Adventurers thread

[B-Smooth]

One of my favorites from the 80's. I love picking them up cheap when I find them. It's getting a little harder to find the skeleton cover than it used to be. Anyone have Hsu's signature on ANY book?

[Bronty]

SWEET!!

[comiconxion]

Ah yes, the first of the "variant" comics! I remember hearing a story that the skeleton cover had been "banned" becuase some people interpreted the placement of the skeleton's sword in a phallic sort of way. Allegedly, only 10% of the print run had the Skeleton cover and they had to go back and print the rest with the other cover. Personally, I think it was a fantastic marketing ploy to sell more copies off the book - far ahead of X-Force #1 or others that came after.

 

Somewhere I have a super-rare mini comic call "Bad-Venturers' which came out around that time and spoofed the whole thing. I'll have to find that. It's probably rarer than Gobbledygook #1!

[B-Smooth]

Ah yes, the first of the "variant" comics! I remember hearing a story that the skeleton cover had been "banned" becuase some people interpreted the placement of the skeleton's sword in a phallic sort of way. Allegedly, only 10% of the print run had the Skeleton cover and they had to go back and print the rest with the other cover. Personally, I think it was a fantastic marketing ploy to sell more copies off the book - far ahead of X-Force #1 or others that came after.

 

Somewhere I have a super-rare mini comic call "Bad-Venturers' which came out around that time and spoofed the whole thing. I'll have to find that. It's probably rarer than Gobbledygook #1!

Oh, i must have that!! I think the controversy regarding the variant cover is that the chick appears to be "nude." Not really. Her breasts appear to not be covered, but they are. Hsu at his perverted finest! I remember looking at the back of some of the Aircel books showing the ads for American comics, touting the Adventurers as the hottest book out there. They were supposedly selling them at $60 a piece. A boy of 14 could only dream of owning such an item, so that's why I pick up so many of them when I see them. I loved the stories, even if they had a Tolkienist kind of feel to them. Regardless, Hsu's art and the stories kicked azz.

Considering what we both collect, we must be the exact age, Bronty.

[Jeffro.]

I have fond memories of this series. Too bad they couldn't sustain it. Too bad Hsu left the book

[fatninja]

+1

 

Adventurers

[B-Smooth]

I have fond memories of this series. Too bad they couldn't sustain it. Too bad Hsu left the book

The first series was great, and the second was pretty good, too. The third was kind of weak. As far as collecting these books goes; it's difficult to find some of them in high condition because they were made so poorly. I'd love to get Hsu to sign some of my books, but it appears he fell off the face of the earth.

[B-Smooth]

SWEET!!

I have more!

[Bronty]

Ah yes, the first of the "variant" comics! I remember hearing a story that the skeleton cover had been "banned" becuase some people interpreted the placement of the skeleton's sword in a phallic sort of way. Allegedly, only 10% of the print run had the Skeleton cover and they had to go back and print the rest with the other cover. Personally, I think it was a fantastic marketing ploy to sell more copies off the book - far ahead of X-Force #1 or others that came after.

 

Somewhere I have a super-rare mini comic call "Bad-Venturers' which came out around that time and spoofed the whole thing. I'll have to find that. It's probably rarer than Gobbledygook #1!

Oh, i must have that!! I think the controversy regarding the variant cover is that the chick appears to be "nude." Not really. Her breasts appear to not be covered, but they are. Hsu at his perverted finest! I remember looking at the back of some of the Aircel books showing the ads for American comics, touting the Adventurers as the hottest book out there. They were supposedly selling them at $60 a piece. A boy of 14 could only dream of owning such an item, so that's why I pick up so many of them when I see them. I loved the stories, even if they had a Tolkienist kind of feel to them. Regardless, Hsu's art and the stories kicked azz.

Considering what we both collect, we must be the exact age, Bronty.

 

We must be because I remember those American comics ads like it was yesterday and yeah I could only dream of a copy myself

 

I'm 36, you?

 

The stories were amazing. For my money the best fantasy comics of the 80s and honestly? My favorite sword & sorcery series of all time.

