Gary Carter?

[adamstrange]

Anyone know why he left the hobby?

 

I never thought Comic Book Marketplace was the same after he left. Use to be my favorite magazine but just didn't do it for me with Cochran at the helm.

 

I would most definitely agree with you that the pre-Gemstone Carter CBM's were an absolute must read for the true collectors. Gary was just an absolutely super-nice guy and a true scholar within the hobby.

 

As to why he left......there's always lots of rumours out there. Apparently he preferred living on the West Coast as opposed to living in the East where he was working for Gemstone during the end of his run. Of course, anybody in their right mind would prefer nice sunny Southern Cal to where Gemstone was located.

 

The other rumour (and this is really speculation) is that he wanted to be the heir apparent to be in charge of the OS price guide whenever Bob retired. Apparently Overstreet and Gemstone did not have the same viewpoint and both sides probably agree to disagree.

 

Gary publishes CBM on his own from San Diego for 21 or 22 issues.

Gary gives up CBM and moves to Tenn to work for Overstreet.

Overstreet sells to Geppi (1994) and Gary moves back to San Diego and is editor of CBM which is published by Gemstone.

Gary finally decides that it is more rewarding to not be the editor of CBM and so Russ Cochran takes over.

Gary is now the Dean of Visual & Performing Arts at Antelope Valley College.

[Hepcat]

I never thought Comic Book Marketplace was the same after he left. Use to be my favorite magazine but just didn't do it for me with Cochran at the helm.

 

I agree. Under Gary's tenure, I used to check my local comic shop to see if the Comic Book Marketplace had come in yet That and the CBG in its old newspaper and then tabloid format were the only publications to specifically draw me to the shop.

 

 

[Larryw7]

Anyone know why he left the hobby?

 

I never thought Comic Book Marketplace was the same after he left. Use to be my favorite magazine but just didn't do it for me with Cochran at the helm.

 

I would most definitely agree with you that the pre-Gemstone Carter CBM's were an absolute must read for the true collectors. Gary was just an absolutely super-nice guy and a true scholar within the hobby.

 

As to why he left......there's always lots of rumours out there. Apparently he preferred living on the West Coast as opposed to living in the East where he was working for Gemstone during the end of his run. Of course, anybody in their right mind would prefer nice sunny Southern Cal to where Gemstone was located.

 

The other rumour (and this is really speculation) is that he wanted to be the heir apparent to be in charge of the OS price guide whenever Bob retired. Apparently Overstreet and Gemstone did not have the same viewpoint and both sides probably agree to disagree.

 

I'm pretty sure that Vincent from Metropolis did a radio show a few years back in which Gary says that he left the hobby because he felt it wasn't as much fun as it used to be. The program probably still exists in the Metropolis radio archives.

[Hepcat]

I'm pretty sure that Vincent from Metropolis did a radio show a few years back in which Gary says that he left the hobby because he felt it wasn't as much fun as it used to be.

 

I've always wondered how people can just walk away from a lifelong passion.

 

 

[Bronty]

Just a loss of interest. I've had the same thing happen a couple of times. If a hobby stops being fun there's not much point to it after a while. I think if comics became my part-time job (?) (running CBM) I might lose interest myself. We all need things outside of work to be interested in, maybe that's why Gary left.

 

Same reason that dealers view books as just inventory after a while.

[Hepcat]

We all need things outside of work to be interested in, maybe that's why Gary left.

 

Same reason that dealers view books as just inventory after a while.

 

Good point.

 

 

[adamstrange]

I'm pretty sure that Vincent from Metropolis did a radio show a few years back in which Gary says that he left the hobby because he felt it wasn't as much fun as it used to be.

 

I've always wondered how people can just walk away from a lifelong passion.

 

 

When Gary published CBM himself he didn't have to run editorial decisions by anyone. When he was with Gemstone he did. I think Gary is quite fine with being out of comics but I don't know that he would be if he published CBM.