I'm Just Wild About Hellboy, and Hellboy's Wild About Me!

[SW3D]

Cornering the Market Redux... I own 2 1/2 percent!

 

It's been awhile since I posted a Journal... since February 2nd... and that's by design. I took a very long break from creative writing... much too long! I will admit... I'm a lazy . But discovering CS Journals and the wonderful collectors behind them, gave me back my writing juices and for a brief and shinning moment I became a mainstay... almost to a point of an addiction... but now I'm parlaying that wonderful, passionate, positive energy, back into creative writing. For the last few weeks I've been writing the outline and treatment for what I hope to be either a very long short story or novella.

 

But I do miss regularly contributing to the Journals. I miss sharing what I've been collecting and my love for all things comic books... and I so truly miss the supportive feedback I've come to cherish. If anyone is a writer out there... you'll understand my position when I say this... writing can be a very solitary experience... quite a lonely one. But the CS Journals make me feel I'm part of a community... and who doesn't like being a part of something?... to embrace an ideology and share it with other ideologists.

 

Anyway, I'm getting off the beaten track as usual. So what's new with me? Besides creative writing, I've been trying to spend less and less money on comics in order to pay back the enormous debt I owe: money I borrowed from credit cards in order to build my current CGC collection. How else do you think I managed? Money don't grow on trees ya know! And in order to pay back the debt completely, it means making some serious sacrifices: I must avoid further CGC purchases until sometime in late summer or early fall when I estimate the debt will be fully paid. But I'm okay with this. My initial goal when I first joined CS was to have my childhood comics graded and potentially sell them to purchase the Holy Grail comics I so truly want. At the moment, I have about 44 comics on queue and nearly graded by the CGC. They'll serve as the perfect antidote for my comic buying abstinence. And the other positive side to all of this: I can concentrate on my creative writing, and get all those long awaited ideas that have been seemingly floating forever in the ethos of my brain, into fruition.

 

So here's a contribution... albeit not a final one... but it will be some time before I post another as I sojourn off on my self-imposed hiatus... hopefully to return with a completed novella.

So last week, my San Diego Comic Con #2 comes in the mail. It's actually the fifth one I own. Yeah... that's right, the fifth copy. I'm crazy... I know it... I like buying multiple copies of keys... that's my thing... that's my obsession... that's what I collect... and it's okay to call me nuts. A 9.8 beauty comes by way of MyComicsShop (aka Lone Star Comics). I can't say enough about MYS/LSC... every comic I have purchased through them going back to August 2012, has arrived on a timely basis and has met my every expectation. I can wholeheartedly say MYS/LSC is a part of a growing list of my favorite trolling haunts (this list includes: ComicConnect, ComicLink, Pedigree Comics, WWComics, and a selection of preferred sellers found on eBay). They have my glowing endorsement. MYS/LCS makes it very easy... just like the other aforementioned auction sites... they offer a Want List option for any comics you may be searching for. And sure enough, I received an e-mail message about two weeks ago informing me a SDCC #2 in 9.8 was available. I immediately snatched it up, and at a reasonable price!

 

