Rusty staples and sunken treasure! by Hibou

[Brandon Shepherd]

That's quite a journey you and Tec #70 have been on. It reminds me a little of some of the books I've parted with because of cover centering, but Tec #70 is more epic than that. I'm glade to hear you got your old copy back. Your mention of last night's auction also struck a card with me, because of the Bronze books I so covet, I've had to sell off other books to make up for some of my last few Bronze purchases, now I'm running out of Copper books and items that I can live without, I must be careful next a time a high grade Bronze catches my eye.

[n2wdw]

Great story on Tec 70, a great thing about these journals is to see people as obsessed as me! After reading your journal I feel tec 70 is an old friend, I need a copy for my collection.

 

In an earlier post you said

 

I pretty much liquidated everything from my old collection last year and have found new inspiration in where I want to go with this hobby.

 

I was wondering what you meant by "liquadated everything from my old collection"? As you may have read, I'm trying to reduce my collection now from 45,000+ books to under 25k, to fit everything into my retirement home (a place at the beach). This process has allowed me to refocus my collecting, which I think will help me have more fun collecting as I enter into the 3rd quarter century of my life. So I was wondering if you can provide a little more details on where you're heading. Thanks!

 

[Hibou]

I read where you were starting the reduction on your collection and you certainly have a lot more than I did... a lot more!

 

But what I thought I would do is to try and focus more on finding 'key popular' issues, that don't really have any significance to my collection and using those books monetarily to fund future purchases instead of using some of these books that I really like as a financial source.

 

Believe it or not, where I found the inspiration to do this was from watching a few YouTube videos of these 'comic book hauls' that collectors go out and find and from those, I've learned A LOT in terms of what's popular and what kind of books are heating up.

 

Here's a really good example... I think this person may be a boardie!

 

I like his demeanor and overall passion for the hobby. The videos are a little long but I find them to be very informative.

 

Of course there are more 'edgy' collector videos out there that are just as educational and entertaining, but I really like the way this collector presents it!

 

 

 

 

So towards the end of last fall, I sold off my entire collection of 'stuff'... 35+ boxes of graphic novels that I didn't want any more along with many boxes of Modern, Copper and some Bronze books. Nothing too valuable and I didn't get rich off the deal but I listed the whole lot on Craigslist and within 2 days I was free of a lot of comic related merchandise and boxes.

 

It was a relieving experience.

 

Going forward I thought to use these videos as examples of how I could fine tune my focus into things that I really like for myself or to sell and fund my core collection.

 

In the past I would pick up 'any old thing' just if it appealed to me and I can't do that anymore.

 

I hope in some round about way I answered your question!

 

[Hibou]

I wanted to take a moment and elaborate a little on the last post I made about the inspiration I found in watching these videos assembled by various comic hobbyists. Watching those videos made me realize just how little I know when it comes to the realm of comic books in general and just how tightly it's woven into popular culture. I would attribute much of that with my ignorance of just how popular culture evolves and what was once considered a passing interest can suddenly become a near phenomenon.

 

I said that I was learning a lot from watching those videos and that's very true.

 

There were so many books and characters that I knew nothing about and subsequently disregarded... almost as the train passed me by.

 

How many issues of Hulk 271 did I turn my back on?

 

"It's a stupid raccoon!", I would say to myself...

 

Marvel Preview 4 and 7?

 

I know over my many years of 'collecting' and going to garage sales, flea markets, antique shows and shops, I passed up numerous copies of these books at prices between $1- $5.

 

Other collectors didn't.

 

They bought them with some sort of insight into what could be.

 

Is that speculation?

 

I suppose so but there's another aspect to it and it's the one that I think I've been most oblivious to. And that's what is popular to other people outside of my interests and experiences.

 

Amazing Spiderman 121 and 122...

 

Always popular issues and I can't remember how many copies I've had of both.

 

Try to get them now though and that's a different story unless you want to put down a nice sum of money.

 

Why?

 

What happened that reignited those books?

 

Some could say speculators but other, more savvy collectors might say something else. And that 'something else' is what I'm trying to discover as a collector.

 

There was once a time where the announcement of a movie on a character did little to generate interest in a character on a comic book level but that seems to have changed right before my eyes.

 

Perhaps it goes back to what I just wrote about how pop culture is weaving all this stuff together now and it's creating something different that maybe I haven't seen before.

