RANK THE TOP 5 MOST IMPORTANT PERSONS IN COMIC BOOK COLLECTING OF ALL TIME 2 2

[Robot Man]

3 hours ago, N e r V said:

I tried to separate the fact the thread listed people who were "important" to the  hobby with the good and the bad. I had assumed (maybe wrongly?) that the impact they had could just have been easily been a negative one. 

Numerous names on the original top 5 and others mentioned since are not what I would consider fine upstanding individuals as human beings go.

There has been a lot of "ends justify the means" when viewing some of these persons in retospect on what they "did" for the hobby.

How they cheated and screwed people along the way to "add" to the hobby would probably make a lively but doomed thread.

 

Many of the "negative" individuals have also had a very "positive" side.

It has been my experience here that although there has been whispering and quiet talk about a number of these individuals, many are afraid (for some reason) to discuss it or disclose what they know. Money makes people go to the dark side pretty quickly...

[N e r V]

What's done is done.

I have no interest in listing specific individuals and drag up past history other than noting what I did in very general terms.

People are free to think what they want to.

 

[Robot Man]

I have to say Mitch, this is maybe your best thread ever.  It has made me think of what and who are influental to me personally as the collector I am today. I think a list like this can mean different things to different people. All of these people have made an impact on the hobby and I'm sure there are many more that have yet to be mentioned. No way can I even begin to narrow it down to just five.

And by the way, thanks for paying stupid money for a funny book and raising the prices on all of us...

[Mmehdy]

THANKS ROBO. it will be interesting to see what this list would look like 25 years from now....

[Crowzilla]

On 4/26/2017 at 0:16 PM, N e r V said:

I tried to separate the fact the thread listed people who were "important" to the  hobby with the good and the bad. I had assumed (maybe wrongly?) that the impact they had could just have been easily been a negative one.

So you are saying we are missing Ewert and Dupcak?

And if discussing (in)famous dealers/people, I would suggest that Maybruck was pretty darn important in helping to focus on investment in comics via key issues/high grade copies.

[Robot Man]

"Sinners" that left a lasting impact on our hobby. (actually for the better in the long run)

[N e r V]

1 hour ago, Crowzilla said:

So you are saying we are missing Ewert and Dupcak?

And if discussing (in)famous dealers/people, I would suggest that Maybruck was pretty darn important in helping to focus on investment in comics via key issues/high grade copies.

I had the misfortune of having dealings with Dupcak as a kid. Always very nice but crooked as they come. I felt lucky later to break even with what I got from him.

Live and learn...

[Sqeggs]

On 4/26/2017 at 3:22 PM, Robot Man said:

On 4/26/2017 at 0:16 PM, N e r V said:

I tried to separate the fact the thread listed people who were "important" to the  hobby with the good and the bad. I had assumed (maybe wrongly?) that the impact they had could just have been easily been a negative one. 

Numerous names on the original top 5 and others mentioned since are not what I would consider fine upstanding individuals as human beings go.

There has been a lot of "ends justify the means" when viewing some of these persons in retospect on what they "did" for the hobby.

How they cheated and screwed people along the way to "add" to the hobby would probably make a lively but doomed thread.

 

Many of the "negative" individuals have also had a very "positive" side.

It has been my experience here that although there has been whispering and quiet talk about a number of these individuals, many are afraid (for some reason) to discuss it or disclose what they know. Money makes people go to the dark side pretty quickly...

Ok, Bob.  Brace yourself because I'm about to spill the beans on you! 

[Sqeggs]

On 4/26/2017 at 0:20 PM, N e r V said:

I rate Overstreet easily on any top list but it's kind of funny now but if you did a poll among collectors in 1970 I don't think he'd win any popularity contests.

Probably would have if dealers were doing the ranking. 

[Zolnerowich]

Whoever got the Grand Comics database rolling, add that person or persons to the list. Such a TOTALLY invaluable resource in this 21st century. 

[BB-Gun]

On ‎4‎/‎23‎/‎2017 at 4:08 PM, telerites said:

I know it may sound strange but I would a nod to Fredrick Wertham for bringing attention and scarcity to the hobby.

These are the ones that have had the most impact on me.  I am not going to rank but some I would consider would be:

Don and Maggie Thompson

Buddy Saunders

Jerry Bails

Alan Light

Grass Green

Biljo White

I would have to add Roy Thomas to that list and G.B Love.  Buddy, Grass and Ron Foss were probably more important for creation of amateur  or underground comics. 

