Golden Age Collection 21 21

[MrBedrock]

Last night I was looking through a box filled with miscellaneous magazines, old catalogs, and assorted papers and came across a bunch of interesting items.

 

Here is a newspaper clipping from 1965 that profiles Houston collector, Gene Arnold.

 

Is he still collecting?

 

The publication of this article in the Houston Post marked the beginning of Houston Fandom. Gene became the focal point as collectors around here realized there were others that shared their passions. Roy Bonario, Glenn Kessler, Earl Blair and others all read this and then got in contact with Gene. As a result the Houston Comic Collectors association was formed. From there HoustonCon started in 1967, and became one of the big national shows by the early 70's. Roy Bonario also started selling comics through a record shop in 1967 and then opened Roy's Memory Shop in 1970, the first true comic store in town. Gene was a fixture at the early Houston Cons but moved more and more towards movie paper. He eventually opened The Emporium, selling movie posters through the mid-nineties. He now sells exclusively through the internet.

An updated version of that article ran in 1970 and a new group of collectors were brought into the fold. I attended my first HCCA meeting in 1972. The greatest thing imaginable, at least to a dorky nine year old.

 

He centerpieces a Giant-Size Batman and a Tracy, but that book in the lower right corner appears to be the $100 gem of his collection.

At the time of that article Action 1 was twenty eight years old. Didn't Alpha Flight 1 come out about twenty eight years ago. I doubt it would be at the top of anyone's piles!

 

I started attending comic book conventions in Houston in about 1978 or 1979. They were fun shows but I mostly collected ducks and sold a large part of my silver age collection to local dealers.

bb

I am sure I would have seen you there. I was working for Camelot and we had tables right by the front door for both of those shows.

 

[BB-Gun]

I have much better luck scanning Tabloid size Sunday pages than Full size pages.

I thought I should post at least one Popeye strip by BZ (Bela) considering it is BZ's thread. And hopefully the signature is large enough to see.

 

 

 

Edited March 11, 2009 by BB-Gun

[Jayman]

What great imagination having the mermaids walk on their hands!

[BB-Gun]

Last night I was looking through a box filled with miscellaneous magazines, old catalogs, and assorted papers and came across a bunch of interesting items.

 

Here is a newspaper clipping from 1965 that profiles Houston collector, Gene Arnold.

 

Is he still collecting?

 

The publication of this article in the Houston Post marked the beginning of Houston Fandom. Gene became the focal point as collectors around here realized there were others that shared their passions. Roy Bonario, Glenn Kessler, Earl Blair and others all read this and then got in contact with Gene. As a result the Houston Comic Collectors association was formed. From there HoustonCon started in 1967, and became one of the big national shows by the early 70's. Roy Bonario also started selling comics through a record shop in 1967 and then opened Roy's Memory Shop in 1970, the first true comic store in town. Gene was a fixture at the early Houston Cons but moved more and more towards movie paper. He eventually opened The Emporium, selling movie posters through the mid-nineties. He now sells exclusively through the internet.

An updated version of that article ran in 1970 and a new group of collectors were brought into the fold. I attended my first HCCA meeting in 1972. The greatest thing imaginable, at least to a dorky nine year old.

 

He centerpieces a Giant-Size Batman and a Tracy, but that book in the lower right corner appears to be the $100 gem of his collection.

At the time of that article Action 1 was twenty eight years old. Didn't Alpha Flight 1 come out about twenty eight years ago. I doubt it would be at the top of anyone's piles!

 

I started attending comic book conventions in Houston in about 1978 or 1979. They were fun shows but I mostly collected ducks and sold a large part of my silver age collection to local dealers.

bb

I am sure I would have seen you there. I was working for Camelot and we had tables right by the front door for both of those shows.

 

Mr. B,

Theodore Sturgeon was a guest at one of the conventions that I attended. I think it was in Houston and not in East Lansing where they held an annual writers workshop. Do you remember that year?

 

The MSU workshops were fun back in the 70s. Harlan Ellison was a guest speaker at one of the workshops and he amazed the crowd by reading one of his stories. He became each character with a different voice. I think the story was entitled "Catman". But I am not sure. It is another faded memory.

bb

 

 

[MrBedrock]

Last night I was looking through a box filled with miscellaneous magazines, old catalogs, and assorted papers and came across a bunch of interesting items.

 

Here is a newspaper clipping from 1965 that profiles Houston collector, Gene Arnold.