So what is so important about SDCC #2? I first became aware of it after reading the digital copy of Hellboy Volume 1: Seed of Destruction on my Nook. Just after the conclusion of the main story, there is a section dedicated to Hellboy's roots called "Where the Hell did He Come From? Personal reminiscences by Mike Mignola." In it, Mignola showcases his early published illustrations of Hellboy and you can see the evolution of the look and feel of the character. Hellboy actually starts off looking like a cross between DC's Etrigan the Demon (Jack Kirby's 70's Creation) and Marvel's lesser known character The Gargoyle (1st Appearing in Defenders #94). Mignola writes: "This is a drawing done for a convention program book. I added the name Hellboy at the last minute and it made me laugh. The name stuck and the character started to take shape in my head." That particular illustration is the very first conception of Hellboy, who not only has a pair of long pointy horns (ala a bull's) protruding from the sides of his head but also has a front pair filed-down in typical Hellboy fashion. This initial incarnation also wields a chain-linked mace-like weapon, and wears a very large belt around his weight, with a numbers of unusual items affixed to it including: a dead fish, a dead crab, a skull, a couple of daggers on each hip, and capped off with a gigantic belt-buckle with the name Hellboy inscribed. He also comes replete with a pair of wings, his long tail, and a pet Vulture sitting on his back. Said illustration is considered by many to be Hellboy's first published appearance, printed in 1991 in a pamphlet given away at the Great Salt Lake Comic-Con. I have searched high and low for a copy of that pamphlet... and so far nothing. This is one very rare piece of comic history! I have no idea how many copies were printed or how many survived. The pamphlet actually predates the 1993 Italian fanzine Dime Store Press No. 4, where another proto-type gray colored Hellboy minus coat, appears on the cover battling a bat-winged and pointy-tailed rendition of sci-fi detective Nathan Never. I often see this one listed on eBay with a very high asking price. CGC key notes on Dime Store Pres No. 4 states, "Hellboy cover predates first US appearance". This is an obvious mistake and should be corrected since the Great Salt Lake Comic-Con pamphlet was published in 1991... a couple of years before Dime Store Press No. 4. Many will argue that GSLCC Pamphlet is not the genuine published first appearance since the character was still in prototypical form... but the same argument can be said of the Dime Store Press cover appearance which is also a prototype. To kill the sticky argument entirely... in my book... I say forget either of the two one-piece illustrations which amount to almost nothing, not even a cameo (cameo's can only happen when there's an actual story), and stick with SDCC #2... and I will explain why in the next few paragraphs.

 

Side note: the Dime Store Press No. 4 cover illustration is not mentioned in Hellboy Volume 1: Seed of Destruction... I wonder why.

 

Anyway... There are three additional early illustrations included in Hellboy Volume 1: Seed of Destruction, where once can observe the evolution of the character as it gestates into the Hellboy we all come to know and love.

 

Moving past the proto-illustrations, in what Mike Mignola describes: "The following stories are the first Hellboy stories ever produced, done to promote the miniseries and introduce the character. The first story ran in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2, and given away at 1993 San Diego Comic Con. The second story was published in the Comics Buyer's Guide." That first original 4-page black and white story published in SDCC #2 by Dark Horse, is reprinted in color, in both the digital and trade paper back versions of Hellboy Volume 1: Seed of Destruction. It is here where one can plainly see the character comes into full fruition... not only visually, but as well as the essence of Hellboy's personality, as conveyed in thought captions, dialogue, and actions. The end credits to this 4-page black and white story include a credit to John Byrne: "-script and Emotional Support". Another interesting piece of Hellboy history to note: it is also in this promotional issue where we first see the iconic Hellboy logo (as designed by Kevin Nowlan, but not credited in the promo comic but credited in the volume collection), and the byline: "Mike Mignola's Hellboy: World's Greatest Paranormal Investigator".

 

Now according to both My Comics Shop and a Hellboy article in Wikipedia, SDCC #2 was a free giveaway handed to those lucky individuals attending the con that year in 1993, where only 1,500 were printed. Wow... that's an incredibly low print run! 1,500!... making this a very rare comic to boot!

 

After that revelation... and of course falling in love with the character... not only from the wonderful Mignola works but also in great part due to the magically talented team of Guillermo Del Toro, Ron Perlman, Doug Jones and company, and their highly entertaining movie adaptations, I caught the bug to obtain a copy.

 

Well for a low print run, SDCC #2 seems to be more readily available than one would think. I can always find a few floating on auction through eBay... just search CGC Hellboy and you'll find both graded and ungraded copies popping-up. However, they always seem to be graded at 9.6 or less. 9.8's are harder to come by. In fact, after 7 months of trolling, I've only come across three 9.8's, of which, I purchased two (see photo along three 9.6's). According to the CGC census a grand total of 202 have been graded, and from that population, 57 are graded at 9.8 and the rest are 9.6 or inferior. No 9.9's or 10's currently exist. I have no idea about the PGX census population.

 

Although some will argue it is technically not Hellboy's first published appearance (I say otherwise), it is officially considered Hellboy's first full appearance and in his first published story ever. And of further interest, SDCC #2 predates Hellboy's first color appearance in John Byrne's Next Men #21. So with a limited print run of 1,500, and it being the first full appearance of Hellboy in his first published story, SDCC #2 is an important key and a potentially sound investment.

