The John Berk Collection

[shadroch]

Does anyone know if this collection,which was the source of most of the scans for Gerbers Marvel Guides,is still intact.Has any of it be CGC'd?

[drbanner]

Does anyone know if this collection,which was the source of most of the scans for Gerbers Marvel Guides,is still intact.Has any of it be CGC'd?

 

I believe Jon wrote at least one "guest editorial" in the CBM back in '00 or so (pre-CGC) that was not real favorable towards CGC. I have no idea whether his collection has been slabbed, but the tone of his comments lead me to believe it hasn't...

[aardvark88]

Why would Berk have any intention of slabbing his Marvels as he built his run primarily for reading pleasure? His Marvel westerns in the Photojournal were intermittent issue #s -- some with heavy chipping. Later on he chased after the Larson pedigree GA mainly b/c of the history associated with the named collection.

[shadroch]

This is a collection I know nothing about,except that Gerber credits it for 95% of his scans. Looks pretty HG to me for the most part. If thats his idea of reading copies,I wonder what his keepers look like.

While I've had the Marvel PJ for quite awhile,it was only last nite that I bothered to read the fine print and saw that it was the Berk collection that provided the scans.I have vague memories of a tallish guy with a sort of afro from the mid-80s that used to buy at all the NY shows,I thought his name was Burke. Is this the same guy?

[nearmint]

No, if I'm remembering Berk correctly, you wouldn't describe him as tall. He's often at the SD Con.

[aardvark88]

Saw Berk in Diego comicon a few years ago. He is Caucasian & about 5 ft 6 inches in height carrying a knapsack full of Larsons. Don't know if he had an afro in the 80s.

[read_em-migration]

Not a great scan, sorry.

 

[Ron_Nasty]

He lives (or used to live) here in Connecticut. Always had his books on display at the Bookie's two day shows in the 80's and early 90's. I think he also had on display the first comic ever published.

 

Haven't seen him around in quite a while.

[read_em-migration]

He lives (or used to live) here in Connecticut. Always had his books on display at the Bookie's two day shows in the 80's and early 90's. I think he also had on display the first comic ever published.

 

Haven't seen him around in quite a while.

 

Yeah, wasn't he across the aisle from Saul's or Monkey House's table? Seems like for a while, it was either him or Ox Baker sitting at that table.

[shadroch]

Okay,thanks. hats not the person I ws thinking of. He must have a hell of a collection though

[buttock]

Jon Berk is a heckuva nice guy and his collection would make anyone wet their pants. It's the kind of collection where he'll tell you, "I've got the Mile High of that one, and another copy that's nicer." Why would he even think of slabbing them? That would be solely for ego. That's not his MO.

[tilleycs]

Yeah, wasn't he across the aisle from Saul's or Monkey House's table? Seems like for a while, it was either him or Ox Baker sitting at that table.

 

If this guy's only 5'6" and cleanshaven, there's no WAY he could be mistaken for Ox Baker.

[shadroch]

In fact,I have been mistaken for Ox Baker! I,myself, don't see the resemblence. I don't have his eyebrows. As if anyone does.

[jbcomicbox]

Geez guys, I am not dead yet....Alive and well in connecticut...still got a lot of comics, but have migrated slowly into GA art...contact at jbcomicbox@aol.com

[ArAich]

Whereabouts in Connecticut...I'm in Bristol...

[jbcomicbox]

I am decidely not tall,,,vertically challenged as it were.....yes my marvel collection is still intact....i have not slabbed anything...and geez my westerns are not that bad....Ernie spent two weeks at my house photographing...jon

[ArAich]

Just read the whole thread...I see you're in Hartford...New Englands rising star...

[jbcomicbox]

wonderful cromwell connecticut...and to those of you who have wondered if i slab...i do not....and to the extent i buy a slabbed book (GA)....GASP....I crack it open...I have been doing this for 30+ years...and this old dog is not quite ready for a new trick yet.....I understand the leverage that certification would give if i were to sell...I guess it is just I like the smell of newsprint in the morning

 

I write for CBM...those interested may want to check out the article on Fox Publication that was recently put on the web...www.comicartville.com/victorfox.htm

 

oh many thanks to Mike D. alerting me to these inquiries....Jon

[shadroch]

Hi,John

Nice to hear from you. As a long time collector,your books look real nice to me.

How about a short tale about how your books ended up being used. It would be of great interest ,to me at the very least.

[Aman619]

me too!