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Lost in collecting- Om's Journal by oldmilwaukee6er
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403 posts in this topic

This tumblr feed still makes me laugh. http://xmenwithgooglyeyes.tumblr.com/

 

My lady's modern collection is outgrowing her two banker's boxes so I am picking up a new short box to get her stuff organized.

When we discovered the X-Men tumblr feed above, I did a bunch of R Crumb w/ googly eye stuff. Found this X-Men book in her stash this morning. lol

 

googly_zpsd2rjwmes.jpg

 

 

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On pedigreed underground comix

The strong results for the Haight Ashbury pedigree books had me thinking of the topic of pedigreed underground comix.

HaightAshbury_2_zpstklt58ql.jpg

 

Is there such a thing as a pedigreed collection of underground comix? For some time in the ‘early-oughts,’ underground comix community debated about the existence of a pedigreed underground comix collection, and this debate continued until the publication of the first Fogel’s underground guide in 2006 (the introduction of the Malcom Whyte Collection). At issue, is whether or not an underground collection would meet the four criteria for a pedigreed collection, which are:

 

Origin- A pedigreed collection must have been accumulated by one individual during the time the comics were released on the newsstand.

 

Quality- A pedigreed collection must primarily consist of high quality comic books.

 

Completeness- A pedigreed collection must contain a substantial number of key or rare issues, or represent a significant portion of a particular genre, company, period, or classic title / character.

 

Market acceptance- CGC and the collecting community must continue to recognize the pedigree name of a collection past the point of initial sale.

 

 

The hurdles for an underground comix pedigree would be finding an original owner underground collection of an appropriate quality and completeness (generally >500 books) that would earn the CGC designation / market acceptance. Prior to 2006, no u-comix collection had met the designation and since that time only two have met all four criteria- the Malcom Whyte collection (presumably) and the Haight-Ashbury pedigree.

 

So in the mid-oughts, I began to research the concept of ‘pedigree-esque underground comix,’ which are books that have a recognized provenance or books that are part of other recognized pedigrees. When my freewebs account was disabled or the website went tits-up, I thought I lost the information. But nothing is really lost on the deep web. And so with the help of the Wayback Machine search engine, I am able to comb through a few archives of the old site and recapture some of that text.

 

I will be housing / working with the information here in my journal until I find a proper place for it. Also, I hope to build a record of the Haight-Ashbury books (and possibly the Malcom Whyte collection) here.

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Pedigree-esque – The Apex Novelties Collection (sometimes called Mowry salvaged Zaps)

 

Origin (High)- Mowry’s Opera House originally opened in 1879 and was located at the corner of Grove and Laguna Streets. The building had a very colorful history to say the least—it served as a temporary City Hall and Coroner’s Office following the 1906 earthquake and fire, it was a boxing arena, where John Sullivan fought Gentleman Jim Corbett (Fogel 1999), and during the early 1910-20s it served as a popular middle-class nightclub (SF Public Library). The 1960s saw Mowry’s Opera House in decline as “white flight” to sprawling suburbia led to urban exodus. Apex Novelties’ Don Donahue rented loft-space in the old opera house to rock bands, nude dancers, and even Rip Off Press (Kennedy 1982). The precise date of the fire is still a point of contention, but Donahue recalls that it was during the printing of C*nt Comics (c. 1969) that the loft caught fire, a “spectacular blaze” that burned the roof off (Kennedy 1982) and consumed approximately 500 copies of Zap Comix #1 (1st) stored on-site.

th_mowry1967_SFpubliclibrary.jpg th_mowry1906_SFmuseum.jpg

 

The “Apex Novelties Pedigree Collection” consists of 12 partially burned copies of Zap Comix #1 (1st) personally salvaged from the Mowry’s Opera House Fire@ by publisher Don Donahue. The cache of Mowry-salvaged Plymells surfaced from Donahue in November 2006 following personal communications with myself.#

th_myzap1_plymell.jpg th_ns_mowry_plymells1.jpg th_ns_mowry_plymells2.jpg th_ns_mowry_plymells7.jpg

th_ns_mowry_plymells3.jpg th_ns_mowry_plymells4.jpg th_ns_mowry_plymells5.jpg th_ns_mowry_plymells6.jpg

 

 

Quality (Low)- Because the books were salvaged by Donahue after a fire, all books grade CGC 2.5 or below and will exhibit fire and water damage.

 

Completeness (Low)- Only one issue / title is represented, Zap Comix #1 1st print, however, this issue is decidedly key and moderately scarce, with less than 100 total examples in the CGC Census.

 

Market acceptance (Medium Low)- While this pedigree is not recognized by CGC, books can be slabbed and earn universal blue labels despite the damage. Also, the books continue to garner moderate interest past the point of initial sale. Of the 12 discovered, 11 were sold to Michael Carbonaro (Neatstuff Collectibles LLC) around April 2007, with the remaining copy sold to me. The copies were first offered for sale to the public at San Diego Comic Con 2007, and they range from copies that are little more than charred remains, to those that exhibit only tell-tale water damage & scorching at the edges. Each “Apex Novelties Pedigree Collection” Zap Comix #1 (1st) includes a signed certificate of authenticity that includes a brief printing history, description of the fire, and the signatures of the late Don Donahue and Juststopit.DoyouWANTastrike? author Dan Fogel.

th_plymell2_electricbugaloo-coa.jpg

 

References

Fogel, D. (1999). UG!3K. Hippy Comix, Inc., El Sobrante, CA. 160 pgs.

Kennedy, J. (1982). The official underground and newave comix price guide. Boatner Norton Press: Cambridge, MA. ISBN 0960665439S.

@ Note that some debate exists over the precise date of the fire.

# More info: http://www.comicspriceguide.com/forum2/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=38619 (dead link)

 

Edited by oldmilwaukee6er
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It looks like the board censor does not like the abbreviation F U G for Fogel's Underground Guide!

 

Anyway, what about Donahue File Copies? Have some slabbed undergrounds been designated with that on the label? I thought I recalled seeing a few. I guess those would only be the Apex Novelties books that Don had as I imagine all the other books he had in large quantities were purchased from another source somewhere along the line.

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What about Donahue File Copies? Have some slabbed undergrounds been designated with that on the label? I thought I recalled seeing a few. I guess those would only be the Apex Novelties books that Don had as I imagine all the other books he had in large quantities were purchased from another source somewhere along the line.

 

Good point, BrotherJ, and thanks for the comment. Here is a list of the underground comix ‘pedigrees’ or ‘provenances’ that I will be exploring in the coming weeks:

Don Rosa

Haight-Ashbury

Don Schenker (Print Mint) File Copies

Fred Todd File Copies

IRS

Massachusetts

 

 

I was able to salvage text on the list above and will be re-working it into the format show above and below, e.g. using the four criteria for pedigrees- origin, quality, completeness, and market acceptance.

 

Once the above list is complete, I will look toward the following:

Don Donahue File Copies

Denis Kitchen File Copies

Harvey Kurtzman File Copies

Malcolm Whyte Collection

Graham Nash Collection

Others?

 

However, I do have a slight problem with the Donahue File Copies. My LIMITED research in the mid-2000s demonstrated (to me) that while a small cache of original Donahue Files surfaced on Heritage, at least TWO collectors were able to submit Donahue catalog books directly to CGC AFTER and earn the file copy designation, which dilutes the provenance of a Don Donahue File Copy. For me, Donahue catalog books do not equate to file copies.

 

It will be difficult, however, as I am now 10 years removed from the original research that I did.

