Who Was the First Great Comic Collector? 1 1

[sfcityduck]

Let's start with an important preface:  I'm not asking who compiled the oldest or biggest comic collection.  We all know Edgar Church started compiling comics in 1937, continuing that effort into the 1950s.  But, Edgar was a commercial artist who may well have been buying comics as reference material.  He is not known to have had any interactions with other comic book fans or to have ever been advocate of comics or comic book collecting.  He was unknown to the comic collecting community until 1977.  

No, I'm talking about folks like Lupoff and the Thompsons.  Folks who not only were buying and holding comics, but were also making important efforts to promote comics, comic collecting, and/or comic dealing.  My question is very focused: 

Who was the first great or prominent comic collector to have a significant impact on the activity?

My guess is that this person, at a minimum, was active prior to the "All in Color For a Dime" series was published in Xero in 1961.  It may well be one of the authors in that series. Or maybe an early collector dealer like Malcolm Willits or Len Brown.  

You tell me. 

I have my own theory, but  before finishing an article on the subject, I'm trying to learn what others think.   

 

 

[sagekilz]

[RCheli]

Jerry Bails and Hames Ware are two that come to mind right off the top of my head.

[Pirate]

Bettie Pages AKA Chuck Rozanski

[RCheli]

2 minutes ago, Pirate said:

Bettie Pages AKA Chuck Rozanski

Chuck was born in '55, though. There are plenty of others that were around earlier. And he was never much of a historian.

[Pirate]

Just now, RCheli said:

Chuck was born in '55, though. There are plenty of others that were around earlier. And he was never much of a historian.

should have put  after the post.

[RCheli]

Just now, Pirate said:

should have put  after the post.

This is the first time I've ever missed humor/sarcasm on the internet. (Note: that was sarcastic.)

[shadroch]

Jerry Bails is what pops into my mind. He and the guy from the Rutland Parade were the only two fans I ever read of.

[sfcityduck]

49 minutes ago, RCheli said:

Jerry Bails and Hames Ware are two that come to mind right off the top of my head.

I'd never heard of Hames Ware - Thanks!

Found this article about him:

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2018/sep/21/remembering-hames-ware-20180921/

Interesting read, but I think his contributions may be a little late in the timeline.  I'd like to know more.

[sfcityduck]

28 minutes ago, shadroch said:

Jerry Bails is what pops into my mind. He and the guy from the Rutland Parade were the only two fans I ever read of.

Jerry Bails is an obvious contender.  The Lupoffs and Thompsons as well.  

The Rutland Parade guy is Tom Fagan. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutland_Halloween_Parade

Appears that the parade started in 1960.  I'm curious about any folks who may have predated 1960. 

 

[Buzzetta]

I think a comparable question is when did people start collecting 'stuff' ?

Collecting artwork was around since brush was taken to canvas and hammer and chisel were taken to a block of marble.  Someone commissioned them because they wanted them in their palace or at their church.  So we know that the first 'collectors' were really European aristocracy.  Collecting anything was a hobby reserved to the rich.  When did 'collecting' trickle down to the common man though?  It had to be once someone had disposable income which I believe is some time during the late 1800's early 1900's that people start to have the means to save things.

Little Johnny needed not only the pulps but the space to keep them in to read at a later date. I would say your average collector has his beginnings around the early 1900's. However, with the Depression, and WWII paper drives I don't see real hardcore collecting until the post war boom era of the late 40's early 50's. 

[PUNYHUMAN]

Jerry Bails comes to mind also. Biljo White, another collector. Raymond Miller born 1930 was collecting in the Golden Age also. Malcolm Willits, Claude Held, Bill Thailing, early dealers/collectors also. Bruce Hamilton , John Snyder they were the 1st big investors of the hobby .  Jerry Bails is the one for me imo that kicked Fandom off.

[RCheli]

1 hour ago, sfcityduck said:

I'd never heard of Hames Ware - Thanks!

Found this article about him:

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2018/sep/21/remembering-hames-ware-20180921/

Interesting read, but I think his contributions may be a little late in the timeline.  I'd like to know more.

He started in the 60s. There wasn't that much happening before that.

[sfcityduck]

5 minutes ago, PUNYHUMAN said:

Jerry Bails comes to mind also. Biljo White, another collector. Raymond Miller born 1930 was collecting in the Golden Age also. Malcolm Willits, Claude Held, Bill Thailing, early dealers/collectors also. Bruce Hamilton , John Snyder they were the 1st big investors of the hobby .  Jerry Bails is the one for me imo that kicked Fandom off.

Jerry Bails is certain the highest profile comic collector and the one who deserves, for all he did (Alter Ego, the Society, etc.), the title "the Father of Comics Fandom."  I'm not going to argue the significance of him or many other of the early 1960s "fathers and mothers of modern fandom." 

BUT, I do not think that Jerry Bails was the first collector to draw national attention for advocating for comics, the first collector to think about comics from the deeper perspectives of comic scholarship (artist identification, the business end of comics, indexing, etc.), the first collector to amass a collection of thousands of GA comics purchased off the rack, the first collector to pioneer some of the key tools for filling in the back issue gaps in a collection, the first collector to reach out and develop contacts with key industry figures, or the first collector to start amassing comic book original art.  I doubt anyone can check all of those boxes, but I can think of someone who comes close.  I'm curious if I'm missing other contenders.

[PUNYHUMAN]

Ted White maybe???

[PUNYHUMAN]

The only other person who comes to mind for me would be Larry Ivie. Collectors would come from all over to see his collection of art , books back in the day. Plus he published also among other things . 

[sfcityduck]

5 minutes ago, RCheli said:

He started in the 60s. There wasn't that much happening before that.

Largely true, although there were some happenings, including folks publishing comic articles in SF fanzines in the 1950s, EC comics fandom in the early 50s, and guys perfecting some of the finer points of back issue comic acquisition and dealing.  

[sfcityduck]

10 minutes ago, PUNYHUMAN said:

Ted White maybe???

I'd like to know more about Ted White.  He was publishing comic articles in SF fanzines in the 50s, but I don't think he ultimately had that much impact on comic fandom then or later.  I'd be happy to learn more if I'm wrong about that.

[sfcityduck]

5 minutes ago, PUNYHUMAN said:

The only other person who comes to mind for me would be Larry Ivie. Collectors would come from all over to see his collection of art , books back in the day. Plus he published also among other things . 

When did Larry Ivie start collecting original art?  I'd like to know more about him as well.  

[Readcomix]

Would you put Phil Seuling in the mix, or categorize him more as an early dealer?