 

Here's a snapshot of my small but growing SDCC #2 collection (which is equivalent to 0.025 percent of the total CGC population or about 2 ½ percent).

 

As always... your opinions, feedback and comments are most welcome.

 

Happy Collecting!

 

SW3D

 

See more journals by screenwriter3d

[Ronnylama]

Did you know Barry Manilow came up with that diddy....I'm stuck on Bandaid's 'cause Bandaids Stuck on me..

Always a pleasure to see you postin'

[B. Koski]

Holy Cow!!..they should call you Multiple-Man. Awesome collection my friend. I love Hellboy! Would you be interested in a trade or sell. Let me know? Love you're Swamp Things as well. Awesome taste!!

[Ronnylama]

Wait a minute..Am I not reading this correctly? I'm just wild about Hellboy ( I am suck on Bandaids...) and Hellboy's stuck on me?

Either way...love the diddy and your post.....I feel that song meant something.

PS...he will be at ECCC (not Manilow)

[SW3D]

Dear Ronny,

 

I hope you're doing well.

 

The journal title is actually taken from the 1921 song "I'm Just Wild about Harry, and he's just wild about me." You can read about the famous song on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I'm_Just_Wild_About_Harry

 

There's no deep meaning or connection as to why I used it... I was just whimsically playing around with the fact of having this crazy obssession with buying multiple copies of SDCC #2... so I figured it was a cheeky way to celebrate it.

 

Glad you like the post.

 

And if you see Mike Mignola... let him know there's a nut in NYC trying to buy up all the copies of HB's first full appearance. I'm sure he'll get a kick out of that!

 

SW3D

[SW3D]

Well I guess you can call me Jamie Madrox aka Multiple Man.

 

But seriously... thanks for appreciating my collection. I'm glad you love HB and ST.. these guys are primo in my book.

 

For some unknown reason, I seem to gravitate to the heroic supernatural and mystical beings in comics: Swamp Thing, Hellboy, Phantom Stranger, The Demon, John Constantine, etc... I find them more interesting than the run-of-the-mill caped and cowl guys. I also dig the conflicted cosmic powerhouses like Warlock, Silver Surfer and Miracleman.

 

I've been approached about trading certain comics... but at the moment I find the prospect of parting with them a bit difficult. But if I change my mind... I will let you know.

 

All the best,

 

SW3D

[Ronnylama]

great stuff....thanks

 

[Shivabali]

Great post. Always learn some great information from your meticulous posts. As you know from past journals, I'm a huge fan of del Toro, and Hellboy is one of my favorite comic book adaptations to the big screen. (Though Hellboy 2 was lackluster IMO.) Either way, I was intrigued how del Toro incorporated a veiled Cthulu mythos to round out the movie's plot and Hellboy's origins and destiny (or lack thereof). Lovecraft influencing modern pop culture once again! Ron Pearlman is one cool mutha-f...has anyone noticed that he could be Tom Waits' brother?...the one who took steroids?

 

The only Hellboy comic I own is the aforementioned John Byrne's Next Men. I have it in a 9.6, but wish to upgrade to an SS 9.8 someday. I bought it for $50 a couple years back, and now it's hard to find for less than $100. The book has legs (with hooves, no doubt)! There is chatter on the web that a Hellboy 3 may be in the works...

 

Re. the novella, I hope it turns out well. I've been writing since high school and was an English lit major (though dropped out of college as a senior in order to land a "real" job). I am fully aware of the solitary experience, though it is an intense and rewarding one too. Sitting over words and sentences and paragraphs and pages for hours and hours, everything forming in the mind and moving onto the page (or computer screen). A great form of meditation; being in a state of extreme concentration for hours at a time. Takes a lot of energy, and one must be alone. So I relate, and am happy that you are in the midst of a large project. The hardest thing for me is to come up with a tight, original story, then the writing is easier. For the last 7 years or so, I've developed a passion for another form of art- building military dioramas (though I want to someday break out of the military themes). So now most of my creative writing is limited to short pieces and quatrains...I know you read some of them posted on my bio, but I have a few hundred and counting. After I have 365, I'll publish a "page-a-day" calendar! . It's difficult to serve two masters! grrrr. Here's a website of some of my diorama work:

www.mark-armor.com

 

I'm sure I speak for a lot of us here that I hope you finish your writing project quickly and come back to feed us more interesting and thought-provoking (not to mention well-written) journals.