 

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Pedigree-esque – The Don Rosa Collection

Origin (High)- Keno Don Hugo Rosa, herein Don Rosa, is a comic book writer and illustrator who is well regarded for his award-winning “duck” and Disney stories (mostly Scrooge McDuck or Donald Duck). Rosa has also been recognized as among the first scholars of “fandom,” writing and illustrating columns for major fanzines, such as the “Information Center” in The Rocket's Blast Comicollector (1974-1979), or other features in Comic Buyer’s Guide; formerly The Buyer's Guide to Comics Fandom), Comics Journal, & Amazing Heroes (CBP 2008). Don Rosa is also a noted comic book collector who began collecting around 1962. It is said that his collection contains “every comic book and magazine issued from every publisher from 1966 to the late 1980's” (CBP 2008a).

 

Quality (Medium)- “Don Rosa Collection” books typically exhibit tight bindings, sharp corners, deep ink reflectivity, and a fresh newsstand appearance (CBP 2008). Don Rosa comix have graded between 9.0 - 9.6 when slabbed by CGC, with some raw examples in in FN to FNVF range.

 

Completeness (Low)- To date (2008), only “groundlevel” comix like Comix Book or Comix Intl. have surfaced from the “Don Rosa Collection,” however given Rosa’s similar involvement in comics fandom as many UG artists (e.g. early Crumb, Lynch, Williamson, etc.), it is very likely that the collection includes some u-comix. As of this writing (2008), only comics from 1970-present have been released for sale which are dominated by Bronze Age Marvel, DC, Charlton, & Gold Key.

 

Known “Don Rosa Collection” comix:

CGC 9.6 Comix Book #2 (1st) Don Rosa @

FN Comix Book #4 (1st) Don Rosa w/ COA

FNVF Comix Book #5 (1st) Don Rosa w/ COA

VFNM Comix International #2 (1st) Don Rosa w/ COA

VFNM Comix International #4 (1st) Don Rosa w/ COA

CGC 9.0 Comix International #5 (1st) Don Rosa http://www.pedigreecomics.com/detail.php?issue_id=10002

 

Market acceptance (Medium - High)- Most(?) of these books were sold through/by Matt Nelson prior to the formation of Comic Conservation Service (CCS). This was around 2007-2008 or so. Each Don Rosa book should include a COA and CGC will include the notation of “Don Rosa Collection” when Rosa books are slabbed (see image link above).

 

____________________

Comic Book Pedigrees (CBP). (2008a). The Don Rosa collection. Retrieved on February 14, 2008, from http://www.comicpedigrees.com/don-rosa-collection.htm (dead link).

 

@ This copy was briefly listed on Pedigree Comics website & I was able to bid on it. However, for weeks my bid went unanswered and follow-up communications showed that the book was pulled from the website & its whereabouts unknown.

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On FOMO / FOLO in soccer and comic books

If you read this journal, you may have picked up that I LOVE lurv English Premier League soccer (and have since the late 80s). One of the only podcasts that I listen to religiously is the Guardian’s Football Weekly (http://www.theguardian.com/football/series/footballweekly). I have another friend at the corner spot bar that likes to talk footie and he listens as well. Last night, while doing dishes, I was catching up on the pod when midway I began to identify with the discussion on fear of missing out (FOMO; or fear of losing out FOLO) and football transfers (after Gregg Bakowski; 20:27 mark).

 

“Football just seems to have become a reflection of social media and everybody condenses their judgement to 4 or 5 games, even less than that. And player stock rises and falls given a few good games. And the pressure put onto to clubs by fans to be seen as active in the transfer market.”

 

The argument is…

Fans put pressure on soccer clubs to act in the market.

The clubs are petrified of missing out to a bigger club (FOMO).

This leads to ridiculous prices paid in the transfer market.

The inflated transfer market means a £5-6M ‘gamble’ player now costs £14-15M.

 

THIS is the impact of FOMO / FOLO. So, let me see if I can extend the analogy to comics.

 

Speculators, adaptation to other mediums, and the 'This Week on Your Collection' thread put pressure on collectors to act in the market.

Collectors are petrified of missing out (FOMO).

This leads to ridiculous prices paid in the market.

The inflated market means that a $3-5 gamble book now costs $35-75 (e.g. the $75 variant ‘flavor of the week’ or the sudden Devil Dinosaur love)

 

One confounding variable is that BOTH are in a boom market, i.e. the new £5B TV deal for BPL soccer rights or the Zeitgeist-Geek-Con Era, so that is also pushing the market forward.

 

So, what role does FOMO / FOLO play in your collecting, AKA which manager are you?

Arsene Wegner? Content to flip through your books and look forward to another year of working with those books?

Jose Mourinho? Had your want list ready since April and pizzed that you cannot buy them?

Louis Van Gaal? Making panic buys?

 

 

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Pedigree- The Haight-Ashbury Pedigree

Origin (Medium)- In an article published in 2013, CGC noted that the Haight-Ashbury (H-A) Pedigree is the first-ever CGC-pedigreed collection of vintage underground comix. In articles published in 2013 and again in 2015, CGC notes the following:

• These comics were collected by a single individual (original owner or OO) from San Francisco starting in 1970.

• After obtaining his first batch of underground comics, the owner started putting aside new books every week for the next five to six years, never reading them.

• Although he was not a comic collector, he collected other items and knew it was important to store them carefully.

• From 1976 to 1981 the OO added a few comics and associated publications to his collection, but nothing like the early years.

• In 2012, the owner came across the books he put away decades ago and decided to sell them.

• Howard Greber (AKA Eggs Ackley) contacted the OO and purchased the entire collection.

• The 2015 Heritage listings did not offer any further insight into the OO of the pedigree collection. The Heritage listing only offers “From the collection of Howard Greber.”

 

Quality (High)- Heritage’s David Tosh was quoted as saying that “none [other collections] have come close to this one, in terms of condition.” He goes further in noting that “almost all the major keys are here, many in the finest certified condition known to exist.” CGC (2013 & 2015) note that because the comics were so carefully stored (meticulously, says one article), they boast exceptionally rich color, freshness, and “look like they were printed yesterday.” Moreover, Paul Litch, CGC primary grader, commented that “this is a rare and exceptional collection of underground books that has never been seen in such high grade. The pages are in beautiful condition; the covers have bold colors.”

 

Completeness (High)- The H-A Pedigree consists of approximately 523 underground comix and magazines. CGC notes that the collection features an overwhelming majority of first printings with minimal duplication (~89% first print; but see also the list in my next post). As previously noted, “almost all the major keys are present” [There are some NOTABLE exceptions, including reprints of Snatch 1, Zap Comix 1, Mr. Natural, Big Ash, Motor City… i.e. most pre-1970 comix].

 

Known H-A Pedigree comix:

• The Collected Cheech Wizard #nn Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Company and Sons, 1972) CGC NM+ 9.6 Off-white to white pages....

• San Francisco Comic Book #3 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Print Mint, 1970) CGC NM 9.4 White pages....

• Snatch Comics #2 First Printing Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Apex Novelties, 1969) CGC NM- 9.2 Off-white pages....

• Death Rattle #1 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Kitchen Sink, 1972) CGC NM/MT 9.8 Off-white to white

• The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers #1 First Printing - Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Rip Off Press, 1971) CGC NM- 9.2 Off-white to w...

• S. Clay Wilson Portfolio Comics Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Print Mint, 1970) CGC NM/MT 9.8 Off-white to white pages....

• Zap Comix #8 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Print Mint, 1975) CGC MT 9.9 Off-white to white pages....

• Motor City Comics #2 First Printing - Haight Ashbury pedigree (Rip Off Press, 1970) CGC NM+ 9.6 White pages....

• American Splendor #1 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Harvey Pekar, 1976) CGC NM+ 9.6 Off-white to white pages....

• Big Comics #2 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Rip Off Press, 1971) CGC NM 9.4 White pages....

• The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers #2 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Rip Off Press, 1972) CGC NM 9.4 Off-white to white pages....

• Snatch Comics #3 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Apex Novelties, 1969) CGC NM/MT 9.8 Off-white pages....