[BB-Gun]

On second thought, Biljo contributed more to the growth of underground comics and could be replaced.

Don and Maggie Thompson-Publishers of Comic Art and editors the Comic Buyers Guide.

Roy Thomas-Co-creator of Alter-Ego, editor and writer at Marvel and current editor of Alter-Ego

Jerry Bails and G.B. Love for creating early comic buyers fanzines like Comicollector and Rockets Blast which were combined.

Alan Light-Editor/Publisher of the Buyers Guide which held everything together for years before the electronic age.

Bob Overstreet-OK, he gave everything a price, maybe not always right but it was a lot of information before the Grand Comic Database (which was created by Jerry Bails)

Probably should mention Howard Keltner for his comics book index and Jerry for the Who's Who.

What other projects? Microfilm (Jerry), Microfiche (don't remember).  Reprints (so many)?

 

These guys helped the hobby grow.  It has been more of a rugby match than an intellectual pursuit.  Probably need to add the inventor of eBay and management at CGC if we want an electronic update to the list.

Edited April 29, 2017 by BB-Gun

[telerites]

3 hours ago, BB-Gun said:

I would have to add Roy Thomas to that list and G.B Love.  Buddy, Grass and Ron Foss were probably more important for creation of amateur  or underground comics. 

Yeah, I added G.B in a later post.  I thought about Roy and certainly would not argue his contributions.  Looking at early fanzines and early sci-fi/comic shows and cons the others in many ways were founders.  All great names being mentioned and regardless of anything else did much to bring the hobby to where it is now.

[MusterMark]

Hmm, my top 5 most important persons in comic book collecting ...

Well, I can do my top 3:

1.  Superman

2.  Batman

3.  Spider-Man

 

And I do collect all three of these persons.

 

 

[BB-Gun]

3 hours ago, telerites said:

Yeah, I added G.B in a later post.  I thought about Roy and certainly would not argue his contributions.  Looking at early fanzines and early sci-fi/comic shows and cons the others in many ways were founders.  All great names being mentioned and regardless of anything else did much to bring the hobby to where it is now.

Aside from all of the fanzines, he also made an effort to provide a handbook for fans.

[Robot Man]

10 hours ago, BB-Gun said:

On second thought, Biljo contributed more to the growth of underground comics and could be replaced.

Don and Maggie Thompson-Publishers of Comic Art and editors the Comic Buyers Guide.

Roy Thomas-Co-creator of Alter-Ego, editor and writer at Marvel and current editor of Alter-Ego

Jerry Bails and G.B. Love for creating early comic buyers fanzines like Comicollector and Rockets Blast which were combined.

Alan Light-Editor/Publisher of the Buyers Guide which held everything together for years before the electronic age.

Bob Overstreet-OK, he gave everything a price, maybe not always right but it was a lot of information before the Grand Comic Database (which was created by Jerry Bails)

Probably should mention Howard Keltner for his comics book index and Jerry for the Who's Who.

What other projects? Microfilm (Jerry), Microfiche (don't remember).  Reprints (so many)?

 

These guys helped the hobby grow.  It has been more of a rugby match than an intellectual pursuit.  Probably need to add the inventor of eBay and management at CGC if we want an electronic update to the list.

If you mention Howard and Jerry for indexes, you got to mention Fred von Berkowitz for his multi volume EC indexes. Without him, I might have still wondered why I couldn't find Vault of Horror #1-11 or Haunt of Fear #1-14.

Reprints is easy for me. The Alan Light Flashback reprints. I probably bought all of them. Without those, I might not have been ever able to read so many GA keys at the time.

[BOOT]

On 4/25/2017 at 7:49 PM, MrBedrock said:

Burrell Rowe had the greatest impact on me...and the way he was treated by many that he considered friends - including specifically Russ Cochran and Bruce Hamilton - makes it very hard for me to include them on a list of greats. Great hobbyists don't shrink the hobby by acting that way toward others.

Sounds like a story...

[BOOT]

Bob Overstreet

Ernst Gerber

Alan Light

Founders of Comics.org

Gary Groth

[Robot Man]

I almost hate to say it but Stan Lee?

[MusterMark]

I think Overstreet and Gerber probably have to be in there