Come on in and say Hi to the New Guy! =) 1 1

[wytshus]

Hello Everyone!

As some of you already know, my name is Brian.  My official job title is Marketing Coordinator, and my primary responsibility is administration of the comic book registry.  I have taken ownership of the registry from Matt G.

I just wanted to introduce myself to those of you that I haven't interacted with yet, and tell you all a little more about myself, I would also love it if you guys introduced yourselves, and tell me as much, or as little, about you and what you're into as far as collecting.

 

As for me, I am what they call an "import" from Michigan. (Although I prefer the term "Invasive Species"...) I moved to Florida in March of this year, and I recently moved to St. Petersburg from Tampa this week.  My background is in System Administration, I have 25 years experience in IT, and I have worked at multi national corporations, small proprietorships, financial institutions, and non profits. 

I started collecting about 8 years ago, my best friend took me to the Motor City Comic Con, and I was hooked!  My passion is Silver Age Invincible Iron Man, (Old School Tony Stark FTW!) My baby is an Iron Man cover sketch by Arvell Jones, the first comic book artist I ever met, and a genuinely great guy.  I also have Sub Mariner/Iron Man #1, and a 10 minute cover sketch of The Green Goblin by Ryan Stegman.  Overall I have about 80 raw Silver Age Iron Man books, (and no, I do not have #1 or #55) I find the cover art deeply fascinating. I never read comic books as a kid, I was obsessed with 1950's Warner Brothers cartoons, Chuck Jones is one of my personal childhood heroes.  

So, what about you guys?  I really enjoy interacting with the people in the Slot Add Thread, and I would like to associate personalities with the user names.

 

Thanks!

 

-Brian

[Sensei Ryan]

Welcome, Brian!!!

I think it's awesome what you shared with all of us and like the rest of us it's nice to know you appreciate comics and comic art!!! 

My name is Ryan and I'm a huge comic book fan and have been collecting since I was 11.  My first 'big' comic that I purchased was a mid-grade ASM 101 at my very first comic convention and from that moment on I was hooked on collecting 1st appearances (the 'rookie cards' of comic book superheroes).  Since then I collected key books and first appearances that I could afford and while I've taken breaks throughout the yearsfrom time to time I've always come back to it and this hobby has been my favorite collecting pursuit throughout my entire life.  A little over 8 years ago I started my Walking Dead Complete with Variants registry set here on the boards and the goal to have the top spot drove me to create a CGC graded set that I'm truly proud of.  

So welcome to the boards!  It's great to have you and I for one appreciate the work you're already doing for all of us here in the registry!  Thanks again for sharing your story and be on the lookout for my occasional set requests!  

 Ryan   

[Arkham]

Hi @wytshus / Brian, 

Nice to meet you. Thanks for the intro and background! Congrats on your new gig and I wish you all the best with it. I live over the pond from you and I've been hopeful that the recent acquisition and commentary around expansion will see an increase in CGC presence over here. 🤞

My name is Dan and I live in a beautiful part of world - Queensland, Australia.

Growing up I was mad keen on The Phantom, Batman and Wolverine. Wolverine is a badass, but I loved The Ghost Who Walks and Batman because they were just men. Obviously men with means and resources and support networks, but they were powered by their grit and determination not magic or alien influence. I really appreciated this about Ironman as I got older and got introduced to the character too. I wrote some more on my focuses earlier in the year when I decided to finally start a journal. But, in summary, I'm keen to build a competitive set for The Joker (1975) and I chase 1st appearances of Batman Villains in slabs - which I intend to build a custom set for as I struggled to find an appropriate competitive set in the registry. To scratch my "completionist" itch, I'm chasing The Joker vol 2 (2021) in raw format. 

Living where I do can be challenging with this hobby - firstly, I'm in a regional area... the nearest comic book shop is about 150 kilometres away and it's not easy for me to get to it around work and family life. It also doesn't stock any CGC books... So, rather than carefully paw through the bins and shelves to curate my collection, I am restricted to buying all my raws online and hoping for the best when it comes to the condition they are in when they arrive. The shop absolutely does their best with the shipping, but they can't be as selective as I would be in person and (like everyone, everywhere) I'm up against it with the post. (Yes, I grind my teeth in my sleep like a deadset champion). 

In some ways this is true for slabs (in that I also have to buy online). Luckily, I know exactly what I am getting thanks to CGC. The only risk to the transaction is how well they are packed when they are shipped and most reputable sellers pack very well!! It is very rare for me to find a book I am chasing available in Australia, so it is mostly coming from the US or my good mate in Canada.

My next challenge is climate. It can get pretty sticky here in summer and we are forever fighting mold on leather or with our clothes in the wardrobe. I found the forums here to be an amazing resource to learn how others around the world are keeping their collections in top condition and I'm pleased to say that while I might have had to turf out a t-shirt here and there, my comic collection is pristine!  

Thanks for starting this thread. I enjoyed reading your post and also @Sensei Ryan's. I hope more people post responses. I consider this community the best for comic collectors and I'd love to read more back-issues from its members. 

[djpinkpanther67]

You sound like a dork. You’ll fit right in 

[nepatkm]

👋

[Parabellum]

Hello Brian,

My names John, I live in the Washington DC area, originally from Boston.  

The book that got me hooked on comics was the Punisher limited series #2 I got off the rack back in 1986.  I was only 9 at the time and didn't jack for cash flow but I would use whatever money I got for chores and gifts to buy comics whenever I saw them.  I took a long break around 1993 and got back into collecting around 2012.  Initially my collecting was all over the place but over the years Im more focused now and don't try and chase the next hot thing.  

Welcome to the boards.