oldmilwaukee6er

Freak Brothers #14 Or Fifty Freakin’ Years with the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers Today I received an early birthday present from the lady, something she bought me off Amazon.co.uk, what I am calling Freak Brothers #14 (1st UK edition)- the first Freak Brothers ‘comic book’ with new material in 20 years! This Knockabout Comics book precedes the American edition, solicited in Previews and due out mid-April 2018, by about 4-5 months. 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the first appearance of the hirsute trio in comic books- 1968’s Feds n Heads. Freak Bros. #14 List of Contents Fifty Freakin Years (Foreword by Gilbert Shelton) Phineas Becomes a Suicide Bomber (Shelton)… reprinted from the Complete Zap Comix box set and Zap Comix #16 Flora and Fawna- a roughly drawn pin up titled The Jailbait Twins (Shelton) Franklin Got His Gun (Shelton, 2017) Mr. Natural Meets That Fabulous Furry Freak Brother Fat Freddy (Shelton, 2013) Fat Freddy Gets Religion (Shelton, 2017) 1 pg of Tall Toad beer labels drawn by Shelton The Adventures of the Fabulous Fat Freddy (Shelton, 2009) A series of parodies by various artists… including: Geek Brothers by Jay Lynch, originally published in Bijou Funnies #8 The Feminine Furry Legged Freeek Sisters (Shelton under the nom de plume Herbert Sherbert) Fabuleaux Furieux cover (apparently a collection of homages to Shelton et al that I have neither heard nor held) Gilbert Shelton’s Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers (Hunt Emerson, 2003) Scotland Yardie vs. The Freak Brothers (Joseph & Samuels, undated) The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers Strut March, artwork for a flash animation (Shelton) Lambiek Amsterdam 40th Anniversary illustration (Shelton, 2008) 12 pages of illustrations, posters, merchandise, etc. One of the highlights of Freak Brothers #14 are the parodies by other artists, including Jay Lynch & Hunt Emerson (above) I am pleased to see 1 of my 2 copies survived the 2+ week journey in at least NM 9.4 with just the faintest back cover corner bump. Bagged, boarded, and tucked in a box already. I will also pick up the American version when it drops… multiple copies to try for that elusive Amazon-originated CGC 9.8. Overall, I am excited to read the book tonight and pleased with the production value for my 9 quid. Be well freaks, Om The inside front and back cover replicate vintage LSD blotter paper. PS---> RIP Howard Greber, EggsAckley, I miss ya brother and wish we were talking excitedly over the phone about this book. #freakbrothers #gilbertshelton #undergroundcomix

Here are two books I bought this week at the last remaining Edge satellite Collector's Edge North. They are Star Wars Adventures #6 (1st Rose Tico) and Strangers in Paradise 25th #1. The reason I bought these books at a store that isn't my LCS is because I was excited that they were out and figured that my LCS may not have them. We switched to Turning Page several months ago for our weekly comic books subscriptions. However, it hasn't been the smoothest in ordering new things from Previews magazine. For example, I was ordering Star Wars Adventures out of Previews each month, but it was intermittent and now we do not get Previews anymore. And the Turning Page does not really carry Star Wars Adventures since it is the slightly more obscure IDW publishing. They stick to the Big 3- Marvel, DC, and then Image titles of course. However even some of the deep-cut Image stuff does not make the new comics rack. So sometimes I have to venture out and try and find titles another way. One great option that is always available to me but is the farthest away (30min) from me is Lost World of Wonders. Another good option is Collector's Edge South. However, while they have probably the best selection over all of independent books they often run out of books really quickly, so it is often not worth it unless you are in the area on New Comics Wednesday. Collector's Edge North is near my winter job and has the cutest lil anime clerk you ever did see. So easy choice. Lately I find myself going there for the 'cannot miss book', such as a new Spawn character or the Star Wars Adventures with the Porg on the cover. I can't score high end variants at ANY of these stores because I'm not in that crowd, so it has to be something that's going to be relatively available but might sell out the same day. Sometimes I miss Previews and the choice and the chance to spec/pick right; other times I am thankful that I have to fend off the racks, I enjoy the hunt/sport, and it provides built-in editing on what comes through the door.