 

I recently had a short discussion with a comic shop owner about these seemingly insane prices being thrown around for books that are out there in bunches. This hobby has always been fueled by supply and demand but might I be short sighted in thinking that supply and demand is a static equation?

 

New Mutants 98.

 

"Tons of copies out there and there's no way that book can sustain these prices."

 

Well that's what I said about 10 years ago when a NM copy was going for $25 - $30.

 

I failed to see that the character would become a favorite to many collectors and that audience would grow... and so now perhaps demand was catching up (quickly) with supply.

 

 

:shrug:

 

 

Comics used to seem like a silent shadow in the corner... there but detached from the rest of the world but it seems that through this social and interconnecting reality, it's all starting to pull together. I've spent some time trying to think if what's going on today is similar to the speculation bubble in the 90's and I think it's very different. Today, I think there's real sustainable substance behind what's reigniting this hobby and interest in older books.

 

And I have to get my mind adjusted to the idea that 'older books' no longer means books from the 40's to the 60's.

 

That's my timeline and it doesn't fit into what's happening now.

 

It seems like a lot of the videos I've been watching are created by collectors younger than I and it's in that where I'm realizing just how biased I've been when it comes to my collecting habits.

 

There are many characters out there that are loved by those younger than I, just as much as the characters that I grew up on and took a liking to.

 

I think my short explanation about my renewed interest and inspiration wasn't fully developed as there's much more to it that I'll hopefully round out further as this journal continues.

 

Right now, I'm just trying to catch up and try to find a way to get on the train (not necessarily ahead of it) ... just not behind it.

 

If I don't, I'm going to be regretting even more than I have and those will make for many future posts!

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

 

So I'll leave this thought for the moment as I get ready to talk about a favorite book of mine and a character of the swamp!

 

 

 

[Hibou]

One more thing to tie up those loose thoughts about collecting habits before I dive into the swamp...

 

I've liked Aquaman books for a while and had a pretty nice raw set, some readers and some much nicer. I sold them knowing that when I want them again, I'll just buy them.

 

Those thoughts are the ones I need to change because now I have to be more precise on how and when I buy these books.

 

I recently got a nice copy of 11 and 35... I have a lower grade 29 that will suffice but I'll certainly keep looking for a better one without going broke.

 

Two years ago, for what I paid for issue 11 recently, I could've bought 10 copies.

 

That sort of sums up my reevaluation of my collecting habits.

 

I still retain interest in the books and characters that I always have but now I have to be a bit more resourceful and tactful when going after the books that are now keys or could potentially be keys.

 

I need to focus on obtaining those first and then fill in when I can instead of the other way around because it seems that the longer I wait, the pricier those books become!

 

Okay, I know that these last 3 posts have been a bit convoluted but hopefully I'll pull those thoughts together in time.

 

For now, here's another insightful video that I found...

 

 

 

[Hibou]

 

 

I guess this is a point that I look to in terms of what turned me towards actually collecting a specific theme.

 

On these pages, I documented how I knew I was attracted to underwater covers and ultimately moon covers as well but there was a catalyst that I never mentioned until now.

 

For a while, I was collecting keys and semi keys of many favorite titles and characters and I've shown some of those books earlier in this journal.

 

A favorite of mine was Brave and Bold 28... as we all know the 1st appearance of the Justice League of America. I had a pretty nice looking CGC 2.0 copy and it was certainly a treasured issue.

 

Well, as I've done so many times before since joining here, I would sell books to acquire books and there was one moment and one character that sort of set many other things in motion. It was early one Sunday afternoon while innocently browsing the boards here when I saw a book listed for sale that instantly grabbed my attention!

 

Upon seeing this book for sale, I knew I would have to act fast to get it and I knew that I really, really wanted it as it had been a big Golden Age book in relation to this character. As it was priced, I figured that in order to get it, I would have to sell a comparably valued book and that book turned out to be B&B 28.

 

And so it was sold...

On a Monday.

 

It wasn't a decision I regretted as I was so excited to get this book. Even though the book was listed raw, I felt that the pictures gave me a pretty good indication of what I was getting and to me it looked like a solid VG which I thought was going to be perfect. About a year earlier I unsuccessfully tried to get a restored copy of this book but failed.