• Funny Aminals #1 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Apex Novelties, 1972) CGC NM/MT 9.8 White pages....

• Zap Comix #3 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Apex Novelties, 1968) CGC NM- 9.2 Off-white to white pages....

• Arcade the Comics Revue #1 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Print Mint, 1975) CGC NM/MT 9.8 White pages....

• Fresno Comix #1 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Commonwealth Graphics, 1973) CGC NM- 9.2 White pages....

• Zap Comix #4 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Apex Novelties, 1969) CGC NM 9.4 Off-white to white pages....

• El Perfecto Comics #nn Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Print Mint, 1973) CGC NM 9.4 White pages....

• Zap Comix #7 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Print Mint, 1974) CGC NM+ 9.6 White pages....

• All Stars #2 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Gary Arlington, 1970) CGC NM+ 9.6 White pages....

• Black And White Comics #nn Haight Ashbury pedigree (Apex Novelties, 1973) CGC NM+ 9.6 White pages....

• Promethean Enterprises #2 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Promethean Enterprises, 1970) CGC NM+ 9.6 White pages....

• San Francisco Comic Book #2 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Print Mint, 1970) CGC NM+ 9.6 Off-white to white pages....

• The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers #4 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Rip Off Press, 1975) CGC NM/MT 9.8 Off-white to white pages....

• Slow Death #2 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Last Gasp, 1970) CGC NM 9.4 Off-white to white pages....

• Tortoise and the Hare #1 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Last Gasp, 1971) CGC NM 9.4 White pages....

• The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers #6 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Rip Off Press, 1980) CGC NM+ 9.6 White pages....

• The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers #5 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Rip Off Press, 1977) CGC NM/MT 9.8 Off-white to white pages....

• Garbage Comix #1 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Krus McDonald, 1973) CGC VF/NM 9.0 White pages....

• The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers #7 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Rip Off Press, 1982) CGC NM 9.4 White pages....

• Junkwaffel #2 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Print Mint, 1972) CGC NM 9.4 Off-white to white pages....

• Junkwaffel #3 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Print Mint, 1972) CGC NM/MT 9.8 White pages....

• The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers #3 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Rip Off Press, 1973) CGC NM 9.4 Off-white to white pages....

• Graphic Fantasy #1 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (D. B. Features, 1971) CGC NM 9.4 Off-white to white pages....

• Grunt #1 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Grunt Records, 1972) CGC NM+ 9.6 White pages....

• Your Hytone Comix #nn Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Apex Novelties, 1971) CGC NM- 9.2 Off-white to white pages....

• Facts o' Life Funnies #nn Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Rip Off Press, 1972) CGC NM+ 9.6 Off-white to white pages....

• Junkwaffel #1 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Print Mint, 1971) CGC VF/NM 9.0 Off-white to white pages....

• Snarf #1 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Kitchen Sink, 1972) CGC NM- 9.2 Off-white pages....

• Weird Graphic Fantasy #4 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (D.B. Features, 1973) CGC NM- 9.2 Off-white to white pages....

• Artistic Comics #nn Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Golden Gate, 1973) CGC NM 9.4 White pages....

• Slow Death #3 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Last Gasp, 1971) CGC NM- 9.2 Off-white to white pages....

• Despair #nn 2nd Printing - Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Print Mint, No Date) CGC NM- 9.2 White pages....

• Bid Source: Internet

• Fantagor #2 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Rip Off Press, 1972) CGC NM- 9.2 White pages....

• Anomaly #4 Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Jan Strnad, 1972) CGC NM- 9.2 Off-white to white pages....

• Tales from the Tube #1 2nd Printing - Haight-Ashbury pedigree (Print Mint, 1973) CGC VF/NM 9.0 Off-white to white pages....

• Underground Comix-Related Book Group - Haight-Ashbury Collection (1970s-2000s)....

• Underground Comix, Poster, and Magazine Group of 6 - Haight-Ashbury Collection (c. 1970s).... (Total: 6 Items)

 

Market acceptance (TBD, but expected to be High). The first 47 comix (and two comix lots) were auctioned by Heritage in August 2015, showing very strong results. As of this writing (2015), it is unknown if/when additional books will come to market.

 

________________________________

References

Certified Guaranty Company, LLC (CGC). (2015, July 7). Haight-Ashbury underground comix coming to Heritage Auctions. Retrieved from http://www.cgccomics.com/news/viewarticle.aspx?NewsletterNewsArticleID=3191

 

CGC. (2013, January 31). CGC recognizes Haight-Ashbury pedigree. Retrieved from http://www.cgccomics.com/news/viewarticle.aspx?IDArticle=3161&

 

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Inventory of The Haight-Ashbury Pedigree (Courtesy EggsAckley)

 

NAME OF COMIC ISSUE NO (if given). PRINT (1st unless otherwise noted)

 

