germans in the Northern Apennine Mountains of Italy. By age 20, Norem was a squad leader and staff sergeant who in the Italian Campaign fought alongside famed skier Torger Tokle, whom he had seen ski jumping at Bear Mountain, New York when Norem was 12. Upon Torkle's battlefield death on March 3, 1945, Norem was one of the men assigned to retrieve his body from the mountain. Norem himself later was wounded going into the Po Valley, ending his military stint."
    After serving his country, Norem became an illustrator... a commerical artist with a ton of work for magazines, comics, and toys. Now retired due to the debilitating scorge of arthritis, it has been quoted in an interview from 2005: "All the contacts that I had in the commercial art field are either retired or dead, and the younger art buyers don't want anything to do with an 81-year-old artist."
    That's so f*cking sad... it chokes me up! The man had so much to do with my love of comics. Whenever I saw a Norem cover I relished and cherished it like it was gold! He's up there in my book with the greats: Frank Frazetta, Boris Vallejo, Kelly Freas, Joe Jusko, Bob Larkin, and a slew of others. If you're an art lover, you could literally spend hours studying the rich textures and details of his works.
    I hope I'm not coming across as preachy... but from one fan of fantasy art to another... look into his works... they're fantastic. The man is 88 now... I can imagine he's just sitting in a nursing home, wasting away and collecting dust, while no one pays no mind or gives a mess! Two years ago, when my 90-year old father did a stint in a nursing home due to a broken ankle needing rehab, I saw first-hand so many elderly people just cast-off and left for dead by their own relatives. I saw these people, shadows of their former selves... just sitting and waiting hopelessly for a merciful death that never comes. It f*cking sad and it s*cks! Life should be about so much more!
    Earl Norem... wherever you are... I will always remember you! Thanks for making my life so extra special! Thanks for making brilliant art... for making me escape from the dull and banal world... I will cherish those memories... forever!
    SW3D

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  13. SW3D
    Robert Kirkman's latest... Invincible 100 Chromium Edition
    I've made this confession before, but I'll say it again... I'm a sucker for key issues... which include First Appearances, Death of Major and Minor Characters, Preview Issues, Return of, First Published work of Artist or Writer, First Issue, Last Issue, Historical Changes to the Character Mythology, and Anniversary issues included.
    So, at my last visit to my LCS, I see Robert Kirkman's Invincible on the new arrivals shelves. There are a total of 8 variant covers, including a rare Black & White cover and a Chromium Edition. That last one sells at a whopping $9.99 cover price and has to be, in my opinion, the most expensive cover price to date. Now please correct me if I am wrong on this.
    So I bought and read the issue, and it is a very quick read! I mean wow!... I read it in the space of five minutes or less. Either I'm so accustomed to reading classical works of literature that have more breadth and scale than modern comic books that I now have the ability to speed-read at a break-neck pace... or comics today have absolutely no meat and potatoes. Surfer99 said it best with his January 13th journal entry "Storytelling has Changed!" But for a "Special 100th Anniversary Issue" I expected heaping spoonfuls of page after page of story and action... like the good old days of anniversary issues. That's what I used to love about the old double-sized formats. You knew for the extra cover price you were in for a treat!
    In regards to the bare-bones story, and I will admit, I just jumped into Invincible with this issue... so I have no frame of reference for this particular story arch which is the obvious climax from a rather epic-scale arch spanning several issues. Truth be told... the only other time I've even read Invincible was its first issue as a free download through ComiXology on my iPhone. You also may remember my journal post where I went after Savage Dragon 102 which has his Mark Grayson's first published appearance in a 5-page preview that predates both Tech Jacket #1 and Invincible #1.
    But getting back to issue 100... I really hate to say this and to spoil the fun for anyone who's a fan or intending to read it... but quite frankly, it is a dissapointment. This one issue reads like a pedestrian or poor man's version of Alan Moore's classic Marvelman/Miracleman with shades of Watchmen... when you throw-in the mass casualties and conspiracy arch: "sacrifice millions in order to save the planet" wildly_fanciful_statement! Dear Lord! This nonesense has become so cliched that I'm starting to hate anything to do with End Times or The Apocalypse! However, in its defense, there is a slight twist that I have yet to see in those other tales... and I won't give that away... but honestly it comes across as so convulted and contrived as to be unbelievable. Perhaps that should be the more appropiate title: "Unbelievable #100!"
    So... at $9.99... I think I should have spent my hard earned cash on other things.
    Just an FYI... to save some bucks... you can buy the other variant covers at $3.99 cover price... so avoid the Chromium Edition unless you're a die-hard.
    Anyway... thanks for reading... feedback and opinions always welcome!
    SW3D

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  14. SW3D

    Happy Birthday Stan Lee!

    By SW3D,

    Wishing you a Happy 90th Birthday!
    Thank you giving us so many wonderful heroes... You are The Man!
    http://omg.yahoo.com/news/happy-90th-birthday-stan-lee-003900468.html
    http://www.therealstanlee.com/Therealstanlee.com/Home.html
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  15. SW3D

    Pedigree Fever!

