Next Tysons show?

Larryw7 · January 19, 2005

I've mentioned Bob Horn of Captain Blue Hen's in Newark, Delaware, and the Serendipity shows of the 1980s and 1990s

Bob Horn! Is he still around? I used to trade books with him as a kid at all the Philly shows, and he treated me very fairly. Had a nice wife too.

Ah, the good old days!

ComicBookGuy · January 19, 2005

I've mentioned Bob Horn of Captain Blue Hen's in Newark, Delaware, and the Serendipity shows of the 1980s and 1990s

Bob Horn! Is he still around? I used to trade books with him as a kid at all the Philly shows, and he treated me very fairly. Had a nice wife too.

Ah, the good old days!

His comic shows faded out back in the early 1990s, but he had several stores that went on for a while and may still be going for all I know. One was up in Lancaster, PA, if I recall, and his main one was in Newark, Delaware. Last time I saw him was at the Baltimore Comic Con two or perhaps three years ago, and he was set up there as a dealer. Real nice guy.

Joe

Tortious-migration · February 24, 2005

I can add to that....

I was Mark Feldman's business partner and best friend.

Mark did a "MetroCon" together with Gary Groth in around '70-'71 (when Mark was still in high school).

He started "Bonifant Books" with Carl Bridgers (later of Barbarian Books) in the early 1970's - in Silver Spring. In the mid 1970's, Mark started a comic store called "A Touch of Strange" on Sligo Ave. in Silver Spring.

I met Mark in 1973 when I was 12 and he was 20. I worked as a volunteer at his store. I helped him run a couple of the early Maryland Funnybook Festivals. In around 1976 we opened the Maryland Funnybook Shop on Ga. Ave.

We ran Festivals every other month or so. Our average profit per show was about $600.00 (to split between us).

I started college in 1978. We sold the store to Steve Geppi. I remember when Steve worked for the Post Office and sold comics out of his basement. Steve moved the store a couple of times before it found its permanent home on Fenton St.

In the later years of the Festivals we started getting guests. We just paid their transpo. and hotel. They got to build their fan base. One time Frazetta's wife came to one and brought his most famous paintings along.

Things started to change when we got Boris Vallejo to come to one, and he offered us use of a lot of his paintings and sketches. We put together a killer fanzine. We wound up doing several printings of it.

The next year, we got the Brothers Hildebrandt to come, and did the same thing.

Mark (who had done fanzines while in high school) got more into art dealing and publishing, and we let the conventions slide.

I started focusing more on college and more traditional jobs.

Mark had diabetes and didn't know it. Mark died fairly suddenly at the age of 29 in 1982. I was in my second week of law school at the time.

His death left a huge vacuum in local comic fandom, and in the hearts of his many friends who miss him still.

If anybody wants to reminisce about those days... feel free to post or e-mail (john2510@yahoo.com)

ComicBookGuy · February 24, 2005

I can add to that....

I was Mark Feldman's business partner and best friend.

Mark did a "MetroCon" together with Gary Groth in around '70-'71 (when Mark was still in high school).

He started "Bonifant Books" with Carl Bridgers (later of Barbarian Books) in the early 1970's - in Silver Spring. In the mid 1970's, Mark started a comic store called "A Touch of Strange" on Sligo Ave. in Silver Spring.

I met Mark in 1973 when I was 12 and he was 20. I worked as a volunteer at his store. I helped him run a couple of the early Maryland Funnybook Festivals. In around 1976 we opened the Maryland Funnybook Shop on Ga. Ave.

We ran Festivals every other month or so. Our average profit per show was about $600.00 (to split between us).

I started college in 1978. We sold the store to Steve Geppi. I remember when Steve worked for the Post Office and sold comics out of his basement. Steve moved the store a couple of times before it found its permanent home on Fenton St.

In the later years of the Festivals we started getting guests. We just paid their transpo. and hotel. They got to build their fan base. One time Frazetta's wife came to one and brought his most famous paintings along.

Things started to change when we got Boris Vallejo to come to one, and he offered us use of a lot of his paintings and sketches. We put together a killer fanzine. We wound up doing several printings of it.

The next year, we got the Brothers Hildebrandt to come, and did the same thing.

Mark (who had done fanzines while in high school) got more into art dealing and publishing, and we let the conventions slide.

I started focusing more on college and more traditional jobs.

Mark had diabetes and didn't know it. Mark died fairly suddenly at the age of 29 in 1982. I was in my second week of law school at the time.

His death left a huge vacuum in local comic fandom, and in the hearts of his many friends who miss him still.

If anybody wants to reminisce about those days... feel free to post or e-mail (john2510@yahoo.com)

Tortious, welcome to the boards! (Your name means you either went to Maryland or you are a lawyer??? )

Imagine my surprise to see this long-dead thread rise from the grave. I am very glad to see this cause I lived through the exact same Maryland comic history you did, am your age, went to the same shows, and know ALL the people you mentioned. I am certain I must know you or at least would probably think, "Hmm, that guy looks familiar," if I see you. My first con ever was the 1973 Maryland Funnybook Festival at the Howard Johnson's. My first job ever was at Barbarian Books working with Carl Bridgers, who is still there to this day. My first visit to a comic shop ever was the one right on the corner of University Boulevard and Triangle Lane (), next to the IHOP. That was Mark's shop, wasn't it? I believe he went to the SS shop location after that shop closed. Wasn't it called Wheaton Comic Exchange? I was just a kid, so my memory is fuzzy on the details. One point I am certain about is that the Metro Con was later than you stated, cause I went with a kid when we were in seventh grade, which would be in 1973, and I had the program to it and just sold it on ebay - to a guy in Germany no less. Was that the only Metro Con? I remember the Funnybook Festivals going on at Howard Johnsons for a good while and the Hueys taking over in the late 1970s. Thanks for sharing and clarifying some points about early Maryland fandom. Maybe we can meet up at the next Tysons show and talk about "the good old days" - or are we too young to be talking like that???

On a more serious note, I agree that Mark is definitely missed. Carl Bridgers, Joel Pollack, and I all still recall him fondly and anybody who knows anything about area fandom knows that he was one of the major pioneers in Maryland fandom.

By the way, I went to Kensington Junior High and Woodward High School. Those names ring a bell? All within biking distance of those great comic shops back in the 70s!

Joe

Tortious-migration · March 15, 2005

I'm 99.9% sure Mark never had a shop in Wheaton. I think his only connection to Wheaton was the shows at the Howard Johnsons.

I was probably 50 lbs lighter the last time I bought a comic... so you probably wouldn't recognize me... but I'm sure we would have recognized each other in the day

I was going to Blair at the time Mark and I ran the store in Silver Spring... so I know the area well. I've been around ever since.

I was in touch with Joel today by e-mail, which is what prompted me to check back on the message board.

I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who remembers Mark and misses his contribution to the collecting community. He would be pleased as well. He always placed his friends and the collecting community above any other ambitions.

If someone will let me know about the next Tyson's show, or other event, I'd love to see what's going on these days.

I haven't really followed comics much in the last 20 years. I think I picked up a copy of "Spawn" a while back and realized that I had been left behind

I was sad to hear of Will Eisner's recent death. I consider the Spirit to be the epitome of comics. Nothinig better before or since.