So I wrote before that this past weekend was a good one for comics. No local shows in the area until the end of the month, so the newly minted Turning Page's 1-Year Anniversary sale (50% off back issues, room of 50c boxes, and 25% off new books) and annual Collector's Edge Sale ($2 admission, 25% off everything, basement back issue access) looked tempting indeed. Lately, I have been floundering in my collecting a little- apathetic, disorganized, and making mistakes- and this looked like a chance to 'get back on the horse' as it were. A lot of energy into work, a new winter assignment, and sometimes snow duty. Money has been a little tight, as we reign in some freewheeling holiday spending and adjust to my new winter schedule (and bump down in pay). We have been successful, with much 'storming', in aggressively paying down some unsecured debt and planting the seeds of new habits (such as less dining out), while also working toward re-establishing mad-money for both. In part, my new work assignment has helped ... a mixed bag... my commute is longer, up to the northside, so I spend more on gas, and I also work ADDITIONAL revolving snow duty shifts as support staff for the salt / plow trucks, which messes up my schedule. For example, SUN night I was called in 7pm to 3am, and then worked my normal MON 7am to 330pm. WED I was called in at 5am, and today sent home from my normal gig at noon, so that I could return and work 6pm to ?? (as I write). Long story short, this changing schedule has also helped. It gives me permission to say "no" or "i'll be a game-time decision due to snow duty" to offers from friends and family, which means when I am not working, I am at home (versus disc golfing or playing bar trivia). The lady loves this and has responded. This schedule also has put an artificial limit to my drinking too... more often I find myself looking maximize quality sleep in lieu of 'going out for a few beers to blow off steam.' So my focus has been on career, and more importantly on re-building a shared vision for our future in the Brew City... something that seems a little lost after so many years of marriage. I suppose it stands to reason that when this happens, the focus shifts away from hobby. Life, as it were, gets in the way. The New Year offers a fresh start and the lure of these two sales were enough to draw me right back in... with a budget of about $200. SAT was our day... we had a plan to shroom and spend the day together (an annual exploration) and so timed our visit as to not interfere. The Turning Page was packed. I was not surprised. The guys at The Page have done a great job in the past year and the community is responding. They have the best revolving selection of back issues, actively scrounge new collections, run a new 'Comicverse' show, and have been improving on their burgeoning new comics subscriptions (they can continue to improve). Plus, they have carved out a nice niche in the vintage video games area, and have brought in movie poster collections, as well as several toy collections. Always something new to see, in the same building that Turning Page has occupied since the 1970s. Long live the stalwart on the East Side, Milwaukee. It is no small achievement that Turning Page drove Collector's Edge East out of business despite East having the best LCS manager on the planet. So I picked a few Star Wars Lumiya books off my list and enjoyed a leisurely but brief visit, being mindful of the lady's time and our looming psychedelia. I also took the opportunity to grab several new comics off the rack (extra copies of Spawn and fill-in issues of Dr. Aphra, $3ea), as well as a copy of X-Men Grand Design #2. I spent a smidge under $40. We enjoyed a lovely walk in the brisk sunshine and then the swirling comforts of home. The real shopping, I posited, would happen the next day. Aphra looking like our girl Leia. Also, I am a sucker for the covers that feature Aphra, her droids & Black Krrsantan. This recalls an early Aphra cover appearance, Darth Vader #10, and the re-occuring theme of Vader looming over Aphra SUN rolled around and some possible weather loomed. I anticipated getting called into work late in the afternoon, but also wanted to time the Edge's sale if possible. Typically, for the stuff I am looking for... I do not have to be the first one in the room, bumping into everyone, waiting in all the lines, cheek-to-cheek in the Basement Vault where the Silver Age is kept. So, I waited... until I couldn't anymore and FOMO got the better of me. About 2pm, with the sale closing at 5pm, we drove together down to the hipster Bayview neighborhood where the Collector's Edge flagship is located. The lady jumped into the Arsenal bar next door to kill time, having tasked me with looking for the final back issue she needs to complete Piranha Press' esoteric Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children (#27 for $5.25 with discount). I knew that book was in the basement, I knew I left it laying last year, and I was determined to buy it. After securing the #27, I then picked an upgrade to my Critters #3 (early Usagi appearance and cover; $4 with discount). With those two books in hand I slowed down a little... checking the odd title here or there and (mostly) catching up with my former LCS manager and friend. We chatted for some time and I was buoyed to learn that his new position is rewarding him financially, and that he has not given up on his long-term job hunt. Actually we chatted for some time indeed, while watching the big boss check out one of his more loyal customers, a young OCD/spectrum picker who dropped approximately $2100 after discount on a giant stack o books. After that transaction was done, I dug in and priced some low numbered X-Men books quickly (#8, 2x #10, & 2x #11) before settling on the above X-Men books for $123 after discount. Upstairs I picked a few moderns, some Silver Age bags and boards, checked out and nabbed a grab-bag on the way out. All in all it was been a rewarding holiday season that was 'capped off' with a mix of new and old comic books. I have a table 'semi' reserved for the Comicverse sale on January 28th, the day before my birthday. I thought I might set up and rep for some Indy and underground comix, and that is the next time the high grade collection of Spawn books will be available for sale (FYI @newshane; the ones I mentioned from December... the hope of a 182 upgrade). I say semi-reserved because, well... I'm on snow duty that week and will be a game-time decision. :-D PS. Things I am enjoying... The new Star Wars movie iFanboy's "pick of the week" podcast- http://ifanboy.com/podcasts/ Mad Men on Netflix. The lady and I binged it straight through; got to the end, sighed, and started again. To date, we have not tired of it. Dave Chappelle's Netflix comedy specials, laughing in general... Ed Piskor's X-Men Grand Design (and scouring through my new X-Men books for where he got it wrong). I bought copies, read & loved them and now want to go back and pick up copies to have/hold. Liverpool football... a nice banger sausage and Krombacher dark The last issue of Rock Candy Mountain is coming up too Dreams of 'up Nort', Northern lights, a fire place, and seeing Lake Superior