Aardvark 2

Abortion Eve NN

All Canadian Beaver Comix 1

All New Underground Comics 1

All New Underground Comics 2

All New Underground Comics 3

All New Underground Comics 4

All New Underground Comics 5

Amazon Comics NN

Amazing Adult Fantasies NN

American Flyer Funnies 1

American Flyer Funnies 2

Air Pirates Funnies 1

Air Pirates Funnies 2

Amputee Love 1

Anarchy Comics 2

Anomaly 4

Armadillo Comics 2

Armageddon 2

Armageddon 3

Artistic Comics NN

Avenging World NN

Bakersfield Kountry Komics NN

Balloon Vendor NN

Bonzai NN

Barbarian Comics 1

Barbarian Comics 2

Barbarian Comics 3

Barbarian Women 2

Barbarian Killer Funnies NN

Barefootz Funnies 1

Barefootz Funnies 2

Barefootz Funnies 3

Bent NN First

Bent NN Second

Best Buy Comics NN

Bicentennial Gross-Outs 1

Big Apple Comix NN

Big Comics 1 Fourth

Big Comics 2 Third

Bijou Funnies 4 First

Bijou Funnies 5 Fourth

Bijou Funnies 6

Bijou Funnies 7 First

Binky Brown 1 Second

Bizarre Sex 1 Second

Bizarre Sex 3 Second

Bizarre Sex 8

Black & White Comics NN

Blood On The Moon NN

Bogeyman Comics 1

Bogeyman Comics 2

Bogeyman Comics 3

Book of Raziel NN

Brain Fantasy 1

Bum Wad NN

California Comics 1

California Comics 3

The Captain NN

Captain Guts Comix 1 Second

Captain Guts Comix 2

Captain Guts Comix 3

The Collected Cheech Wizard NN

The Collected Cheech Wizard NN

Choice Meats Comics 1

Choice Meats Comics 2 Second

Cloud Comics 2

Cocaine Comix 1

Color NN

Commies From Mars 1

Commies From Mars 2

Coochy Cooty Mens Comics NN

Compost Comics NN

Conspiracy Capers NN

Corn Fed Comics 1

Corn Fed Comics 2

Cosmic Capers NN

Cover-Up Lowdown NN

Corporate Crime Comics 1

Corporate Crime Comics 2

Death Rattle 1

Death Rattle 2

Death Rattle 3

Despair NN

Defiant Slice Funnies 1

Defiant Slice Funnies 2

Die Gretchen NN

Dirt Ball Funnies NN Second

Dirty Duck Book NN

Dirty Laundry Comics 1

Dirty Laundry Comics 1

Dirty Laundry Comics 2

Dopin Dan 1

Dopin Dan 1

Dopin Dan 3

Dr. Atomic's Marijuana Multiplier NN Second

Dr. Atomic 1

Dr. Atomic 2

Dr. Atomic 3

Droll NN

Dying Dolphin NN

Dynamite Damsels NN

El Perfecto Comics NN

Enigma

Eternal Comics 1

Fact O' Life Sex Eduction Funnies NN First

Fact O' Life Sex Eduction Funnies NN Second

Fantagor 1 Second

Fantagor 2

Fantagor 3

Fantagor 4

Fat Freddy's Cat 1

Fat Freddy's Cat 2

Fat Freddy's Cat 3

Fat Freddy's Cat 4

Fat Freddy's Cat 5

Fear & Laughter NN

Feelgood Funnies 2

Felch NN Second

Fever Dreams NN Second

50's Funnies NN

Fog City Comics 1

Fog City Comics 1

Fog City Comics 2

Food Comics 3

Forbidden Comics 1

Four Sketchbooks 1

Freak Brothers 1 First

Freak Brothers 1 Second

Freak Brothers 1 Seventh

Freak Brothers 2 First

Freak Brothers 2 Second

Freak Brothers 3

Freak Brothers 4

Freak Brothers 5

Freak Brothers 6

Fresno Comix 1

tup Funnies NN

Funny Aminals NN

Funny Book NN

Garbage Comics 1

Girl Fight Comics 1

Girl Fight Comics 1

Gimme 1

Gjdrkzlxcrbwq Comics NN

Good Jive Comics 1

Good Jive Comics 2

Gory Stories 2 ½

Gory Stories 2 ½

Gory Stories 2

Graphic Fantasy 1

Graphic Fantasy 2

Graphic Fantasy 4

Greaser Comics 2

Greaser Comics 1 Second

Grim Wit 2

Grim Wit 2

Grim Wit 1 Second

Grunt 2

Grunt 1

Guano Comix 4

Guano Comix 4

Harold Hedd 2

Harold Hedd 2

Hard Times 1

Heart NN

Heavy Tragi Comics NN

High Adventure NN

High-Flyin' Funnies Comix & Stories 1

Hit The Road NN

Hungry Chuck Biscuits 1 Fourth

Hup 2

Hup 3

Hup 4

Hydrogen Bomb 1

Illuminations NN

Image Of The Beast NN

Inner City Romance

Inner City Romance 1

Insect Fear 2

It Ain't Me Babe NN

Jesus Comics 4

Junkwaffel 1

Junkwaffel 1

Junkwaffel 2

Junkwaffel 2

Junkwaffel 3

Junkwaffel 3

Judy Tunafish NN

Junk Comix NN

Kanned Korn Komix NN

Kurtzman Comix NN

L.A. Comics 1

L.A. Comics 2

Lair Of Madness 2

Laugh In The Dark NN

Lean Years NN

Legion Of Charlies 1

Left-Field Funnies NN

Left-Field Funnies NN

Lemme Outa Here NN

Let's Not Say We Did Funnies 1

Let's Not Say We Did Funnies 1

Light NN

Light NN

Like Nobody's Buziness Funnies NN

Little Book Of Inner-Space NN

Little Green Dinosaur 1

Little Green Dinosaur 2

Man NN Second

Manhunt 1

Manhunt 2

Meef 1

Meef 2

Merton Of The Movement NN

Mean person_without_enough_empathy Thrills NN

Mom's Homemade Comics 1 Second

Mom's Homemade Comics 2

Mom's Homemade Comics 3

Mickey Rat Comix 1

Mickey Rat Comix 2

Mondo Snarfo NN First

Mondo Snarfo NN Second

Monolith NN

Moon Dog 1

Moon Dog 2

Moon Dog 3

Moon Dog 3

Motor City Comics 1 Fourth

Motor City Comics 2

Motor City Comics 2

Mr. Natural 1 Third

Mr. Natural 1 Sixth

Mr. Natural 1 Seventh

Mr. Natural 2

Mutants Of The Metropolis NN

Myron Moose Funnies 2

Nard N' Pat 1

Net Profit 1

Neurocomics NN

The New Adventures of Jesus NN

Occult Laff-Parade NN

O.K. Comics 1

O.K. Comics 2

Pagfeek Papers NN

Pandora's Box Comics NN

People's Comics NN

Pork NN

Pork NN

Projunior NN

Psychotic Adventures 1

Psychotic Adventures 2

Psychotic Adventures 3

Pudge 1

Pudge 2

Purple Cat NN

R. Crumbs Comics 1 Second

R. Crumbs Comics 1 Second

Radical America Komiks NN

Real Pulp Comics 1

Real Pulp Comics 2

Recollections NN

Recuerden El Alimo NN

Red Raider NN

Rip Off Comix 1

Rip Off Comix 2

Rip Off Comix 3

Rip Off Comix 4

Rip Off Comix 5

Rip Off Comix 6

Rip Off Comix 7

Rip Off Comix 8

Rip Off Comix 9

Rip Off Comix 10

Rock 'N Roll Madness 1

Rock 'N Roll Madness 2

Rowlf NN First

Rowlf NN Second

Roxy Funnies NN

Rubber Duck 2

S. Clay Wilson Portfolio 1970 NN

Saloon NN

San Francisco Comic Book 1

San Francisco Comic Book 2

San Francisco Comic Book 3

San Francisco Comic Book 4

San Francisco Comic Book 5

Savage Humor NN

Schizophrenia NN

Sex Affection NN

Short Order Comix 1

Show & Tell Comics NN

Skull Comics 1 Second

Skull Comics 2 Sixth

Skull Comics 3

Skull Comics 4

Skull Comics 5

Skull Comics 6

Sleazy Scandals Of The Silver Screen NN

Slow Death Funnies 1

Slow Death 2

Slow Death 3 Second

Slow Death 4

Slow Death 4

Slow Death 5 Second

Slow Death 6

Slow Death 7

Smile 1 Second

Snapper NN

Snappy Sammy Smoot 1

Snarf 1

Snarf 1

Snarf 3

Snarf 4

Snarf 5

Snarf 6

Snarf 7

Snatch Comics 1 Third

Snatch Comics 1 Fourth

Snatch Comics 2 Fifth

Snatch Comics 2 Sixth

Snatch Comics 3 First

Snatch Comics 3 Second

Snoid Comics 1

Softcore NN

Spaced NN

Spaced Out 1

Spasm! NN

Spirit 2

Sprocket Man NN NN

Stoned Out Funnies NN

Star Reach 1

Star Reach 2

Subvert Comics 1 Fourth

Subvert Comics 2

Subvert Comics 3

Suds NN

Sunpot NN

Super Soul Comix 1

Swamp Fever NN

Tail-Dragger Comix NN

Tasty 2

Tasty 2

Tails From The Sphinx 2

Tails From The Sphinx 2

Tails From The Berkeley-Con NN

Tails From The Berkeley-Con NN

Tails From Dr. Feelgood NN

Tails From The Fridge NN

Tails From The Leather Nun 1

Tails From The Leather Nun 1

Tails From The Ozone 2

Tails From The Plague 1

Tails From The Tube NN Second

Tails From The Tube NN Second

Tails Of Sex & Death 1

Tails Of Sex & Death 1

Tails Of Sex & Death 2

Tails Of The Armorkins NN

Tails Of The Toad 1

Tails Of The Toad 2

Tails Of The Toad 2

Tails Of The Toad 3

Teen-Age Horizons Of Shangri-la 1 Second

Teen-Age Horizons Of Shangri-la 2

Teen-Age Trash NN

Thrilling Murder Comics NN

Tits & Clits 1

Tits & Clits 2

Toe-Jamb NN

Tooney Loons 1

Tortoise And The Hare 1

Tortoise And The Hare 1