 

Is he still collecting?

 

The publication of this article in the Houston Post marked the beginning of Houston Fandom. Gene became the focal point as collectors around here realized there were others that shared their passions. Roy Bonario, Glenn Kessler, Earl Blair and others all read this and then got in contact with Gene. As a result the Houston Comic Collectors association was formed. From there HoustonCon started in 1967, and became one of the big national shows by the early 70's. Roy Bonario also started selling comics through a record shop in 1967 and then opened Roy's Memory Shop in 1970, the first true comic store in town. Gene was a fixture at the early Houston Cons but moved more and more towards movie paper. He eventually opened The Emporium, selling movie posters through the mid-nineties. He now sells exclusively through the internet.

An updated version of that article ran in 1970 and a new group of collectors were brought into the fold. I attended my first HCCA meeting in 1972. The greatest thing imaginable, at least to a dorky nine year old.

 

He centerpieces a Giant-Size Batman and a Tracy, but that book in the lower right corner appears to be the $100 gem of his collection.

At the time of that article Action 1 was twenty eight years old. Didn't Alpha Flight 1 come out about twenty eight years ago. I doubt it would be at the top of anyone's piles!

 

I started attending comic book conventions in Houston in about 1978 or 1979. They were fun shows but I mostly collected ducks and sold a large part of my silver age collection to local dealers.

bb

I am sure I would have seen you there. I was working for Camelot and we had tables right by the front door for both of those shows.

 

Mr. B,

Theodore Sturgeon was a guest at one of the conventions that I attended. I think it was in Houston and not in East Lansing where they held an annual writers workshop. Do you remember that year?

 

The MSU workshops were fun back in the 70s. Harlan Ellison was a guest speaker at one of the workshops and he amazed the crowd by reading one of his stories. He became each character with a different voice. I think the story was entitled "Catman". But I am not sure. It is another faded memory.

bb

 

I'm sorry bb. I don't remember Sturgeon as a guest. But he wasn't on my radar then so it is possible. I believe both of those years HoustonCon was held at the old Shamrock Hotel. Chuck Jones was a guest one year there and I believe Carl Barks was a guest the other year, though he may have been in 1977. Unfortunately a house fire in 1981 took all of my old program books, badges and other remembrances from those shows. Every once in a while I buy a collection that has one of the program books in it and a flood of memories comes back. They were absolutely great shows.

[Wrightson fan]

Last night I was looking through a box filled with miscellaneous magazines, old catalogs, and assorted papers and came across a bunch of interesting items.

 

Here is a newspaper clipping from 1965 that profiles Houston collector, Gene Arnold.

 

Is he still collecting?

 

The publication of this article in the Houston Post marked the beginning of Houston Fandom. Gene became the focal point as collectors around here realized there were others that shared their passions. Roy Bonario, Glenn Kessler, Earl Blair and others all read this and then got in contact with Gene. As a result the Houston Comic Collectors association was formed. From there HoustonCon started in 1967, and became one of the big national shows by the early 70's. Roy Bonario also started selling comics through a record shop in 1967 and then opened Roy's Memory Shop in 1970, the first true comic store in town. Gene was a fixture at the early Houston Cons but moved more and more towards movie paper. He eventually opened The Emporium, selling movie posters through the mid-nineties. He now sells exclusively through the internet.

An updated version of that article ran in 1970 and a new group of collectors were brought into the fold. I attended my first HCCA meeting in 1972. The greatest thing imaginable, at least to a dorky nine year old.

 

He centerpieces a Giant-Size Batman and a Tracy, but that book in the lower right corner appears to be the $100 gem of his collection.

At the time of that article Action 1 was twenty eight years old. Didn't Alpha Flight 1 come out about twenty eight years ago. I doubt it would be at the top of anyone's piles!

 

I started attending comic book conventions in Houston in about 1978 or 1979. They were fun shows but I mostly collected ducks and sold a large part of my silver age collection to local dealers.

bb

I am sure I would have seen you there. I was working for Camelot and we had tables right by the front door for both of those shows.

 

Mr. B,

Theodore Sturgeon was a guest at one of the conventions that I attended. I think it was in Houston and not in East Lansing where they held an annual writers workshop. Do you remember that year?