 

When I received the book I was very pleased with what I initially saw, but those feelings quickly diminished as I looked over the book carefully with a loupe and some very good lighting... and with that, I saw signs of restoration. My heart sunk as the realization set in that I had sold my Brave and Bold 28 for this book and it wasn't what I thought it was going to be.

 

I contacted the seller who was very accommodating and we eventually came to an agreement on how to settle the matter and in the end I believe we were both content with how it turned out but there was still that emptiness within. I no longer had a major key in my collection and now looking back... what a key that is turning out to be.

 

Well, the book that propelled this was All Star Comics 33 with the classic cover of Solomon Grundy... All Star 33 is known as the last GA appearance of Solomon Grundy who is and has been a huge favorite character of mine. In terms of villains, I'd say that Grundy is probably in my top three!

 

Born of the 40's (although his origin dates him back to the late 19th century), he's a type of Frankenstein creature with a mystical aspect. Frankenstein, Zombie... a Hulk type of character, if you will...

 

Or was the first (grey) Hulk modeled after Grundy?

 

Anyways, feeling that I would never be able to get my hands on a copy of All-American 61 (Solomon Grundy's first appearance), I figured my only opportunity to get a GA Grundy book would be All Star 33.

 

The days of looking and thinking about the restored copy I got sort of set me down a path of depression. I thought about selling all my books and starting over and I guess looking back, that's sort of what I did.

 

Ultimately, I did start over with the underwater books... branched out from that in the moon books and now a handful of other books that tell of personal stories.

 

I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to get another copy of Brave and Bold 28 but I still might want to pick up a lower grade copy of All Star 33.

 

But for now, this opportunity arose and I took full advantage of it.

 

I think it was the around the middle of last year when I saw this next book listed for sale here on the boards. Of course the timing wasn't right and I tried to reach out to the seller who was receptive to making a deal but I knew it just wasn't going to work out.

 

And then months later, the same book appeared on ComicLink and I jumped when I saw that because I knew that I might be able to get the book if I could get a time pay agreement from them and that's precisely what I did.

 

And so about 2 and a half months ago I won the book from ComicLink and finally have a TRUE mini grail in hand!

 

It's a little less in terms of eye appeal than where I usually like to be, but having this book sort of pulls together a lot of loose threads.

 

I now have the first GA appearance of Solomon Grundy to go along with my Showcase 55 being the first SA appearance of him!

 

It's a book I've admired for such a long time and one that I'm thrilled to have in my collection! The cover is such a classic one with the monstrous Solomon Grundy rising out of what would be Slaughter Swamp to face his first nemesis, Alan Scott... the original Green Lantern.

 

Later on we know that Grundy becomes an equal foe to Batman as well as other DC characters.

 

And of course I can't help but notice that the same moon seems to appear in both this issue and on the cover of Showcase 55.

 

A nice set of bookends!

 

 

Solomon Grundy, born on a Monday.

 

 

 

 

There's a very light date stamp in the title block (next to the S in COMICS) and it looks like it says AUG 14 1944. Just another nice little bonus to this book for me.

 

 

 

The first Golden Age Solomon Grundy from 1944 and the first Silver Age Grundy from 1965!

 

 

 

 

 

And finally here is a small part of the story (5 pages) from All-American 61 as was reprinted in the 70's...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hibou]

Here's another little bit extra on Solomon Grundy.

 

I found this video that compiles all of the different voice actors who were used for the character from animated shows to video games...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But as I was listening to this, I couldn't help but think of another who I thought could be utilized.

 

Another favorite of mine...

 

 

 

 

[Hibou]

The miraculous return of the Big Red Octopus!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, so maybe it's not really a miracle but that's just a song that I love...

 

Besides, sometimes it's really funny how things work out and how books that maybe you were just meant to have end up finding their way back to you!

 

Last summer, I sold a lot of the books that I've shown on here and there were a few that I certainly regretted getting rid of. Slowly, I found two raw upgrades to a couple of those books but one book actually came right back to me through here but what's funny is that I thought I sold the book to a local dealer.

 

(This story sort of mirrors another that I'll have to tell at a different time...)

 

Anyways, just a little over a month ago I saw a boardie list this book that I had sold and was very happy to be able to repurchase it as it was one of the ones that I regretted selling.

 

It's a funny little book but there's just something about this one.

