Brandon Shepherd

Thanks guys, I had fun with this!

Number one on the list, the purge survival list. I have talked about nine books so far, nine books that I would save should I ever find myself having to purge my collection. I have enjoyed telling these stories and I have one more to tell, before I do this, I want to thank surfer99 for giving us the idea. I also want to thank Tnerb and bagofleas for inspiring me to post my own list (I just copied their style); I also thank SW3D for his feedback and encouragement. I'm excited to see entries from kaholo1256, Scott Harris and Lee K; I'm looking forward to seeing their next entries as well as lists from other members. A few years ago I wrote a journal about my top five pieces, I talked about how lists like these change over time, only two books from that list made it to my current top ten purge survival list. So, now I have my top book to present, number one on the list of books I could not part with... Action Comics #443 (January 1975). I wrote about this book a few months back and I'll talk about it again! This to me is THE book to keep, if I could only save one book, I wouldn't have to think about it, this is it. I first saw this cover as a kid when I was just discovering Superman and comics, this book represents to me everything about what I got into comics for in the first place. I love this cover, I love all the guest stars included and how you're invited to check out 100 pages worth of stories inside. When holding this slab you really feel the weight of this 100 Page Giant, and as of this writing, it is 1 of 2 in 9.8 grade. While I'm stoked to have this in high grade, it really comes down to the cover. I like seeing Superman opening up a giant copy of Action Comics, and letting a bunch of familiar heroes run out from the pages. I found a raw copy about 10 years ago at a shop, which was such a find for me at the time. It was this cover that would eventually lead to my focus on Action Comics. Thanks for reading. Recap: 10) Raiders of the Lost Ark #1, CGC 9.8, Golden State copy 9) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom #3, CGC 9.8 8) Uncanny X-Men #142, CGC 9.8 7) The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #34, CGC 9.8 6) Action Comics #581, CGC 9.9, Golden State copy 5) Action Comics #417, CGC 9.8, Winnipeg copy 4) Action Comics #410, CGC 9.8, Rocky Mountain copy 3) Action Comics #404, CGC 9.8, Rocky Mountain copy 2) Action Comics #400, CGC 9.8 See more journals by Brandon Shepherd

I do remember when we did this for the Red Sonja cover, let's see what we can think up for this one. I like the idea of Superman being manipulated by a villain, perhaps a villain who recognizes a desire in Superman, a desire for a family? I can see where Superman would think he has a son, where he sees something good but the rest of the world sees something much different, thanks to the manipulations of a foe. And how would this deception come to be? Black magic, a hypnotic trance or naivety on Superman's part? I like the black magic idea, I could see someone like Darkseid or Morgan le Fay behind this. What ideas have you got?

From the Rockies comes a cover of evil and fear. In continuing my countdown of books that I could not part with I'm almost to number one, but I have three more stories to tell first. The book I have at number four on my PSL is Action Comics #410 (March 1972) from the Rocky Mountain pedigree. This piece is near and dear to me for a few reasons, I'm partial to the Rocky Mountain pedigree and I'm also partial to covers by Nick Cardy. Several years ago I was in a comic shop in Cincinnati, Ohio where I saw a raw copy of Action #410. I remember the book looking really nice with a bright cover, there were signs of aging but the book presented very well. At this point in time I had never seen a near mint/mint book from this era and CGC was very new to me, I have no idea what grade the raw copy would have gotten if submitted. I ended up getting a different book that day but I almost picked the raw Action #410. The cover features the satanic son of Superman, with the Man of Steel ready to defend his son against an angry lynch mob, the son looks pleased with the chaos. Is this an imaginary story, a story about misunderstanding, has Superman been tricked or is the cover an exaggeration? Since I have not read the book I do not know, I prefer to keep it a mystery. We all know how dangerous fear and misunderstanding can be, especially when a lynch mob is involved, and this simple cover reminds me of that every time I gaze upon it. A year or so before I picked up this piece I tried for another 9.8 copy of this issue but I was outbid. This worked out for the better since I was able to get the Rocky Mountain copy with the exceptional quality that is consistent with this pedigree. This was my oldest 9.8 example for a time, now it is my third oldest 9.8. This piece takes me back to that moment when I saw the raw copy and how I had yet to see a near mint book from this era, this also reminds me of how I once had 9.8 books from the early '70s on an unattainable pedestal. Now that I think about it the concept of the pedestal can be dangerous as well... See more journals by Brandon Shepherd

Interesting, I will have to keep an eye out for these gems next time I go to a show! I sincerely doubt you'll find them at any show in the States. All of the ones I have came from various sellers outside the US with very few exceptions. Oh, I meant the US title, Unexpected. See how I keep messing up on this thread?

Interesting, I will have to keep an eye out for these gems next time I go to a show!

Is this better?

When it comes to Cardy you can't discount the romance books he did either. Those are some of my favorites that he did. If you haven't seen them I definitely recommend checking them out. (thumbs u I took a look at a gallery of Cardy's romance covers, he could draw some beautiful girls!

To those who have posted about House of Mystery, Nick Cardy and DC, I have come to appreciate and enjoy those covers over the last few years. At this time I do not have any Bronze Horror, the closest thing I have are a handful of raw copies of early '70s Batman and Detective books, as most of you probably know, these covers are dark, eerie and have a macabre feel. I mostly focus on '70s Action Comics, especially covers from Nick Cardy, so it has been a treat to discover more of his work outside the superhero genre. I have to admit that sometimes when I purchase a high CGC graded 20-cent cover from Action Comics at a decent price, I can't help but think that if this Action Comic were a horror cover, or Neal Adams cover from the same time period that this piece would be well out of my price range. If money was no object, I would expand to into 20-cent covers and 52 Page Giants from DC in general, especially the horror covers. Thanks for sharing all of these great covers.