EwanUK

Ebay seller: master_po

 

Is he a boardie?

Not sure but he's a big MM collector

I think he bought my 12 9.9 a few years back

thanks for the updated gold list BTW

the other thing I just remembered, is it no.89 where Matt Cable becomes the Raven in Sandman? minor key? perhaps it should be?

65-87 (Rick Veitch): Following in the footsteps of Alan Moore, who he had worked with since Swamp Thing 37, over time Veitch focused on history in this run leading up to the unpublished 88 story where Jesus and Swamp Thing were going to finally meet. Veitch quits over DC not publishing his Jesus story.

 

Note: Neil Gaiman and Jamie Delano were being prepared to step in behind Veitch as the next creative team. Due to Veitch's reason for quiting, they pass on taking on Swamp Thing in support of his concerns. But they at least work on Annual #5.

 

88-109 (Doug Wheeler): Considered the writer than focused more on safer topics compared to Moore and Veitch, he focused on the Parliment of Trees and how this influenced Swamp Thing. Good stories - but nothing great.

 

110-138 & Annual 6-7 (Nancy Collins): A horror writer, this is when Vertigo kicks in with Swamp Thing 129. She takes the book back to the foundational roots established by Moore and Veitch, and makes this title interesting again.

 

139 ( Foreman): Crossover story with Black Orchid (Foreman's real focus).

 

140-144 (Grant Morrison/Mark Millar): Takes an interesting approach by bringing back Alec Holland as a separate being, and making Swamp Thing a force of destruction. This was how Morrison got DC to hire Millar as an unknown on one of their semi-major titles.

 

145-171 (Mark Millar): Over a series of issues Swamp Thing becomes god-like to the point he is beyond all other beings and becomes a Planetary Elemental. I think these are fun stories that definitely went beyond the safe days of Wheeler and Collins. These are very dark books that washed away all that safeness of the past few years. Unfortunately, either DC got concerned with that and gave up on the title, or Millar walked away to focus on other characters. But it ended with him, on a solid note.

I'd recommended 1-20 too (Marty Pasko?)

Of the above I really enjoyed the Veitch run and everything post no.140

some of the Millar stories are fantastic, well worth seeking out

as an aside, I'm sure the print run on the last 10 or so issues must have been low, no.171 is quite tough to find

I have a UK variant signed by Moore on the bottom of the first page, much like the Gold editions, but without the numbering. And there is no certificate. I am trying to figure out the story behind it (assuming the signature is genuine) beyond that he just signed it at some point when a fan stuck it in his face at a local signing.

He will have just signed it - Moore attended both UKCAC 1985 & 1986 and did a lot of signings from 82-87 in comic shops

I've had loads of Moore signed comics over the years (MM, Swamp, Watchmen, 2000AD etc) and he often signed on the splash page

I recall him getting absolutely mobbed at UKCAC 86 - a crowd 10 deep around him and apparently even following his into the gents....

never knew these existed!

thanks for posting! more variants to look out for

VERY unlikely in the UK

though I did find a 30 cent in an original owner collection recently (how?)

 

"Down Amongst The Dead Men"

 

What a great story. And even better, Swamp Thing happens across Deadman, Phantom Stranger, The Spectre and Etrigen as he travels Purgatory (though it is not called that) to find Abby's soul. He happens across Alec Holland, who can finally escape to peace now that Swamp Thing buried his body in issue #28.

 

Great storytelling!

My favourite ever single story. First read at maybe 13 or 14 and enjoyed many times since. A really accessible book and the plot just keeps you in there - the artwork is superb...

1st issue I bought was no.34 from a newsagent - quite a read for a 13 year old boy!!!

Loved the run, still do...

Many years later I read no.1-20 and all the post Alan Moore issues up to no.171... I'd recommend just about all of it, certainly the Millar / Morrison run too

I respect everyone's views on this first appearance subject - but as with all things, at the end of the day the market speaks in terms of (commercial) value, but even then, that may be inconsistent

My view is (and seriously) a quantum one

In that you can have multiple "first appearances" - and that is entirely acceptable, it doesn't have to be there or here...