 

I didn't think I sold it to the board member that I was buying it back from and so I asked him about it. I was told that it was a book that was put up as a donation in a Fantasy Football prize pool. The boardie that was selling it obtained it that way. I thought that was serendipitous, as in my own Fantasy Football league, I pretty much held the top position all year long until it came to the playoffs where I finished last as my team fell apart in the end.

 

In some odd way, I felt that this book coming back to me via a Fantasy Football contest was sort of a consolation prize!

 

Anyways, I now have this one back...

 

The Big Red Octopus!

 

 

 

 

[Brandon Shepherd]

Great story about Solomon Grundy and your acquisition of his first appearance. That All American and Showcase look good together. I mostly associate Grundy with Batman: The Long Halloween.

 

There is also this interesting and different song, my brother played this song for me when I was a kid not long after I became a comic/Superman fan.

 

Crash Test Dummies: "Superman's Song"

 

He asked me afterward who Solomon Grundy was, I had know idea who he was at the time.

[Hibou]

That's an awesome song, Brandon and thanks for sharing it!

 

To tell you the truth, I don't think I've heard that one before...

 

I've just listened to it twice, now!

[Hibou]

As I continue to fill in pieces to this story, I've mentioned going back in time to revisit some moments that would later form and cement my interests in this subculture and hobby.I've often thought of what or where I would be if certain events hadn't taken place.And so, with a couple flips of some switches, I'll start down that path now...

Audio recording software >>...Waitaminute.???That's not what I wanted to do.I need to go back in time.Ah, this will do...

Record music and voice >>(Being a Doctor Who fan, I couldn't pass up this copy which I thought was a pretty good deal for the grade! The miswrap is a bit disappointing but seems to be very common with this issue.)So it would be somewhere between this picture of my high school graduation...(Pictured with my late Grandmother, my Dad and my Mom)And these pictures of me from 1976-1978...And we find ourselves at...I wrote about how much I was influenced by comics and other forms of pop culture in the mid to late 70's and how that encouraged me to draw. I loved drawing comic and science fiction material... Around 1980, I was drawing a lot and trying to duplicate pictures that appealed to me and this is an example of how those attempts turned out. It was always fun for me and I would spend hours with these drawings but not thinking too much else about them.But then in one day, around 1981 everything changed for me because of one drawing by one classmate. His name was Raymond and up until this moment I had no idea he could draw, but it was after school one day when I saw him and a group of other friends talking. He was showing them something and it seemed to be exciting these friends to some degree.What was being shown, was Raymond's drawing of a copy of Iron Man 126 which was a relatively recent issue back then.This drawing that he did, to my 11 year old eyes, was an exact duplicate of that issue drawn by John Romita Jr. and it blew me away. It was that afternoon when I realized that what I was doing was 'childish' compared to this drawing and so that evening I sat down to see if I could do a similar drawing and duplicate that cover as well if I really tried. I had a copy of that issue as well and so I sat down and this is what happened...When I brought in the drawing the next day to show my friends, they thought I traced it which was very flattering to me. It was that which proved to be the motivation for me to continue to draw and pay more attention to what I was doing and to try to get better. I wanted to get much better!Within the next year, my parents bought me a copy of Stan Lee and John Buscema's "How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way". It was the beginning of a whole new world to me!Okay, now we can use this one!

Audio recording software >>That book was wonderful and I went through it in no time... reading, drawing and drawing some more!Stan and John's video based on the book...So with the aid of that book I started to branch off into trying to draw from what I could think up instead of copying other artists and poses. Here's a drawing I did with this new knowledge gained from that Marvel book...And then a year later, in 1982, I decided to try my hand again at duplicating that Iron Man 126 cover to see if I had improved any. At the time, I was pleased with myself and the results. Ultimately, that's what fueled and propelled my interest in art and drawing in general. Of course it only solidified my love for comics and comic art in general as well.So whenever I see Iron Man 126, that's what goes through my head. Recently I felt that I really owed it to myself to get the best example of that book that I could find. Thanks to these boards, I was able to find just that!So I do have to thank Raymond in 1980 and Iron Man 126 (with John Romita Jr.) for encouraging an artistic path for me that has been truly rewarding even if it has been more of a footnote to my ultimate occupation.Now it's 35 years later...Just recently I joined an open figure drawing group near the university here and it's been wonderful to get back into drawing somewhat regularly. It has been 15 years since I last drew from live models but it sure is refreshing!Here are a few of those...Male:

Female 1:

Female 2:

Female 3:

There were others who were instrumental in continuing my interest in comics, art and the characters themselves through junior high and high school...I'll be visiting those memories next!

