Ayn, Neal and the world around me...

[dover]

sooooo close....

 

Superboy

 

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. raw...

 

 

 

[dover]

As much as I love his work on Superboy, I never quite got into his work on this series; Adventure Comics. The cover to 365 is just down right . If it could be said I would explain that here is the difference that Neal portrayed between Superboy as the lone character awash in his adolescence vs. the group of young super-teens fighting the world. I feel as if it shows which he felt closer to in subject and theme.

 

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[dover]

Not too many people know where Neal came from in the art world. Its easy to look up his non-comic book checklist (see earlier post) but his run on the Ben Casey strip was pretty cool from what I can find.

 

He did the pencils and inks for about 4 years daily and on Sunday he provided color. What I have seen is fantastic. I have never seen a Sunday original for sale. These Sundays would be something to find and buy, in my opinion, even the ones from the newspaper have to be rare.

 

from www.Nealadams.com:

 

BEN CASEY

Jerry Capp wrote the strip and Adams did all the artwork for this strip himself and it was his first sold comic strip. The daily strip began November 26th 1962 and the Sunday pages began September 20th 1964. The strip was canceled in July 1966, the dailies ending with July 30th, the Sunday pages July 31st. Newspaper Enterprise Association distributed the strip.

All in all he worked on the daily strip for 3 years, 8 months and the Sunday pages for almost 2 years.

 

NOTE: Adams also did some occasional writing for the strip.

 

 

 

[dover]

This is a very hard run to put together in high grade. They just do not come up for sale that often. I have never seen some issues for sale in the grade I would prefer. But I managed to get a few books years ago at what I think was a great price. One of the first books I bought on my return to collecting, with Neal in mind was this one;

 

I have a feeling it will be the last one to go, when the time comes...

 

 

 

the Strange Adventures run..

 

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here is a non-Adams that I really like. I could see starting to collect this run and especially Adam Strange covers for sure.

 

 

and when I person like me, intent on collecting all Adams covers in CGC dreams: they dream of this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[seanfingh]

 

It's so funny that you have the SA 9 in this thread. I was obsessed with Captain Comet as a kid, because of his re-introduction in the Secret Society of Super-Villains book. On the DC side for me, in my formative years, it went Supes, Batman, GL, Martian Manhunter and Captain Comet as my faves.

 

SA 9 is one of the coolest books of any age, as far as I am concerned.

[Boozad]

 

That's an awesome book Michael

[dover]

Wonder Woman 88 CGC 9.9....

 

 

 

Wonder Woman 88 CGC 9.8 SS

 

[dover]

Vacation!!!

 

Every year we head to Kiawah, SC. If you never heard of it, join the club. If you live on the East coast and love the ocean, I can't think of a better place to be.

 

My wife's family has come here for 30 years. It is just below Charleston, SC on a little island; private, gated and beautiful. The beach at low tide stretches for 100 yards, flat and awesome. A small surf, 2 - 3 footers not for surfing but great for boogie board and fun. Being close to Charleston means there is plenty to see and do as well as be close to history.

 

 

The fam on the beach:

 

I spend most of my time building castles. We even had a few survive the night.

 

 

 

But this year was a little different. The kids are getting a little older, I am able to get a little historical learning / sight seeing in without so much fuss. Charleston is steeped in history of early America dating back to before 1680. It was basically granted by King Charles to his most loyal generals. They founded it and settled it. The history is amazing and this year we got to fool the kids into seeing a historic place; the Old Exchange and Dungeon on Broad Street.

 

Originally built as part of the walled city of Charles Towne, it was for entertaining, commerce and a meeting hall. It was the site of the Charles Towne Tea party; which like the Boaston Tea Party took the tea from the British, but unlike Boston, they sold the tea to buy guns and ammunition for the militia.

 

It was the site where the Sons of Freedom met to declare their independence from Britian 4 months before the actual Declaration of Independence. It was also where the Constitution was ratified by SC. I stood in the hall where that documant was and so many signed their name to that hallowed parchment. If you know nothing of me, know that I do not take this lightly. There are only two remaining places where the Constitution was signed / ratified by a state; the other is Independence Hall.

 

Charles Towne was taken captive by the British army during the Revolutionary war. The basement of the Exchange was turned into a dungeon for people acting as traitors to the monarchy. 3 signers of the Declaration of Independence were held there. The conditions were not good. 75% of all prisoners died from disease and squalor rather than conflict of battle.

