UPDATED: My Nominee for the "First Great Comic Collector" 12 12

[sfcityduck]

Bill,

I'd join the chorus that would like to ask you about your collecting days.  To folks here, you are more famous than your talented family members.  You amassed a LOT of comics.  You mentioned you were the youngest in your immediate crowd.  I'm curious if you went to any of the Cons in NYC and if there were other serious collectors your age that you hung out with or bought/traded books with?  When we think about the early 60s comic collectors most of us think of older guys like those you mentioned and Don Thompson and Lupoff etc., but I know that there were some other teens like you who also had serious collections.  Just curious if you ran across those other "youngsters" and bought and sold with them.

And, on the theme of this thread, if you ever heard of Dave Wigransky or of his collection coming up for sale, I'd be ecstatic and surprised.  (Some say the full 5,000+ collection was bought by an early mail order dealer named Bill Thailing.)  

Edited April 21, 2022 by sfcityduck

[PDGray]

Epic addition to this thread!!

Thank you for visiting us Bill!!  Count me in to read your stories too!!

 

PDG

[sfcityduck]

On 4/21/2022 at 7:25 PM, PDGray said:

Epic addition to this thread!!

Thank you for visiting us Bill!!  Count me in to read your stories too!!

 

PDG

This thread is my favorite thread of those I started.  It would be even better if Bill rejoins us.  Hope we see him again.  Just great seeing his post!

[comicnoir]

On 4/22/2022 at 12:11 AM, sfcityduck said:

This thread is my favorite thread of those I started.  It would be even better if Bill rejoins us.  Hope we see him again.  Just great seeing his post!

+1 This is the most enjoyable read on here in a long time. And I loved the To Tell The Truth segment. Orson Bean seemed to have a good knowledge of comics and he was always a cool guy. 

[BuscemasAvengers]

Stories from an early collector? Perhaps even a few pics of his books? Bill: please come back and share. 

[Leonard Rifas]

I discovered your thread while trying to find out about Sidney David Pace Wigransky, Jr., and was so delighted by the depth and originality of your research that I joined cgc comics for the purpose of thanking you. As with so many others on this thread, I felt I had to express my appreciation.

Checking old newspapers had told me almost nothing. He "never married and was an artist in Washington" (as you quoted earlier in this thread from his mother's obituary, which I have appended.) When David Wigransky died in 1969, he was not remembered in a newspaper obituary, but merely mentioned in an announcement, which named the officiating and assisting pastors at his funeral, the pallbearers, and those who attended the service, but said nothing about who he had been (other than a son.)

I think Wigransky's famous rejoinder to Wertham has some weaknesses. (For example, his first counter-argument would have the reader believe that Wertham's article had suggested that fratricide was impossible before comic books existed.) Still, it was a vigorous and precocious piece of work. Wigransky raises points that were later restated (without attribution) by Thrasher and by Gaines.

I thought of creating a display name as seems to be the custom here, but (sorry) I may be too set in my ways to begin that now. I could not think of one.

Thanks again.

Leonard Rifas

[sfcityduck]

Leonard,

Thanks for the very nice comments!

Edited November 28, 2022 by sfcityduck

[sfcityduck]

 My research into Dave's story continues and I was surprised to discover in an auction description for a bound volume of WEIRD SCIENCE #12 (1st issue, May-June, 1950) through #11 (Jan.-Feb., 1952) at a local auctioneer an item that literally caused me to jump with joy.  The auction description stated: "Provenance: Bound to order by Russ Cochran in 1966."

Quick digression, Cochran was, as most of us know, an EC superfan who started the third local chapter of the EC Fan-Addict Club as a 16 year-old in 1953. So him owning a bound volume of WS 12(1) through 11 is not surprising at all.  Cochran has related that "Gaines pulled the plug on the ECs at just about the same time that I was supposed to grow up and go to college, so that's basically what I did." Cochran put his ECs in a box, locked it and hid it away in his mother's attic. "That was kind of a strange thing to do with comic books, but I somehow knew that there would be a time in the future when I would want to revisit those books."  Later, in the 1960s, he regained his passion for comics, met Gaines, saw that Gaines had bound all of his ECs, and Russ decided he wanted a bound set like that owned by Gaines. This bound volume was one of the bound sets Cochran put together in 1966.  The ultimate precursor to the various incarnations of the EC Library that Russ has been behind.  End of digression. 

