SW3D's Journal

A journal by SW3D

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My 2nd and Final Day: NYComicCon October 12, 2013

Signature Madness Part II My goal today was very simple: close the open invoice from yesterday and begin a new one and see it through. This morning, the sea of humanity swelled to an ocean. More people turned up today than yesterday. There must have been over a quarter million people if not more. Wow! Anyway, I arrived at the con just as the doors were opening. I immediately went into action and headed straight for the Image Booth and procured my ticket for Marc Silvestri at 3:30 PM. With
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My First Day at NYComicCon: Friday October 11, 2013

CosPlay and Signature Madness!   Damn! The action and activities are intense! Last year I remember lots of CosPlay... but this year it seems like 70 percent of the attendees are role playing and I so desperately want to join them!After getting through the "Homeland" security check-point, I made a beeline towards the bathroom, and bumped into Oliver Queen. No, not literally, but a guy named Ty, whose a fan of the show and was fitting into his costume replete with bow, quiver, and arrows (see b
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Aria Angela Heavenly Creatures

Here's a nifty comic seldom seen or discussed on the Journals.   The story of Aria Angela Heavenly Creatures heralds us back in time to the heart of the Victorian Era and The Empire, in the afterglow of its most golden jewel, London, in the dark catacombs and complex web which is the English Aristocracy.It is a time ironically known as "The Age of Wonders". An Age where young and noble impressionable minds are dream-filled with endless possibilities contrasted by the suffering and oppressed m
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J G Jones 1st Published Work...

...On a little known comic book title called Dark Dominion. Back on June 29, 2013, I attended Wizard World NYC. As I mentioned in a previous journal about my experience (which was mostly very positive), I found the show to be much smaller in scale and scope than New York Comic Con (coincidentally coming up this Thursday). In fact, Wizard World's list of comic creators, writers and artists appearing for signings was rather sparse. And of those attending the show, there was only one who stood
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Captain America: Transformation & Triumph: Kiehl's Promotional Giveaway

Once again, I'm thrilled to introduce and debut a new comic to the CGC Census and to the Collectors Society. For all you Captain America and Marvel fans, this one-shot comic was a promotional giveaway that was included as a free insert in the Thursday Edition of the Wall Street Journal on June 6, 2013. My brother, who's into the stock market, reads the Wall Street Journal daily. And he knows I'm a big comic book geek, so he calls me late in the evening (about 9ish) on June 6th, to let me know
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Another Kingdom Hath Risen! Rise O Rise Kingdom of the Curse of the Spawn #9

Also Known As: The Other Number 9!   Curse of the Spawn 9: The Origin of Angela!I love keys. And I love rare books. And I love OAKs. But I especially love when I am the first to introduce a comic book to the CGC Census, and one that combines all three of these virtues.And I did this once before with the very same character that I have since fallen in love with: Neil Gaiman and Todd McFarlane's angelic co-creation: Angela. That book in question is the Newsstand Variant Edition of Spawn 9: Angel
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How Rare is a Threesome?

The Magical Kingdom of the Spawn 9 Newsstand Edition Redux! Sorry... but if you were expecting another kind of "threesome", I knew this would be the perfect set-up to get you titillated and excited. But this isn't that kind of "threesome".Instead, I am going to tell you I am at it again... buying more graded copies of the same comic for God knows what purpose: probably to satiate my pathological and tyrannical nature. I really don't need to do this, but some uncontrollable impulse from deep wit
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ACA Comix No. 1 The Death's-Head Knight by John Byrne CGC Graded 8.5

AKA... John Byrne's Ultra Rare First Published Comic Book! Last December, on the 27th to be exact, I shared my little story of how I walked into Midtown Comics Grand Central and walked out with this ultra rare Holy Grail... for only $3. That's right... only three dollars! And the original sticker price on the comic was $5, however, MCGC was running a 40% sale on all back issues. So when all was said and done, I walked away with this piece of comic book history for just three bucks! Incredible!
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I'm Off to See the Wizard Part II: Wizard World NYC June 29, 2013

I have to say, yesterday, the experience I had at Wizard World as compared to NY ComicCon was like comparing day to night. Both are very different. Wizard World is way smaller in size and magnitude than NY ComicCon. But that can be viewed as both a positive and a negative. On the negative side, the amount of attractions, celebrity and industry guests, exhibitors, and attendance is so bare bones that it literally took me just over two hours to contemplate going home. Why? Because in that scope
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I Am Off To See the Wizard...

