SW3D

...aka... Buying Comic Books as investments... ...or Selling OutI must make a confession, one I am not too proud of. I am not a saavy investor. I don't have a stock portfolio. I don't own equity. Nor do I have a Wealth Manager on speed dial. All I own are my comics... and I don't know their economic worth... just the intrinsic value they hold for me. But that's not my confession. I'll get to that in a minute. Comics are collectables and there's a market for it... obviously. They, like other forms of collectables, are considered alternative assets... non-traditional assets that do not have liquidity like currency, stocks, bonds, and precious metals, but nonetheless have economic value. Do they make for great investments? Well, that all depends who you ask. My opinion is... yes... however, don't trust me... after all, I'm an admitted non-savvy investor.But I do collect comics for my genuine love and appreciation for them. I usually buy comics based on a particular (sometimes peculiar) interest: in a character, its mythology, its place in comics history, for the work of an artist or writer, because of some kind of nostalgic quality, or in rare instances... for a base and morbid curiosity... anyway... these are the reasons I'm compelled me to pull out my wallet and part with my hard-earned cash. So here's my confession... my latest acquisition: Warlock Volume 1, No. 10, CGC graded 9.8, was an impulse purchase based on speculation stemming from movie rumors. I bought it believing it to be a value investment for these two reasons: Firstly... it features the Origin of Thanos: Marvel's answer to DC's Darkseid, created by Jim Starlin. Thanos, who made his first appearance in Iron Man Vol. 1, No. 55, is slated to be the main villain in the Avengers sequel, which is sending price valuations of early Thanos' appearances through the roof. Secondly... the comic features Adam Warlock, Marvel's Christ-like messiah, who may or may not make an appearance in the rumored Guardians of the Galaxy movie... he was, after all, a one-time member of GOTG. Now don't get me wrong. I love this comic no matter what. Jim Starlin is one of my favorite artists and writers. And, I am also a big fan of Adam Warlock... in fact, not too long ago I bought his first appearance in Fantastic Four, Volume 1, No. 67 (known then as Him), and added it to my permanent collection (my precious). And there's also that aesthete side of me that loves the sheer beauty and look of this book: the cover alone is a masterpiece that has that classic 70's Marvel stamp all over it, with balls-to-the-walls action, and vaguely reminds me of a Frank Frazetta's painting where Conan the Barbarian is in the thick of battle standing on top a pile of bodies. But again, I must confess, I bought it simply as a value investment with the hopes of seeing it rise in the speculator market and to sell it at the height of its "inflated" value as we draw closer and closer to the Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers 2 release dates.Am I sellout? Absolutely (Isn't it funny how the word absolutely has remnants of absolution embedded in it). I'm flawed, I'll admit... I confess... but who isn't? Has anyone out there also bought comics simply to make a buck? Of course! I'm not the only one. So, to all you sellouts... and you know who you are... Are you riddled with guilt? Are you having sleepless nights... haunted by the faint whispers and murmurs of "sellout"? Are you seeking absolution? Please share your story... with me... with everybody... with the world... confession is good for the soul... plus, I need to mine for my next investment (muh ha ha ha!) Share, share, share!Happy Collecting and Investing!To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

Where were you when you first read Marvelman? Hey you! Yeah, you know who you are! You love Alan Moore's take on the one-time rip-off of the Big Red Cheese, who became a god and ruled a utopia after the near destruction of London. Where were you when Micky Moran uttered the word Kimota? I know where I was... it was 1985 and I was in a dingy and cramped comic book store called Bishop Comics in Kew Gardens, Queens, NY, which smelled ferociously of paper oxidation. I was an aimless 16-year old bored out of my mind... bored of the same old superheroes... with the same old predictable endings... who no matter how high the odds were stacked against them... always managed to come out on top. See you next ish true believer! And why didn't they age? And why, as I matured, did they seem to become more and more irrelevant, almost infantile, as I was absorbed into the turbulent world of teenage life? Of course, Eclipse's Miracleman shocked the sh*t out of me. Never had I beheld such an amazing spectacle of life and death and utter realism (if one could be said of comic book heroes). And being an aimless kid, with a new found drug, I was eager to learn more about this wonderful creation. But what exactly were Miracleman's roots? His origins? As it turns out, Miracleman was really Marvelman, and it took me a long time to accept this and the fact that he was a foreign creation. Can you imagine? Comic books written and drawn by non-Americans. That was absurd. Americans are like Wolverine... We are the best there is at what we do! But that cynical and backward egotistical notion soon came crashing down and yielded to a golden dawn which lit the way and I stepped through into another world. Suddenly I was no longer sheltered. I was no longer exposed to just one world view. I was emancipated! I was liberated! And it was just the beginning. I no longer looked at comics in much the same way. Marvelman had set the barometer for me. From that day on, all comics were to be held to a higher standard... accountable for quality... not just in art, but literate stories with a higher sense of realism. So why the BFD (big f**king deal)? Why all this hoopla over Marvelman? I don't know? Maybe it's because I recently went to Midtown Comics and picked up several copies of Avatar Press's Hero Worship... and the bolt of flashback lightning hit met (like Barry Allen when he stood to close to those chemicals), and I just thought, wow... is this Deja Vu? Didn't I live this event already? Why does it seem so familiar? Yes... of course... Zenith reminds me of Kid Miracleman... not just in looks but the whole faux realism... a world where superheroes are as human as human can be... for better or for worse. So where does one start to begin the exploration into the essential roots of Marvelman's unique vision? I'm glad you asked... Why in the black and white pages of the British magazine known as Warrior. Warrior is where it all began... where Alan Moore's vision took fruit and Garry Leach and Alan Davis made it all too real. So do yourself a favor and get out your wallets, then scour the auction sites, your local comics specialty shops, and flea markets for back issues of Warrior, and purchase a copy (or more), then ask yourself... I wonder if the CGC will grade my Warrior? The answer is NO! Then ask yourself... Am I content to live with the colorized reprints (issues 1 through 6) which appeared in Eclipse's 80's cancelled run. And the unmistakable conclusion is... NO! Why?...because I declare myself a voracious and passionate comic book collector with an insatiable appetite and need to acknowledge and preserve all important documents of comic book history... and Warrior is a landmark deserving grading services. ...And then... ...take a few minutes from your busy schedule and send the CGC a short and sweet e-mail. Let them know your voice needs to be heard, and that you demand CGC grading services for Warrior... no matter the cost... for the long term benefits outweigh the short term. And if you care to send that message, if you care to stand up for a cause, please courtesy copy me at screenwriter3d@yahoo.com. A shout out to Tnerb... for his passion and spirit. May the fire always burn. Kimota! To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

