Collecting Bronze but not Silver 1 1

[bronze johnny]

On 3/17/2017 at 1:51 PM, letsgrumble said:

I have books from all ages in my collection, but I grew up buying bronze books off the rack. So, I feel that it is the most authentic part of my collection because I have a strong connection to them. While I do have a lot of silver age comics that I enjoy owning, a different generation grew up with those books and I'll never fully be able to genuinely relate to them in the same way.

The Silver and Gold books in my collection will be much easier to part with than my Bronze. A piece of my childhood will go with each book that I bought off the newsstand during the late 70s in my case, from the Optimo adjacent to the 18th Avenue N Train subway station in Brooklyn, New York. Those will go when I do. The highest level of the true comic book collector are the books s/he experienced reading and collecting as a kid. Those that never had that experience will never know this essence. For them, the best connection they could have is based on their interest in art, writing, passion for a specific character, and the history of this art form. The third level of collecting is reserved for those who merely see the comic book as some commodity to speculate on... nothing more than an investment.

My guess is that even those who started out as kids collecting Bronze during that comic book age later ventured into the preceding ages as their knowledge of the art form advanced- will eventually come back to those childhood books. The first books in our lives are keys to returning home again. If only Thomas Wolfe had read comic books...

Edited March 18, 2017 by bronze johnny

[ADAMANTIUM]

I must be different than most  I was born in 1981 and while I grew up with TMNT, Wolverine, X-men, Spiderman, Punisher, Superman-enough of those characters started in the bronze age in similar popular books. I remember the first time that I heard and saw Silver Surfer I was in awe. While I'm sure that the impression that I got was different than those who first saw it in the Silver Age, I don't feel that deminishes my appreciation.

I don't have much of a longing to collect TMNT nor Superman. I did get a kick out of the Batman movie (Adam West and Burt Ward) as a kid (and Batman the animated series), so I can appreciate old Batman comics and don't think of it much as "campy". Superman never really impressed me, as Action 1 was a dream even when I was a kid. I dug the old Superman cartoon but never cared much for the black and white TV show, it seemed corny in a way or not "new" to me (if that makes sense) as I had seen Superman battle Doomsday in the comics. Spiderman shows or cartoons and ultimately movies, I never cared much for. As a kid I got a subscription to "Classic" Amazing Spiderman, so I got the impression of the classic writing and thought it was awesome and a good read  Venom hit me the same as Silver Surfer, but when they came out with Carnage I laughed and got turned off cause I thought that they were milking it too much, I do think it would make a decent film if it got the right writer.

[01TheDude]

On 3/18/2017 at 0:58 PM, bronze johnny said:

The Silver and Gold books in my collection will be much easier to part with than my Bronze. A piece of my childhood will go with each book that I bought off the newsstand during the late 70s in my case, from the Optimo adjacent to the 18th Avenue N Train subway station in Brooklyn, New York. Those will go when I do. The highest level of the true comic book collector are the books s/he experienced reading and collecting as a kid. Those that never had that experience will never know this essence. For them, the best connection they could have is based on their interest in art, writing, passion for a specific character, and the history of this art form. The third level of collecting is reserved for those who merely see the comic book as some commodity to speculate on... nothing more than an investment.

My guess is that even those who started out as kids collecting Bronze during that comic book age later ventured into the preceding ages as their knowledge of the art form advanced- will eventually come back to those childhood books. The first books in our lives are keys to returning home again. If only Thomas Wolfe had read comic books...

bronze definitely has a strong connection for me as well -- as like many here, my collecting started in the mid 1970s. Making collections from my paper routes and then riding my bike 1.5 miles up to buying off the racks at 7-11, bag of candy and a superhero Slurpee cup in hand. As my collecting progressed-- I dreamed of owning all these awesome silver age books that came before but were so hard to find back then (or so expensive as a kid). I was fortunate to stumble across guys selling SA books out of their trunk at flea markets back then and got some really cool books pretty cheap too.

It is fun to go back and fill in all the runs I worked like crazy to fill when I was younger. Some books still elude me and I still feel some are simply too expensive to obtain/justify financially. That's where the hunting for those books brings me right back to the old days once again.

The best part though is still having practically all my books from those days-- so much of my bronze age runs are complete or easier to complete. I extended my desires to cover silver through the early copper age. Slowly closing in on my DD (1-7, 131, 168). Finished up with Thor first (except for 102, 105, 106, 107, & 114 and 83-100 which I decided to just get the marvel masterworks for instead). Got most of Kirby's DC stuff and other late 70s work just for fun. Been shifting focus over to some Strange Tales lately though some of those can be hard to find on a budget and I mostly go after the ones with Dr Strange in them.