So why was I jumping for joy?  Because we now finally know what happened to some of Dave's comics. Here's what floored me. From the auction catalogue:

Quote

Grant Geissman tells the story in a June, 2020 EC Fan-Addict Club FB post: "Russ Cochran, so the story goes, bought a complete EC collection in 1966 for $300 from an ad in the Rocket's Blast Comicollector. Then he had the set bound.... Russ had his ECs bound after seeing Bill Gaines's EC bound volumes." The ad appeared in RBCC #44, and the dealer who sold the set to Cochran was David Wigransky, who placed the ad under his nom de plume, David Jay. Wigransky was one of the first great comic book collectors, buying mint copies of thousands of books right off the stands and preserving them in outstanding condition.  ... The comics sold in the RBCC ad were acquired off the stands by Wigransky in the years directly following his brief brush with celebrity (the ad describes the comics as "MINT, as direct from newsstand"), lending another layer of interest to these fabled mags.

The auction description continued:

Quote

Roger Hill, Professor Emeritus of Fan-Addicts, recalls an early brush with Cochran's newly-acquired EC treasure trove (courtesy of Facebook's EC Fan-Addict Club): "I visited Russ during the summer of 1966, within a week or so after he had brought this collection of mint ECs. When I got there, Russ had just sent all the comics out to be bound. I couldn't believe my bad timing. I asked Russ if they were all really mint, as the ad had stated. And he said yes."

Amazing!  Dave sold his EC collection to Russ Cochran. A handing off of a baton if ever there was one. Dave's collection was, as it appeared, "newstand fresh" and well cared for. Dave's collection was comprehensive - I mean every frigging EC!?!  That means he was active in collecting at least through the start of the new trend.

And with that I think on a very broad brush level the story of Dave Wigransky's comic collecting is pretty much defined.  I've info that other dealers might have been buying his collection at that same time period. 

If anyone's got an RBCC #44 handy and please post a pic or scan of the ad.  I'd also appreciate if anyone could scan other RBCC's from that time period for "Dave Jay" ads.  

The best part of this info?  Comics can be traced back to Dave Wigransky!  Anyone owning a Russ Cochran bound volume has a Dave Wigransky comic.  Provenance could be established for other comics also, maybe.

Super cool! 

If anyone wants to sell me such a comic or bound volume, let me know, because it would mean a lot to me personally as I finish up Dave's story to own a comic he once owned.

Kudos to Ivan at PBA Galleries here in SF for putting that info together! (Anyone know his name here?)

What's left?  Some more detail about Dave, moving detail about him that paints the picture of who he was in a much more fuller fashion than I've written on this thread.  

His is an amazing story which just keeps getting more amazing as new discoveries are made.

Edited November 28, 2022 by sfcityduck

[PDGray]

I need to do some reading and learning about Russ Cochran as well.  I have purchased books which are from his collection and noted as such on the CGC label.  Mine are all reprints of the EC books.

I still haven't forgotten to try to go visit that gravesite.  I just haven't been up that way yet.

 

PDG

[sfcityduck]

Here's the RBCC ad courtesy of PBA's auction listing:

More info to learn here:

* Dave was actively buying at least through 1955, and had all the New Trend (which Cochran did not buy when he was a kid - hence his desire for upgrades and a full set in 1966).

* Dave was collecting Mad Magazine all the way up to the 1966 date of the ad.

* Dave was sufficiently part of the collecting community that he was selling in the RBCC in 1966.

* Dave was likely getting all the way out of comics in 1966 given he was liquidating his entire EC collection including a run of Mad Magazines that spanned all the way to the date of the ad.

 

Edited November 28, 2022 by sfcityduck

[sfcityduck]

And here's photos of the books themselves, which apparently were well-loved by Cochran. He bound a complete set of mint EC's?  

 

Edited November 28, 2022 by sfcityduck

[sfcityduck]

And here's something interesting that accompanied Ivan of PBA's description of the bound volume. It's the AP's recommended caption for the back of an original copy of the pic (from a newspaper archive) of Dave Wigransky that first appears at the top of this thread:

It's a horrible summation of Dave's argument.

Why didn't I bid?  For the second time in my life I found out about what for me would have been a grail auction at PBA only shortly after it occurred.  The other time was for a set of paintings by Chiura Obata that I learned about the day after the auction.  In that case, eventually I acquired the set, but man was I disappointed!

[adamstrange]

On 11/28/2022 at 10:43 AM, sfcityduck said:

And here's photos of the books themselves, which apparently were well-loved by Cochran (he bound a complete set of mint EC's?  

 

What a classy way to preserve those cheap, throw-away periodicals.

[Wipple]

On 11/28/2022 at 3:37 AM, sfcityduck said:

 My research into Dave's story continues and I was surprised to discover in an auction description for a bound volume of WEIRD SCIENCE #12 (1st issue, May-June, 1950) through #11 (Jan.-Feb., 1952) at a local auctioneer an item that literally caused me to jump with joy.  The auction description stated: "Provenance: Bound to order by Russ Cochran in 1966."