This past weekend was a good one for comics. SAT was the Turning Page's 1-year Anniversary sale... lots of 50% off back issues, 50c issues and deals on their video games. SUN was Collector's Edge New Year Sale ($2 admission, basement back issue access, 25% OFF (incl supplies), & kick in the grab bag on the way out. I will write more tomorrow, but I added two VGish X-Men to my run ($120 for pair) , presented here with the 'summary' Ed Piskor page from X-Men Grand Design #2 (great read- recommend). The tape pull is a real turnoff for many, but my run is only VG, so this book presents/flips/reads great for me More to come!

Some new arrivals last THURSDAY ... Over 20yrs of collecting, I still make mistakes. In my rush to on-site submit at Wizard World Chicago, I submitted my Midtown Comics copies of Zap #`16 and got back qualified books. Amazon copies of Zap #`16 did not have UPC/price stickers, but most of mine arrived damaged (sans 1). Did copies from Fantagraphics have stickers on the back cover (BC)? Also, the FFFB #10 is a @#$% 2nd print (Auburn address back cover). Some more slabs... http://www.myslabbedcomics.com/GalleryDetail.asp?GCat=1238

Some slabbed underground comix. The following Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers arrived FRI (the two Zap Comix #16s a little while ago)... two more Economy books at CGC marked "received."