[Bronty]

I have fond memories of this series. Too bad they couldn't sustain it. Too bad Hsu left the book

The first series was great, and the second was pretty good, too. The third was kind of weak. As far as collecting these books goes; it's difficult to find some of them in high condition because they were made so poorly. I'd love to get Hsu to sign some of my books, but it appears he fell off the face of the earth.

 

Yeah I couldn't even get into the second series. It was all such a letdown after that brilliant first series.

[Bronty]

I have fond memories of this series. Too bad they couldn't sustain it. Too bad Hsu left the book

 

Not as big a name I guess but I liked Kent Burles art in the series better than Hsu's

[Bronty]

I mean... how's this for a splash page? he's just a better artist than Hsu IMO (much as I like Hsu)

 

[nickwire]

i love pickin these up at cons now. there are a bunch of these types that i couldnt afford afford as a kid but can now. i remember when number 1 was a 60 plus dollar book

[Sal]

This is one of those series I found after book 1 was out, and so I have 2-whatever.

 

The Realm is another, as is Concrete.

 

 

Sigh.

[B-Smooth]

Ah yes, the first of the "variant" comics! I remember hearing a story that the skeleton cover had been "banned" becuase some people interpreted the placement of the skeleton's sword in a phallic sort of way. Allegedly, only 10% of the print run had the Skeleton cover and they had to go back and print the rest with the other cover. Personally, I think it was a fantastic marketing ploy to sell more copies off the book - far ahead of X-Force #1 or others that came after.

 

Somewhere I have a super-rare mini comic call "Bad-Venturers' which came out around that time and spoofed the whole thing. I'll have to find that. It's probably rarer than Gobbledygook #1!

Oh, i must have that!! I think the controversy regarding the variant cover is that the chick appears to be "nude." Not really. Her breasts appear to not be covered, but they are. Hsu at his perverted finest! I remember looking at the back of some of the Aircel books showing the ads for American comics, touting the Adventurers as the hottest book out there. They were supposedly selling them at $60 a piece. A boy of 14 could only dream of owning such an item, so that's why I pick up so many of them when I see them. I loved the stories, even if they had a Tolkienist kind of feel to them. Regardless, Hsu's art and the stories kicked azz.

Considering what we both collect, we must be the exact age, Bronty.

 

We must be because I remember those American comics ads like it was yesterday and yeah I could only dream of a copy myself

 

I'm 36, you?

 

The stories were amazing. For my money the best fantasy comics of the 80s and honestly? My favorite sword & sorcery series of all time.

I couldn't agree more. The stories were amazing, and I always wonder why they never made a series or a movie out of it. I think Hsu used airbrushing in his artwork. It blew me away at the time. When I got the skeleton cover for the first time a decade ago, I was so psyched. It was like $10, and the thrill of finally owning a copy was better for me than getting some random 9.8 book I've been sending in as of late. I actually liked the second series. Baal coming to life and kicking azz. Third series was a letdown. I'm 40, and like you, anyone who is 35-45 and collected comics in the 80's had or wanted this series. From what I remember at least.

[B-Smooth]

This is one of those series I found after book 1 was out, and so I have 2-whatever.

 

The Realm is another, as is Concrete.

 

 

Sigh.

Me too. I started collecting after the first couple of issues, and there was NO way my parents were going to pay the asking prices at the time. Now I think I have 10 copies of all of them and something like 30 copies of #1 just for the heck of it.

Dungeon. Turning into Cal.

[Jeffro.]

Adventurers was a fantasy D&D-like comic done right. Meanwhile, DC was producing D&D comics.

[B-Smooth]

Adventurers was a fantasy D&D-like comic done right. Meanwhile, DC was producing D&D comics.

Yep. Very detailed world and a great plot. It was something very different from the marvels i was reading at the time. REAL hardcore death. It was awesome. This is the series that introduced me to indie comics.

[dupont2005]

Now I have to dig mine up and see if it's a skeleton cover

[Jeffro.]

Too bad there wasn't a good officially licensed D&D comic produced at the time.