Quick digression, Cochran was, as most of us know, an EC superfan who started the third local chapter of the EC Fan-Addict Club as a 16 year-old in 1953. So him owning a bound volume of WS 12(1) through 11 is not surprising at all.  Cochran has related that "Gaines pulled the plug on the ECs at just about the same time that I was supposed to grow up and go to college, so that's basically what I did." Cochran put his ECs in a box, locked it and hid it away in his mother's attic. "That was kind of a strange thing to do with comic books, but I somehow knew that there would be a time in the future when I would want to revisit those books."  Later, in the 1960s, he regained his passion for comics, met Gaines, saw that Gaines had bound all of his ECs, and Russ decided he wanted a bound set like that owned by Gaines. This bound volume was one of the bound sets Cochran put together in 1966.  The ultimate precursor to the various incarnations of the EC Library that Russ has been behind.  End of digression. 

So why was I jumping for joy?  Because we now finally know what happened to some of Dave's comics. Here's what floored me. From the auction catalogue:

The auction description continued:

Amazing!  Dave sold his EC collection to Russ Cochran. A handing off of a baton if ever there was one. Dave's collection was, as it appeared, "newstand fresh" and well cared for. Dave's collection was comprehensive - I mean every frigging EC!?!  That means he was active in collecting at least through the start of the new trend.

And with that I think on a very broad brush level the story of Dave Wigransky's comic collecting is pretty much defined.  I've info that other dealers might have been buying his collection at that same time period. 

If anyone's got an RBCC #44 handy and please post a pic or scan of the ad.  I'd also appreciate if anyone could scan other RBCC's from that time period for "Dave Jay" ads.  

The best part of this info?  Comics can be traced back to Dave Wigransky!  Anyone owning a Russ Cochran bound volume has a Dave Wigransky comic.  Provenance could be established for other comics also, maybe.

Super cool! 

If anyone wants to sell me such a comic or bound volume, let me know, because it would mean a lot to me personally as I finish up Dave's story to own a comic he once owned.

Kudos to Ivan at PBA Galleries here in SF for putting that info together! (Anyone know his name here?)

What's left?  Some more detail about Dave, moving detail about him that paints the picture of who he was in a much more fuller fashion than I've written on this thread.  

His is an amazing story which just keeps getting more amazing as new discoveries are made.

@Ivan Ivanstein

[Robot Man]

On 11/28/2022 at 7:48 AM, sfcityduck said:

And here's something interesting that accompanied Ivan of PBA's description of the bound volume. It's the AP's recommended caption for the back of an original copy of the pic (from a newspaper archive) of Dave Wigransky that first appears at the top of this thread:

It's a horrible summation of Dave's argument.

Why didn't I bid?  For the second time in my life I found out about what for me would have been a grail auction at PBA only shortly after it occurred.  The other time was for a set of paintings by Chiura Obata that I learned about the day after the auction.  In that case, eventually I acquired the set, but man was I disappointed!

I totally missed out on Jerry Garcia’s EC collection. I was told about it the day after it happened. They went pretty reasonable considering the crowd was there to buy his music related stuff.

I remember seeing Russ’s MAD volume come up for sale but knew I would never been able to pay for what it went for…

Story of my life…

[Randall Dowling]

Another great installment in what has become one of my favorite threads on the boards!  Thanks, guys!  

[sfcityduck]

The more I learn about Dave, the more amazed I am at how little anyone has spent learning about this guy and his role in comic fandom.  I mean c'mon, look at his highlights:

* Went toe to toe with Wertham in the national press;

* Picture printed in magazines and newspapers for his defense of comics;

* Name checked in Timely publication editorials defending the comic industry from Wertham;

* Incredible effort to buy comics and original art through ads in magazines and newspapers throughout the nation;

* Extensive interaction with the comic industry, including correspondence with creators;

* Gifted OA by creators;

* Corresponded with and became friends with creators, most notably Basil Wolverton;

* Corresponded with industry higher ups, including Monty Bourjaly and the head of Dell Comics who asked him to write a book on comics;

* Name checked in Xero's "All in Color for a Dime" series when he was consulted to fact check the first serious article on comics;

* Extensive knowledge of comics, including creator pen names, industry law suits, etc.

* Sold comics through the RBCC and to dealers, including...;

* Sold Russ Cochran a complete mint EC set which became Russ's personal and highly loved bound EC volumes;

* Comic original art inscribed to him now in top museum collections.

How did this guy drop off the radar for decades?  

Edited November 28, 2022 by sfcityduck

[path4play]

Likely posted already in this thread, but happened to read this inside Millie the Model #16.  "Let us quote...Wigransky."

Edited December 25, 2022 by path4play

[Marty Mann]

Very interesting thread...

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

Marty

[Sarg]

Inflation calculator

$300 in 1966 = $2,583 in current value

A huge sum to spend on comic books in the 1960s.