    By SW3D,

    Is Golden State a Legitimate Pedigree Collection?
    If so... Why isn't Golden State a Recognized Pedigree by CGC?Last week, I won my first legitimate comic book auction! This was actually purely accidental since I threw out a maximum bid but never really thinking it would win... but sure enough it did. Although I've won a number of auctions from eBay... I've never won an item on auction from an auction site soley dedicated to comic book auctions like: CommicConnect, Pedigree Comics, Metropolis Comics, Heritage, or Comiclink. This was my first, and quite frankly I'm bemused considering its taken me over 7 years finally win one! Anyway... the item I won was a CGC 9.6 of Swamp Thing Volume 1, Number 1. This is actually my third copy of the comic at 9.6 and my sixth overall (still trying to corner that market... one ST at a time). The real reason I even bothered to bid on the item was simply because I've fallen victim to "Pedigree Fever". After recently purchasing a Mass Copy of FF#66, and Suscha News copies of Showcase 80, Marvel Premiere's #1 and #2, and Swamp Thing #8... I've got a thing for pedigrees. Deep down inside, I honestly don't feel pedigrees are any better than any other comic that has been well preserved and cared for by your average fan boy or collector... and there are plenty of comics which achieve a high grade that are not associated with any pedigree. However, in the collecting world and in the outside world, a pedigree is accepted as a distinguishing stamp of quality and considerable achievement... a "cut above the rest"... akin to an "elitist" worldview. Now who wouldn't want to own "the best of the best"... I know I do. Well... according to the details of the auctioned item I won... it has a sticker on the outside label with a pedigree name "Golden State" and WWComics which stands for World Wide Comics. After doing a bit of research, I came up empty about any information about a Golden State pedigree (couldn't find it on WWComics website). And lamentably, I also have come to understand the CGC does not recognize this particular ST#1 as a pedigree. So my questions to anyone with expert knowledge of pedigrees: Is Golden State a Legitimate Pedigree?If so... Why isn't Golden State a recognized pedigree by CGC?And... Could you provide some details about the Golden State collection or point me in the right direction?I greatly appreciate anyone's feedback on this. Many thanks for reading and Happy Collecting.To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  16. SW3D
    The Walking Dead, Marvel Zombies, Rise of the Black Lanterns, Night of the Living Dead, World War Z... Zombies are everywhere! They're an undeniable cultural phenomenon... almost on the verge of being a pandemic ...and quite frankly it's making me sick! Enough already!
    But for all you animated-corpse fans, let's tip our hats to one of the earliest zombie's ever to grace a four-color page... Stan Lee's and Bill Everett's creation: Simon Garth.
    Simon Garth... the long departed cyanotic former shell of a man we have all come to know and love as "The Zombie", made his first appearance in the Golden Age, in Lee's and Everett's standalone story "Zombie", in the July 1953 issue of Menace No. 5, published by Atlas Comics. Atlas Comics, the comic book division of publisher Martin Goodman, was the 50's successor to Timely Comics (once home to the Golden Age Captain America, the Sub Mariner, and the android Human Torch). By the early 60's, Atlas would become Marvel Comics... and the rest is history.
    I'm a horror fan and was weaned on all sorts of horror movies and literature, but when it came to comics, I was totally fixated on only one genre... Superheroes. That all changed with an article featured in the 80's periodical: Comic Collectors. Krause Publications, best known for the Comic Buyers Guide and a multitude of books covering every conceivable hobby and craft, published Comic Collector. This wonderful and informative magazine was edited by the husband and wife duo of Don and Maggie Simpson. Issues number 7 (Spring 1985) and 8 (Summer 1985), ran a two-part article that would have a lasting impact on me: "The Monsters Shall Rise". This nostalgic look-back, written by Lou Mougin, covered Marvel's greatest 70's monsters: Dracula, Werewolf by Night, Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, Morbius The Living Vampire, Frankenstein, Godzilla, The Living Mummy, Manphibian, The Scarecrow, The Golem... and the one who would eventually become my favorite: Simon Garth... the Zombie.
    I wish I could transcribe the entire segment of the article from Issue 8 devoted to Tales of the Zombie... to exemplify why it piqued my interests over all the other featured monsters... but instead I will take excerpts as a sample... and hopefully I won't get sued for not obtaining permission from the author or publisher. But here goes...
    "Tales of the Zombie rose from the black-and-white racks in 1973 and featured a character who was one of the "walking dead" who could never be portrayed in Code-approved color comics. The Zombie existed in his own universe, made a 10-issue stand, and ended his story in a totally satisfying manner. The guiding light behind this dark saga was Steve Gerber".