Stand Corrected Soundtrack: I wanted to take a few minutes to write down my experiences of the last several months. I sort of fell out of collecting comic books due to a variety of reasons that I I'm kind of been thinking through the last couple of days / weeks / months (man how time can fly at times). One of the reasons was that I landed a nice project at work. And work began to dominate the majority of my time as there was some necessary overtime. This is actually a good thing what they call eustress in the concept of wellness. However, it left me kind of drained at the end of the day and took quite a few weeks to adjust to a slightly different circadian rhythm. I'm actually looking forward to the end of the construction season and a shifting of my duties. In part, it is the balance of having a different rhythm during the holidays that attracted me to this job. And as an aside, I picked up an online class for early 2018 (yeah, that's me contradicting my balance). Another big factor was that are local comic book store closed down. This occurred in mid-october and kind of left us scrambling to establish a new relationship with another local store, the revamped Turning Page. And while they are very good at back issue comic books, they are still dabbling in a full Diamond Previews account. Therefore, some of our more independent titles were missed for a couple of months which left us both scrambling a little bit. Plus anytime you lose a local comic book store it's often a time for reflection about collecting in can be a point where a collector starts to build distance from the act of collecting. Harry Rinker, the prolific antiques writer, talks about how once the collector learns to live without, the passionate need to possess decreases. I cannot deny the impact that Photobucket's ransom stunt had on my writing. The lady and I talked about how we try and add images to our postings because comic book fans are by nature visual. Therefore it sucked to lose that many images and to lose something that you built with both thoughts but also also with delivered images. Anyways I really appreciate that the lady kept the post going and I really appreciate a lot of the diligence that other collectors display on these boards and the discipline that they have in their own collecting. Therefore thank you for reading and keep writing your own escapades because I enjoy reading about those too. Finally, one of my disc golf buddies was picked up on an old weed smuggling charge in the state of Montana. It was something he never spoke about (with any of us) and those that knew thought was settled. However apparently he had been doing nothing that he needed to and had an outstanding warrant. So he is facing some serious time / charges in Bozeman MT, which oddly is where the lady and I lived and schooled in the late 90s. His stay will be much different than mine. I haven't had a lot of loss in my life so I guess it kind of hit me kind of hard and put a lot of things in perspective quick. Okay first of all I still have been collecting modern comic books fairly regularly. I pull approximately six to eight titles per month and occasionally dabble in a speculative title. I like Paper Girls, Spawn, Usagi Yojimbo, Rock Candy Mountain (may fave pull, 'bo), and even crossover for the occasional superhero storyline or title like Venomverse. I have not speculated much these days and I have not attended any conventions regional or local other than Wizard World Chicago in August. If I do spec, it tends to be on Star Wars comic books. I have added several appearances of Lumiya /Shira Brie in the original Marvel Comics Star Wars series (pay attention to NM copies of #56, 88, 95, & 96). And of course I still love Doctor Aphra and her droids (tho I have bought very little here). I also pull Star Wars Poe Dameron and have by been buying multiple copies of #13 the first Captain Phasma cover and appearance of the converted battle droid Mr. Bones. Basically the common spec thread is cool canon characters that I feel are too cool NOT to do something with on the big screen. I did submit underground Comics to CGC while I was at Wizard World Chicago and I received one shipment back. It was Zap Comix 16 both copies graded CGC 9.8 White Pages, but both books were qualified, green label. The reason for the qualification was that books that were received in the direct market had stickers added to them with UPC symbols and pricing. This was probably done by Fantagraphics. It should be noted that the copies that I received from Amazon Online did not have these stickers. However, they did arrive damaged in the box which is why I've been chilly sought out copies from Midtown Comics. This was just the result of sloppy work on my part when I submitted the books. I should have pre scanned my books better to make sure that I was submitting my highest potential unstickered copies. My other books are at CCS right now. And I do not have an update but am not worried. In terms of back issues, things have been slow. I'll start with X-Men, which is where I've had the most success. I did pick up an X-Men #4 that was in my price range while at Wizard World Chicago (kudos GAtor). And I'm happy that I did that. I missed out on a copy of X-Men 11 locally that was within my price range, but I did pick up a really nice presenting, conserved copy of Strange Tales #151 1st Steranko signed by him. After adding it and removing it several times I have decided to pursue Strange Tales 151 to 168 in about VF, the Steranko run. No progress yet, but I am adding it to my Marvel Comics wish list. Also, and again this is for the really long haul on my time frame, is Fantastic Four #49 and 50, the Galactus trilogy. Sometimes I waiver on removing these books from my want list and selling my 48, and other times I look to complete it. Time will tell. Hunting down Spawn comic books has been a real bear. I have not made any progress on my want list in 2017. And that sucks, because it appears that for the issues I need the prices are still Rising. I can maybe only knock off two issues from my want list before the end of the year at reasonable prices. For example, Spawn 221, an homage cover to Amazing Fantasy 15, is currently fetching $75 in near mint raw, and there are some completed listings at that price. I'm going to have to get lucky somehow at a local show or with a local collector. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the reality of collecting modern back issues is that the Direct Market is so efficient as to put a precise number of copies into collectors hands, that leaves very few on the secondary market. The lady is learning this the hard way too as she runs around and tries to complete two independent runs, namely volume two of the Damned by Oni Press and Heavenly Blues by Scout Comics. These books have print runs of less than 3000 copies and are next to impossible to find a lot times. In a way, modern comic books are collectible like never before. What factors are transipring to make this jump to a $75 raw book nationally? Usagi Yojimbo has brought me a great lot of joy recently. However, I still need two issues from volume one and upgrade one issue from volume two to be completely current and complete. I also need a few oddball books and upgrades. After a hiatus, Stan Sakai is back to publishing Usagi regularly (3 issues now). Plus, this was the Summer of Usagi Yojimbo for me. I took immense joy in buying the new toys online and running around to local Walmarts trying to score them for regular prices. It was something that the lady and I shared together. So that's all I have for now! Sorry for the abrupt end. I have six of the next nine days off of work and will try to maybe post a little bit more.