Calling All Warrior Magazine Fans! Can I enlist your help? Call me crazy. Perhaps I am going about this the wrong way. Perhaps this isn't the platform or forum for such an enormous undertaking... but I need your feedback and opinions... and ultimately your help. I'm a big fan of Alan Moore... I mean who isn't. Do I need to mention how this force of nature changed the landscape of graphical storytelling forever?... No, but i will. The author, illustrator, and modern day shaman, ushered in the 80's British Wave (which brought in the literary talents of Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, Jamie Delano, and Peter Milligan to American shores), but is most recognized for producing timeless masterpieces such as: Watchmen, V for Vendetta, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, From Hell, Batman: The Killing Joke, as well as reinventing the character mythologies of Marvelman and Swamp Thing, and giving comic and horror fans occult detective John Constantine, aka Hellblazer. For those who are novices to comics or have been living under a rock, do yourselves a favor and pick up a hardcover book titled Alan Moore Storyteller, written by Gary Spencer Millidge, which covers the fascinating, humble and controversial career of a creative tour-de-force, or see the mind-altering 2003 documentary The Mindscape of Alan Moore. Anyway, before I get further sidetracked by my love of Alan Moore, I want to talk about an important piece of comic book history: Warrior Magazine. This early 80's British magazine, published and edited by Dez Skinn's Quality Communications, in black and white serialized formats, is best remembered for some of Alan Moore's early works: Marvelman, V for Vendetta, and The Bojeffries Saga. Sadly, Warrior Magazine folded after just 26 issues, cut short by the financial impact caused by the trademark infringement lawsuit filed by Marvel Comics over the use of the name "Marvel" in Marvelman. The rest is history as Eclipse went on to reprint and colorize all of the Marvelman strips and allow Alan Moore to complete his monumental vision. DC followed suit, and gave V for Vendetta the same illustrious treatment. So, on the strengths and merits of Marvelman and V for Vendetta alone, it goes without saying, Quality Communications' Warrior Magazine is an important part of comics history and deserves grading and encapsulation services afforded to American comic magazines... ...However... ...Back in early October, I telephoned the CGC and had an insightful conversation with a very helpful and knowledgeable employee of the CGC. I had called to inquire about the pricing and grading certification for my collection of Warrior Magazines. Sadly, because of its oversized format (larger than the standard US comic magazines), I was informed CGC currently does not provide grading certification and encapsulation services for it, nor for any other similarly sized magazines. From the conversation, I also understood that it would take a considerable financial investment for the CGC to produce a slab large enough to comfortably fit a Warrior Magazine. So here's the dilemma... How can I, or we (the unified collectors and comics community), persuade and influence the CGC to reconsider its current position and provide grading services for Warrior Magazine? Do I start a petition? Maybe we hold a peace rally at the steps of CGC's Sarasota offices all wearing Guy Fawkes masks? Probably not. Do I petition Alan Moore's involvement? Highly unlikely (the man has better things to do, but it would be something if he lent his support). But perhaps the best way to go about all this is by flooding the CGC with an outpouring of love (via e-mail or snail mail) for these oversized magazines, which might inspire CGC to reconsider and invest in grading oversized magazines in general. I can think of a dozen or so magazines, graphic novels, and newsprints (2000 AD, the birthplace of Judge Dredd and Alan Moore's The Ballad of Halo Jones, Future Shocks, and D.R. and Quinch, comes to mind), that deserve CGC grading services. Anyway... Tell me what you think. Your thoughts, opinions, feedback, suggestions, and support are most welcome! Happy Collecting! To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.