Personal achievements, art, book recommendations, other non-comic or pulp magazine collectibles, divestment, reinvesting, etc... 2 2

[Yorick]

Huge Mucha cover approx 11 x 17.  Complete magazine too, not just a cut off cover.

[Cat-Man_America]

Four random Wilderness Journey Tales; I've shared versions on my Facebook page and on the board with friends ...perhaps I should've said shared with the bored friends who've read them.  These have been refined a bit since I started writing them during the great freeze of '21.  Anyway, I've penned dozens without ever touching a pen.  

Basically, they're short stories set in the frontier west (the earlier tales tend to be shorter).  Here's the basic background:

These are told from a first person POV as a journal kept by a fur trapper who decides he might have better luck as a traveling gambler.  The time period is late 19th century:  

 

ROBBERY ATTEMPT

 

While I’m a man averse to violence of any kind it has to be acknowledged that in these hard times self protection is a consideration. Having survived several unsavory encounters it must be noted that trappers like myself take great pride in owning multi-chambered hand pistols which are accurate at close range.

 

Revolvers are foolproof defense weapons popular among those with the limited eyesight so many folks in my former profession possess. In fact, one of the reasons trapping is a popular line of work with the sight impaired is that it doesn’t involve aiming at anything.

 

For safety’s sake trappers usually carry a dummy round in the first chamber to avoid serious accidents that would make them footnotes on Mr. Darwin’s extinction list. That brings me to the harrowing tale of the attempted theft of my meager firearm by another trapper rummaging through my belongings.

 

When he realized he’d been caught dead to rights his first reaction was to turn this dangerous weapon on it’s owner removing the most obvious witness to the event. In fact, this tragic tale would’ve ended there, but the unfortunate rascal failed to fill in the blank.

 

COUSIN ZEB

 

Seems like I've been walking forever. It's odd the things that go through one's mind with no destination in sight. Recalling wisdom passed down through the ages is supposed to help ease one’s journey, but usually the most important things are left out.

 

I read somewhere that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step, but there's no mention of how many pairs of shoes will be needed to get there nor where along the way one can purchase them. This was proof that one always needs to read the fine print.

 

Reading between the lines to answer the tough questions of life brought to mind a much younger version of myself overhearing my uncle and aunt whispering about cousin Zeb having bigger fish to fry.

 

For the longest time I couldn't figure out what this big family secret was until one day I decided to follow my cousin to the lake. His behavior had always seemed a little odd to me till I watched him toss a baited grappling hook in the water. Then it all made sense. Never saw him catch anything, but someday he'll have one whale of a fishing story to tell.

 

FORK IN THE ROAD

 

As a gambler traveling from town to town it’s easy to get sidetracked, never ending up where you intended, but life’s journey takes many paths. On one of those winding roads I met a kind gent with a wagon who offered me a ride into town. My well worn boots and I graciously accepted.

 

After a time, I struck up a conversation with my benefactor, but it wasn't easy. This gentleman barely spoke and took everything I said literally without the slightest curiosity. He seemed incapable of holding up his end of a conversation, much less understanding the basic skill required to set traps ...either on the prairie or at a card table.

 

Clearly he should’ve known by the cut of my clothes I was a gambler ...and by the extensive wear not very successful one. Tiring of hearing myself talk, I changed the topic, asking him how far he thought it was to the next town. He just shrugged and said “we should get there taking the next fork in the road.”

 

This explanation would've satisfied most folks, but being a sharp-eyed observer of human nature with a keen gambler's sense, I asked him to pull-up and let me off. Thanking the gent for his generosity I decided walking to the next town would take less time since he was hauling a crate full of forks.

 

THE WEDDING

 

Among the most popular events on the prairie are hangings and weddings. Tying knots always brings a community together and being festive occasions with food and hard liquor plentiful these events usually draw all manner of uninvited spectators. Unlike hangings, when folks get hitched things tend to go awry.