 

 

[Ronnylama]

cool Mark I will check it out

[SW3D]

Wow! You are a true artist! You are f*cking talented! Your minature model sets are amazing. The intricate details... the photo-realism of it all... like snap shots taken from a first-hand eyewitness account or history book.

 

I'm just dazzled by the naturalism of the postures of your soldiers. They way you position them, their movements, the way they hold their weapons, the way they stand at attention or hold their posts... or bow their heads... it's obvious you have expert knowledge on all things Military (History, Weapons, Armors, Uniforms, Ranking Systems, Military Strategy and Combat, etc.). You must be one badass! Can you kill with your bare hands?

 

I also love the shadows and how you cast the light in such a way... very meticulous and staged with such precision. Its like you have set-building or theatre design experience. Damn you're an artisan!

 

And I sense you have the Bushido Spirit in you... the Way of the Warrior... part Warrior/part Artist... understanding and ever expressing the delicate balance between Life and Death... that never-ending internal struggle... knowing tomorrow may never come but in the meantime appreciating life and all its deepest and most intimate moments... its secrets unveiled in a whisper in time... a moment where you hold your breath and life and death stand still and you're captured in the very being of that iota of a moment with eye-opening clarity. That's what you convey in all those scenes. Man! It is incredible! You're incredible! It's Omniscience.

 

Have you ever considered Medieval or Fuedal Japanese set pieces? I love the look of the Samurai and Western European Knights (Arthurian Legends). Imagine the glorious scenes you could create? An miasma of blood, misery and pain as armored blade wielding warriors clash... mindlessly following a religous or man-made dogma... marching into certain death to serve the selfish interest of their masters... the Warlords and Purveyors of Death! And then the aftermath! What of it all... the spoils?... and are they worth it? But such a lesson... history serves to teach us... but have we learned? What have we truly learned?

 

If you ever collect and publish those Quatrains... you can count me in as a buyer and avid reader. I say go for it!

 

My favorite Del Toro movie is his first movie: Cronos. I have the Criterion Collection version of it. If you don't have it... I recommend you acquire it. Why? Well it's a tastefully done little horror flick with a neat little story about vampiric immortality, and it's also Del Toro's and Ron Perlman's first collaboration. But aside from that... Criterion provides an expert transfer for the very best cinematic experience, and they include a wonderful doc where Del Toro takes us behind the scenes of the making of Cronos and my absolute favorite... a private tour of his "Man Cave" where we get a glimpse of all the bizarre things he's collected (an amazing treasure trove to make your mouth water and drop) and the many books which inspired his creative genius. That doc is inspiring... it just makes me want to follow in his footsteps... he's an alchemist... a wizard!

 

Well... I'm going to get back to my outline. Hopefully I can create some magic as well.

 

Thanks for wishing me luck... and I wish all the same!

 

Keep in touch!

 

SW3D

[Shivabali]

Gosh, you're friendly. Thanks for your kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed my work, and more so have a deep understanding of it. Cool! You are correct in the information gathering for building these "historical" scenes. I've learned a lot and keep learning. Though I still can't kill with my bare hands

It's ironic that you mentioned feudal Japan/medieval Europe. I do plan someday to do a castle diorama. Knights laying seige, hot oil pouring down, catapults, archers etc. I'm not ready for it quite yet...will take a lot of planning and money. Those knights are freakin' expensive...30+ bucks a pop, knights on horseback 80 bucks! And I'm going to need a lot of them!

Right now I'm working on my first "American" WWII diorama. Will let you know when it's posted!

 

I've never seen Cronos or heard of it for that matter...don't know how it escaped me, but it did. I just purchased the Criterion Collection. Thanks for the tip! Can't wait to see it.