no love for Showcase?

[ciorac]

Let's keep this thread going...

 

I don't think I've posted this in this thread yet.

 

 

I have always loved this book

[JohnT]

Ian Levine is in the UK and has the every published DC/National comic from 1935 to 2005 or something like that. Several board members helped him finish his quest.

 

Wow, now that's an accomplishment. Wonder how long it took? Did he get started early on? It would be interesting to hear him talk about it.

[JohnT]

Yup, one of only 2 collectors in the world who owns every DC book. So he's as good a barometer as any for which are the toughest DCs to find. Since he didn't care much about grade, if he had a hard time finding a book, it meant it was hard to find in any grade.

 

Who's the other one?

[selegue]

Ian Levine is in the UK and has the every published DC/National comic from 1935 to 2005 or something like that. Several board members helped him finish his quest.

 

Wow, now that's an accomplishment. Wonder how long it took? Did he get started early on? It would be interesting to hear him talk about it.

 

To put it mildly, Ian is a rather "polarizing" personality on the CGC boards. I joined about the time he was finishing his quest, and I couldn't figure out what all the animosity was about.

 

Wikipedia entry mentions the DC collection about 2/3 from the top of the page.

 

There is an interview archived on Comic Zone.

 

Jack

 

[tth2]

How many books would that be and what is he collecting now?

A LOT! There was a thread that had pictures of parts of his collection, and you get the impression that the collection kind of overwhelms his house.

 

As far as I know, he buys everything new from DC every month (which itself is not a small task), upgrades books from time to time, and continues to search for various promotional items that were published by DC.

[tth2]

Yup, one of only 2 collectors in the world who owns every DC book. So he's as good a barometer as any for which are the toughest DCs to find. Since he didn't care much about grade, if he had a hard time finding a book, it meant it was hard to find in any grade.

 

Who's the other one?

There was an announcement in Scoop, I think, saying that a complete DC collection had been finished (actually, before Ian finished his). While no name was disclosed, I think most people agree that it must be a lady named Christine Farrell.

[tth2]

Ian Levine is in the UK and has the every published DC/National comic from 1935 to 2005 or something like that. Several board members helped him finish his quest.

 

Wow, now that's an accomplishment. Wonder how long it took? Did he get started early on? It would be interesting to hear him talk about it.

 

To put it mildly, Ian is a rather "polarizing" personality on the CGC boards. I joined about the time he was finishing his quest, and I couldn't figure out what all the animosity was about.

 

Wikipedia entry mentions the DC collection about 2/3 from the top of the page.

 

There is an interview archived on Comic Zone.

 

Jack

Also do a search on the boards for his threads. There's some real history of the boards in those threads, and among all the fighting and drama queen antics there are some great pics and great info from Ian.

[JohnT]

Ian Levine is in the UK and has the every published DC/National comic from 1935 to 2005 or something like that. Several board members helped him finish his quest.

 

Wow, now that's an accomplishment. Wonder how long it took? Did he get started early on? It would be interesting to hear him talk about it.

 

To put it mildly, Ian is a rather "polarizing" personality on the CGC boards. I joined about the time he was finishing his quest, and I couldn't figure out what all the animosity was about.

 

Wikipedia entry mentions the DC collection about 2/3 from the top of the page.

 

There is an interview archived on Comic Zone.

 

Jack

Also do a search on the boards for his threads. There's some real history of the boards in those threads, and among all the fighting and drama queen antics there are some great pics and great info from Ian.

 

Thanks guys! When I get a spare block of time I'm going to look into this. Sounds like a fascinating quest!

[rob_react]

To put it mildly, Ian is a rather "polarizing" personality on the CGC boards.

 

 

Definitely an understatement. There are a bunch of people who eHate him big-time. It got ugly a lot while he was active here (it was also a bare knuckles time on the boards which didn't help matters)

[thehumantorch]

My only Showcase but a cool issue. Being a Marvel guy doesn't mean I can't pick up nice DC.

 

[Aman619]

Ian was the second most annoying selfish person ever on these boards. He brought on nearly all the static that surrounded him here.

[tth2]

Ian was the second most annoying selfish person ever on these boards. He brought on nearly all the static that surrounded him here.

No he didn't. Yes, he was selfish and self-centered, but the guy was a walking billboard for OCD with the atrophied social skill development of a 10-year old who never grew up, so it's not surprising. And yes he was a drama queen. But he never was nasty to anyone (except Metro, I guess) and never attacked anyone except after being provoked.

 

I don't think he ever did anything to generate the disproportionate amount of hate that was directed at him. Compare him to truly nasty people who go out of their way to be mean and pick fights, like JC, KK, Bugs, etc. Those guys deserved whatever hatred was directed at them, but I don't think they generated nearly as much raw hatred as Ian did. And it's not like Ian went into every thread like the aforementioned scumbags, so it was easy to avoid him if you didn't care for him.

[He11blazer]

I'm looking forward to looking back over old threads about Ian's collection now too!

