At What Age Did You Start Collecting/Reading Comic Books?

[skybolt]

I realize that this topic has been discussed many times before, but I'm trying to make sense of this whole nostalgia as a kid thing. I want to find out whether someone can become a major reader/collector even if they didn't get into comic books until they were in their adulthood (a la Norinn Radd). Since comic books have shifted to a slightly older crowd from the 70's and 80's, is there still a chance that a 21 year old young adult would read a comic one day and become hooked like the 7 or 8 year old of previous years? In other words will our hobby die out if we can't hook readers at a much younger age?

 

Please list the age that you actually got into comic book reading or collecting. If you read one book at the age of 10 and hated it, but started getting into the hobby at the age of 18, then you should choose the 18 and not the 10 range. If you only owned 10 comic books at the age of 10, but loved them dearly (even if you didn't purchase another book until you were 16), then list 10 as your starting age.

[nik]

When I first came to America I was 7. My aunt brought me comics and I learned how to read English in less than 10 months

[-cryptkeeper-]

i've read my first comic (with U.S translated comic) at the age of 12 in a magazine called Strange (see what i mean Osborn_france ?) , and i've bought my first comic an ASM at the age of 16, you can't believe how it was hard for me to find one at that time, to compare with today it's like i was walking and today i'm driving a Ferrari !!!!

[JuliusSeizure]

Good question! I was 6.

 

To be honest, I'm not sure whether comics would have such appeal to me if it weren't for the nostalgia factor. Hopefully there are suitable titles being published for today's 6-year-olds.

[skybolt]

Good question! I was 6.

 

To be honest, I'm not sure whether comics would have such appeal to me if it weren't for the nostalgia factor. Hopefully there are suitable titles being published for today's 6-year-olds.

 

Nostalgia is obviously the biggest factor, but I'm also trying to find out whether other genres can pull someone into comic collecting at a later age. For instance, if someone loves to collect World War II memorabilia, then maybe they'd appreciate GA war covers as part of history. Also, if someone collected pin-up posters, and noticed the good girl art covers, or maybe if they loved horror or sci-fi movies and novels, and noticed some precode books.

 

A collector's love for any genre as a kid may lead them to indirectly collect comic books as an adult. Have some board members been pulled into comic book collecting via their love for other genres?

[Norrin_Radd]

I want to find out whether someone can become a major reader/collector even if they didn't get into comic books until they were in their adulthood (a la Norinn Radd).

 

Way to single me out.

 

Perhaps certain people are predisposed to become comic collectors. It just a matter being exposed to them.

 

 

 

Like reading? [i devoured Almanacs and Guinness World Book of Records as a child.]

 

Like superhero cartoons? [saw every episode of Super Friends growing up.]

 

Like collecting things? [i've had a small coin collection since the Bicentennial issues came out in '76.]

 

 

If you answered yes to all three, YOU are a comic collector in the making!

 

 

Also, the money you can make buying and selling comics is a nice incentive to get involved in the hobby.

[Timulty]

I really, haven't collected in earnest, like I am doing now. Up until about 16, I read mostly the odd old book...Praire Companions, Readers...Compton's Encyclopedias...Ripley's Believe it or Not etc. I think, the Ripley's might be the first hint, to my folks anyway, that I would collect comics.

[Scrooge]

i've read my first comic (with U.S translated comic) at the age of 12 in a magazine called Strange (see what i mean Osborn_france ?) , and i've bought my first comic an ASM at the age of 16, you can't believe how it was hard for me to find one at that time, to compare with today it's like i was walking and today i'm driving a Ferrari !!!!

 

Yup. I think mine was either Ombrax Saga or a Strange Special Origin actually and not a Strange. A buddy lent me some early Fantasks and some of the new Conan reprints and I was hooked. Bought the "Hater" FF big size album right around the time. What number did you start Strange with CK59? I used to fill in my run à la vieille Bourse on the weekend while in the military in Arras and before that in a neat bookstore in Caen while at school. I went back to la Bourse this past June but no luck finding the comic dealer there, nor the store that used to be in la rue de la clé. Where'd they move?

 

My buddies were friends with the newsstand owner and he would let us sneak in the back and read the books off the rack (well, when we were all there, he would boot me out if I was alone and not with my friends!)

 

Before that, at a younger age, I was buying Pif and Picsou but I was not a collector at that age so I didn't count that as my starting point.

[skybolt]

Like reading? [i devoured Almanacs and Guinness World Book of Records as a child.]

 

Yup, at the age of 7 or 8 I started collecting these cards that had flags of countries with information written on the back. By the time I was 9 years old, I had all the country's flags, capitals, populations and size in area memorized.