I think to summarize you guys are hitting on the main points, and it relates to cover stock, the color used in production, the ability to easily reproduce with modern methods, and ultimately CGCs knowledge / information base on a particular comic book. One of Howard's advantage as a collector was that he lived in Sarasota and was able to personally lobby on behalf of his books. Or to educate them on what to put on the label. For example my latest copies of Zap 16 have the minimalist amount of information on the label (publisher, date and that's it), since they were probably among the first graded. But had I attached a note I probably could have educated them on cover artist and interior artist etcetera and filled out the label more?

Interesting, good info. I'm trying to get copies through my local comic store. I ordered three to try and get one in high grade. But I'll keep Amazon in mind for a backup. Gotta keep plugging away at the registry set. I have 7 modern Freak Brothers at CGC right now trying for some 9.6s and 9.8s. ... It could hit a little earlier. When I looked at Previews again when I ordered and noticed it was a resolicitation from a previous month. And just a week ago there was no press and nothing on Knockabout website. Then a few days ago a few articles started popping up and saying the book ships this month. Trying to get high-grade copies of Zap Comix #16 led me finally to Midtown Comics (my Amazon copies arrived damaged). The copies I received all made 9.8, but had a Fantagraphics sticker with the UPC symbol affixed to the back cover and so they received green label, qualified grades. The Amazon copies don't have UPC stickers. The joys of chasing modern high grade undergrounds in the digital era!

Oi lads... I saw a new 64pg softcover Freak Brothers comic book "50 Freaking Years of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers" was coming out with new content and parody content from Crumb and Hunt Emerson. It is solicited in this months' Previews, and is from Knockabout Press.

I agree 100% that attendance was down over previous years. This was particularly true on Friday. And I have about 6 years of data to draw from. That said, I felt like the comic booths were far busier than in previous years and everyone I asked about their show said that they were doing just fine.

Turtle soup for $2... Usagi appearance from '87

Cheep cheep Usagi...

With promo poster

Two mod Spawns

A nice upgrade

A few WW Chicago purchases... Also submitted some underground comix to CGC. From GAtor

The lady and I are taking off work and going Friday, as is our custom the past 6 years or so. I like Friday for the show hours, slightly smaller crowd and larger available selection of comics vs the weekend. I have an eclectic want list this year that includes some underground comix, Moderns, Star Wars, and SA X-Men. It should be a fun pick! I'd also like to submit some books to CGC for 'normal' grading at the show, which I am assuming is still possible?

Hey #Photobucket @photobucket YOU SUCK

An updated view of the display shelf. Wizard World Chicago is coming up(!!), and the working summer continues.