 

I was on my third trip to the doctored punchbowl when murmurings in the wedding party caught my attention. Apparently the bride's wedding veil had gotten loose before entering the church, the wind carrying it over the steeple where it hung like a snagged kite. Her cries of outrage had everyone in earshot seeking shelter.

 

The groom ...already considered a brave man... volunteered to make the risky climb to retrieve this escaping garment. After having already made several trips to the punchbowl I was convinced his best man would take the place of the groom if he failed to return from this duel victorious.

 

While standing at the punchbowl I also overheard a whispered conversation about the band leader being held up. I wasn't sure if that meant the maestro was waylaid by thieves or just had a problem with clocks, but whichever the case it looked like this play wouldn't have a final act. The minister joined me in blessing the punchbowl.

 

I'm pleased to report that eventually everything got back on track. The happy couple took their vows, ...which must've been a relief to the best man… and I managed to win a few side bets by playing the odds. I'm still amused that this celebration was almost derailed by the bride's train leaving early and the conductor showing up late.

 

Edited December 29, 2021 by Cat-Man_America
More ale!!! ...and line-edits.

[vaillant]

I love the idea of this thread, although I fear that including in "non-comics" other collectibles/items which are not paper-related could make it too heterogeneous/dispersive.

Don’t get me wrong: I love to see objects and surely the "dragon riders" or the painted airplane models posted fit perfectly, but I was thinking in general.

[vaillant]

Austrian Christmas postcards featuring Krampuses (devil-like figures related to St. Nicholas/Santa Claus folklore in Europe) from the 1940s.

[Cat-Man_America]

On 12/26/2021 at 2:57 PM, vaillant said:

I love the idea of this thread, although I fear that including in "non-comics" other collectibles/items which are not paper-related could make it too heterogeneous/dispersive.

Don’t get me wrong: I love to see objects and surely the "dragon riders" or the painted airplane models posted fit perfectly, but I was thinking in general.

It's kinda cool seeing what other's are into as hobbyists and/or professionally.  

Alas, I've been accused of being a dispersive hetero genius, but nowadays I rarely think in General, ...just Gold. 

[vaillant]

On 12/27/2021 at 6:56 AM, Cat-Man_America said:

It's kinda cool seeing what other's are into as hobbyists and/or professionally.  

Alas, I've been accused of being a dispersive hetero genius, but nowadays I rarely think in General, ...just Gold. 

Fair enough! 

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

On 12/13/2021 at 2:03 PM, Tri-ColorBrian said:

My dad was into model airplanes and train sets.  I inherited his model airplane magazines, which he had written my name on...here's 3 of them...

 

I was a pretty big model builder until about twelve years old. Then I built them sporadically. Sometime after I'd tackled lots of plastic models I took on an old fashioned balsa wood model of the British Spitfire. This was a whole new game where you had to meticulously remove stamped balsa wood elements and build up the various parts of the plane in a ribbed assembly following pretty detailed instructions. In the end you had to cover it with tissue paper that served as the skin. We are talking weeks of work here for a twelve or thirteen year old. Great experience.

These were models made by the Guillow company and they still make them. Here's the Spitfire I made still available on Amazon for $20. Mine came out looking really close to this illustration and after all that work I never wanted to actually fly it but hung it over my desk for years! Wish I had a picture but I don't.

It was shortly after that that I came upon the idea of applying these model making techniques to recreate the monorail at Walt Disney World. This meant I had to create my own drawings and then cut my own pieces to create the track and monorail car. I took this on over one summer. I got as far as creating one piece of track and the frame of the monorail car itself. I really wanted to motorize this and that is where I got stymied. Now this one I remember taking a picture of but it was with my Mom's camera so that picture resides with my brother. I need to get a copy of that.

Vintage comic collecting would pretty much put an end to my model building efforts a year or two after this. I became obsessed with the Barks Duck books and the hunt was on!

Edited December 28, 2021 by 50YrsCollctngCmcs

[Robot Man]

Most of my model building isn’t quite as sophisticated…

[piper]

I bought and framed this poster…

 

Edited December 29, 2021 by piper

[Dominic L. Rainwater]

I am really proud of my Marvel series collection this year!