[etanick]

great drawings! I wished I kept all the drawings/sketches I had during 8th grades thru college. I took a few classes thru my college year as well...perhaps the most fun I had in any classes thru all the years.

[Hibou]

Thank you Nick!

 

I watched this video of yours today and thought it was great.

 

It ties many things together for me in terms of what may be going on lately with this hobby and many of the points you brought up, I had not thought of.

 

They're very sensible!

 

As I mentioned to you earlier, I really enjoy these videos... very insightful stuff!

 

 

 

[Brandon Shepherd]

Great drawings and pictures! Nothing like vintage Star Trek.

[newshane]

Love that Dr. Who comic! Brilliant, fun colors and sharp artwork. A win-win.

[Hibou]

Thanks newshane... it's a great book and the way things are going in the market, I figured that if I ever wanted a copy (which I also have a similar raw copy) then I better get one now if I found a good deal.

 

I found just that on eBay through tankcomics... (ItsJustRyan on the boards here).

 

Great service and easy to deal with! (thumbs u

[Hibou]

Great drawings and pictures! Nothing like vintage Star Trek.

 

Thanks Brandon... I was addicted to Star Trek back then for many years!

 

 

 

 

Going back tonight once again...

 

 

 

I'd have to say that the 80's were HUGE for me when it came to formulating my world around comics and that world was being introduced to me by a few friends that I met along the way through junior high school and high school.

 

I was thinking a lot about this lately and it really comes down to 2 friends in junior high and 2 in high school that provided me with opportunities to expand my universe of comicdom.

 

Brian, Kerry, Andres and Ben.

 

What's funny is that it just wasn't new comic material that I was being introduced to back then from friends and acquaintances, but music too.

 

I wonder if I never met the people that I had during my lifetime so far... where would I be in regards to my comic and music preferences?

 

I might not have moved past this:

 

 

(If you want a good laugh on a Saturday night, take the 3 minutes to watch this!)

 

 

 

 

 

Well maybe not that.

 

 

 

Anyways, it was in junior high school where I was meeting new friends and in those early 80's, I thought it was great that I was finding others who shared my interest in comics. I met a friend named Kerry who was a bit on the tougher side it seemed and he had gone to a different grade school than I. But I soon learned that he was reading comics and the two characters that he liked were Ghost Rider and Doctor Strange. I guess when you're that young, you're impressionable and so I got into those characters as well, so as to form a camaraderie with this kid. Those were my first two 'out of the mainstream' characters that I got into. Shortly after, I met a kid who was in a grade higher than me and I'm not sure how this came about... I've forgotten the circumstances, but Brian, who was a year older, had a recommendation that had a dramatic effect on me that would last a very, very long time.

 

It was one afternoon in school, when he asked me if I read a comic called the X-Men. At this time in my life, the X-Men seemed to be an 'older' book and I really didn't have an interest in them nor did I follow them.

 

Well he told me that I needed to check them out and said that this artist and writer were amazing.

 

Two guys I never heard of before back then...

 

John Byrne and Chris Claremont.

 

I believe he brought some books for me to read and look at and I'm thinking the first issues he brought in were around 111-115.

 

I was hooked.

 

In particular, I was hooked on John Byrne's art. It was in those pages that I decided that I wanted to draw like that. Exactly like that. And so for quite a long time, that's all I tried to do... duplicate Byrne's work. I studied how he drew eyes, faces and bodies and I was settled on trying to make it work. Well, obviously I was only able to reach a certain point and fell quite short... just a little tangent here, but that's why I'm fascinated with Anthony Castrillo's work. Just looking at his artwork, dealings aside... it's (ahem) uncanny how precise he's duplicated John Byrne's line work!

 

So back to this story...

 

I needed more X-Men to read but there was one problem... I had to get back issues and at this time, back issues of Byrne and Claremont X-Men were like gold and sold at a premium. It took me a long time, but I was able to get most of them.