 

In the meantime, here is the only Showcase comic in my collection. I love it

 

 

 

 

 

[JohnT]

Wow, that is a fascinating splash page to the first issue! I didn't know that Showcase was originally intended to feature ideas from readers. That idea didn't last long.

 

I wonder what triggered the idea to feature Flash just a few issues into the series? I know Julie Schwartz wanted to try it, but I wonder if this idea of using reader suggestions tanked and that opened the door?

 

And if it hadn't tanked, would the Silver Age have happened???

[tth2]

Wow, what great colors!

[tth2]

I wonder what triggered the idea to feature Flash just a few issues into the series? I know Julie Schwartz wanted to try it, but I wonder if this idea of using reader suggestions tanked and that opened the door?

 

And if it hadn't tanked, would the Silver Age have happened???

We`d have a Silver Age, but the big star to emerge would`ve been the Amazing Fire-Man.

[rodan57]

 

 

Inks on this page are masterful so I had to go look up the inker on the GCD: pencils and inks by John Prentice.

 

Comiclopedia records:

 

"John Prentice spent his childhood in Texas. During World War II, he was in the Navy, where he partipated in the battles in Guadalcanal, Midway, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. After a six-year term in the Navy, Prentice went to the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Soon he did his first artistic efforts, in lay-out, design work, and advertising illustration. He also helped produce some comic books, penciling and inking comics by National and the Ziff-Davis Studios, mostly through the Kirby-Simon studio.

 

After the death of Alex Raymond in 1956, Prentice was asked to continue the 'Rip Kirby' strip. Prentice agreed, and got the assistance of Fred Dickinson, who did the continuity for the series. Prentice drew the strip fro 43 years and retained Raymond's 'Rip Kirby' style, adding only subtle changes."

 

Wikipedia:

 

"John Prentice (17 October 1920 – 23 May 1999) was a cartoonist who took over the comic strip Rip Kirby upon the death of the strip's creator, Alex Raymond.Prentice was born in Whitney, Texas. From 1940-1946 he served in the United States Navy. After briefly attending the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, he moved to New York City and worked in a variety of illustrator jobs before being tapped to replace Alex Raymond. Prentice drew the strip for the next 43 years. Prentice received the National Cartoonist Society Story Comic Strip Award for the series in 1966, 1967, and 1986."

 

As a Marvel collector, I was not familiar with his work -- obviously graceful. I wonder if additions to Wikipedia might be made by a knowledgeable DC fan?

[selegue]

Wow, that is a fascinating splash page to the first issue! I didn't know that Showcase was originally intended to feature ideas from readers. That idea didn't last long.

 

I wonder what triggered the idea to feature Flash just a few issues into the series? I know Julie Schwartz wanted to try it, but I wonder if this idea of using reader suggestions tanked and that opened the door?

 

And if it hadn't tanked, would the Silver Age have happened???

 

I sure wish we would've gotten that book about Boy Scouts.

 

Or did that one show up as Challengers of the unknown?

 

Jack

[selegue]

Ian was the second most annoying selfish person ever on these boards. He brought on nearly all the static that surrounded him here.

No he didn't. Yes, he was selfish and self-centered, but the guy was a walking billboard for OCD with the atrophied social skill development of a 10-year old who never grew up, so it's not surprising. And yes he was a drama queen. But he never was nasty to anyone (except Metro, I guess) and never attacked anyone except after being provoked.

 

I don't think he ever did anything to generate the disproportionate amount of hate that was directed at him. Compare him to truly nasty people who go out of their way to be mean and pick fights, like JC, KK, Bugs, etc. Those guys deserved whatever hatred was directed at them, but I don't think they generated nearly as much raw hatred as Ian did. And it's not like Ian went into every thread like the aforementioned scumbags, so it was easy to avoid him if you didn't care for him.

 

I'm with tth2 -- I never saw Ian pick a fight. (The alleged "underhanded" buying and lack of gratitude that ticked some people off are just rumors to me.)

 

aman619 comment of course raises the question of who's #1. I can think of a few people that would get my vote. A departed member?

 

Jack, who likes the "ignore this user" feature

 

 

[Silver Surfer]

Ian was the second most annoying selfish person ever on these boards. He brought on nearly all the static that surrounded him here.

No he didn't. Yes, he was selfish and self-centered, but the guy was a walking billboard for OCD with the atrophied social skill development of a 10-year old who never grew up, so it's not surprising. And yes he was a drama queen. But he never was nasty to anyone (except Metro, I guess) and never attacked anyone except after being provoked.

 

I don't think he ever did anything to generate the disproportionate amount of hate that was directed at him. Compare him to truly nasty people who go out of their way to be mean and pick fights, like JC, KK, Bugs, etc. Those guys deserved whatever hatred was directed at them, but I don't think they generated nearly as much raw hatred as Ian did. And it's not like Ian went into every thread like the aforementioned scumbags, so it was easy to avoid him if you didn't care for him.

 

Well lets not forget how he carried on about what a scumbag DTA was for not selling that Adv #26 to him at a price that HE thought was reasonable. Ian was as big a turd as I've ever seen on these boards.