After Bronze Age - What books are future keys.

[sckao]

 

Adam Hughes doesn't generally mention Dave Stevens primarily when he does interviews and names his influences. Having grown up in the 80's it's hard not to view Stevens as a source, however.

 

From an interview for comicbookpros.com with Adam Hughes:

 

Who where the first artists to influence you? Jack Kirby, George Perez, and John Byrne.

 

Which artists influence you now? Alphonse Mucha, Norman Rockwell, Drew Struzan, Kevin Nowlan, Mike Mignola and Steve Rude.

 

From an interview with Herorealm.com, he does mention Stevens though. Mucha seems to be the primary influence.

 

I think a lot of the comic book pros in the 90's (especially Image style artists) were also influenced by Art Adams who was in turn influenced by Michael Golden.

 

It's questionable whether Dave Stevens had as great an influence on the revival of Bettie Page as you postulate. Robert Blue released a series of airbrushed paintings in the late 70's and early 80's that predates Dave Steven's work. Frank Frazetta and Olivia also painted a series of Bettie Page paintings which, in my mind, created much greater exposure for Betty. (Bettie Page mania didn't really crest until the early 90's with Olivia's paintings.)

 

(Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, another 80's book, also had an effect on Pop Culture.)

 

I still think the GL 48 is the key book (but that's only because I happen to have massive quantities of that particular issue for whatever reason... )

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jbud73]

Well lets see if we cant expand a bit on this one. I agree with TMNT early issues, as I think modern keys will eventually have some ties to print run. Don't kid yourself some dealers have stacks and stacks of those ASM and Daredevil Issues. With millions of copies of some issues, rarity has to play a part here. I think that this leads to some collectability in the Alternate, or obscure publishers. Some possible diamonds in the rough:

- Caliber Presents #1 (1st app. Crow) already a $60 and it has a black cover, ala Luke Cage #1.

- I know there is an anti Macfarlane crowd out there, but Coyote #11 and Infinity Inc #14, because they are obscure and may slip in under the wire.

-Cerebus again print run and storage are issues here. I have seen a few #1s, but again dark cover and spine creases.

-Tick #1 same think black cover lower print run and some media exposure.

- Groo from the Pacific Comics run. Low run, White covers. I think these have the same potential as short run series like: Spectre, Hawk and Dove, The Cat, Not Brand Ech etc.

Main stream:

-DC Comics Presents 26 (1st New Teen Titans)

- I agree on X-Men #266 1st Gambit it has emerged as the book in the 200s X-men run. If only Jim Lee did the Art

- Crisis 7,8 Awesome Wolfman/Perez ultimate 80's Team on a historically important DC universe story. I think Crisis is more significant than Secret Wars, even with the Spidey costume issue in #8.

-ASM #238 they have resolved the tatoo issue, but ya this is the ASM 200 book to have I always shake my head when #300 outsells it in terms of slabbed prices.

-Dark Knight and Year one. I know everyone has DK's BUT they are square bound give them time, truly high grade will be harder to get. The year one's have dark covers or solid white either way harder to keep free of defects.

-If you want story and significant artist and maybe undetected gem runs. The Watchmen (already mentioned) and for me personally Tim Truman's Hawkworld awesome story and art you cannot go wrong here.

 

 

Final thoughts of my generations comic heyday. There are alot of Independents that flooded the market achieved $10 hotness and then flopped with the alternate market crash. These books now sit in clearence bins (sound familiar bronze age??) people say ya but wheres the significance in these books and I say in the 70s, ppl said wheres the significance of Night Nurse? Now a slabbed 9.4 is gonna run you a few hundred bucks.

[Kevin Boyd]

Shin,

 

It is my understanding and remembrance that reaction to Stevens' use of Betty (Bettie) in the Rocketeer was overwhelming. Stevens helped with the publication of the Bettie Pages (and helped track down Bettie herself). These other pursuits, Hollywood and straightforward illustration work led to Stevens' decreased comics output.

 

Rocketeer/Bettie Pages raised awareness, and led to other artists - Olivia and Jim Silke in particular, to use her in their works. Even the E! True Hollywood Story of Bettie Page credits Stevens with the 80's revival and her pop icon status.

 

If you want to discount Stevens, that's your choice.

 

Kev

[Kevin Boyd]

Calling John Byrne's Next Men 21 the 1st Hellboy is inaccurate . The first Hellboy is in San Diego Comic Con Comics 2. There's a post Bronze key - amazingly underprinted, and sells for $30-50 every single time I list one.

 

Very interesting. I did not know that!

 

I was always under the impression that JBNM21 (dec 93) was his first published comics appearance, and, in a sense it sort of is as SDCCC 2 was a promotional item not offered for retail sale and was only available to San Diego Comic Con attendees. I won't discount it's importance though.

 

From the Hellboy.com site:

 

San Diego Comic Con Comics #2

(Dark Horse Comics), August 1993.

Summary and Notes: "Mike Mignola's Hellboy" plot and art by Mike Mignola; -script by John Byrne. Issue also includes "Danger Unlimited," "Concrete: Steel Rain," "Monkeyman and O'Brien," "Sin City," "Big Guy and Rusty the Robot," "Don Martin's Doctor Dork," "Mom 'N' Me," "Madman Comics Pinup," "Martha Washington Goes To War," "Gothik Pinup," and "Grendel Pinup." Cover by Don Martin; Editing by Kris Young; Consulting by Randy Stradley and Ronnie Noize; Design by David Stewart and Cary Grazzini. First Hellboy appearance in comics. Contains a short Hellboy and Anubis one-shot. The "Anubis story" was later reprinted in the Hellboy: Seed of Destruction compilations. Published by Dark Horse. Published August 1993. Produced for the 1993 San Diego Comic Con. This item was a promotional item and not offered for retail sale.