 

So through junior high school, being introduced to Ghost Rider, Doctor Strange and the X-Men were quite exciting for me back then. I was leaving the DC stuff behind and my beloved Justice League for these new Marvel characters!

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

Something else happened in junior high though that also had another profound effect on me... indirect rejection.

 

It was in 8th grade when I had my first real crush on this girl. Her name was Liz. Well, at that age, who really knows what you're supposed to do, but I was trying to figure it all out until the day that a bomb was dropped on me.

 

And the bomb had a name... Joey.

 

You see, one afternoon while I was at my locker, Joey approached me and asked me if I liked Liz.

 

I guess somehow I had let it known that I had a thing for her and so I answered honestly.

 

I told him that I did.

 

And then Joey laid this incendiary device at my feet in the form of these words...

 

"Well, she doesn't like you."

 

And THAT was the crux of where I would go and who I would be through these formative years because that devastated me. It was at that moment that I turned inward and quiet... and more of an observer than a participant.

 

I observed that Liz liked the Police and so... I liked the Police... all so I could put stickers of the Police on my Trapper Keeper and know of the songs that she liked. I observed that there was a boy that she seemed to like and so I observed what qualities he had and tried to adopt and emulate them.

 

But in short time, these methods weren't producing the desired effect and so I went deeper into my shell of my own construct and found solace where it seems I always have and always will... my comics and my art.

 

That's what I turned to and focused on.

 

And that's yet another moment that propelled me even though it might've been an act of self preservation.

 

I would draw comics.

 

I would collect comics... and I would build my world through that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then came high school...

 

 

 

 

[etanick]

Old age is catching up to me because the girl I had a big crush back in high school is totally out of my mind. I can't picture what she looks like in my mind. I do remember her first name, Pam, but the last name...hmmmm.

 

 

[Hibou]