Trina's Girls NN

Trivial Annoyances NN

Truckin' 1

Truckin' 2

Tuff mess Comics NN

Tuff mess Comics NN

Turned On Cuties NN

#2. NN

Uncle Sham NN

Uneeda Comix NN

Uneeda Comix NN

Up From The Deep NN

Up From The Deep NN

Weird Fantasies NN

Weird Trips 1

Weird Trips 2

Weirdom Comix 15

Weirdom Comix 16

Wha..!? NN

White Comanche NN

White Lunch Comix NN

White Whore Funnies 1

Wimmen's Comix 1

Wimmen's Comix 1

Wimmen's Comix 2

Wimmen's Comix 3

Wimmen's Comix 4

Wimmen's Comix 4

Wimmen's Comix 6

Wimmen's Comix 6

Wipe Out Comics 7

Wonder Wart-Hog (Best of Vol. II) 1

Wonder Wart-Hog (Best of Vol. II) 1

Wonder Wart-Hog (Best of Vol. II) 2

XYZ Comics NN

Yellow Dog Comics 13

Yellow Dog Comics 15

Yellow Dog Comics 16

Yellow Dog Comics 17

Yellow Dog Comics 18

Yellow Dog Comics 19

Yellow Dog Comics 20

Yellow Dog Comics 21

Yellow Dog Comics 22

Yellow Dog Comics 23

Yellow Dog Comics 24

Yellow Dog Comics 25

Young Lust 1 Third

Young Lust 1 Ninth

Young Lust 2 Second

Young Lust 3

Young Lust 4

Your Hytone Comix NN

Your Hytone Comix NN

Zam NN

Zap – Mini 7

Zap Comix 1 Third

Zap Comix 2

Zap Comix 3

Zap Comix 4

Zap Comix 4

Zap Comix 5

Zap Comix 7

Zap Comix 8

Zap Comix 9

Zippy Stories 1

Zippy Stories 2

Zoot NN

 

MAGAZINE SIZE or ODDBALL

Air Pirates Tabloid

All Stars 2

American Splendor 1

American Splendor 2

American Splendor 3

American Splendor 5

Arcade 1

Arcade 1

Arcade 2

Arcade 3

Arcade 4

Arcade 5

Arcade 6

Arcade 7

Below The Line NN Second

Best Rip Off Press 1

Best Rip Off Press 2

Best Of San Francisco Ball 1

Best Of San Francisco Ball 2

Bizarre Sex 5

Bizarre Sex 6

Changes 3

Cochettes NN

Comix Book 1

Comix Book 1

Comix Book 2

Comix Book 3

Comix Book 4

Comix Book 5

Comix International 1

Comix International 2

Comix International 3

Comix International 4

History of Underground Comics NN

Incredible Rocky NN

Kennedy Price Guide NN

Kids Liberation Coloring Book NN

Komma-Kazi NN

Last Supplement To The White Earth Catalog NN

Laughing Gas NN

Man From Utopia NN

Melotoons 1

Melotoons 2

Promethean Enterprises 1

Promethean Enterprises 2

Promethean Enterprises 3

Promethean Enterprises 4

Promethean Enterprises 5

Short Order 2

Smile 2

Smile 3

Spaced 2

Super Jesus NN

Thunder-Head Photo Phantasies NN

Vibratory Provincial News 1

Weirdo 1

Weirdo 2

Yellow Dog Tabloid Reprint Set NN

Young Lust Reader NN

Yuckamobe NN

Zippy Nation Of Pinheads NN

 

UK COMIX

Amazing Love Stories

Animal Weirdness

CosmicComix 4

Cosmic Comix 5

CosmicComix 6

Dope Fiend Funnis

Edward's Henve

Half-Assed Funnies

Mixed Bunch 1

Moon Comix 1

Moon Comix 3

Ogoth & Ugly Boot

Rock 'N Roll Madness 1

Rock 'N Roll Madness 2

Sin City

Street Comix 3

Street Comix 4

Street Comix 5

Susie & Johnie

Tante Leny

View From The Void

Zip Comics 1

Zomix Comix

 

OTHER

Finger – Newspapers 2

Finger – Newspapers 3

Finger – Newspapers 4

Finger – Newspapers 5

Finger – Newspapers 7

Finger – Newspapers 7

 

Various Mail Order Catalogues

2 Dozen Newer Comic Books from the 80s

 

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Rando thoughts

 

Still working on my underground comix pedigree text, I need to do a little more research on the Massachusetts pedigree

Last week’s Wednesday One was two books, both readers. They won’t even see a bag and board. Star Wars Shattered Empire #1 and the Harley Quinn Road Trip special. Both were good reads, even the lady liked HQ, and lately she has not been much of a fan of the ‘stripper clown.’ Both books are lying on the bathroom floor. Funny how one can hoard 9.8s and then still have beat readers strewn about. Working on that balance. Cannot wait to see what tomorrow brings at the ole LCS.

My classes are kicking my butt. I feel punk and my body letting down. Classic early semester let down. Trying to ‘heed the call of the stress;’ exercising at least once per day, been on the bike several times, even a little street art, but may need to slow down and rest. New comic day sounds perfect for that.

Eye exam today. They over-dilated my eyes, like giant saucers, and it took hours for them to normalize. And every fiber in my being hates that pressure test. I have not had a new prescription in over four years though, so some new specs will be welcome.

Binged on Narcos (Netflix). Damn I enjoyed it, though it is very hard to watch at times. I do like creative nonfiction. Also been listening to Fletch while I am grading. Easy movie to listen to. A 1.5 hour grading jag goes by like nothing.

My 3XL Spawn shirt came from Taiwan. It is American sizing and thus HUGE on me. Whoops. The Spawn nightshirt. The funny thing is that I will probably wear it all the more now because I will care for it less. Meanwhile, I just hang the airbrushed shirt in my room, a shrine.

Saw my nephew net a hat trick in U8 soccer. Played with my little U3 nephew in the playground. Boy he is a talker, what a cool little kid. He was wearing a JLA t-shirt. It made me want to give him comics.

Speaking of JLA, my #1 is due back from CGC any day! Shiny! Each day I check for the mail slip and expect to just miss it. Hopeful for at least a GD+ 2.5. Told the lady that if it came back 2.0 I was probably underwater on it. She said “well isn’t that what you do with blue chips? Buy and hold.” LOVE THAT GIRL!

Volunteering SAT for 88Nine Radio Milwaukee’s street team at the Bay View Bash… little sun, little cold beerz, little muzak. Lots of acquaintances perhaps? And the lady by my side, who needs to get home to watch her LSU Tigers beat up on Auburn. SUN I am thrifting/picking with the chef; gonna see some country. Some of the bottle club members are metal detecting copper mine tailings up in the Upper Peninsula of MI. Yes, I belong to a bottle club.

Speaking of football, won my Wk1 fantasy match up. Play in a 12 team South Park themed IDP league with a few old friends. Monster WR corps, captured the 1st, 4th, and 6th top performances this week. Plus had 15+ pts J Jones (GB) on my bench. Plus have M Bryant (PIT) coming back from suspension in a few weeks. Monster WR corps. Spoiled for choice and will likely work a trade soon. My two big misses were starting P Manning over P Rivers and A Blue over B Sankey. Those are my big changes for Week 2. Plus I am gambling waiver wire kickers all season long, just trying to play match ups and because I think it is funny.

That’s about it sans Nyquil and a solid 8 hrs of sleep (hopefully)

Be well, Om

 

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You had me until YOLO

Wow! What a week. Pretty enjoyable in the end. Besides the usual work-a-day, I did have fun on new comic day. I pulled the latest Usagi Yojimbo (haven’t read it; 24 pages for $3.50… damn near the biggest rip on the planet, I mean mess Sakai has EARNED it, but seriously who else do you know that can charge $3.50 for 24 pages!?), the new Star Wars (consumed it and its digital brethren), and the new Jem & the Holograms (both covers, for the lady). I wanted Tokyo Ghost #1 based on my favorite LCS employee’s recommendation… as well as my favorite spec site’s recommendation. Plus, I mean singularity… dystopic future, I mean if you know me; you know that mess interests me. But my small East Side LCS burned through 8 copies in less than an hour, and thus I was shut out. But I could not let it lie.