But the one thing I came to grips with last year was that I was probably a better collector of comics as a kid than as an adult. I bought what I liked but I also bought anything I could find (Marvel at least). I somehow knew to buy anything Kirby i could get my hands on (missed out on those DCs other than OMAC). I picked tons of Steranko. Certain artists spoke to me through their cover art work apparently. Opening the books now takes me back to those days almost instantly.

Edited April 7, 2017 by 01TheDude
picked up a nice copy of DD 89

[Tony_H]

The first comic I read was Dr. Strange #2 by Englehart and Brunner, and, as I can still recall pouring over every panel, it shaped the way I appreciate all illustrated books.  Also, How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way was one of the most beloved--and compulsively re-read--books of my childhood.  

My Marvel and DC collection essentially starts at the Bronze Age.  I've been acquiring complete runs of Conan, Red Sonja and other barbarian titles, and if you throw in Wonder Woman's white suit era, Black Widow's stint in Daredevil, a bunch of Man-Bat appearances, Weird Adventure featuring The Spectre, and O'Neill and Kaluta's The Shadow, those shortboxes convert to Bronze right quick!   My Copper/Modern collection is mostly the continued sword-and-sorcery character runs mixed with title runs from smaller publishers like First, old and new Valiant, and Dark Horse.      

Edited April 7, 2017 by Tony_H

[boomtown]

On 3/4/2017 at 7:12 PM, Readcomix said:

While I don't think it inspired the costume, Roy Thomas said on a text page in Marvel Premiere 15 that Iron Fist's origin was basically a homage to Amazing-Man. 

I must have missed that. Years later John Aman was introduced in the Immortal Iron Fist series as the Prince of Orphans, one of Iron Fist's allies. John Aman was Amazing Man in the 1940s.

[Grib]

When I think of the bronze age of books I remember being shocked a lot, Speedy did drugs, Harry did drugs, Gwen Died and you had horror super hero's. Because of the great shock moments I now expect and hope to be surprised and I'm disappointed when I'm not. That is really what I liked about the Bronze, with the Marvel Silvers you had Wow and the DC silver camp but never surprise.

[Grib]

The Dude and Stan Hang Out, this is for 01TheDude because he was posting when I was in Diapers. Enjoy

[01TheDude]

1 hour ago, Grib said:

The Dude and Stan Hang Out, this is for 01TheDude because he was posting when I was in Diapers. Enjoy

fyi--- I don't control what that phrase says (posting when you were in diapers) - that is in the automated forum system and based on post count.

[Grib]

10 minutes ago, 01TheDude said:

fyi--- I don't control what that phrase says (posting when you were in diapers) - that is in the automated forum system and based on post count.

I always thought it was great, funny. Hope I didn't offend. I saw your ID photo and thought you would like the Dude doll photo. 

[Readcomix]

On April 9, 2017 at 2:43 PM, boomtown said:

I must have missed that. Years later John Aman was introduced in the Immortal Iron Fist series as the Prince of Orphans, one of Iron Fist's allies. John Aman was Amazing Man in the 1940s.

Didn't know about that but it makes sense to me having read Thomas' text page. Worthwhile if you have a reader copy.

[Westy Steve]

I'm exclusively Bronze now.  I grew up buying them off the rack, though I didn't buy as many as most hard core collectors.  I collected Silver Age for a while, and have a hard time relating to the newer stuff.  I always thought the early silver age stuff was too campy.  I just think that Bronze is the most authentic, with a good cross between story and art.  The crossovers they did back then and the fleshed out lives back then were awesome.  I remember waiting for the next issue to come out so I could buy it off the rack.  It was great stuff!  Now I find myself gravitating toward keys or semi key books in better condition....slabbed ones.  On my budget, that precludes silver and gold, and I feel that copper and modern is just too much of a commodity...just too common.  So I'm liking bronze keys or semi keys in nicer grade.  I love the way the colors pop off the page and the candy-like gloss on the covers without too much wear....Rarity, coolness and condition floats my boat.  I'm happy with what I'm doing now and I'm going to stick to it.  The rest I'll read online of in TPB format.

Edited May 21, 2017 by Westy Steve
why you so nosey?

[Brian48]

95+ percent of my collection is early Bronze.