Here's a British example (just for variety)

Judge Dredd - the strip begins in 2000AD no.2 (so fandom regards this as the character's first appearance)

However, in 2000AD no.1, Judge Dredd appears in a "coming next week" advert (so that is literally his "first" appearance")

However, the previous week, several other comics from the same publisher contain 4 page previews with Judge Dredd in... (so now, that is actually the literal first appearance...)

But then... it comes to light in a fanzine, Judge Dredd appears in a news-story... and so on...

They all have merit and all are collectible...

And don't get me started on Marvelman / Miracleman...

p.s. Hulk 180 is CLEARLY Wolverine's 1st appearance

Bought a large Bronze / Copper / Modern collection last week sight unseen, the collector seemed to only buy no.1's and / or comics with SHINY covers !

Some nice books I know about but lots of Indies I don't, and lots of duplicates as follows...

ASM no.375 - 29 copies!

X-Files no.1 (numbered) - 9 copies

The Matrix - 43 copies wasn't this supposed to be "rare" once upon a time?

Advs of Superman no.500 - probably about 100 copies (all sealed in white bags)

Dynamic Forces comics with COAs - things like Darkchylde, Tomb-Raider, lots of comics with half-naked women on them -100 or so

Lots of Predator & Aliens

Always find it interesting what people collected...

...anyway, here's a scan of my new copy of BA 12

It's in a mylar and also a plastic bag as I dare not touch it again even for a scan

any marks are on the bags

what do you reckon?

 

I think this is going to be the Copper key in the future

low print, largely unknown until recently, massive momentum now...

 

hooray

 

 

How much you selling this cutie pie for?

 

I'm not yet

 

going to get it graded by YGC first

 

though I feel strangely flattered you called my book "cutie pie"

 

So.... how much would this go for raw if I sold it now on ebay?

I'm in UK, so grading is a hassle, but would it be worth it?

I just asked my two boys aged 9 and 5

they are playing Batman 2 on the x-box right now

 

1. Batman

2. Robin

3. Superman

4. Hulk

5. Bane

6. Teen Titans (new cartoon)

7. Harley Quinn

8. Joker and all other Batman Villains....

 

All of this from toys, mostly Lego, games, films and cartoons

they know Daddy likes comics but neither of them have any interest in them

 

My 5 year old says he thinks about Batman "all the time"

 

With all due respect to your guys' kids, I find the methodology of interviewing children and consulting instagram and twitter to determine who "the 5 most popular characters on earth are" to be irredeemably flawed, thoroughly misleading, and largely irrelevant. But hey, that's just me.

 

-J.

Let me get this clear, you are saying MY childrens' opinions are "irredeemably flawed, thoroughly misleading, and largely irrelevant"

I just asked my two boys aged 9 and 5

they are playing Batman 2 on the x-box right now

1. Batman

2. Robin

3. Superman

4. Hulk

5. Bane

6. Teen Titans (new cartoon)

7. Harley Quinn

8. Joker and all other Batman Villains....

All of this from toys, mostly Lego, games, films and cartoons

they know Daddy likes comics but neither of them have any interest in them

My 5 year old says he thinks about Batman "all the time"

...anyway, here's a scan of my new copy of BA 12

It's in a mylar and also a plastic bag as I dare not touch it again even for a scan

any marks are on the bags

what do you reckon?

 

I think this is going to be the Copper key in the future

low print, largely unknown until recently, massive momentum now...

 

hooray

 

 

How much you selling this cutie pie for?

I'm not yet

going to get it graded by YGC first

though I feel strangely flattered you called my book "cutie pie"

I think this is going to be the Copper key in the future

 

 

Highly overrated.

 

 

 

hm

 

 

 

 

ya cheeky buggers

emphasis on the word THE

...anyway, here's a scan of my new copy of BA 12

It's in a mylar and also a plastic bag as I dare not touch it again even for a scan

any marks are on the bags

what do you reckon?