Once I got to high school...I really didn't think that much would change. The girl that I liked in junior high school was going to the same high school with me now and I would still go out of my way to say 'Hi' now and then and she would always return the pleasantry. It wasn't until I was older that I thought that maybe, just maybe, Joey made that stuff up in junior high. Anyways, in high school, as I dove deeper in the arts as a course of study, I met even more new friends and my range of their backgrounds seemed to be wide. From the 'smokers' to the 'jocks' to the 'artsy' types... I had connections in most every clique, yet I belonged to none. Although I did end up finding my comfort zone and that was (to no surprise), with the artistic kids.I got involved in set design with the drama department and then of course just started living in the art room whenever I could escape and get some time there. It was there that I met one very good friend who introduced me to music that I never even knew existed. Andres was from Columbia and seemed to be connected to all sorts of new stuff relating to music and pop culture.From Depeche Mode to OMD... The Smiths... Talking Heads and Tears For Fears... Pet Shop Boys... it was certainly an educational experience in music!It didn't stop there as he also liked comics as well and this is where I learned about Alan Moore's Swamp Thing. I was very familiar with the 1st series by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson but I wasn't paying much attention to the reboot until Andres brought in some copies for me to read.And that hooked me once again to this character!The stories were incredible and the art was amazing... to me, back then, these books were truly works of art! I thought Steve Bissette and John Totleben's visions were absolutely terrifying yet beautiful!Andres was a year older than me and moved on earlier than I obviously. He eventually moved back to Columbia but then moved to NYC. Shortly after that, I lost touch with him, unfortunately. That was by my doing though as he made many efforts to stay in touch but back then, I wasn't much of the letter writer.That certainly is yet another regret of mine. :(On occasion he would send me these Byrne, Superman books from Columbia and here are a few of those that I still have...I'll go back to this shortly as there is another story to tell about him and something I mentioned earlier about books that you're meant to have, finding their way back to you!But there was another friend that I met who introduced me to another set of work that had just as much a profound effect on me. Ben was one who was sort of in with what was known back then as the punk-rock scene... and I know I'm being far to general with the application of that term.I can't recall exactly how we met or how we became friends... I think it may have been through a series of common acquaintances, but Ben introduced me to even more new music... Black Flag, The Misfits... Public Image Limited.... but musically, we did have one common interest back then and that was The Clash.What's funny is that one day I was listening to my Walkman of a new cassette that I purchased and he really wanted to listen to it as well... I think he could hear what was playing. I hesitated because I thought that he might laugh at what I was listening to because I thought no one knew of this new band and maybe he would think it was funny.Well the band was Big Audio Dynamite and the reason he REALLY wanted to hear it was because of Mick Jones (lead singer / guitarist of The Clash)... this was his new band following his release from The Clash in 1983.I had no idea that it was him and I felt pretty embarrassed. I always liked how they took audio samples and in this one they use a sample of Burt Ward as D. Grayson... "Holy Nightmare!" Ben was also very interested in politics and I tried to follow along, but it the 80's, that was a little hard to do. He was very interested in the Iran-Contra affair and I always had a feeling that he would somehow get himself involved... looking back at those years now, and knowing now what Ben went through... I guess my hunch was right.He was also a bit of an activist for animal rights and back in high school, I joined in on that and along with some other friends of the same mind set, we tried to raise awareness in our school and community. After we graduated, that pretty much dissolved but the information gained throughout that time remained.He was a co-publisher of this underground fanzine that dealt with issues of that nature along with music and politics and at times, I would contribute some drawings as did he with his unique art style.But one afternoon after school, I was visiting at his house when I noticed a small stack of comics sitting on a shelf. They were of a character that I was very familiar with but hadn't read anything current. Sitting on the shelf was a stack of Daredevil comics and the top issue was #158. I asked him about them and he simply told me that he loved Daredevil and especially these Frank Miller issues.I took a look for myself and was instantly sold...And with that, I became a huge Frank Miller Daredevil fan as well and followed the issues religiously. That's how I first became aware of Frank Miller's work and Daredevil was just the beginning....The 80's were certainly a weird time for someone finding their way in this world as it just felt like everything was on the brink of something.Whether the feelings were that we were on the brink of war with the Russians, or some fantastic scientific discovery... new technology... there was a lot going on, but it was Frank Miller's dystopian views of the future that REALLY knocked me off my feet! And that was accomplished through his Batman: The Dark Knight Returns 4 issue series.I remember first being told about this upcoming 'event' by the comic shop owner of Dream Days, Mike and the enthusiasm that it was generating was quite infectious!At this comic shop, Mike always seemed to have music playing on vinyl and for some reason, I associate all these events together... on one occasion he was playing this album and it was something entirely different for me. At the checkout, he had the album cover displayed and I thought the drawings on the cover were quite unique... they seemed to be fun.The artist was James Rizzi and his work appealed to me for some reason... it was fun, colorful and certainly 'pop-ish'. I liked it and for a little while, it influenced my own stylings as it was similar in approach to the artwork that Ben would do.James Rizzi's work was featured on the cover to the Tom Tom Club's LP which I first heard at the Dream Days comic shop strangely enough! So it was first through Daredevil and then Batman that I became enthralled with Frank Miller's work but it was also his collaboration with David Mazzucchelli that solidified Batman as a favorite of mine. I liked the character through the 70's but it was what was being done with this character in the mid 80's that left a lasting impression on me!Andres was also a big fan of David Mazzucchelli's work as well and that also contributed to my prolonged following of the character.As shown by this piece that I did in 1986... a tribute to all of my favorite Batman artists through the years and an attempt to copy their different styles.I graduated in 1987 as I set my sights on a career in art somehow... I had thought about the School of Visual Arts in NYC and the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute in Utica, NY but ultimately I decided that I wanted to go the Kubert School in NJ following a year at the Community College....Andres and I remained somewhat close following high school but I did lose touch with Ben after the summer of 1987. We both worked at the same grocery store but he was going to further his education elsewhere and I was staying here.I had mentioned that Andres had moved to NYC and a couple of years after I graduated, he wrote to me to tell me that Clive Barker was going to be doing a book signing there (we were both horror book enthusiasts) and wanted to know if I wanted a copy of his new book. Of course I did and he was so kind to get me the book and more...Well, the years passed and I lost contact with Andres and I came to a point where I was hurting for money and so one afternoon, I decided to take a small road trip about an hour south of here to Ithaca, NY and with me, I took some books and comics to sell. This would've been in the early 90's now and Ithaca was a very quaint college town with a nice comic store and a few antique book stores. It was at one of those shops that I sold my Clive Barker book. I had regrets but I did it anyways...I would often think about that book, wishing that I didn't sell it because it was one of a kind and one that a dear friend had given to me. How could I have sold it?! :(I think it was almost 6-7 years later... I went to a used bookstore right here in the city and exactly 2 minutes down the street from where I was living. I was just passing the time to see what they had that was new and to see if any old comics had come in as they sometimes bought a few issues of older books.Then as I was leaving, I looked in their enclosed bookcase that contained all their rare, antiquarian and signed books. It was in there that I saw the spine of this book and took it out...My heart jumped... it was my book that I had sold nearly 60 miles away and maybe 7 years earlier!I immediately brought it up to cash out and told the shop owner the story of my book. He gave me a discount on the basis of my story. :)And so somehow, someway this book found it's way back to me and it'll never be sold by me again! The Clive Barker book that my friend, Andres, had him sign personally to me... ...And Ben?I'm not sure if I would've really discovered the 'Man Without Fear' if I hadn't become friends with him. Like I said, I lost touch with him shortly after we graduated but then about 5 years ago, I saw an article in the free newspaper publication here...There was no mistaking it was him and the article was talking about his book documenting his stories from Afghanistan.Within the article, it briefly talked about what he did almost immediately following high school. He didn't go to pursue his education in another state. He went elsewhere...He went to Nicaragua which was sort of where I thought he would end up all along. He returned to the states to join the National Guard here before going over to Afghanistan.He was now here doing a book signing at a nearby cafe and I knew I had to attend.As I sat in the crowd within this packed bookstore cafe, he entered and started to speak... as he was talking he scanned over to me, smiled and gave an approving nod. It was great to see him again and to listen to his stories.After the session, he was going to sign books that would be available for pickup the next day. Through the crowd, I was able to say hello to him and we agreed that we needed to get together to catch up. Unfortunately that hasn't happened yet but perhaps in time.Anyways, when I picked up the signed book the next day at the bookstore, the store associate told me that he had one set aside with my name on it.I opened the book and a huge smile crossed my face...He remembered. Greetings from Afghanistan: Send More Ammo by Ben Tupper'HAM' ... short for Nottingham.Our high school.And so to bring this all back and current now... the 80's were a weird time for me but it actually turned out pretty well! I think that all of our struggles in life only help to define us and in the end, things that might seem very much out of whack one day, might just be another story to tell for some other day....I just discovered this a few weeks ago.I've known that Jimmy Page had been re-releasing the old Zeppelin material but adding additional tracks such as rough mixes and such but I didn't expect this gem on the latest Physical Graffiti deluxe edition redo.And I love the title of this piece!We all know the song but this is a different version with different lyrics...I'm guessing that's John Paul Jones on those haunting keys and Robert Plant's voice sounds incredible on this.So yes, in the end... Everybody makes it through...In the light.And with that, it's back to the current day and time to leave the 80's behind.