Purchase comic at: [ebay]

|

 

[sckao]

 

It is my understanding and remembrance that reaction to Stevens' use of Betty (Bettie) in the Rocketeer was overwhelming.

 

Well okay... Dave's continual obsession with Bettie Page was important to the Bettie Page Revival that exploded in the early 90's. No question there.

 

It's always nice to see Dave Stevens at conventions with his girlfriend (?) who is a dead ringer for Bettie Page down to the hairstyle. I last saw him at the horrendously managed Creation Con in Pasadena earlier this year.

 

That was also the Con that Lana Clarkson, B movie queen, was last at before her death at Phil Spector's house. It's weird to realize that we saw her walking the convention floor the day before she died. (That Sunday was also the day of the Space Shuttle disaster.)

 

 

[Proverbs22_2]

I can't believe that none of you guys has mentioned "Gods for Hire" #1 !

 

 

[Fabfrank]

I think the early Elfquest magazines/Fantasy Quarterly are key and undervalued. I believe DC will be re-releasing the books in the fall and than there will be new material. Also there are rumors of a movie, but that's just speculation at this point. With extremely low print runs (5,000-10,000 copies), these have room to explode.

[chrisco37]

Another thought comes to mind prompted by this thread--

 

Does anyone out there know which was the first Vertigo-imprint book to go on sale? Given the ongoing success and revitalization of that imprint with things like 100 Bullets and Y, the Vertigo "first issue" might achieve some retroactive key status. I remember Vertigo arriving well into Gaiman's Sandman run (and the issue number should be simple enough to verify), but does anyone know whether it was Sandman, Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Hellblazer, or some other issue that can be considered Vertigo #1 ?

 

How about "Vertigo Preview" ?

I believe it covered most of the new vertigo books and also contained a Sandman story by Gaiman.

 

 

Bumping this back.....Just dug up the Vertigo Preview (1992, 75-cents). Gives previews on the following books:

 

New Title:

-Death: The High Cost of Living

-Enigma

-Sandman Mystery Theatre

-Mercy

-Kid Eternity

-Sebastian O

-Black Orchid

 

Exisitng Titles (w/ # at time it switched to Vertigo imprint):

-Sandman #47

-Hellblazer #63

-Doom Patrol #64

-Animal Man #57

-Swamp Thing #129

-Shade, the Changing Man #33

 

Looks like the imprint kicked off in January 1993. So, I guess those would be the "Vertigo #1's".

 

We've discussed, already, Moore's run on Swamp Thing. I think that you could argue that those books are really the beginnings of Vertigo (I think Wizard made mention of this as well). Do you think that possibly we could say Swamp Thing #29 (DC said bollocks to the Code from this issue on) is the true beginning of Vertigo?

 

Chris

 

[Zonker]

Great Stuff, Chris! Thank you!

 

We've discussed, already, Moore's run on Swamp Thing. I think that you could argue that those books are really the beginnings of Vertigo (I think Wizard made mention of this as well). Do you think that possibly we could say Swamp Thing #29 (DC said bollocks to the Code from this issue on) is the true beginning of Vertigo?

 

Chris

 

Sounds like something worth pursuing! Can anyone offer examples of ongoing Marvel/DC color comics published between ASM 98 and ST 29 without the Code sticker?

 

[Metarog]

Guardians of the Galaxy #6 does not have the Comics code on the cover of the Direct Sales edition. This was probably a printing error though. Just FYI.

[Kevin76]

After Bronze Age - What books are future keys.

 

There are no future keys after Bronze age.

[DiceX]

After Bronze Age - What books are future keys.

 

There are no future keys after Bronze age.

 

Yeah. I think "There are no future keys after Silver age." was the quote about 10 years ago.

[Kevin76]

DiceX,

there really isn't any future keys even in bronze age,except Hulk 181 and maybe X-men 94,other than that,nothing.

[DiceX]

DiceX,

there really isn't any future keys even in bronze age,except Hulk 181 and maybe X-men 94,other than that,nothing.

 

We shall see, young Padawan.

[Foolkiller]

Kevin:

 

I think that only including x-men 94 (and I assume GS X-Men#1 and Hulk 181) as the only bronze keys is a little narrow... GL/GA 76 is a key to me, Conan#1, Batman #232 (1st Ra's, a pretty major Bats villian) aren't all keys?

 

I guess I don't know how you're defining a key book, because there are plenty of keys in the 70s, and I think you can also look at DK#1 and Watchmen #1 as keys in the 80s.

[fantastic_four]

there really isn't any future keys even in bronze age,except Hulk 181 and maybe X-men 94,other than that,nothing.

 

I hope BronzeBruce tears you a new one for this narrow-minded blasphemy so I don't have to do it myself. I'm sure there were a few mentally challenged people were saying that FF #1 and AF #15 would be the only Silver keys twenty or thirty years ago.

 

It'll take longer for the Bronze keys to go up in price because most of them are more commonly available, but it'll happen.

[Bonds25]

What is "Absolute Vertigo"? I saw one on Ebay today, and didn't know what it was.

[shiverbones]

absolute vertigo is a preview book that has a few pages from preacher #1 in it, so some people consider that th 1st preacher. Hey did your ducks arrive?