Summer of Usagi Continues! These past few weeks the SDCC Usagi Yojimbo action figure has been fetching between $160-200 easy, with several examples of sales exceeding those marks... I picked up two 2004 TMNT Usagi Yojimbo action figures during this spell, spending $100 total for a mint on card (MOC) example and a loose example. I actually found a sweet loose example with only two longswords at a local Milwaukee show a long time ago for $5 and then gifted it to my littlest nephew before realizing how rare the figure was. So it was a long time before I looked seriously at the figure again. Anyways... it is amazing (and somewhat fun) to see how quickly I went from paying $5 for figures to suddenly $60 for one (& $40 for many). Well played, Sakai/Playmates/'Tinternets

The Summer of Usagi Yojimbo Action Figures Recently, I have been hunting locally and on the internet for the new Playmates Usagi Yojimbo action figures. In addition to the new 5-inch UY action figure, there are also two variations of Usagi in samurai armor, one packaged with a warrior horse. I average about 4 Walmarts and 1 Target per week and have been completely skunked in searching Greater Milwaukee. And so I have turned to the internet and starting playing the waiting game, attempting to catch a deal. I like to collect one figure MOC and have one loose / complete that I can display and play with. All this activity means that we are talking about and evaluating the different figures, prices, etc. I thought we'd share our ratings of the various Usagi Yojimbo action figures in the collection. Usagi Yojimbo (1989 Playmates—Series 2—19 Back; center in pic above) Category Justin Jennifer Sculpt 8.2 8.5 Paint (10 colors) 7.5 7 Articulation (7 points) 7 6.5 Accessories 8 5 Total Score (out of 40) 30.7 27 Accessories can be bought for $2-3 each. General Notes: The classic, but doesn’t exactly look like UY. Overall solid and playable. Painting is sloppy, as with the differentiation between ears and band, feet and shoes sloppy. No paint on accessories. Disco hips. Tons of accessories: rack, curved spear, hand dagger. tanto, and Daisho (Katana, Wakizashi) but to play with them you have to break them up as they came attached to the rack by plastic tags. Nowhere to carry weapons on figure (no sheaths/scabbards). The sculpt is too buff (Jen says “Usagi is bringing guns to a sword fight") and screams 1990’s extreme mentality. Can only stand in a wide stance. Good sculpt on Samurai armor with lots of texture. Head isn’t as round as other UJ figures. Space Usagi Yojimbo (1991 Playmates—Series ?—69 Back) Category Justin Jennifer Sculpt 9 8.5 Paint (8 colors) 8.5 8 Articulation (7 points) 7 6.5 Accessories 9 8 Total Score (out of 40) 33.5 31 My figure is two married to make 1 for approximately $18. One was purchased approx. 4 years ago at an antique mall, the second from a toy dealer at Wizard World Chicago. General Notes: This figure has 8 colors and 7 points of articulation. Lack of detail in color of guns. “Helmet” is a bubble on the head with the ears sticking out. Justin is admittedly biased in favor of this figure. Figure really has nothing to do with the comic. We’re counting the cape as an accessory and it adds a nice texture to the figure. Space Usagi may not look like Usagi at all, but what a great figure. Often you'll find Space UY in such disarray I like to imagine he served as villain more than hero. Usagi Yojimbo (1998 Antarctic Press—6 Back) Category Justin Jennifer Sculpt 9 8 Paint (6 colors + 2 Spot) 9 8 Articulation (5 points, plus 4 for Spot) 5 7 Accessories 9 7 Total Score (out of 40) 32 30 On the secondary market (the only place it’s available) this figure runs $30-65 and is the most available. There are two limited variants of this figure, a Platinum version and a Glow-in-the-Dark version. At least 2000 figures (estimated) produced, platinum has 2000, Dark Horse 500. Original price is assumed at $12-15. General Notes: +4 accessories. Overall a solid design. Legs aren’t that great. It looks like he’s wearing compression socks. The painting, what there is of it, is well done. Possibly portions hand painted. We’re divided on whether the whiskers are a plus or minus. His ears are simple. The addition of Spot is awesome as an accessory as is the Daisho, although the Daisho is too small for the scale of the figure. The spear isn’t that great because Usagi doesn’t use a spear. Articulation doesn’t allow for a real fighting pose. This Usagi is visually lovely, but limited in articulation. Still, it is nice to have a Spot (tokage lizard) to display in the collection. And the '98 Antarctic Press figure has THE most comic-realistic matched set of swords (daisho) in the history of the character. Usagi Yojimbo (1998 Antarctic Press—6 back; Platinum Variant) Category Justin Jennifer Sculpt 9 8 Paint 4 5 Articulation 5 7 Accessories 9 7 Total Score (out of 40) 27 27 The paint is weak on this figure. They literally just painted the entire body platinum colored, but in doing so, they colored his chest platinum which should have been left white. It should be noted there are also a Glow in the Dark variant ($70-100) and a Dark Horse variant ($70-100) of this figure. The platinum is the easiest to find of the variants ($30-70). 5” Usagi Yojimbo (2017 Playmates) Category Justin Jennifer Sculpt 9 9 Paint 7.25 7 Articulation (13 points) 10 10 Accessories 6.5 8 Total Score (out of 40) 32.75 34 Purchased on Ebay for $30. Average Ebay price $21-42. General Notes: This figure has 13 points of articulation, including his feet. Accessories are plain and the two swords perhaps too large in scale for the figure. The swords are thin. Scabbards are a nice touch and don’t impede movement. This figure has the least amount of accessories for an Usagi figure to date. Simple paint job. Still, this figure is dynamite, posable, and a tribute to the character. Samurai Usagi Yojimbo (2017 Playmates) Category Justin Jennifer Sculpt 9 8 Paint (12 colors) 8.5 8 Articulation (11 points) 9.5 8.75 Accessories 7.5 8.5 Total Score (out of 40) 34.5 33.25 Purchased on Ebay in July 2017. Two figures for $60 (including shipping) General Notes: Jen bumped this figure in Accessories due to the cool helmet (even though you have to really fiddle with the helmet to get it match up to his eyes). The sculpt has some issues. One, he’s hamfisted. His hands are so much bigger than the need to be. It appears that they attempted to make them “wrapped” but the wrapping is the same color as his fur so it just looks like he has giant hands. It also looks like, if you discount the wrapping theory, that the hands had to be made bigger to account for the armor on his arms. The knees are articulated weird. There is interference between his armor and his movements. There is a gap at the shoulders in his armor to attempt to account for this. Also, the joints are super loose. His crest is on the back and not painted different from the armor. He looks pretty angry. Great guyliner and his scars are different colors. No colors on accessories. No context for the animal helmet (crocodile? Alligator?) Ears look like they’re newly hatched and not full of blood or ready to fly (they resemble insect wings). Color palate is subdued. Samurai armor does not match comics, maybe matches the tv show? ALSO, it is worth noting that the UY figure that comes with the Warrior Horse set has different colored armor too (oh boy oh boy). The Summer of the Rabbit continues... the 'warrior horse' figures are populating on eBay as I write and selling at $35-55. In addition, the SDCC exclusive figure with 3 heads and a comic book is pre-selling at $120-160. In the few weeks surrounding SDCC, UY figure collecting will hit critical mass culminating with his appearance on the show in late July. It is a glorious time to be collecting Usagi Yojimbo, and collectors like myself are using this time to reaffirm our love of the old UY toys.