Record music and voice >>...Once I decided to let go of my constraints of my underwater theme and brach off into the moon themed books, I think the second book I bought after the HOS92 was a nice copy of Daredevil 158. I've always loved that cover and that book in particular brings back so many memories.In fact, that Daredevil run was very enjoyable for me to read throughout the 80's and it's ironic that Miller's first two covers on that run feature both a moon cover and an underwater cover.It was nice to reread some of those issues a few months ago. :)Centering is tough on issue 158 and recently I've been reading about newsstand edition copies and I was happy to see that this copy is one of those. Not ultra high grade, but certainly good enough for me!And issue 159, I just really love the colors on that one!This was a nice old label copy that I found from Jeff Delaney (nearmint)...http://www.detective27.com/One last word on this...Thoughout these boards, I've met many terrific people who all share a common interest as mine and it's in this that I see that many of us have shared and experienced similar memories.Recentley, this has been made very apparent to me in watching Nick's videos and listening to his stories. They've provided many hours of entertainment and education and I would suggest to anyone reading this to go and check those out!You can find his channel here:https://www.youtube.com/user/etanick1...And this I've learned...“Time is an enormous, long river, and I’m standing in it, just as you’re standing in it. My elders are the tributaries, and everything they thought and every struggle they went through and everything they gave their lives to, and every song they created, and every poem that they laid down flows down to me – and if I take the time to ask, and if I take the time to see, and if I take the time to reach out, I can build that bridge between my world and theirs. I can reach down into that river and take out what I need to get through this world” ― Utah Phillips

[etanick]

thanks for the shout out....it is always great to make new friend (thumbs u