WIZARD WORLD EXPERIENCE NYC 2013 June 29, 2013 I'll be visiting the CGC to deliver a total of 30 comics. One of them is my most prized possession: John Byrne's 1st published comic book, ACA Comix No. 1. This is an extremely rare comic book that was published as a giveaway to those who attended a gallery exhibition of comic book art at the Alberta School of Art (Canada) sometime in May 1971. I believe 1500 were printed. At the moment, there has only been one of its kind graded by the CGC.
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Over 25 Years of Rock n' Roll...

Other Hobbies and Interests: Just two days ago, Brandon Shepherd brought up an interesting subject about "Other Hobbies and Interests". We all have interests outside of the domain of comic books. And I think it is safe to say that many of us share similar likes and dislikes for Popular Culture and such. Like me, Meshuggah and Gaming ETC collect Baseball Cards. PlainMad has a CGC collection of MAD Magazines that are truly monumental. Tnerb collects Shot Glasses and Star Wars Toys. Studio25 has
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The Strange Adventures of Animal Man!

It finally arrived! A key that has been on my "must have" wish list for a couple of years now: Strange Adventures 190: the third appearance of Buddy Baker, but more significantly... the 1st Appearance of Baker as Animal Man in Costume... thus officially a Superhero! I grew up buying comics in the late Bronze Age into the Copper Age: from 1979 - 1987. The very first time I came to know of Buddy Baker aka Animal Man, was in Action Comics 552 and 553 (February and March 1985 respectively). He, al
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To Sell or Not to Sell? And at What Price?

I'm new to the selling game. And I've elected to use Ebay as my first distribution channel to sell my graded childhood collection.   So far, it has been a painful process (not because of eBay)... to actually accept letting go of things I so truly cherish.But I've taken a deep breath and reminded myself, "Remember the goal: to downsize your collection and make room for only comics you so truly desire, and the proceeds from the sales of these comics will go towards buying those holy grail comic
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Yarva Etrigan Deamonicus! I summon the Demon Etrigan!

"Change! Change, O' form of Man! Release the Might from fleshy mire! Boil the Blood in Heart of Fire! Gone! Gone!... the form of Man! Rise, The Demon Etrigan!!"I was first introduced to this yellow-skinned netherworld denizen with twin ruby pupil-less orbs, through Alan Moore's revisionist and ground breaking work on Saga of the Swamp Thing. The Demon Etrigan, came to assist Swamp Thing on several occasions, most notably as a guide in Hell to free the elemental's soul mate, Abigail Arcane,
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What If? Warlock and Angela...

O' Heavenly Creatures!   Have I witnessed a divine vision and gleaned a possible future?Or are these the bold portents of a madman... the rants and ravings of a lunatic and a fool?For I've seen in the stars a Holy Trinity... a Cosmic Alliance not seen in a millennia......Of Eternal Hope... the Son of Man... the Gold Skinned Immortal who has returned to his Cocoon and will ultimately return a God... the one they call Adam... the Warlock.And of Heaven's Champion... the Huntress... the Bounty Hu
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The Magical Kingdom of the Spawn 9 Newsstand Variant

Okay... so I've developed an obsession of sorts. And I realize this obsession will ultimately see me the loser and not the victor. What exactly is that obsession? I have this insane desire to corner the market on a CGC comic book. Why? I don't know. Maybe I am the descendant of some wayward despot... and all these long years... I've been suppressing the urges of my tyrannical ancestry. My heart and soul constantly beckon me to "RULE THE WORLD!" But, conversly, the genetic sh*t that is also f
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This has been another thrilling adventure of Superman!