Why I hate my LCS... No discount Questionable business ethics Mythical underground comix in basement No love... dammit Why I love my LCS My LCS is 1/2 a block away My LCS Manager... he is into cool jam music is kind that's it

2017 Playmates TMNT Usagi Yojimbo 5" Basic Action Figure wot wot!!! I was looking to treat myself following a rough run of work in closing out my former position and teaching two online courses. I was proud of the work I had done to close out my old job and win the new one… I wasn’t making more money yet, but I would be… and well, I wanted to treat myself. Hence my even remote interest in the Spawn “thank you” incentive variant (previous posting). So sometime during the weekend of Burnham Bowl and right about the time I passed on the “$125 or take your chances on eBay / thanks a pantload” offer from the LCS, I learned about the new 2017 Playmates TMNT Usagi Yojimbo action figure. While at Burnham, I passed on two loose UY figures without accessories ($5 each), as well as a vintage TNMT action figure case ($25) and was mulling over my decisions on eBay with a little research when I saw it… After some research, I learned that the 2017 Playmates toy line will be based on stories during season 5 of Nickelodeon’s renamed “Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” cartoon. According to TMNT Online (2017), the new “Tales of the TMNT” phrase being used by Nickelodeon is actually meant to denote a series of several episodes which have a common theme. These “tales” will be split into four different story arcs across the fifth season, starting with the conclusion of the Super Shredder plot. And Playmates Toys will be releasing a product line related to each individual story arc. One of those stories will involve Usagi Yojimbo and he is a “Walmart Exclusive” in the basic figure assortment (above) and sporting full samurai armor for the warrior horse with figure assortment (sometimes called the Samurai assortment; below; photo courtesy PixelDan). Finally, There is also a rumor of a Playmates TMNT SDCC exclusive Usagi Yojimbo figure. Stan Sakai posted on his Facebook page in May that he “spent a great part of the day at Playmates Toys to check out the Usagi Yojimbo action figures that will be part of the upcoming TMNT line. The SDCC exclusive was particularly impressive and comes with three interchangeable heads and a comic book. There will also be two Walmart exclusives.” Not only is Usagi popping up in the Turtles toy line and TV show, but recall that this summer TMNT x Usagi crossover in IDW’s new one shot comic. Summer 2017 is the best time to be collecting Usagi Yojimbo in over 26 years (!), and the most extensive crossover event (comics, TV & toys) since the early 1990s.