 

As I stood in that place, sacred ground to me, I could not go unaffected by the power of their sacrafice for mine and my family. It was for me a bit beyond words and meanings; it became more like a religous experience. These men and women, these Patriots gave so that I could have. They died so that I could live. They lost so that I could win.

 

These are my two children in front of one of the greatest documents ever written. I hope it lasts through their life time. I will instill every ounce of energy I have to teach them what it means.

 

If you get the chance, visit Charleston. Stay at one of the many beaches, you will enjoy.

 

 

God Bless America.

 

 

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[seanfingh]

 

This is a great thread, Michael.

[dover]

This is a great thread, Michael.

 

 

 

[dover]

Last day at the beach. Tomorrow we head home to the real world. It has been great as always and luckily we will be back in 3 weeks for a "just" us vacation: the kids, the wife and me.

 

I did do something on the beach for the first time in 5 years since bringing the family to the shore: I sat down in a chair and relaxed. I was shocked at how it felt, the calming affect, the nice breeze, I even got to share some of the shade I purchased. It was a very nice 5 minutes, while the kids took a break, hydrated and snacked. I am going to look into this "sitting" thing in the future.

 

 

Looking for creatures with the local environmentalist: me and my daughter Sarah on the on side of the net.

 

 

My son does what a boy should do: run, fall, get up, repeat.

 

 

 

Sarah getting confident with the boogie board; next year I am sure I'll have to buy real ones.

 

 

 

Thomas and Sarah enjoying the waves: there was a storm off the coast that provided a great breeze and nice surf.

 

 

 

 

Trick learning: "hey kids stand next to that guy while I take your picture." "Dad. who is he suppossed to be?"

(opening for teaching), "well let me tell you about the begining of our country......"

 

 

 

For the money, the best place to eat seafood in Charleston!!

 

 

and there are comics on my office desk when I get back Monday!

 

[dover]

one more just in....

 

Superboy

 

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.. raw...

 

 

 

[Mr.Diggler]

Nice picts!

[dover]

I do not know why exactely but I was always drawn to this title. One of the ones I collected and always remember getting in the mail. I used to get them sent by DC wrapped in a brown piece of shipping paper. Not a way to get minty books for sure, but I did not think of that back then. Sometimes there was even glue residue from where they folded and sealed the paper around the comic. I could read them just the same....aaahhh childhood.....

 

 

 

 

 

the Justice League of America

 

 

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[dover]

Here is the title where Batman gets rid of Robin and hooks up with some "strange".

 

the Brave and the Bold

 

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...

 

 

My current favorite in this series:

 

 

 

[dover]

....if not me, then who?

 

 

The person in the office next to me is a very good person. I have known him for 20 years. I have watched his children grow up over that time. He is my sounding board, my mirror and at times my contrast. I owe much to the shaping of my beliefs to the talks I have had with him. He has a son. He actually has two girls and two boys, but this is about the oldest boy. Knowing what I know of my friend; I find it easy to understand what his son did.

 

His son joined the Marines two years ago. During the worst of Iraq, the upturn in Afghanistan violence, he stood up and took the cause, took the pledge. He told me the reason. His son told me, "If not me, who is going to fight for our freedom? "...If not me, who is going to fight for our country?" If not me...... I have yet to forget that statement, more so I have yet to forget the power of the words, the scope of the ideal, the truth in the cost of freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

 

(Do not bother arguing war and peace or anything else one finds to meddle in, that is not the focus of the story)

 

He came to our work place today. He brought pictures and videos from his first tour of duty. I watched in awe. Not in awe of war, destruction, killing; in awe of sacrifice. I cannot tell you details of what I saw, not important anyway. I took away many things from the slide show he did for us but the amazement for me comes from the knowledge that people can do what they do, when surrounded on all fronts by those that seek to stop them. When you are shot at on a daily basis, when the next step could always be the last one, not knowing where the next IED is hidden, how would you cope? Watching the videos of the Marines interacting with each other, confronting situations that they found and the very normal and serene way they dealt with them was truly ........ a bit overwhelming.

 

They live, they survive, and they move forward, they cope. They find ways to make it normal, and if not normal, simply bearable at times works. What I saw was young men that believed in what they were doing and wanted to do it well. Young men sacrificing a very large part of their life, perhaps a part of their morality, certainly a part of their youth and perspective.

