You are the champion of this obscure title, artist, issue, etc.

[PovertyRow]

For me, it is Gene Colan's pre-code horror art. There is something about Colan's art that really gets to me.

 

Here is one of my favorites:

 

[CaptainBackfire]

Very cool story, as usual, Moondog!

[Scrooge]

Larry and Beverly have both passed on. They were truly original characters. And I miss them dearly.

 

Gary, when did Mad Ruthie pass on? I was at the Toad Hall store in Rockford some time in May / June 2004 and she was still there behind her counter (at least, I thought it was her) ready to educate me on pulps while I was going through their comics at the store. Even though I met her this once only, this is truly sad news.

 

Didn't she use to run ads early on in Marvel or am I dreaming that?

[Slacker]

Moondog, as usual you capture our attention with an outstanding story. Thanks for sharing.

[Forbush-Man]

You didn't bore me one bit, I was waiting for the story & it was worth the wait. I love hearing stories about early collectors and what they enjoyed reading.

Thanks!

[Comicdey]

Thanks Moondog,

 

I guess I'm one of those Goofy SuperSnipe collectors also. Some day another collector may get my complete VF or better collection all in one shot along with a reader set in Good to Fine. I'm missing 2 issues and am always scouting for upgrades when the price is right. I never pay over a dollar though. Good Mantra.

 

Great Story.

[Moondog]

I believe it was last summer (2004). Larry died a few years before she did.

 

Good for you, Scrooge, that you got to meet her. She was truly an original.

 

I'm not aware of her running ads in Marvels. It's possible but seems out of character for her.

[*paull*]

Hey Moondog... thanks for the story!

[originalisbest]

Great story Gary!

 

And Paull, you aren't the only one to like Haunted Thrills #5, 6 and 8 among others - like you I am working on a full run of them.

[adamstrange]

Thanks for the story, Gary!

 

I can't begin to the list the number of obscure things I like, though it's more centered around particular artists/writers than any one title. Lots of folks enjoy Infantino, but I think his Detective Chimp and Super-Chief stories (when he inks his own work) are the cat's meow. Ditto Lou Cameron doing most anything from 1953-1955. I love the rough-and-tumble of pre-code Atlas war by the likes of Heath, Katz, Lawrence, or Benulis.

[bobpfef]

Thanks for the story Gary. Larry is definitely the dealer I talked to year after year at Chicago. And how could I forget his wife, man, I must be getting old. I didn't know they were record collectors, but I did know they thought it was crazy for people to pay a lot more for a high-grade comic. We had many discussions on that topic, and I basically agreed with Larry, as I was always a try to get as many comics as I could for my money rather then just a few nice condition books. I wonder what he would have thought of CGC and the multiples for high grades people are paying these days

 

Every year he would have the previous years run of Gladstone comics in his boxes for half off cover. He bought them, read them and they would sell them. I always stocked up at his booth.

 

He showed me a few of his Supersnipe comics, but I must admit the art really turned me off, but I think I should try and dig up a low grade copy and give it a try. The boy who has the most comics sounds like a fun idea.

 

I am sorry to hear they have passed on.

 

Bob

 

 

 

The person Bob is referring to is Larry Mason. Larry and his wife, Beverly, ran a collector's store in Rockford, Illinois called Toad Hall. They were a staple at all the Chicago-area shows in the 70's and 80's.

 

Larry was a huge record collector. He loved music much more than comics. In fact he and Beverly looked with disdain at comic collectors who were concerned more with condition than the book itself. They both liked comics, but more as a medium to tell stories than as investments.

 

The very first comic book show I ever set up at was in Dolton, IL (a south suburb of Chicago). Leroy Szidik ran a monthly show at the Holiday Inn. This was a month or two before the 1976 Chicago Con founded by Larry Charet and Joe Sarno. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I had piles of comics on a single table. No bags. No prices. I was an insufficiently_thoughtful_person.