    Just a minor interruption... but I must add a few words about Steve Gerber... Gerber was the genius and co-creator of Howard the Duck and was notable for his works on Man-Thing and Omega the Unknown (a really cool concept and way ahead of its time).
    Anyway... back to the article...
    "The initial Zombie story was built around an old '50s horror story by Bill Everett, reprinted in the first issue. But Gerber, John Buscema, and Syd Shores added a framework that overwhelmed the cut-and-dried formula horror shortie and transformed the walking dead man into an intriguing character, almost rivaling The Man-Thing".
    Another interruption: I was already hooked by the second paragraph... but it went on and so let's get back to it...
    "In life he had been Simon Garth, king of a coffee empire, ruthless, selfish, and as uncaring as he was tyrannical. He had lorded it over his daughter, driven his wife away, and... most importantly for our purposes... abused his slovenly, shifty-eyed gardener. Thus our tale began.
    Gyps, the gardener, had a taste for revenge and sold his employer to a voodoo sect. (One happened to be in town at the time.) The opening scene showed Garth trussed up, gagged, and about to be done in by the crazed cultists, while he sweated and made 'prayers to a God he did not believe in.' Garth succeeded in breaking his bonds and bolting, but Gyps, ever helpful, tracked him down and stabbed him to death with a pair of shears."
    Interruption #3 (and counting): Now that's some heavy mess! Imagine you're a 16 year-old reading this for the first time... and all you've known for most of your comic book collecting life was the innocent Marvel and DC superhero fluff... reading that last line literally blew me away. But yet there's more...
    "The voodoo-men raised him from the dead as a zombie. It was as simple as that. The story jumped into the Everett reprint, in which Gyps got his, and then exited for the final chapter. Simon Garth had as little intelligence as the Man-Thing and was the slave of anyone who held the mate of the voodoo medallion he wore on his chest. Physically he looked like a decaying corpse-like being, as tall as Doc Savage and twice as strong. But, as a zombie, he had no soul... which wasn't much of a change from his businessman's life. The theme of the series was Garth's journey to find his spirit, to go from dehumanized man to humanized zombie to full humanity just before the end. It was a long trip, but step by mechanical step, the Zombie made it all the way."
    Interruption #4: Wow! I was intrigued! Aren't you? I was reading this a few years before I read any of Wein's and Wrightson's Swamp Thing which has a similar story pattern. The whole idea of a comic series devoted to such a concept was absolutely mind-blowing! It was unheard of in my opinion... amazingly unique and different and so distant and alien to all those banal superhero titles. I'm going to jump ahead and avoid any spoilers from the article and quote the very last paragraph concerning TOTZ...
    "Tales of the Zombie stands as one of the strongest Marvel monster series. The art often wasn't the greatest, and the stories may have been gore-spattered. But the storytelling of Gerber, Moench, and Isabella lifted this book from the run-of-the-mill black-and-white ghetto into the realm of such titles as Man-Thing and Dracula. Zombie remains as one of the most overlooked titles by collectors, but monster fans who give this one a look can expect some unanticipated delights."
    That was the final nail in the coffin. I had to not only know more about Simon Garth... the Zombie... but I had to get my filthy hands on a genuine Tales of the Zombie magazine!
    Sadly and ironically, Comic Collector also ceased publication after just ten issues... coming to unceremonious end in the winter of 1986. Thankfully, I still own the seven newsstand issues I bought back in the day, including the first and last issues.
    However, as fate would have it, sometime in 1985, fortune smiled upon me and my best friend, Leonard Mosley. One Saturday afternoon, probably in the summer, we took a carefree jaunt to a local comic shop in Kew Gardens, Queens, called Bishop Comics. It was a tiny little storefront that always seemed empty, and policed by a mustached blue-collar type, who I presumed was the proprietor... and I don't ever recall asking his name... but I'm not good with names. Anyway... on this particular visit, Leonard and I sifted through the Dollar Bins and to my delight and utter joy, found some decent reading copies of Tales of the Zombie. Somehow, instead of tearing each other apart... choking the dear life of one another over a comic book... we came to a diplomatic and amicable agreement and split the treasure trove of available TOTZ's. Leonard made away with the issues which featured covers painted by his favorite all-time artist: Peruvian master Boris Vallejo. I par