 

Before that, I collected buttons, hot wheels, and small plastic animals. I used to have a lot of fun playing soccer tournaments with the plastic animals, while using leggos for goals, and a die as a soccer ball.

[PovertyRow]

31 for me. No Nostaligia. Lots of the books I collect were published before I was boirn. But maybe a Nostalgia for those times as seen through movies etc.

[-cryptkeeper-]

you come to Lille ?!! next time you come tell me it'll be a pleasure to meet you, et on ira manger dans le vieux Lille !!

my first Strange was 158, i've bought all the Lug edition ,FF album were great ! but sold everything to buy "originals" comics because of censorship.

I go regularly to la bourse, and meet Pascale who sells U.S comics now most modern age,

the comics shop rue de la monnaie "dangereuses visions" closed six years ago, now there is a new one rue masurel just near la cathedrale de la treille names "astro city" , guys who sells there are great but they sell only newstand,

Pif gadget was one of my firsts "B.D" with Ra-han fils des ages farouches , i don't know if you know this one.

hope to see you here a day Scrooge , a bientot !!

[Scrooge]

you come to Lille ?!! next time you come tell me it'll be a pleasure to meet you, et on ira manger dans le vieux Lille !!

my first Strange was 158, i've bought all the Lug edition ,FF album were great ! but sold everything to buy "originals" comics because of censorship.

I go regularly to la bourse, and meet Pascale who sells U.S comics now most modern age,

the comics shop rue de la monnaie "dangereuses visions" closed six years ago, now there is a new one rue masurel just near la cathedrale de la treille names "astro city" , guys who sells there are great but they sell only newstand,

Pif gadget was one of my firsts "B.D" with Ra-han fils des ages farouches , i don't know if you know this one.

hope to see you here a day Scrooge , a bientot !!

 

I think my first Strange was # 190 -

 

 

My run is not complete. I think I go down to around # 80 and everything up.

 

Six years ago!! Man, that store had been there for ever. My first comic store really. I have a friend who used to be guide at l'hospital contesse so I could both buy comics and swing by to see her (I had a crush on her).

 

I do remember Ra-Han. I had a few issues here and there. Wasn't he also part of a line-up in another magazine, I seem to vaguely remember, magazine-size? I almost bought the first volume of the Intégrale when I was back but I selected the intégrale of Bob Morane instead.

 

I should have checked before going to Lille. I would have checked out the new store had I known. Oh well next time ... which might be Xmas '06, not sure yet.

 

Sorry for the French love guys! but you do see we are as passionate about our comics as anyone. Let me leave you with this French cover to one of the early Byrne Alpha Flight - Strange # 201 -

 

[osborn_fr]

Yup. I think mine was either Ombrax Saga or a Strange Special Origin actually and not a Strange. A buddy lent me some early Fantasks and some of the new Conan reprints and I was hooked. Bought the "Hater" FF big size album right around the time. What number did you start Strange with CK59? I used to fill in my run à la vieille Bourse on the weekend while in the military in Arras and before that in a neat bookstore in Caen while at school. I went back to la Bourse this past June but no luck finding the comic dealer there, nor the store that used to be in la rue de la clé. Where'd they move?

 

My buddies were friends with the newsstand owner and he would let us sneak in the back and read the books off the rack (well, when we were all there, he would boot me out if I was alone and not with my friends!)

 

Before that, at a younger age, I was buying Pif and Picsou but I was not a collector at that age so I didn't count that as my starting point.

 

 

Scrooge, where are you living ?

Are you a french collector

[skybolt]

What is this, the "French Connection"?

[Scrooge]

Scrooge, where are you living ?

Are you a french collector

 

Confused? I thought most every one knew. I live in Wisconsin but was born and raised dans le 59 - to CK59 - so yes I am a French collector. I was in Normandie for a week in June as well. I didn't know you'd moved otherwise I could have tried to meet ya out there in Vernon for not thinking ahead.

[Scrooge]

What is this, the "French Connection"?

 

Yup bub. That's why we appreciate the GGA you post

[OldGuy]

When I first came to America I was 7. My aunt brought me comics and I learned how to read English in less than 10 months

 

And now you speek it weller than most that was borne hear.

[-cryptkeeper-]

Hey Scrooge , if you need an issue of Strange, let me know i'll dig for you "a la bourse "

[B-Smooth]

When I first came to America I was 7. My aunt brought me comics and I learned how to read English in less than 10 months

 

And now you speek it weller than most that was borne hear.

 

You done got that right!

[Fan4Fan]

Scrooge, where are you living ?

Are you a french collector

 

Confused? I thought most every one knew. I live in Wisconsin