 

The MSU workshops were fun back in the 70s. Harlan Ellison was a guest speaker at one of the workshops and he amazed the crowd by reading one of his stories. He became each character with a different voice. I think the story was entitled "Catman". But I am not sure. It is another faded memory.

bb

 

I'm sorry bb. I don't remember Sturgeon as a guest. But he wasn't on my radar then so it is possible. I believe both of those years HoustonCon was held at the old Shamrock Hotel. Chuck Jones was a guest one year there and I believe Carl Barks was a guest the other year, though he may have been in 1977. Unfortunately a house fire in 1981 took all of my old program books, badges and other remembrances from those shows. Every once in a while I buy a collection that has one of the program books in it and a flood of memories comes back. They were absolutely great shows.

 

I found this one listed on ebay if anyone is interested.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Houstoncon-Star-Trek-75-Convention-Program-CC-Beck-1975_W0QQitemZ250372270848QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item250372270848&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A570%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

 

[BB-Gun]

Last night I was looking through a box filled with miscellaneous magazines, old catalogs, and assorted papers and came across a bunch of interesting items.

 

Here is a newspaper clipping from 1965 that profiles Houston collector, Gene Arnold.

 

Is he still collecting?

 

The publication of this article in the Houston Post marked the beginning of Houston Fandom. Gene became the focal point as collectors around here realized there were others that shared their passions. Roy Bonario, Glenn Kessler, Earl Blair and others all read this and then got in contact with Gene. As a result the Houston Comic Collectors association was formed. From there HoustonCon started in 1967, and became one of the big national shows by the early 70's. Roy Bonario also started selling comics through a record shop in 1967 and then opened Roy's Memory Shop in 1970, the first true comic store in town. Gene was a fixture at the early Houston Cons but moved more and more towards movie paper. He eventually opened The Emporium, selling movie posters through the mid-nineties. He now sells exclusively through the internet.

An updated version of that article ran in 1970 and a new group of collectors were brought into the fold. I attended my first HCCA meeting in 1972. The greatest thing imaginable, at least to a dorky nine year old.

 

He centerpieces a Giant-Size Batman and a Tracy, but that book in the lower right corner appears to be the $100 gem of his collection.

At the time of that article Action 1 was twenty eight years old. Didn't Alpha Flight 1 come out about twenty eight years ago. I doubt it would be at the top of anyone's piles!

 

I started attending comic book conventions in Houston in about 1978 or 1979. They were fun shows but I mostly collected ducks and sold a large part of my silver age collection to local dealers.

bb

I am sure I would have seen you there. I was working for Camelot and we had tables right by the front door for both of those shows.

 

Mr. B,

Theodore Sturgeon was a guest at one of the conventions that I attended. I think it was in Houston and not in East Lansing where they held an annual writers workshop. Do you remember that year?

 

The MSU workshops were fun back in the 70s. Harlan Ellison was a guest speaker at one of the workshops and he amazed the crowd by reading one of his stories. He became each character with a different voice. I think the story was entitled "Catman". But I am not sure. It is another faded memory.

bb

 

I'm sorry bb. I don't remember Sturgeon as a guest. But he wasn't on my radar then so it is possible. I believe both of those years HoustonCon was held at the old Shamrock Hotel. Chuck Jones was a guest one year there and I believe Carl Barks was a guest the other year, though he may have been in 1977. Unfortunately a house fire in 1981 took all of my old program books, badges and other remembrances from those shows. Every once in a while I buy a collection that has one of the program books in it and a flood of memories comes back. They were absolutely great shows.

 

I found this one listed on ebay if anyone is interested.

I think that program was probably too early for me since I moved to Houston (and attended Baylor College of Medicine) that same year.

But I remember going to a convention at the Shamrock Hilton. I think I purchased Four Color 291 and 318 there.

I had to go back twice because the dealer near the exit door wouldn't take my check.

I knew Harold Starbuck at Camelot but none of the other dealers in the area.

 

 

I found a picture of the hotel on line. It was donated to BCM and torn down.

Ironically, I also met Ray Bolger (from the Wizard of OZ) at about the same time as those conventions in the 70s.

He was in town to see Michael DeBakey at the Texas Medical center.

It was strange because the hotel had a green interior like the Emerald City.

Ray entertained us while standing in front of the hotel by doing a dance and singing a little German song.

Strange memory to have but there it is.

bb

Edited March 12, 2009 by BB-Gun

[MrBedrock]

I think that program was probably too early for me since I moved to Houston (and attended Baylor College of Medicine) that same year.