I think this is going to be the Copper key in the future

low print, largely unknown until recently, massive momentum now...

hooray

"found" in a large collection I bought recently

Redemption actually after last January I sold an entire run of BA in an overall Batman lot as (believe it or not) I wasn't aware of Harley Quinn!

fyi Some recent Copper sales of mine from ebay -

 

DC Spotlight no.1 NM = £11.50 / $18

Gotham City Sirens no.1-26 complete run VF/NM = £88.56 / $138

Swamp Thing no.21-64 nr complete AM run with 37 (3 missing) FN-NM = £102.00 / $159.12

DC Comics Presents no.49 & no.51 NM = £27.00 / $42

Sandman no.1 NM = £57.81 / $89

Mad Love NM- = £47.00 / $73

Batman Adventures Ann 1 NM+ = £11.05 / $17

ASM no.299 NM- = £30.00 / $47

ASM no.300 NM = £78.00 / $122

ASM no.301 NM- = £18.00 / $28

DD no.168 VF/NM = £34.33 / $56

Omega Men no.3 NM+ = £26.55 / $41

 

all raw

 

 

Some good sales in there, but is that a typo on ASM 300? An actual NM copy for $122?

Yes, assume you mean that's low? It was 9.2/9.4 but yes I thought it'd go higher but that's the roulette wheel that is ebay... listed as 0.99 btw as were all the others...

from Googling "The Devil and Johnny Bates"...

Comics beat

KID MARVELMAN (1986)

Morrison's solo Kid Marvelman tale was intended to appear in Dez Skinn's Warrior magazine as a placeholder for Alan Moore's Marvelman strip, then on hiatus due to Skinn's legal wrangles with Marvel Comics over the Marvelman name.

Dez Skinn, speaking in George Khoury's Kimota! - The Marvelman Companion:

"... Grant did submit a Kid Marvelman story, about a discussion between Kid Marvelman and a Catholic priest, and it was quite fascinating because Kid Marvelman argued a very good case against organised religion. Nobody was flying, no beams from anyone's eyes, but a bloody clever -script, clever enough that I sent it to Alan Moore for his opinion. Alan's reply was, "Nobody else writes Marvelman." And I said to Grant, "I'm sorry, he's jealously hanging on to this one." Grant did have an answer, but again, I shouldn't really speak for him."

Moore had a similar response when Skinn proposed the idea of Morrison taking over the Marvelman strip after Moore threatened to leave the strip over the planned name-change to Miracleman, recounted in Patrick Meaney's Grant Morrison - Talking With Gods documentary, though this may be a simplified varaition on the story related above.

Though Morrison's Kid Marvelman -script was long rumoured to have seen publication in issue #4 of Hugh Campbell's Fusion fanzine, It turns out that 'The Devil and Johnny Bates' from that issue was actually an in-depth character study of Kid Marvelman by one Jim Clements. Clements, a legendary figure whose published output amounts to one 6-page Future Shock in 2000 A.D. Prog 713, was cited by Morrison in the 15th Anniversary Arkham Asylum introduction as a big influence in his formative years. Morrison goes on to say that essentially he wrote the book entirely to impress him.

Hi all, got this PM from Tim, thought I'd answer for all

Dear EwanUK,

Hi - my name is Tim, and I'm a US Miracleman fan. I'm writing because I came across some old posts of yours about Jim Clements' Kid Miracleman essays, "The Devil and Johnny Bates, Parts 1 and 2" in FUSION magazine issues #4 and #6 (http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=6307390).

After years of waiting, I finally got to read Grant Morrison's long-lost Kid Miracleman story yesterday in Marvel's MIRACLEMAN ANNUAL #1. I enjoyed it, but it's tone was different from what I expected after reading so many online rumors about its content. In the end, I was left wondering whether those rumors had been based more on Clements' work than Morrison's, so I started nosing around online to see if I could find a place to read the FUSION essays. I don't think you'll be surprised to learn that I couldn't.