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  17. SW3D
    AKA... Swamp Thing vs. M'Nagalah
    No... this isn't really a Celebrity Grudge Match... nor is this a fantasy comparison of each author's works to determine literary superiority... No!... this is simply a look back to when Len Wein's creation, the Swamp Thing, took on an HP Lovecraft inspired Great Old One.
    Many of you already know I am a big fan of Swamp Thing. I've recently posted a journal entry (see "Cornering the Market"), espousing my love for the classic first volume. But I'm also a huge fan of the legendary horror writer HP Lovecraft... and after recently purchasing a CGC 9.8 copy of Swamp Thing Volume 1, Number 8 (see pic), I thought I'd share with you why this issue is not only one of my favorites of that storied run, but how I believe was inspired by the works of Lovecraft.
    39 years ago... way back in 1974, 19 years before Mike Mignola's Hellboy was battling otherworldly nasties inspired by the late great Lovecraft, the genius of Len Wein gave us a preview of things to come. Len Wein no doubt found his muse for this particular issue in Lovecraft's 1928 novella, The Dunwich Horror, and the inferior 1970 movie adaptation of the same name (well... probably not from the movie since... how do I put this?... it really sucked!). The Dunwich Horror, in an nutshell, concerns the diabolical machinations of Wilbur Whateley, described as a tall, dark, goat-like being (the hybrid spawn of the union between an albino witch and a Satanic entity)... the last heir of the Whateley's... a grotesque inbred family of dubious origins....through the practice of the Black Arts, summons and unleashes an invisible otherworldly creature on the back-water people of Dunwich (a fictional hamlet set in New England). And for you Batman fans, if you read the Dunwich Horror, you'll be quickly introduced to the fictional neighboring city known as Arkham... a name which later resurfaced as the infamous holding pen for Batman's Rogues Gallery... Arkham Asylum. And of further pop culture interest to note, Arkham is the home to the equally fictitious Miskatonic University... that fabled educational institution on par with Harvard, and the one time resting place of the dreaded tome, The Necromicon, written by the "Mad Arab" Abdul Alhazred. The Necromicon was the blatant inspiration for director Sam Raimi's Evil Dead Trilogy.
    Do you begin to see the scope of HP Lovecraft's mystical storytelling influence?... The Evil Dead, Batman's Arkham Asylum, Swamp Thing, Hellboy, and a multitude of fictional works, can trace an aspect of their terrifying roots to Lovecraft. But it doesn't just end there...
    ...In fact, If any of you have read House of Secrets 92, the Bronze Age debut of the "first" Swamp Thing (Alex Olsen), you should know that story was partly inspired by HP Lovecraft's 1921 short story "The Outsider". Don't believe me? Read it for yourself and you'll discover the similarities. That story along with Theodore Sturgeon's "It!", inspired the likes of not only Swamp Thing, but Solomon Grundy, Hillman Comics The Heap, and Marvel's Man-Thing. I could even see a vague and subtle influence on Harlan Ellison's first published work from 1956, "Glowworm", about a "green glowing" survivor of a nuclear holocaust.
    As for Swamp Thing Volume 1, No. 8... after escaping Gotham City and the clutches of the Dark Knight, the Swamp Thing finds himself lost in the Appalachian's, and chances upon a mysterious village called Perdition, where its townsfolk are harboring a horrific being named M'Nagalah, brought into the world from another dimension by Arcane Arts... a being who is every bit on the level of Lovecraft's legendary Great Old One's and the "invisible" otherworldly creature from Ambrose Bierce's classic 1893 short story "The Damned Thing" (which no doubt inspired Lovecraft's fevered imagination).
    Now, in no way am I implying Len Wein is a copy-cat or rip-off artist... no, on the contrary! The Dunwich Horror and ST8 differ greatly to make them unique stand-alone literary creations in their own rights. What I am hoping to convey is how influential one author can be to actually inspire the great works of others! Len Wein has produced some of Comicdom's greatest creations (Swamp Thing, Wolverine, 2nd Generation X-Men, etc.), and deserves membership in the pantheon of the greatest fiction writers and literary creators the world has come to know... His works have equally inspired, much like Lovecraft's, and can therefore be considered canon!
    If you haven't read ST8 it is available in various reprint formats... or... I'm sure you can obtain a decent reading copy at a fair price.
    As for Lovecraft... if you haven't read any of his classic short stories, then I urge you to seek out his collected works at your local bookstore, library, in digital formats on your Kindle or Nook, or even in the classic pulp pages of Weird Tales where many of them first appeared (if your lucky enough to find them).
    Thanks for reading.
    Feedback, opinions, and comments always welcomed.
    Happy Collecting!
    SW3D