It was hard to achieve this collection. I worked hard to provide dissertation proposal help all the summer at https://edubirdie.com/dissertation-proposal-help to earn extra money and save it for books. But I am satisfied with the result I`ve got because I look at these books as intellectual property that I will enjoy, and I can sell successfully to some other collector in the future.
upd: Point Five, sorry, got you; here is only the Golden Age forum.

What do you think about the future of the comics collection?

 

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Edited January 3, 2022 by Dominic L. Rainwater

[Point Five]

On 12/31/2021 at 9:25 AM, Dominic L. Rainwater said:

I am really proud of my Marvel series collection this year!

Welcome to the boards!   This is the Golden Age forum specifically, but there are plenty of forums here to talk all things Marvel.

 

[BitterOldMan]

On 12/12/2021 at 9:37 AM, batman_fan said:

Some of the non-comic stuff I collect

Topps Mars Attacks gum cards.  I blame Mr Bedrock for this.  He showed me some cards back in the late 1980s when he was living in Albuquerque.  I wish I had started buying them back then !

I also keep flat nosed dogs.  The snorting does wake me up that often and the have a lot of personality.  The Boston Terrier is the newest addition to the family. 

Here is my Mars Attacks set that I completed in the seventies.  I bought some cards in 1962, but lost them running around in the playground.  Mars Attacks is my favorite card set, including sports cards.
 

In 1971, I saw an ad in Baseball Digest advertising older nonsports cards for sale and bought 44 out of 55.  I found nine through The Trader Speaks, a sports card monthly.  I bought the last card from long time dealer, Dennis King, at his first store in Berkeley. Notice the Outer Limits card, which is part of a complete set.

Here is my Mars Attacks wrapper.

Never found an original box that was affordable. 

[Cat-Man_America]

I heard crickets chirping over in the Archives and investigated. This thread was starting to get moldy and needed a bump...   

My only excuse: I'll be at the upcoming Archon 45, Sept. 30th - Oct. 2nd as AGOH, if anyone's interested... 

https://archonstl.org

[batman_fan]

Posted other places but gotten into models big time.  Up to 61 vintage Aurora kits (monster, superhero, dinosaur, TV)

[Ameri]

Love the Mars Attacks and Auroras! Here's some keepsakes. No home should be without a wolfman on accordion.

Edited August 20, 2022 by Ameri

[Dr. Balls]

I was pretty excited to finally get a set of first UK edition (13th, 9th and 9th printings) of the Lord of the Rings books and The Hobbit (9th printing) after pining away for them for almost 20 years. Even more excited when I found a guy who makes hand-made wood frames with magnetic fronts (so you can remove the glass) and the design looks like something right out of the Shire. They look super cool up close.

 

[Dr. Balls]

On 8/17/2022 at 12:07 AM, Cat-Man_America said:

I heard crickets chirping over in the Archives and investigated. This thread was starting to get moldy and needed a bump...   

My only excuse: I'll be at the upcoming Archon 45, Sept. 30th - Oct. 2nd as AGOH, if anyone's interested... 

https://archonstl.org

I see that Jonathan Maberry is the Toastmaster at Archon, I'm glad to see he's still going strong - he featured my work in a few of his books long, long ago - like circa 2007/2008. Good luck at the con and may sales be brisk!

[Cat-Man_America]

On 8/19/2022 at 1:54 PM, Dr. Balls said:

I see that Jonathan Maberry is the Toastmaster at Archon, I'm glad to see he's still going strong - he featured my work in a few of his books long, long ago - like circa 2007/2008. Good luck at the con and may sales be brisk!

Thanks! Just received a scan of my program book cover for Archon 45...

[Dr. Balls]

On 8/28/2022 at 11:59 PM, Cat-Man_America said:

Thanks! Just received a scan of my program book cover for Archon 45...

I love it! That turned out great, and they didn't bog down the art with unnecessary text.

[Cat-Man_America]

Pen/ink/digital composition: Winking Dragon...