 

I am a proud parent, I will always be proud of my children. But, if my son could someday live his life, make his choices with the same conviction of creed and character, I will be a very proud father. To stand in the face of fear, a chance of death and a greater chance of injury, to say I will do it so that another will not have to; I stand in awe.

 

...if not me, then who?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dover]

 

Thomas and I were reading together the other night, always do before bed. I am reading Harry Potter and he is listening while bopping around the bed, very normal. He gets some Vaseline for his lips and puts some on; they are red from being chapped.

 

I ask him why he does not use chap stick during the day? He responds by saying, “the teacher notices if you go to your book bag”. Me, not quite knowing just what that has to do with anything, proceeds to question him. “why does that matter?” He looks at me as though I am dumb, puts his hands out in that Italian way of his ancestors and says, “people notice.” Here I go again, not quite sure what any of this means, I say “what?”

 

Thomas again, hands out, shoulders in full shrug now, telling me by gesture alone it seems, that I just don’t get it, “if the teacher notices, the class notices and then they will all see me getting my chap stick out.” Oh, now I get it. He is embarrassed to do this in front of everyone, got it. So I tell him no problem, I understand. So I ask, why not put it in your pocket?

 

As fast as I can finish he responds, “Dad…….PE (physical education)……outside…..(and literally, all those …. he is pausing, shoulders going up, head going down as if to highlight my ignorance)……running…..falling……chap stick comes out………losing it…….gone.”

 

Amazing. I wonder where he gets the idea that everyone just should know certain things and that explaining in detail is a bit of a chore…..

 

Love them the very best you can, then find a little more

[dover]

Here are the Batmans that I have managed to gather so far. I have gone slow on this title as the price is usually above what I am willing to pay. I get them when the price is right as the print run and pressing ability keeps the census growing. When I had the chance to buy some Mass copies, I did not hesitate however.

 

 

the Batman....

 

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favorite cover of the run: Mass copy goodness to boot.

 

 

 

 

1935

[dover]

Gone for one week without the internets.... I'll get a nice post soon!

 

 

[dover]

 

Did a few things on the last vacation that I have not done for a while: direct family only and ..... no internet.

 

We took our second beach vacation to Kiawah, SC last week. That is 5 years in a row. We usually go with various parts of our family; mothers, fathers, cousins, brothers, etc.....always a full house and a great time. This stretch of 7 days at a rental house was just us: wife and two kids. First time we have done that since having kids. It was refreshing, fun and relaxing. It is not that it was better, it was just different. When you are with other people you always have to move to the slowest common denominator. You have to ask other people what they are doing, spontaniety is not quite allowed. Always working as a group just has a different dynamic then working as a smaller family unit. I bet we do it again.

 

One of the highlights was kayaking with dolphins. We rented kayaks and set out down the river to the inlet to the ocean. Stopped at a little out crop of land that appears at low tide. Found crabs and shrimp and fish and mud; good time. On the paddle back we spotted dolphins going up the inlet. We slowly paddled over and proceeded to be amongst about 10 dolphins for about 45 minutes. They were just playing, moving and forming in groups. We were within 5 to 20 feet of them most of the time. They never fully jumped out of the water but many many times they were tail in the air upside down. The kids were so excited it was hard to contain. They could see their eyes when they surfaced for air and almost reach out and touch them. Hard to beat that education.

 

The second item I that was different was no internet(s). That was hard. I did not know at the time, the drive down that it would be the case; who does not have internet access? Well, in this rental house there is none. I could have gone to a cafe and gotten a connection but then it became a test. I passed (with the help of www.Gin and Tonic.com..... It did allow me time to finish a great great book.

 

John Adams by David McCullough. What an incredible book. I am a history nut for the dawn of our country, steeped in the revolution and this book was an incredible journey through that time. Rather than a book where the author does research and then tells you what he thinks Adams meant; this book was basically John Adams' letters telling his story. Unbelievable amount of information right from the father of our constitution and one of the great few of our country. And the letters to and from other such greats as Thomas Jefferson made it even better. These two men, what they did and what they gave to their country, my country, is uncovered in the letters they wrote. They were hard rivals of two seperate parties but always friends if not in public, deep within the heart. I could not recommend it more. But lets face it, it plays right into my love and passion.

 

Interesting fact that I did not know before this book. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the same day within hours of each other. They died on the 50 year anniversary of a pretty important event...........both of these men, fathers of this great country died on July 4, 1826.

 

 

 

life is what you make of it .... lose the ability to connect to the internet and gain the knowledge of history....... I'll take it.

 

 

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