"Thank you variant" a Pantload, Collector's Edge Milwaukee So it was in the lovely nexus of Mahfood / Spawn / Rock Candy Mountain that I decided to treat myself to a little something nice. I read online about the Spawn "Thank You" 1-per-store retailer incentive and decided to inquire about it at my LCS. Since they are a chain of 3 stores, with the flagship Collector’s Edge store located in the trendy Bay View neighborhood to the south (a 4th closed in 2016). My LCS is the smallest of the three stores and has no back issues, only a small selection of new comics and a rather extensive collection of graphic novels. So, I was operating under the assumption that my chain received more than one copy. So I read about the book and thought… “What the heck? It’s Friday, I just got a new job, I subscribe to Spawn … maybe I can treat myself?” And so I showed a picture of the book to my LCS manager and stated my interest. Later that night he texted me that indeed they did receive a copy, that he mentioned my interest in the book FRI night at the all-staff meeting, and that it was discussed / agreed I could have a copy of the book for $75. Not bad, I thought, as the book had been fetching a little more than that online. At least it seemed comparable to the prices that I was seeing. And so I gathered my mad money and went down to my LCS on SAT morning. I spoke briefly about the book with my LCS manager and he recommended that I email the main store to make it official and work the normal process (and so I did), and noted that it may take until MON to respond. I sent the following message: Hello Edge Team- My name is Justin [] and I am a package customer at the East store. I wanted to express my interest in the Spawn retailer thank you book that recently was sent to stores last week. I've had some communication with store manager [] and wanted to see if the book was available to review today at either the East or South stores. Thanks for the consideration, Justin [cell] Within 2.5 hours I received the following response: “Collector's Edge Comics Package System <package@collectorsedgecomics.com> These items are a flat cost at no discount. We currently have one on ebay currently about to go above $80. Did you want bid on that one and skip the shipping costs? We have more than one, I would let you have one now for $125 flat as you are a package customer, or take chances on ebay. These are selling for $150-$500 (although $500 was extreme). You would have to purchase it within a week. Please reply soon we have had many other inquiries.” I replied simply (fuming the whole time): “I’ll pass.” What a d*ck move and completely in keeping with Collector's Edge modus operandi. I’m probably one of only a handful of people that actually pull Spawn from the store for the past 2+ years (my wee LCS gets two copies, that’s it) and you’re gonna play the GREED move and (nearly) double the asking price overnight? Passsssssss. Greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed! And… in the 10 days or so since the above message was sent, I have watched eBay auctions for this book and have yet to see one sale of the Spawn foil “thank you” incentive from anywhere within 105 miles of Milwaukee. So, double liars, Collector’s Edge Milwaukee. PS. This all went down the SAT before SUN Burnham Bowl and so I had the chance to share my story with a few acquaintances in the area. Ha! They were not surprised and indeed shared other horror stories of Collector’s Edge’s business practices. It made for quite a funny icebreaker at times! That said, it was stated a few times that the foil “thank you” incentive was a 1-per-store and that there are in excess of 2300 stores nationwide, as well as 3700 total Diamond accounts. With overages, it is safe to assume that this book will not be too scarce at approximately 4000 copies. So, now I play the waiting game to watch prices and gauge my interest over time.