 

The next day I was off work, and still feeling a little punk. I wanted Tokyo Ghost, and I thought (after many errands) I might be able to locate it at one of the other stores in town. I got started early in the morning… too early for most LCS however, as only one shop was in open at 11am- Vortex Comics. I hauled over to 84th n National to check that store (no luck, LCS only heard about it through me) and the other stores were not open until later. But since it was my day off, and feeling punk, I thought I might also catch the Liverpool vs. Bordeaux Europa league match at the local pub, and so hauled to have some lunch and catch the match (1-1 draw, disappointing). After lunch, I thought well… I cannot give up now, I already drove over to that side of town to look for a copy without success- dammit I am going to try one more time. Hit the single best store in town- Lost World of Wonders- and scored two copies of the book. Cruised home just before the rush hour traffic and read it in my chair before I zonked out for an hour.

 

Tokyo Ghost #1 (Remender/Murphy) (or the Adventures of Tank Girl & Maxx Bane)

tokyoghost1_zps9lrbtc7x.jpg

 

 

I LIKED IT (BUT)! Remender’s world is one that my lady and I teach (she in particular uses Kurzweil as a textbook and teaches a course on the Singularity), yet somehow it seems dated. I was excited to score the copies, and excited to share it with my lady. I liked the art and described it to her as Jim Mahfood meets Jamie Hewlett (VERY much Tank Girl inspired, and she agreed). I wanted her to like it and so made her read it upon returning home from work. And part of me likes the gamer-speak, but lady captured it perfectly-you had me until YOLO (acronym for you only live once). You might recall this as something ‘the kids’ say, but in reality NObody says it anymore. The writing is already so dated for 2015, like an old man trying to appeal to ‘the kids,’ that upon further reflection it seems absurd that we would talk that way in dystopic 2189. STILL… I’ll hang around for another couple issues and follow the adventures of Tank Girl and the Maxx Bane.

 

FRI usual work-a-day stuff, except afterwards I went to the Walmart Supercenter and started the process to procure some new spectacles. That took a while, but worth it in the end… put some cash down and bought a new pair of specs and some prescription sunglasses for only $97 on the debit. Not bad at all and kinda made me wonder why I left it four years this time. Upon returning home I bought another pair from my favorite online retailer (eyeglasses direct), cheapies with a yellow fashion tint (night driving, shooting, Steampunk, etc.) for $36 shipped. Schweeeet deal.

 

SAT, after the grading was done, we bussed over to the Bay View Bash to street team volunteer for my fave local radio station 88Nine Radio Milwaukee. Beautiful day, 70F and sunny, street festival. Just grand. We were handing out promos for the station and talking to folks, a little different than the normal ‘boothing’ (and scored a new T-shirt and messenger bag). Saw some good music, Brewgrass stood out, as did one of favorites the Magnificents (house band for the local variety show- Deadman’s Carnival). The local brews stood out too… Lakefront, Milwaukee Brewing, & Sprecher were all on scene, solid 14oz pours for $4. Just a lovely, lovely day. Covered about 12k steps before busing it back over to the east side beast side to close out the night at the corner spot.

 

SUN, streaming English footie in the AM. What else!? Cmon Liverpool cmon Liverpool! Slow sip some coffee, writing, posting in my online courses, and then hop the bike 4.5mi to my nephew’s soccer match. Afterward, the chef and I are going picking/thrifting. He was lamenting how his life had distilled down to a few square miles and so I offered and he took me up. See some country, as I like to say. Burn a little go-juice. I know the feeling of having to get out of the city, as Milwaukee is the largest city I have lived in and the concrete jungle wears on me. Maybe I’ll find a nice comic, or some old hippie stuff, or a video game for the lady. Happy picking! Peace, Om

Edited by oldmilwaukee6er
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Not surprised you didn't find Tokyo Ghost at Vortex. I love that shop for bargain books and the owner is a cool guy (I always stop there when in town), but he was never one for stocking new things and would only order a copy or two when he did. The previous owner back when the shop was called F5 Collectibles apparently really overdid it with his ordering way back when, which is why they have so many bargain books nowadays.

 

I'm a fan of Lost Worlds of Wonder, as well. They seemed to almost always have the newest stuff in stock and their back issue supply is decent. I was also happy the last couple times I was there with the good amount of bargain books.

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Liverpool drew 1-1 (ack)

Nice bike ride, saw my sister and her family, spent time with the littlest nephew and saw the other nephew net a goal and two assists.

 

Picked-

  • Clerks the Animated Series 2-disc dvd ($2)
  • Dogma dvd ($1)
  • Darksiders for PS3 (Joe Madureira; $7)
  • Blue-collar short sleeve workshirt ($3)

 

Not the most productive outing, but a fun afternoon with a friend.

Mostly thrift stores.

Was very happy to find Darksiders. The lady and I watched with amazement as Joe Mad met his Kickstarter goal for the Battlechasers video game (now exceeded it). This was the only game on my list.

Tried Vortex again for the $1 books (half off this month), but they were closed

Got my handed to me in fantasy football. Bad beat.

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The Wednesday One- 9/23 (Time to catch up with the reading)

TUES was a productive day, yes indeed. Worked all morning without stopping, one of those storming highly productive days. The lady is getting sick, I can sense it… she ended up staying home from work and I played care-taker in the afternoon. Discovered the Cracked Youtube channel and so watched a little tele. Now she’s PS3 gaming on Dragon’s Age Origin (she’s always been the gamer of the relationship), and I am doing a little creative work before the Muppet’s Show).

 

TUES night looking through the advance preview list of new comics and thinking about NEW COMIC DAY. WED is a fun day for me these days, teaching and then chit-chatting with the LCS guy for 30min to an hour depending upon his mood (I try and respect, it is his big day after all).

Fight Club 2 #5 seemed an obvious choice. I have been buying them all since the FCBD edition. HAHA I should probably read them, Palahniuk and all.

Maybe score a “true believers” reader $1 Princess Leia #1 or Silk #1, but that does not sound like something my LCS would carry (no luck, in the end).

Perhaps Spawn #256? Is that due out (nope)? Spawn’s a lock for “a bag, board, and put it in a box” as we say. But honestly these days I skim it and COLLECT it.

Checked 1-2 spec sites for recommendations…Scooby-Doo Team-Up #12 (Harley crossover)? Hmm, Harley in an all ages title, and my LCS had two copies. I had to snag one, sucker that I am for a good Harley one-shot.

Scooby%20Harley_zpsqygk8toh.jpg

 

 

Wallet-saver week as someone posted in the Modern THIS WEEK thread, maybe I should be content with that for now. In that case, perhaps is time to catch up with the reading? I have five big issues of Fight Club to catch up with and one or two Usagi Yojimbos that are worth a gander. I trashed on that title a little last post and I should say that I still really do enjoy it

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The boom is dead! Long live the boom

Soundtrack: Football Weekly

Read the Batman Endgame Special edition (free with purchase yesterday). It was ok, kinda would hate to be all excited for the book, only to find I am paying for the same art that book previews. A little disjointed. To cleanse the palette, I started Gotham on Netflix. Nice start, I must say. My favorite parts are the mythology, of course, and how the series has a timeless, low-fi quality to the scenery and costumes. Nice. I love the Geek-Con-Era-Boom. Long live the boom!

 

Because the bust is tough. Steel yourself to the bust. The de-valuing of your books. Things you loved. They might even blame your comics for the crash themselves- your Clone Saga, or your Valiants, or your Fantastic Fours or your X-Men. Because what you collect sucks. What will we do then?

 

They [Marvel] might sell your favorite property in a moment of weakness, and you might feel the repercussions for decades. They might even tell you that after 50 years Inhumans are the new X-Men! What will you do then!?