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  18. SW3D
    Who has Green Hair, wears Yellow Skin Tights with Green Striped Underwear, Red Boots and Gloves, and tops it all off with a Furry Red Cape?
    The Creeper... a trippy Steve Ditko creation from 1968, is arguably the most bizarre character to emerge from DC Comic's Silver Age, next to Brother Power the Geek!
    The Creeper first appeared in the pages of Showcase No. 73. With one of the oddest and most improbable origin stories of any comic book superhero, the Creeper is not your atypical DC costumed hero. Jack Ryder, a Gotham City TV Talk Show Host who pushes the boundaries of investigative journalism one too many times... is fired... but immediately lands a new job in all things... security? Unable to shake-off his investigative make-up, he attempts the rescue of a kidnapped scientist, Dr. Yatz, from the clutches of mobsters bent on selling his "serum" to the Soviets (this was, after-all, just five years removed from the height of the Cold War). During the attempted rescue, Jack Ryder is mortally wounded by the mobsters. In order to save his life, Dr. Yatz injects Jack Ryder with the serum which immediately gives him not only abnormal strength and agility, but a super-healing factor. Dr. Yatz also implants a device into the gunshot wound which has the added-effect of causing his costume to "appear and disappear" at will with the aid of an activator.
    How wacky is all that?
    But not to be outdone....
    ...my first exposure to The Creeper was 30 years ago in 1983, when the Copper Age Jack Ryder served as a back-up feature to Barry Allen in the pages of The Flash: 318 -- 323. That run featured Jack Ryder and his alter ego the Creeper, investigating a drug cartel selling a strange narcotic which changes young addicts into reptilian-like homicidal maniacs.
    What appeals to me the most about the Creeper is how uniquely different he is from most mainstream heroes. Because of his oddball quality, I knew I had to seek out his first appearance and add it to my CGC collection. I guess I'm a sucker for the strange, freakish, horrific and grotesque. Just look at my comic collection and the "tale of the tape" says it all.
     
    Now I will admit, to most comic fans, the Creeper isn't their cup of tea. And I don't blame them. For the most part, the writing, art, and the continuity of the Creeper character has been rather uneven. But if you never read a Creeper story, and you're willing to give it a shot... I recommend starting off with the 2006, six-issue series written by Steven Niles (30 Days of Night). It's available as a TPB: The Creeper: Welcome to Creepsville.
    There is of course, the collected reprints of Steve Ditko's work on the green haired character appearing in the 2010 hardcover book: The Creeper by Steve Ditko. which includes the Showcase 73 debut, the Creeper's first six issues in his eponymous title, and a never before published work.
    As for my Showcase 73... this 44 year old little beauty, with an old blue label proclaiming it's near mint grade of 9.4 with White Pages, comes by way of Pedigree Comics.
     
    Thanks for reading and as always Happy Collecting!
    SW3D

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  19. SW3D
    Moving closer to completing "Keys to the Kingdom" Set.
    As some of you already know, I'm trying to complete a set of keys tied into Adam Warlock. This issue, Thor 165, had been floating on eBay for at least a month or so and I had been watching it like a hawk hoping to get my filthy hands on it.
    I will admit, I did pay double the FMV for it... and I did my level-best to haggle with the seller to bring down the price, but he wouldn't budge... I guess he figured out I was desperate for it. Cardinal Rule: Don't ever come across as desperate for any item... because once you do, they got you by the b*lls!
    Although I'm slightly dissapointed at what I paid for it, I'm delighted to say it is my first CGC comic featuring Stan Lee's autograph. And I'm happy for that since Stan The Man co-created both Thor and Him (later to be named Adam Warlock) with Jack Kirby, and wrote the story in this issue... so its a fitting signature and not a gratuitous one.
    As for the key itself... it features the 1st Full Appearance of Him, battling Thor for the hand of Lady Sif. It's also noted to be a last 12 cent issue... making it one of the last issues in the Silver Age before the transition into the Bronze Age.
    After confirming the purchase on eBay, I went to Midtown Comics Grand Central and bought the hardcover Marvel Masterworks The Mighty Thor Volume 8, which reprints this issue as well as the follow-up story.
    So now I only have three more to go before "The Keys to the Kingdom" is complete... but knowing me... I'll probably take my sweet time and purchase more high-priced dupes before getting this done.
    Anyway... Thanks for reading and as always... Happy Collecting!
    SW3D

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  20. SW3D

    Meet the Wonder Twins!

