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New Comic Zone: Sparkle City Comic's Founder Jay Maybruck
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Started by metropoliscomics,

71 posts in this topic

metropoliscomics

metropoliscomics

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Guys-

 

When I started doing the CZ there were two guests I wanted- Ditko and Jay Maybruck. I don't think I will ever get Ditko (if you have his # please PM it to me) but I finally got Jay on the show. For those of you who do not know about Sparkle City Comics they were the biggest dealers in the late 70s to early 90s. Much of what we experience today in the comic market can be attributed to Sparkle in some way. The interview consists about Jay's early days and what eventually led to his downfall. It is a tale of comic dealing, love, drugs, hookers and betrayal. The interview is almost 2 1/2 hours and it is worth listening to every second of it. You will learn a lot about comic history and how 1 man's wrong decision led to life-long regret.

 

http://www.comiczoneradio.com/

 

You should also check out the ebay lot with the Sparkle City Memorabilia Set. It is really cool and will help a good cause.

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dem1138

dem1138

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Vincent --

 

That interview you did wth Jay Maybrook was phenomenal! I knew Jay pretty well when I was 13-15 years old. I used to buy/sell from Sparkle City and Jay at local Philly shows all of the time. I remember before he disappeared that he had offered me a summer job to work for him but he scared the cr*p out of me. He had an unbelievable temper and I remember seeing him lose it at more than one show. He also is the first person I ever suspected of doing coke. I remember one show where he wouldn't stop sniffing and it didn't seem like the sniffles you get when you had a cold. I remember that he notoriously overgraded and the one time that bought a comic from the catalog via mail-order, it was a Flash #123 that he graded VG+ that came in the mail as a tattered mess. It was lucky to have the cover still attached.

 

I have always wondered whatever happened to him and had heard stories from other dealers but when I saw that you had him on your show -- I had to listen. That was an absolutely fascinating interview!! Thanks for getting him to do this!

 

--David E. Miller

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MR.COMICBOOK

MR.COMICBOOK

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best episode ever. it`s fascinating how the oldtimers comicbook retailer became rich and millionares like mile high comics. I don`t think if someone started today with the advent of ebay and the internet they could become as big as Sparkle City and Mile High Comics. back then buy valuable comic for 5 dollars from a kid or uninformed adult then flip it for a thousand dollars to collector. You had to be in at the beginning.thats how empires are built . too late for the newcomer now. with the internet and ebay easier to find out price then back in the day when you had to look thru newspaper classifieds.

Edited by MR.COMICBOOK
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HouseofComics.Com

HouseofComics.Com

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Man, no warning that this one was what, 2.5 times the usual Comic Zone? Kept me up way past when I wanted to go to bed. Definitely the best show ever.

 

I remember hearing a few dealers describe Sparkle City with awe in the mid-80s. I was setting up at smaller cons so only saw them, met them, did a deal once. They were very impressive. If it was May, 1985 was I dealing with Howley or Joe V. at that point?

 

Is Brad Savage still around? (just curious)

 

P.S.--the next show with Maybruck will probably top this one. I know Vincent has all kinds of good questions to ask him about the comic business.

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HouseofComics.Com

HouseofComics.Com

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I don`t think if someone started today with the advent of ebay and the internet they could become as big as Sparkle City and Mile High Comics. back then buy valuable comic for 5 dollars from a kid or uninformed adult then flip it for a thousand dollars to collector. You had to be in at the beginning.thats how empires are built .

 

I think what you say is mostly true. However, if you're very well financed you can become very big in the hobby very quickly. But that's not really building an empire from scratch. Of course Maybruck was well financed, as he admits. That really helped him, I'm sure.

 

Really interesting to hear Maybruck say that by the late 80s he couldn't find cherry collections anymore.

 

 

 

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Larryw7

Larryw7

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I'm listening to it now. Really interesting stuff. Back around 1979, either Jay or one of the other Sparkle City guys gave me a free book-a beat copy of BATMAN #28. For a 13 year old kid, this was quite a gift. This was at a Creation con at the Sheraton hotel on Kennedy Boulevard in Philly.

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Foolkiller

Foolkiller

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Vinny,

 

Tremendous interview with Jay. I mean just riveting stuff. The Brad Savage story was redunkulous... how did you end up not assaulting him?

 

Just fascinating. I mean really and truly fascinating.

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