Then I found your posts, where you mentioned that you had never owned original copies of the very rare FUSION issues #4 and #6, but had copies of each. I thought I'd take a chance to write you (I really do want to find a way to settle my curiosity about those essays!) to see if you could either point me to a website where I, too, could find copies of Clements' work or, barring that, if you might be willing to share scans of the essays themselves with a fellow Miracleman fan.

Many thanks in advance for reading, Ewan - I would really appreciate any help you could give!

Best,

Tim

I think the route of the rumours was a combination of various snippets from collector, fans etc that I was speaking to in the early 2000s. Dez Skinn (editor of Warrior) first told me about GM's "lost" KM story.

As I began indexing the Miracleman fanzines, I came across the Scottish fanzine, Fusion, of which I knew GM was a contributor. I made an ASSUMPTION therefore that he was the author of the KM "story" (which at the time no-one could contradict. It then somehow became the accepted truth!

Here are the facts

Fusion - edited by Hugh Campbell - ran nine issues, 1983 to 1987. Highest print run was just 150 copies. Most issues were probably 100 or less. Obviously this makes all remaining copies incredibly rare.

Known copies & relevant details

1 - 2

2 - 5 Alan Davis MM cover, AM interview

3 - 3 GM rear cover

4 - 2 GM KM cover, "The Devil and Johnny Bates" (Part 1)

5 - 4 GM art

6 - 2 GM MM cover, "The Devil and Johnny Bates Part Two - The Shadow From Within"

7 - 2 GM interview

8 - 2

9 - 1

I have owned all issues apart from no.6, and only now own no.4

From memory the article is what I'd call a "retrospective review" i.e. a feature re-telling the story.

Pretty sure it is on-line somewhere?

Hope that helps

fyi Some recent Copper sales of mine from ebay -

DC Spotlight no.1 NM = £11.50 / $18

Gotham City Sirens no.1-26 complete run VF/NM = £88.56 / $138

Swamp Thing no.21-64 nr complete AM run with 37 (3 missing) FN-NM = £102.00 / $159.12

DC Comics Presents no.49 & no.51 NM = £27.00 / $42

Sandman no.1 NM = £57.81 / $89

Mad Love NM- = £47.00 / $73

Batman Adventures Ann 1 NM+ = £11.05 / $17

ASM no.299 NM- = £30.00 / $47

ASM no.300 NM = £78.00 / $122

ASM no.301 NM- = £18.00 / $28

DD no.168 VF/NM = £34.33 / $56

Omega Men no.3 NM+ = £26.55 / $41

all raw

I'm looking to get my hands on some fresh new UK Warrior / Arken Sword sized bags and boards... Whenever I've asked at any of my LCS they give me a weird look and point me in the direction of the treasury sized bags... Any chance of someone being able to help me out? I don't need many....

 

Hi, they're just standard magazine size - that's what I use anyway

I finally found a copy of Miracleman 1st. appearance in Warrior #1 any clue on the print run ?

 

44,000

34,000 in UK

10,000 in USA

Data from Dez

Warrior 1 was dead for a long time

I've noticed recently it's picking up

Any genuine HIGH GRADE copies of Warrior are difficult to find

Miracleman #15 seems to have 2 covers. The regular one and one where the inks are not right.

 

I have seen them both in 9.8 so I know it does not effect the grade, but I was wondering what the ratio was? Are they evenly split or is the error more rare?

 

sorry please show?

 

I have 6 or 7 of these and only 2 are missing the red. Here is one of each.

 

 

Looks sun-faded?

by the way, was that from Mile High? was the grading on?

If you can look past my sexy leg, I've had this for about a dozen years:

 

Killer!! (thumbs u

Is that really a leg?

This is the only MM tattoo I've seen a picture of...

well, not my cup of tea but each to their own

funnily enough, there is a panel in an old Marvelman comic where MM & YM are - erm - engaged in some mid-flight "antics"

you're going to ask me to find and scan it in now aren't you...

This MM Simpsons drawing might be just as rare as that tattoo...

 

where are these from pls?