    By SW3D,

    AKA... Reunited and It Feels So Good!
     
    AKA... "I'm Julius. And this is my brother Vincent. We're twins."
     
    AKA... "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad."Meet the Wonder Twins... no, not the Vulcan-eared, brother and sister duo Zan and Jayna from the Super Friends, but more like "I wonder what the hell I was thinking buying the same exact comic book I already own?"Look at these two. Is it a case of double-vision? Can you tell them apart? They're both Marvel Premiere #1, featuring Warlock. They're both historical keys where "Him" is first named "Warlock" by the Higher Evolutionary; is given the vampiric Soul Gem containing a pocket universe; where Counter-Earth (Earth 616) is first created; and lastly Warlock becomes a fashion plate by creating a costume mash-up of Shazam, Conan the Barbarian, and the WWE. They're both graded 9.6 with White Pages. And they both carry the same pedigrees from Suscha News. So what distinguishes them? How do I tell them apart?If you take a good look... just one number! That's right... their CGC registration numbers sets them apart... but only by one little number. Isn't that amazing? They are in exact sequential order from one another. Just one itsy bitsy number separates these two from being exact dupes. Obviously the previous owner sent them into the CGC for grading at the same exact time, and indeed they were graded one right after the other, both registering a CGC Grade Date on January 18, 2011... nearly two years to the day!But how often do two such items go through the hands of different owners only to be reunited again?I bought the first one through ComicConnect late last year in December 11th... and by sheer luck, a month to the day... on January 11th, while trolling on eBay looking for something else entirely, I found the second. I rubbed my eyes when I took notice of its registration number and something compelled me to cross-check against my copy. And to quote an overly referenced cliché... "And the rest is history."I have nicknamed these bad boys "Julius" and "Vincent" (lifted from one of my favorite 80's films: Twins... a feel good classic I can watch a billion times!) And for all intents and purposes these are twins... albeit not Siamese or Conjoined. I vow they will never be separated again. They have found a good home and have become part of my permanent CGC collection, joining the "Brotherhood of Warlock" aka "Keys to the Kingdom Set": Fantastic Four 66, 67, Thor 165, Marvel Premier 2, and Warlock 10. And if ever that rueful day should come where I need to sell them... I will sell them as a "Twin Set" (I shed a tear thinking such sad thoughts).But here's the "capper"... my natural curiosity led me to the CGC website once again, and I decided to check the registration numbers that sequentially precede and follow these two. And guess what? I found there is a third Marvel Premiere #1... in other words a missing triplet! Now I am determined to find that third brother. How? I've searched and trolled the same sites looking to see if it is up for sale but my search has come up empty. But I haven't stopped there... I went to the local police precinct and filed a "Missing Persons", but so far nothing. I also checked the local orphanages but he wasn't there too.And last night I walked the cold and barren streets, checking bus depots, back alleys, tenement buildings, and abandoned lots, all the while singing a favorite nursery rhyme..."Oh where, Oh where, has my little Adam gone? Oh where, oh where can he be?He battles his future evil self, he's the best artificially created super being of all,Oh where, oh where can he be?"But seriously, I have a good mind to contact ComicConnect and see if they could tell me who may be the current owner and I'll do my best to talk him/her into selling that third MP1. Wish me luck!Now... if you don't mind, I'm going to take Jules and Vincent on their strollers to the local supermarket, buy them some formula, and see if they can help me round up some real "twins"... or "puppies"... if you know what I mean. Thanks for Reading and as always... Happy Collecting!SW3DTo see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  21. SW3D
    Adventures of Superman Gil Kane
    Gil Kane's The Amazing Spider-Man: Artist's EditionYesterday afternoon, as it seems to be my daily custom of late, while on my lunch break, I visited Midtown Comics Grand Central. I actually went there with the intentions to buy the trade paperback volume collecting Grant Morrison's seminal 80's run on Animal Man... which I did. Aside from that, I also checked-out the wall of new releases and noted, with a measure of indifference, Marvel's Superior Spiderman #1 to be the big draw. Quickly passing that up, I kept perusing through hundreds of titles, looking for anything of interest, and a new release by DC instantly caught my eye: the hardcover book... Adventures of Superman Gil Kane. It's a funny thing!... perhaps almost serendipitous!... but on December 30th and January 3rd, I posted two journals detailing my purchases of Marvel Premiere #1 and #2 featuring Adam Warlock, beautifully brought to life by the majestic hand of Gil Kane. One of the replies to the latter journal came from Brandon Shepherd, who agreed with me on my opinions of Gil Kane: "Neat book SW3D! You're absolutely right about Gil Kane, he was a master." I replied to Brandon's comments: "Hey Brandon, I was looking through your exceptional AC collection... tremendous!... lots of high grades. I actually own AC's 545 to 554 which I bought back in the day from my favorite local newsstand which feature Gil Kane's exceptional art. I also collected his Superman run from 381 to 392... None of which are graded as of yet.There's something exceptional about Gil Kane... he has his own unique style that no one else has... like a unique stamp. When you see a Gil Kane rendering, you immediately know it's him... like seeing art by Neal Adams, Jack Kirby, or Steve Ditko... you just know it's them. I am actually waiting for the CGC to finish grading my newsstand bought copy of Action Comics 552 and 553 which includes guest appearances of Animal Man and a host of others. Those two comics feature two of my favorite covers... GK packs them with wall-to-wall action! There's a natural fluidity and depth of excitement that very few can replicate let only master."So lo and behold, DC has published and released Gil Kane's run of Action Comics and Superman from the 1980's... comics which I collected and treasured for their brilliant art work. Priced at $39.95, I had no choice but to add it to my collection. I'm sure there are many of you out there who are unfamiliar with Gil Kane. That's okay... there's plenty of time to get familiar with the legend. Gil Kane's real name was Eli Katz... born on April 6, 1926, in Riga, Latvia. At the age of three, his family immigrated to the States and settled in Brooklyn, New York. By the age of fifteen, Gil Kane was working at MLJ Comics (now known as Archie Comics), working on Pep Comics and The Shield. Sometime later, Gil found himself working side-by-side with the dynamic-duo: Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, at Timely Comics (Marvel's predecessor). By the late 50's, DC came calling and this is where Kane really made his mark. While at DC, with John Broome, Gil Kane co-created Hal Jordan, the Silver Age Green Lantern (Showcase #22), and the Silver Age Atom (Showcase #34) with Gardner Fox. He also lent his prodigious talents on titles like the Teen Titans, Captain Action, and Hawk and Dove. Fast forward to the 70's, and Kane is working for Marvel, co-creating Iron Fist (Marvel Premiere #15) and Morbius the Living Vampire (Amazing Spider-man #101) with Roy Thomas. His work on Conan and Adam Warlock are stand-out's, but his reputation and fame is solidified with a brilliant run on Amazing Spider-Man. In fact, this past Summer, Marvel and IDW teamed-up to bring you a glimpse of Kane's fantastic draftsmanship in the monolithic book: Gil Kane's The Amazing Spider-Man: Artist's Edition... faithfully scanning the original comic artwork appearing in ASM's 96 -- 102, and 121 (the infamous "Death of Gwen Stacy"). This is a beautiful book! I was rifling thru it this afternoon at Midtown Comics. Priced at $125 it is a bargain! I'm going to pick it up... no doubt about it! My favorite issues happen to be 101 and 102 where we are first introduced to the Living Vampire: Morbius. On top of that, Peter Parker grows four additional arms... making him a spider-like freak. Throw in the Lizard for good measure and it becomes a "Merry-Marvel-Monster-Free-for-All"!Leap into the next decade, the 80's (incidentally, the decade where I did most of my comic collecting), and Gil Kane is back at DC, illustrating the adventures of Superman and his co-creation: Hal Jordan. Some of my favorite Green Lantern books are the ones penciled by Gil Kane, where he provided the interior artwork and covers for issues 154, 156, 166, 167, 177, and 184. Sadly, on January 31, 2000, Gil Kane passed away from complications due to lymphoma (a type of blood cancer). This upcoming 31st will mark the 13th year of his untimely death. It's is fitting that DC put out a book commemorating his brilliance. I hope you all pick up a copy and enjoy his amazing talents. I'm including a pic of not only the Gil Kane's Superman book I picked up today, but also Marvel's Masterworks featuring Warlock which reprints Marvel Premiere 1 and 2, and Warlock No's 1- 8, featuring Gil Kane's illustrations. Good reading and Happy Collecting!SW3DTo see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  22. SW3D