I may not be the biggest Man of Steel fan or collector (I give that nod to Brandon Shepherd and others), and I definitely haven't read every adventure of the Caped Wonder, but I am a big fan nonetheless. When I was a child, Superman was the one superhero I wanted to be. What Superman stands for: purity, morality, strength, and order, which symbolically stands defiant in our often troubled, turbulent, and chaotic world. Superman never bends to the will of evil, nor does he sacrifice his m
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If you could trade your entire Comic Book Collection for just one CGC Graded Holy Grail Comic... Would You Do It

If you could trade your entire Comic Book Collection for just one CGC Graded Holy Grail Comic... Would You Do It? And if so... What would that comic be? Okay, you're probably thinking... "What are you mad?" Trade thousands upon thousands of comic books for just one stinking comic? I don't care if it is just one Holy Grail comic... I just won't do it! Years upon years of collecting all coming down to just one comic! No way! But let's say... hypothetically... if somebody were to ask you that q
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O'Neil's Shadow: Return to Pulp Glory...

Created by writer and magician Walter B. Gibson, The Shadow made his debut on the radio program Detective Story Hour, on July 31, 1930, and later in print, in the pages of Street and Smith's pulp The Shadow Magazine, on April 1, 1931. The Shadow is depicted as a no-nonsense, costumed vigilante, not prone to upholding a self-righteous ideology or moral code, like most masked superheroes who refuse to kill. Instead, The Shadow becomes the consummate symbol of a Vigilante Philosophy... a sometimes
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A List of My Favorites...

Listing my favorite comics and such.   If I could be a superhero, who would I be?: SupermanMy favorite Comic Book Character: Swamp ThingMy favorite Cosmic Superhero: Tie: Adam Warlock and Silver Surfer.My favorite Classic Superhero: SupermanMy favorite Non-powered Superhero: Batman My favorite Supernatural Character: Phantom StrangerMy favorite Confidence Man: John ConstantineMy favorite Pulp Hero: The ShadowMy favorite hometown Superhero: Spider-Man (from Forest Hills, NY)My favorite Indie S
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How does Superman Shave his Beard?

This isn't much of a Journal Entry with such a banal topic of discussion: Superman's facial hair... but I am curious nonetheless at the potential laughs and gaffs this might cause. Zack Snyder's The Man of Steel is due out this Summer. The trailer looks awesome... really can't wait for it! But I have to say, and correct me if I am wrong, but is this the first time in Cinema or TV, Superman sports a full grown beard? The only other instance I can remember is in the forgetable 1983 Superman II
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All By Myself... Don't Wanna Be... All by Myself...

Actually, in this case I don't mind being by myself.   So, it is official... Spawn #9 is a very hot! hot! hot! little comic. Word of Neil Gaiman's move to Marvel Comics, and his decision to take the Angela property with him has sparked a massive interest in Spawn #9, the 1st appearance of the red haired angelic beauty (I love redheads!).Well, it seems there were about half a million copies of this comic printed back in the day. How many have survived I have no clue, but there are a lot of the
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The Origin of Him: "What Lurks Behind the Beehive?"

I love writing. And one of my favorite exercises to keep my skills honed is writing a detailed plot summary of some of my favorite comics. In some odd way, I almost feel like the actual author of the original -script, retracing their thought processes and plotting to achieve a truncated version of their orginal -script.   This morning I went to the post office to pick up my copy of Fantastic Four 66, which I bought a few years ago from Midtown Comics Grand Central. I bought it at fair market
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If I were a CGC Comic, what would I be?

Would I be a Gem Mint 10.0, flawless and captivating... standing proud for the collecting world to see? Having never been touched... never been read... a heavenly vision of perfection? Or would I be a 6.5, a fine copy having been well read, but handled with moderate care... loved and appreciated like a good comic should? And would I also be like a genie in a bottle... If rubbed three times what Tales of Suspense would I tell? Would I tell you of a heroic Angel with wings: a "Child of the A
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The Distinction between Non-Restorative Pressing and Pressing as Restorative Technique

The Distinction between Non-Restorative Pressing and Pressing as Restorative Technique... Allow me to say, in the following journal entry, I am in no way accusing the CGC of any kind of misconduct or misrepresentation or any intentional or unintentional Pressing during the encapsulation process of comic book grading and encapsulation. And I will go further to say that in no way, am I qualified to make a statement in regards to the grading and encapsulation processes undertaken by the CGC, for
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