 

Next to me was this whirling dervish of a woman. She was doing brisk business and everyone was saying hi to her and she seemed to me to be in complete control. She was maybe 5 feet tall and probably tipped the scales at close to 250 lbs. But she was a goddess. All her books were wrapped in plastic. They had little stickers on them. And most of all when people asked her questions - she had the answers. I was in awe.

 

Anyway after a few hours she walks over and starts up a conversation. "Hi, I'm Mad Ruthie!" she said. "My real names Beverly, but if you want to get ahead in this business, come up with a cool nickname and people will remember you better." She then proceeds to give me advice on how to sell comics at shows. We really hit if off. She took me under her wing. We became fast friends.

 

Later during pack up she saunters over and shows me a copy of, "the coolest comic book you'll ever read, " she says. "Supersnipe, the Boy with the Most Comic Books in America - He eats 'em, breathes, 'em and sleeps 'em..." Being born in 1951 and a baby boomer who grew up on SA Marvels, I had never seen a Supersnipe. "Larry, my husband, and I always buy every Supersnipe we can find," she said. "Someday I'm gonna have every copy!" When I asked why, she said simply, "Because they're dirt cheap and really good. I can read them in the bath tub. I can read them eating a Whopper with everything. I can read them on a hot, humid summer day without worrying about damaging them. I never pay more than a buck either," she boasted.

 

So over the years I always kept an eye out for Supersnipes. One day I found 2 copies in a small collection that came into my store. I called her and asked if she still was interested. "Hell, yeah! But remember, I only pay a buck!"

 

Fast forward to the late 80's or early 90's...I get a phone call from a collector in the Chattanooga area who has a very extensive GA collection. Jon Warren and Steve Fishler also are contacted and he arranges for all of us to view them together. Action 1 up. Superman 1 up. Almost every DC and a lot of Timely's too. The kicker...absolutely the worst condition collection I've ever seen. I'm not kidding. The paper was so brittle that it was difficult to count the pages. I was filthy after just a few minutes of going through them. Steve, in his droll, very dry sense of humor, dubbed the lot "The Mile Low Collection." I still chuckle at that thought.

 

Then I saw them. Supersnipes. Not one copy. Not a couple. But over 90% of the run. In fact it was only missing 2 copies. And they were beautiful. I couldn't believe it. Of all the books in this collection of thousands. The best condition copies were the Supersnipes. Then a stroke of genius hit me. I suggested to Steve and Jon that they buy me out of the deal. "Give me 5 grand and the Supersnipes and I walk. You guys can split the collection."

 

Needless to say they agreed immediately - obviously thinking me completely loony. After taking 20 minutes to wash my hands, I called a cab and headed to the airport with my Supersnipes. As soon as I got home I called Bev and told her about my find. She said, "Moondog, you've finally hit the big one! Way to go!" Windy City Collection - tish tosh...those books were nothing to Beverly, butSupersnipes were true gold to her.

 

I kept those issues for a long time. Only selling them a few years ago. And, of course, they went to another goofy Supersnipe guy who couldn't believe he found them all in one place.

 

As a postscript to this very long story, after that first show where I met Mad Ruthie from Toad Hall, I took her advice and called my fledgling comic book business "a goofy name that people would remember", Moondog's. It was a nickname I had picked up in college. Ultimately it became one of my most valuable assets.

 

Larry and Beverly have both passed on. They were truly original characters. And I miss them dearly.

 

Sorry to bore you, but I warned you it was coming.

 

--Gary

[143ksk]

I bought one of my very first GA Archies (#36) from Beverly at one of the minicons at the Americana Congress hotel. Probably 1986 (?)--I still have the book, too. I'm also pretty sure she gave me a deal on it

[ft88]

Bugs Bunny. Some of the cartoon characters had classic 40's covers (with horrible interiors) Bugs, Porky, Felix, Mighty Mouse etc.