Gerber's Photo Journal Guide to Comic Books Vol. 1,2 3 3

[Professor K]

Hi everyone. I just got the two Photo Journal Guides to Comics and boy am I impressed. I've only read the first few pages so far which Mr. Gerber tells of how much work, money, time went into making them. Also I browsed through the credits, the contributors. Thought I may have have seen some familiar names. I was a mostly Silver Age collector not long back  but I'll say I wish had these books 10 or 20 years ago. Anybody here have these? Did any of you here on the board contribute to it? Or any neat info about it? What an endeavor that was to find and photograph all those books.

I liked how he ended the preface by saying how enthusiastic, supportive, and downright pleasant those who contributed were. 

Thanks to our friend Tyler here for recommending I get them. I'm sure I'm quite familiar with many of the books in these but I think I'm going to learn a lot more. 

Edited April 14, 2023 by Professor K
spelling correction

[Primetime]

got my set in 1995 - I studied them like I was taking the SAT and I become a Timely collector 

Congrats on getting a set 

Edited April 14, 2023 by Primetime

[Cat-Man_America]

On 4/14/2023 at 12:22 AM, Primetime said:

got my set in 1995 - I studied them like I was taking the SAT and I become a Timely collector 

Congrats on getting a set 

Now all he needs are copies of the legendary Steranko's History of Comics!   After that, ...there's no turning back! 

 

[adamstrange]

Front and back of the original sales brochure.

[Cat-Man_America]

On 4/14/2023 at 12:41 AM, adamstrange said:

Front and back of the original sales brochure.

Did you buy your copies from one of Buddy's comic shops or through the brochures?  

Edited April 14, 2023 by Cat-Man_America
Ale added!

[comicjack]

On 4/13/2023 at 11:08 PM, Professor K said:

Hi everyone. I just got the two Photo Journal Guides to Comics and boy am I impressed. I've only read the first few pages so far which Mr. Gerber tells of how much work, money, time went into making them. Also I browsed through the credits, the contributors. Thought I may have have seen some familiar names. I was a mostly Silver Age collector not long back  but I'll say I wish had these books 10 or 20 years ago. Anybody here have these? Did any of you here on the board contribute to it? Or any neat info about it? What an endeavor that was to find and photograph all those books.

I liked how he ended the preface by saying how enthusiastic, supportive, and downright pleasant those who contributed were. 

Thanks to our friend Tyler here for recommending I get them. I'm sure I'm quite familiar with many of the books in these but I think I'm going to learn a lot more. 

Your going to spend more also but they are a treasure full of eye candy 

[Professor K]

On 4/14/2023 at 6:22 AM, comicjack said:

Your going to spend more also but they are a treasure full of eye candy 

I don't think I've seen a higher quality book. The weight, paper quality, the pictures look incredible. I'm only up to Adventure Comics. 

[Robot Man]

Probably the most engrossed I ever got in a book. I spent literally months with a magnifying glass and a pad of paper and a pencil. Just opening to a random page is always a treat. Still use it.

Along with the Overstreet guide, the two most important contributions to the hobby.

Have fun! 

[Brandon Shepherd]

I got this set several years ago. I too was very impressed with the time and effort put in by Mr. Gerber. If I remember correctly, he spent most of the 80s assembling the photographs.

[davidtere]

Got my set in the early to mid 90's. Used them so much I bought a backup set in case they ever fell apart on me. That hasn't happened yet. I still use them but not as often as I'm not chasing after Fox GGA comics any longer (completed all of the runs that I wanted)

[comicjack]

Suspense 3 splash page made you want it and so did many other collectors at that point. I still often look at them thinking all the stuff you missed picking up.

[adamstrange]

On 4/14/2023 at 10:37 AM, Robot Man said:

Along with the Overstreet guide, the two most important contributions to the hobby.

Gerber was also responsible for the development of a machine to create the mylar comic bag, another important contribution.

[adamstrange]

On 4/14/2023 at 1:47 AM, Cat-Man_America said:

Did you buy your copies from one of Buddy's comic shops or through the brochures?  

The brochure came from the comic store.  The books, iirc, were ordered directly from Gerber.  After getting Vol 1, it was torture waiting for Vol 2.

[Toz]

I got my copies shortly after they came out.My LCS was kind of erratci getting new hot items and I was worried I wouldn't get a set.

[Johnny545]

These are really a must have for any GA collector IMHO.

My kids and I have spent many, many hours perusing.

[Robot Man]

There is also a Marvel set. But quite boring as compared to the GA set…

[Professor K]

I've said this before, for decades I was kind of intimidated by GA comics. Apprehensive could be another way to explain it. All I knew was Silver and Bronze. Superhero stuff. I would see GA stuff at shows before CGC was a thing so I knew the DC's pretty well, and Timely a little. The rest of it was just a mystery. All the different titles and I knew of no reference to figure out what was what so I just avoided it. This is now one of my biggest life regrets, honestly. If I knew of these books back (and this board also) then I'm sure it would have changed everything for me and I'd probably have a collection now that would be just freaking awesome.  Punch 12, Mask 1,2, Wonder Comics 1, Fox, Fiction House, Centaurs, Venus 19 type awesome. 

[ThothAmon]

Can’t lie. Wife made me give up the Gerbers (let me keep the Playboys though). 

[Professor K]

On 4/14/2023 at 12:24 PM, adamstrange said:

Gerber was also responsible for the development of a machine to create the mylar comic bag, another important contribution.

Hey! I read that part in the preface about how he began his Mylar bag business. He constructed 23 prototype bags before he got it right in 1979. Off topic question but anyone know how well current CGC holders protect from UV light?  I wonder if Gerber Mylite 2's or 4's do a better job. I was thinking about putting my slabs in legal size Mylites. Edit: Just found this thread. https://boards.cgccomics.com/topic/164782-visual-guide-to-mylar-sizes/#comments

 

Edited April 14, 2023 by Professor K
afterthought

[sfcityduck]

The Gerber Photo-Guides are an essential publication that I'm very glad exists.

But the back story on how he allegedly funded the making of those books, if true, makes me shudder.  Allegedly involved the collection of the guy on the left below. Given his reputation, he probably bought those trashy Action 1, Whiz 1, and D27 strewn about the desk. I will let others tell the story about the liquidation of his collection who have more than just the passing tenthhand knowledge that I have. I think it ended up in litigation, and I don't know how that came out.