 

Signs of a bust

*Declining sales & print runs

*Closure of specialty shops

*Major company bankruptcy (ala Marvel ’97) or companies cash-out (Valiant > Acclaim)

*Poor decisions about popular series, major characters

*Decay in non-regular comic colleting community- e.g. speculators, cosplay, cons, movies, overall geek culture zeitgeist ends

*External factors. E.g. Diamond vs Capitol distribution or adaptations fail (e.g. movies), or unknown

*Loss of focus on art and stories

 

Well, you get ready to hunker down and hold, bwoy, because you bought what you love, and this too will pass. For pre-Unity Valiant it took over 15 years until an external factor, CGC grading pushed the books back into the spotlight. The cream rises to the top.

 

Glassman (2014) notes that the best and easiest to understand strategy for winning is so difficult to adhere to- buy and hold. It is behavior that determines investment success or failure- not knowledge, or skill or luck. Losing something makes you twice as miserable as gaining the same thing makes you happy (Thaler & Sunstein, in Nudge, as attributed in Glassman, 2014). People let their emotions get in the way of smart investment moves.

 

“The values that help one succeed in the market are the values that Aristotle extolled: moderation, persistence, and humility” (Glassman, 2014).

 

Next up, a little celebration of X-Men.

 

References

Glassman, J.K. (2014, May). The power of patience. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. Pgs. 18-20.

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X-Men #1

Ahh the Silver Age, I never thought I would get bit by that bug. I suppose it was the Geek Con Era boom. I suppose it was seeing books that I had shed (Pre-Unity Valiants, Deadpool, Harley Quinn) rise in value. And for sure it was a little FOMO after watching Amazing Fantasy 15 move beyond reach.

 

I wanted something to hang my hat on, something to show for my hard work collecting. Silver Age seemed like blue chip to me and I longed to own a really key book, easily recognizable. And liquid. And in the early 2000s the same $600-1000 could buy some interesting books. I particularly liked X-Men #1.

 

I generally do not buy superhero books, instead gravitating toward indy and underground titles. When I first collected, I liked Milk and Cheese, or pre-Unity Valiants. Solar Man of the Atom was one of my favorites, having liked Barry Windsor Smith since Marvel Comics Presents Weapon X. I collected them, but they were always bound to be sold. But my indy books, I loved. However, I was fond of speculating on hot X-Men books back in the day, as I had a few friends who collected and so my eye became trained to them.

 

My wife collected X-Men as well, but lost most of hers in a flood. And for a stretch, in the mid-to-late 1990s, we collected Uncanny together (have since shed all of those as well). She liked Gambit & Rogue. I asked her to describe her memories and here is what she said-

Starting reading when she was freshman in high school, right around the time of Executioner’s Song. She read all the X titles and all the crossovers and owned them all at one point. I believe she lost a bunch when her basement bedroom flooded. She started to lose interest when they killed off Jamie Maddrox, in her words “never liked Scott and Jean, loved Gambit & Rogue, and liked Polaris and Havok. Never into Wolverine all that much; Beast is cool, Angel is a douchewaffle but she likes Angel / ArchAngel and kinda had a soft spot there (perhaps an ex-boyfriend from privilege?). lol

One of the few people that likes Jubilee, Dazzler, Psylocke; enjoyed the angsty overwrought relationships and constant drama. So as our lives and collecting intertwined, X-Men became common ground, a shared mythology and one we could enjoy on the big screen.

 

 

Through the years I have picked her a few nice things on the cheap- a CGC 8.5 Avenger’s Annual #10, Rogue variant action figure, Dazzler 1-2, most of which is up in her office. I remember our first encounter with a real X-Men #1,

 

c 1997- Kalispell, MT, antique shop, GD 2.0 for $300. It was priced at 10% guide at the time, that is my memory and the condition was rough. We made a call to the owner and he was set on the price for all the early X-Men and at the time, it was not to be for a young, engaged, and still in college couple. But the moment stuck in my mind and it would not be until 2004 that I would spend $300 for a comic book (NM/NM+ Mom’s Homemade Comics #1 straight from Denis Kitchen; Milwaukee’s first).

 

I would not see the book again until c 2012- Milwaukee, WI, Sunday Burnham Bowl show, GDVG for $1200. I felt like the book was doable at $1000, and that was probably the maximum we could take out if we found an ATM or 2 that could to the maximum number. I probably could have followed up faster, I had the name of the store at the time and might have still gotten it. But I flinched. If you play poker, it was the moment where I was PUT IN for all my chips and I flinched. I vowed there would not be a third time.

 

C 2013- St. Louis, MO, Wizard World St. Louis, VG- $1700 (Vancouver area commission OWW PQ from Greg Reece)

 

xmen1fc_zps1ab0fadd.jpg

th_xmen1bc_zps9c58f148.jpg

 

 

Someday this will see a slab. Someday.

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LEGO wants you to build an $800 video game

Soundtrack (in honor of the blood moon):

 

The lady (the gamer in the family) and I have been following news on the new Lego Dimensions game via teh interwebs and blogosphere. LEGO Dimensions "LEGO Dimensions" requires physical toys, which can be used as interactive pieces in the video game.

 

According to Verrier (2015), “Warner and Lego are late entrants into the toys-to-life category (estimated to be a $1B industry). Activision pioneered the concept in 2011 with its popular "Skylanders" game. Walt Disney Co. also has had success with "Infinity," which was introduced in 2013 and combines characters from Disney, Marvel and Pixar movies. And Nintendo made a splash last year with its game "Amiibo" (para. 17).

 

The starter pack, which comes with the game, three characters, and a vehicle that you assemble, will sell for about $100 (a typical video game costs $59.99; Acuna, 2015)

 

Additional characters, adventures, and levels can be added to the game over time. For example, level packs come with a character, vehicle, gadget, and an added level to the game. Team packs come with two characters along with a vehicle and gadget. In addition, fun packs come with a character and vehicle OR gadget (Acuna, 2015).

 

The breakdown (after Acuna, 2015)

Thirty seven different supplemental game packs are featured in the checklist / poster included with the starter pack. They are:

**7 level packs at $29.99 ($209.93)

**3 team packs at $24.99 ($74.97)

**27 fun packs at $14.99 ($404.73)

_______________________________

As stated by Acuna (2015) “If you were to buy everything, including the $100 starter pack, you would spend: $789.62 (before tax).”

 

An $800 video game! Targeting ages 7-14. WTF!? Mark this watershed moment, readers, as between now and Deadpool’s theatrical release in February 2016… this marks the peak of the boom, the largest circumference of the bubble. Once Batman vs. Superman hits (March ‘16) and begins to underperform, and assuming JLA c. 2017 will underperform relative to Avengers (which I am), then we will look back fondly on the 2015 Convention season as the peak of the bubble.

 

Now we just have to hope the comic companies respect the classic properties, the source material, the intellectual property (IP)… like Fantastic Four, X-Men, Wolverine, or Batman (read LEGO Batman farce).

 

And we have to worry about companies cashing out of the boom… Oh. Natch. :sorry:

 

Signs of bubbles

Limited editions

High quality printing / paper

Mainstream press focus

Movies! Buzz about adaptation to other mediums

Pandering to collectors specifically- variants, polybags, gimmicks, novelty items

Expansion in price guide publications

Enormous supply of high grade

Increase in specialty shops

Increase prices (e.g. Marvel 65c > $1.25 in 4-5yrs)

Companies cashing out. E.g. like Valiant > Acclaim for $65M or Valiant to China for $100M

Constant reboots

 

 

References

Acuna, K. (2015). Here's everything that comes with the new $100 LEGO Dimensions video game. Tech Insider [blog]. Retrieved from http://www.techinsider.io/lego-dimensions-unboxing-2015-9

 

Verrier, R. (2015, Sept. 23). Why Warner Bros. new Lego video game budget rivals what it pays for a tentpole movie. LA Times [online]. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-warner-lego-20150923-story.html

 

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100 years of observations

Soundtrack:

 

This weekend my side of the family gathered in north central Illinois to honor my grandmother Grace, who celebrated her 100th birthday. Amazing woman and one that I was pretty close to, as we wrote for years and she loves my spitfire lady even more. It was a fun celebration. My grandmother received a birthday card from the President, and several tokens from companies to whom she has brand loyalty (all my oldest sister’s doing), including Skippy peanut butter, Bugles, Reynold’s wrap, Oscar Meyer, etc. I particularly associate her with white bread, real butter, Bugles/Fritos (and her shrimp dip), Hellman’s mayonnaise and Velveeta cheese. All the things we could never have as children.