But I remember going to a convention at the Shamrock Hilton. I think I purchased Four Color 291 and 318 there.

I had to go back twice because the dealer near the exit door wouldn't take my check.

I knew Harold Starbuck at Camelot but none of the other dealers in the area.

 

 

I found a picture of the hotel on line. It was donated to BCM and torn down.

Ironically, I also met Ray Bolger (from the Wizard of OZ) at about the same time as those conventions in the 70s.

He was in town to see Michael DeBakey at the Texas Medical center.

It was strange because the hotel had a green interior like the Emerald City.

Ray entertained us while standing in front of the hotel by doing a dance and singing a little German song.

Strange memory to have but there it is.

bb

I still see Harold from time to time.

The Shamrock was a neat hotel, and very swank in its day. But they held the conventions in the basement and parts of it felt like a parking garage with the concrete floors and exposed pipes. At one of those shows a pipe leak took out a whole table of old comics.

[BangZoom]

 

Inside an issue of the fanzine, Saturday's World #1 (published by Earl Blair, Roy Bonario, & Marc Schooley), I found a flyer for the 1967 Houston Comic Convention.

 

 

 

Was that the first year of the con?

[BangZoom]

 

BB, thanks for posting all these terrific scans.

 

The artists who have illustrated Tarzan are a mighty impressive group.

 

I wish there was an online source for comic strips similar to what GAcomics.co.uk is for comic books.

 

 

Moreira from 1946.

Hogarth from 1947.

Hogarth from 1948.'

[BangZoom]

 

Have the Superman Sunday strips from this time period ever been reprinted?

 

[MrBedrock]

Inside an issue of the fanzine, Saturday's World #1 (published by Earl Blair, Roy Bonario, & Marc Schooley), I found a flyer for the 1967 Houston Comic Convention.

 

 

 

Was that the first year of the con?

Very Cool! Thanks for posting that BZ (thumbs u

That was the first year of the "con" (that sounds funny). And all of the guys that published Saturday's World were instrumental in putting it on.

I think Earl Blair ran the show all the way through the late seventies before it was taken over by others and run into the ground.

Earl later started Nostalgia Merchant, one of the first companies to put old TV and film on VHS. He now lives in Tennessee I believe.

Roy Bonario still lives here and I see him regularly at our old funnybook get-togethers. He sells movie paper, records, and comics on ebay.

 

[BangZoom]

Very Cool! Thanks for posting that BZ (thumbs u

That was the first year of the "con" (that sounds funny). And all of the guys that published Saturday's World were instrumental in putting it on.

I think Earl Blair ran the show all the way through the late seventies before it was taken over by others and run into the ground.

Earl later started Nostalgia Merchant, one of the first companies to put old TV and film on VHS. He now lives in Tennessee I believe.

Roy Bonario still lives here and I see him regularly at our old funnybook get-togethers. He sells movie paper, records, and comics on ebay.

 

Here is a link where Earl remembers the early days of comic fandom in Houston.

 

Link

[BB-Gun]

Have the Superman Sunday strips from this time period ever been reprinted?

Some of the early Sunday and daily comics have been reprinted. I have this color proof, that someone sold me, from the 1941 reprints and another book that I purchased. But I am not sure how many years they have covered. The neat thing about those Sunday pages from 1946-1948 was that Tarzan was the first half of the page and Superman was the second half.

bb

Edited March 13, 2009 by BB-Gun

[MrBedrock]

Very Cool! Thanks for posting that BZ (thumbs u

That was the first year of the "con" (that sounds funny). And all of the guys that published Saturday's World were instrumental in putting it on.

I think Earl Blair ran the show all the way through the late seventies before it was taken over by others and run into the ground.

Earl later started Nostalgia Merchant, one of the first companies to put old TV and film on VHS. He now lives in Tennessee I believe.

Roy Bonario still lives here and I see him regularly at our old funnybook get-togethers. He sells movie paper, records, and comics on ebay.

 

Here is a link where Earl remembers the early days of comic fandom in Houston.

 

Link

Glenn Kessler! (thumbs u (thumbs u (thumbs u

[BangZoom]

 

I'd forgotten about this early comic book price guide.

 

 

 

[BangZoom]

 

Complete listing of every comic book valued at $25 or more.

 

 

 

 

[BangZoom]

 

Complete listing of every comic book valued at $100 or more.

 

[G.A.tor]

any super duper comics?

[BangZoom]

any super duper comics?

 

Yes.