    Cornering the Market!

    By SW3D,

    AKA... I own 0.0057273768613974799541809851088202% of the total CGC graded population for Swamp Thing Volume 1, Number 1.
    Back in late 2005, I bought my first graded CGC comic. I regard it as one of my favorites in my collection. I probably will never give it up. It will remain with me until my dying days. Only God and the great Universe will ever separate me from it. It is Swamp Thing Volume 1, Number 1, graded 9.2. I still marvel at it, and in my opinion looks better than the 9.4's and 9.6's I have in my collection. I bought it for $220, my first eBay purchase ever, and I remember Overstreet had it listed at a value of $150 ungraded.
    After receiving that first CGC purchase, I got it into my head that I wanted to own every single graded ST#1. Can you imagine? I had this crazy notion and obsession to corner a market... a niche market on a one time forgotten character. F*cking nuts! Since that wild and ludicrous impulse, I have bought four more ST #1's. I now own a total of five, which equates to exactly 0.0057273768613974799541809851088202% of the total CGC graded population (873)... or about ½ percent.
    Why Swamp Thing Volume 1, No. 1? I believe ST#1 is the pinnacle issue of all the Swamp Thing volumes (not including House of Secrets 92). And let me clarify further by stating... Volume 1, issues 1 through 10... are sheer classics that deserve similar praise bestowed upon the Silver Surfer's first volume collection. The rest of that volume's run, lamentably, falls far short of expectation.
    Many Swamp Thing fans will argue and sling mud and throw moss at me and tell me I'm obviously nuts (but my "sanity" has already been established). Yes, I believe Alan Moore's run is pure genius deserving of the high praise, awards, and accolades it has garnered, and he's done what very few have done... breathed new life into a character that seemingly died with those God awful movies from the 80's. And I like what DC is doing with the current volume... the whole Rot World saga is very cool. But I can't help but to love the original classic, brought to you by the masters: Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson. They are timeless, they are vintage, they are hallmarks of comicdom!
    The funny thing is, back in the late 70's and 80's, I never read any Swamp Thing comics. I knew of him, but I was more into his rival, Marvel's Man-Thing, and maybe a bit curious about Hillman's The Heap. In those days, every time I opened up a comic... right smack in the middle was Mile High Comics double-page spread catalogue. I would religiously scan every comic they had on sale, especially the Frank Miller Daredevil's and the Claremont and Byrne X-Men's... observing how they priced them... in essence, it became my monthly price guide. I would always look at what other titles were listed, and Swamp Thing always caught my attention. The first volume always seemed to carry a premium and it was always listed with "Wrightson" like he was a superstar along the lines of Kirby, Steranko, Adams, Miller and Byrne. However, when I caught the Wes Craven movie, as well as the follow-up featuring Heather Locklear... I told myself... you're not missing anything.
    Sometime in the early 90's, when I grew cynical and disillusioned with the whole commercialism and oversaturation of the hobby, I found myself wandering aimlessly in search of a new direction. I was still in college, hooked on science fiction books, especially Harry Harrison's The Stainless Steel Rat serial novels. But that fan-boy in me, who still loved comics, wanted to remain connected to the hobby and sought solace in the "innocence" of the past. One day, I walked into Little Nemo's... a great little comic shop on Austin Street in Forest Hills, Queens, named after Winsor McKay's main character from the classic comic strip Little Nemo in Sumberland. In this claustrophobic storefront, thousands upon thousands of vintage comics, posters, and original art from the Golden Age, Silver Age, and the Bronze Age graced its four walls... walls majestically decorated with the heroes of yesteryear. My eyes would always widen with delight, joy, and awe like a kid in a candy store. I would literally spend hours in that store, having an amazingly difficult time choosing what to buy. I wanted it all, but my miserable part-time income wouldn't allow for it. So I had to be very picky. I remember buying my first Lee and Kirby Fantastic Four's, issues 68 and 70, at Nemo's. I also bought Warren's Creepy, issues 3 and 4, featuring Frank Frazetta covers. And I also bought a near complete run of DC's The Shadow from the 70's, featuring Mike Kaluta's beautiful covers. And I am sure I bought lots more. But my most proud purchase was the first volume of Swamp Thing's... numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9. I bought them all for ten bucks a piece back then, and even bought doubles of issue 7... when Swamp Thing crosses paths with Batman. Sadly, issues 1 and 10 were not part of that package. But when I got home, I carefully read them, and I finally understood why Mile High priced them at a premium. These books represent some of the finest storytelling and art every to grace a four-color page. Although Wein and Wrightson gave us an all-too-brief ten issue run, they are undeniable classics.
    Sadly, Little Nemo's closed its doors nearly two decades ago. A raw copy of ST#1 eluded me until the early 00's, when I finally bought it at Midtown Comics Grand Central. With that purchase, I re-read that run I owned. Since then, Swamp Thing has become my favorite DC character. In my book, he's up there in the majestic pantheon of Super Heroes, holding court with the other greats.
     
    As time has passed, I have given up that silly notion of trying to corner the market on ST's #1, in favor of pursing other beloved heroes of my childhood. However, I do intend to buy just one more ST #1... an immortal CGC 9.8. And when that's done... sometime in the far future... I hope to collect all ten issues of that classic Wein and Wrightson run... one day, God Willing!
    Thanks for reading.
    Happy Collecting!
    SW3D

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  23. SW3D
    ACA Comix Number 1 is available on Ebay
    This goes out to any and all John Byrne fans, especially those who read and replied to my journal I posted about the very same comic: ACA Comix Number 1, John Byrne's 1st published comic book (not first published work, but first published comic book).
    Let me just say, I am in no way associated, representing, or connected with the seller who is posting their copy of ACA Comix Number 1. I have no idea who this person is.
    I am only alerting the collecting community at large, especially those JB fans who have been wanting this rare gem.
    One interesting thing to note, the seller claims to have been a personal friend of John Byrne in his youth, and managed to get it signed on the back cover with a personal note: "For my friend Richard, John '71"
    Anyway... it's up for sale on eBay... Here's the link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/JOHN-BYRNE-1ST-COMIC-EXTREMELY-RARE-SIGNED-THE-DEATHS-HEAD-KNIGHT-/140891548157?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20cdca69fd
    Good Luck! I hope it finds a nice home!
    Happy New Year
    SW3D
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  24. SW3D

    A 2012 Holdover!

    By SW3D,

    AKA... My Soul Gem: Redux
    It finally arrived!... Marvel Premiere #2. This is a holdover from 2012. I actually purchased it from the ComicConnect auction site back on December 20th. Although not a key, I couldn't resist the purchase based on its high grade and certification from a pedigree collection: Suscha News.
    This little gem takes its rightful place among my proud collection of keys I am currently building on Adam Warlock. To date, I now own:
    1. Fantastic Four 66 (Origin of Him),
    2. Fantastic Four 67 (1st Appearance of Him)
    3. Marvel Premiere 1 (1st Appearance as Adam Warlock, 1st Appearance of Costume, 1st Appearance of Soul Gem, 1st Appearance of Counter-Earth/Earth 616)
    4. Marvel Premiere 2
    5. Warlock 10 (Origin of Thanos and Gamora, 1st Appearance of In-Betweener).
    As I mentioned in my previous journal post, "Keys to the Kingdom!"... 2013 will see me searching out for two specific Adam Warlock keys to complete this collection. However, I have decided to revise this key search to include two additional keys that have caught my attention, which now means I will be looking to obtain a total of four (4) keys:
    *1st Key: Thor Volume 1, No. 165: "Him's" first full appearance as he battles Thor for the hand of Lady Sif.
    *2nd Key: Warlock (The Power of...) Volume 1, No. 1: Finally! Warlock gets his own magazine! This inaugural issue is a continuation of the storyline from Marvel Premiere 1 and 2.
    *3rd Key: Strange Tales No. 178: The first appearance of the Magus... Warlock's evil future self and founder of the Universal Church of Truth.
    *4th Key: Warlock No. 9: The origin of the Magus.
    The late Gil Kane was a master! He's one of my favorite artists. His cover to Marvel Premiere 2 is dripping with dynamic action ala 70's Marvel... check it out!
    Happy New Year and Happy Collecting!
    SW3D

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  25. SW3D

    Keys to the Kingdom!