 

Sometimes I like to think about all the amazing things that she saw in her lifetime: The Great Depression, WWII, the advent of the interstate system, air travel & television, just to name a few.

 

I like to think about what amazing advancements OUR generation will see (I’m a Gen Xer). I use her as an example in my classroom and ask ‘the kids’ about what killed us 100 years ago versus what kills us now (generally infectious diseases versus lifestyle diseases)? Or whether the quality of life is increasing or declining?

 

What are the amazing things we have seen / will see in our lifetimes?

Certainly the internet (I mean I took typing and drafting in high school)

The exponential growth of human population, information & technology

The convergence of the above (after the original Shift Happens videos

; or the rise of mobile phones or 3D printing)

The unknown future of the above; the theory of accelerated returns

The death of the gold watch, the brass ring; the one career (I am closing in on my 4th)

The loss of childhood (the loss of play, the overscheduling, the rise of the helicopter parent)

The singularity, when our species becomes something other than sapiens ( technologie?) lolthe *spoon* autoedit

Peak child, the end to fast population growth

Peak oil, the moment maximum extraction is reached and then begins to decline

The mapping of the human genome

Nanobots in our bloodstream?

Augmented reality?

The rise of geek culture? Or better… the death of counterculture, where everything is mainstream?

 

What will we see for the future of comics? A nice topic for an upcoming post methinks (already doing a little synthesis here).

Have a great Tuesday!

Quiet one for me and so I will indulge a little creativity and work ahead a little.

 

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Celebrate the wins, celebrate the losses

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My lady and I have formed several informal rules for our relationship in the nearly 17 years since our nuptials, but one important one for us is- you celebrate the wins, and you celebrate the losses. Together.

 

Last week was a storm of creative output, spurred on by me finally breaking my procrastination and testing the job market (successfully too- I have a solid interview on Thursday for a new position). I like to describe myself as gainfully underemployed, mostly doing adjunct and administrative work in higher education since relocating to the Brew City in 08 (in the middle of the Great Recession). At times, I have held three jobs and made more money than at any point in my history, and more recently had my steady position cut back to quarter-time. I like to say that I have survived five layoffs since late 2012, and survived would be the operative word and not thrived. At times, I have indulged my p/t status, for example, we had a mini retirement of sorts this summer and I have had a chance to work a variety of volunteer positions and even worked a lucrative consulting gig on a whim. Plenty of ups and downs, and last week was an up week.

 

ANYways, it makes karmic sense that I would hit a road bump.

And that came with the return of my first CGC package on Monday night…

 

CGC 3.0 Justice League of America #1 (1960)

 

cgcJLA1_zpsvr6i8mci.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ouch right!? I got the grade I was hoping for, but clearly missed (based on the designation C-1) an obvious small color touch. The purple label of doom (PLOD). Moreover, the color touch (CT) keeps this label Restored, as the reinforced spine would likely have led to a Conserved Label. Immediately upon opening the package, I went into a negative space (shame-spiral).

 

However, I breathed a little and began to gain a little focus, and after scooping up the lady from work then we went for a walk and ½ off burgers and pints at a fave local spot. To celebrate the loss. In doing so, I gained a little perspective.

1. This does not really change my approach to this book. If this was a 3.0 blue label I might have flipped it around time for the movie, I might not have. I certainly would be tempted to, as that is money I could put toward my ASM1 savings. However, one of my main goals is to downsize into SA Keys for a long-term hedge against the market and inflation. That is what the ASM1 symbolizes.

2. I cannot beat myself up too much on the CT, as before I purchased the book two very reputable dealers (which I will not name) held it. Everyone missed it. And this is only the second time it has happened to me, though the first when a few hundred dollars are involved. Still, there is a very real lesson here and the lesson is one I will take to heart. Continue to educate myself on resto; be very cautions buying hot books, and consider buying the book already slabbed.

3. If you collect long enough, this is going to happen. Everything does not happen for a reason, but mistakes do happen. There are all sorts of memes and ‘tinternet’ wisdom on the topic of mistakes, but my point today is that you have to learn to forgive yourself. Sure learn a lesson, better prepare, ALL THAT JAZZ, but also learn to forgive yourself. When I woke up this morning and saw the book sitting on the dining room table, I smiled. It does not make me angry. I still love it, and WILL for some time.

 

I will HAVE TO since it is now worth half what I have into it! lol

C'est la vie, Om

 

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The Thursday One (10/1)

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The Thursday One this week is 3 books, with regular pulls dominating this week (and I worked all day yesterday, not hitting the LCS until this afternoon). Based on my review of the forums this past week, it appears that I hit my first solid spec book when I bought that all-ages Harley Quinn crossover (Scooby-Doo Team-Up #12). I posted last week that I thought it was the usual spec pressures that pushed this book to the fore, namely character (old school Harley & not the stripper clown), TV rumors, and the perceived lower print run of all-age title. It appears at least two of those pressures will serve to keep this books appreciating in the near term, namely the old school, animated style Harley (slight homage to BA12) and the low print run (confirmed somewhere around 6700-7000 copies). I think I will try to flip a few of my spec books at the next Mighty Con in November and see what results I get.

 

This week’s pulls… two for the lady and one for me:

**Sandman Overture 6

**Jem & the Holograms Outrageous Annual 1

**Spawn 256 (the longest legacy numbered title in comics)

 

spawn256_zpsorus1rot.jpg

 

Me and my Spawn-O

Spawn, as previously said, is pretty much destined for a skim, bag/board, and put it away in a box. However, Spawn represents something more symbolic for me as collector. I have written in the past (namely Newshane’s journal) that I collected Spawn regularly for close to 20 years, often hand-selecting the best of the copies on the LCS shelf. A few newsstand issues (63, 131, 133) dot the times I moved across the country, lost a LCS, etc. As of this writing, I have 1-149 complete and am missing 13 issues for 1-170. I have 200 and several of the homage covers (221-231; display purposes) and I have been run-collecting again since 250. Simply put, I am nostalgic for Spawn.

 

Fun facts about my Spawn collection:

•I once owned 100 copies of #1 & sold them on consignment during college for beer money. I have three left and they are stunners, the best copies of the original 100

•#63 newsstand was bought during the summer of 1997, I was living in sin with my eventual wife in Missoula, MT, canvassing for clean water and cooking at a Mexican restaurant. Awesome. My lady never liked Mexican food growing up, but I would bring her home shrimp/mushroom quesadillas when we were poor and she loved them. Coincidentally, she now loves a variety of Mexican food.

•I have 13+ duplicates!? Probably the product of moves, college, or light/dark covers where I was trying to find a flawless copy- 166 variant? 151 variant? 57, 50, 30(2), 25, 23, 21, 18(2), 12, 9, 1(2)

•Angela appearances- 9, 62, 89, 96-100

•I also have- Spawn the Movie TPB, Blood & Shadows, & Simony

•Finally, I have two CGC books- CGC 9.8 #100 Ross variant & CGC 9.6 #101SS Perez & Medina

 

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