    By SW3D,

    AKA... My Soul Gem: Building a Mini-Set out of Adam Warlock
    When it comes to collecting, I'm not much of a completist. Thankfully I don't have an insatiable need to own every issue of a run unless I'm so immersed into the storyline (but sadly, that's very rare). When it comes to collecting third party graded comics, I also have no desire to build and complete sets... partly because it requires a lot of time, effort, and most of all... money... which I need to spread and allocate to other endeavors. There's also the perfectionist in me who desires only the very best grades, and is immediately jealous of another collector with a superior collection or individual item. So, if I were to begin building a set with the intentions of completing it, I would be unsatisfied until I've collected only the highest grades possible... and that would really put me into a deep financial hole!
    For the most part, my CGC collecting has been focused on buying single keys related to my favorite heroes... which, from my point of view, makes sense since it's easier to amass single keys and way more satisfying without that nagging feeling of... "I can't sleep until I find that missing issue to complete the set". Once I have the key that I want, I can move on. It's like scoring a lot of little victories in favor of the really big one. And in many ways I also look at it like an investment portfolio... it's better to have diversity than throwing all your eggs into one basket.
    However, contrary to what I just said about building sets, I decided to embark on building a special mini-set or lot. And before you cry hypocrite, let me explain. I am building a complete mini-set of keys all related to just one character: Adam Warlock, aka Him. Why? Partly because I believe these keys to be sound investments with great potential, partly because these keys are currently affordable, and most importantly... to fulfill a fanboy need.
    But why Adam Warlock in particular and not another character? I can't really say for sure. Warlock's never really been a best selling title, more of a secondary character with a cult following. I first read of his mystical exploits and got into the character back in 1980, when Adam Warlock was a back-up feature to the Silver Surfer. Marvel Comics reprinted the Silver Surfer's first 14 issues from his first volume, in Fantasy Masterpieces Volume 2 (1979 -- 1981), which carried a 75 cent cover price. As an added bonus, they also generously reprinted Jim Starlin's run as previously seen in Strange Tales 178 - 181, and Warlock 9-11. It was these particular Warlock stories which struck a chord in me. There's an esoteric charm to them... a sort of mystical philosophy... very existential and head-trippy... much like the storytelling magic in the Silver Surfer's first run... which is probably why Marvel chose to pair them up... they simply complement each other. I view both the Silver Surfer and Adam Warlock as Marvel Comic's messiahs... both mythologies are filled with great esoteric wisdom... each being evokes a sense and degree of inner peace ironically derived from the lessons learned from the chaos of the outside world, and each being makes a profound sacrifice for the greater good... such noble qualities. If I had the money, I would honestly collect all the issues from both characters... but that just isn't going to happen (not yet a least).
    Anyway... from my perspective, I feel, Adam Warlock has only six distinct historical keys worth collecting (of which I currently own four), listed as follows:
    1st Key: Fantastic Four Volume 1, No. 66: "Him's" origin as told by his creators The Citadel of Science. "Him" does not appear, save in Cocoon form, where he is gestating and awaiting full growth and development of his god-like powers.
    2nd Key: Fantastic Four Volume 2, No. 67: Contrary to popular opinion, "Him's" origin is not discussed or covered in this issue, however, he does make his first actual appearance when his cocoon ruptures prematurely... albeit a very brief one panel cameo... but nonetheless we finally get to see "Him".
    3rd Key: Thor Volume 1, No. 165: "Him's" first full appearance as he battles Thor for the hand of Lady Sif.
    4th Key: Marvel Premiere Volume 1, No. 1: Not only is it the inaugural issue of the title Marvel Premiere, but it is also where "Him" is officially christened Adam Warlock by the Higher Evolutionary, thereby given an identity as well as a costume. Now he's a superhero! And, in addition, it's the first time Adam Warlock dons the Soul Gem: that vampire, soul-sucking jewel which contains a pocket universe: the Soul World... gifted to him by the Higher Evolutionary.
    5th Key: Warlock (The Power of...) Volume 1, No. 1: Finally! Warlock gets his own magazine! This inaugural issue is a continuation of the storyline from Marvel Premiere 1 and 2.
     
    6th Key: Warlock Volume 1, No. 10: The sixth and final key (to date), features the Origin of the Mad Titan: Thanos; his lovely green-skinned lethal assassin's origin, Gamora; the Death of The Matriarch; and the first appearance of the In-Betweener (created by Lord Chaos and Master Order and possessor of a Soul Gem... Thanos later conned him for it; that slick !)
    To date, as I mentioned earlier, I own four of the six. As many of you have posted your goals for 2013, I too will go on record with one of my goals: acquiring the last remaining keys: Thor 165 and The Power of... Warlock No. 1.
    Thanks for reading.
    If you're building any particular sets, large or small, please share your stories and why you chose to do so.
    Happy New Year and Happy Collecting!
    SW3D

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