n2wdw's Tales of the Comic Book Room 15 15

[Patriot6]

8 hours ago, n2wdw said:

Clever use of space. Do you build most of your shelving yourself? I enjoy watching everything move around all the time and catching glimpses, or 'treats,' in your pictures. I saw an After life with Archie #1 Betty lingerie cover on your shelves the other day and it has been on my list for a while, but I keep forgetting! I'm glad that the Casper found a nice home where it is on display, such a great book. 

 

8 hours ago, n2wdw said:

Funny, the wife was sitting beside me as I read this and I pointed out the Katy and she the glass 

8 hours ago, n2wdw said:

 I have been after one, at a good price, for a while too. Once had one in my hand ready to buy and the seller just rubbed me the wrong way and I walked. Stings to this day. One of the most regretful walks yet. I read A LOT of Richie when I was young so he has a special spot in my comic world.

8 hours ago, n2wdw said:

I've never pursued this one, and frankly I'd never seen one until I joined the boards, but from what I hear it is an especially difficult book to come by.  I'd like to see the page where he appears for the first time at least once in my life!!

8 hours ago, n2wdw said:

Thanks for stopping by, and for your question.  It's always nice to see that people other than @Robot Man reads this from time to time.

Keep posting and I'll keep reading!!

Cheers,

JF

[Ryan.]

I too follow this thread and enjoy the updates, pics and scans. 

[chrisco37]

Been awhile since I came over to the GA Section.   Great "blog" Mike.   Some wonderful pick ups over the year.   

Is that ShockSuspense 6 the one you picked up from me?   Looks like it.  Came back with a nice grade!  

[n2wdw]

Taking Pictures of CGC Books

I'm forever trying to take better pictures of my CGC books.  My legal size HP scanner does an okay job but the pictures come out a bit too dark for my liking.  I like the high resolution of my iPad Pro, but it's difficult to eliminate the flashes.  Here are 2 examples.  To avoid flashes, I have to angle the books.  Another problem is reflections.  I find both of these pictures disappointing.

 

I think I've found a solution.  It's a combination of 3 things.  First, a photo box that you can get on Amazon.  It costs about $75.

 

Second, you need a tripod for your iPad or iPhone.  Third, you need a Bluetooth trigger so you can stay out of the picture (and avoid reflections).  Here are 2 examples of pictures I took yesterday.  I think they look a lot better.  Thanks for reading.

 

 

[n2wdw]

Cruising Provence and the Italian Riveria - Part 1

I haven't been posting in a while because I've been traveling for work.  I had to go to Sofia Bulgaria and then Heidelberg Germany.  Then my wife met me in Venice.  We stayed a few days there, and then went on a cruise of Provence and the Italian Riveria.  Yeah, I have to say, lately life doesn't suck.

I won't bore you with lots of pictures of our vacation.  I'll just show a few.  First, in Heidelberg, we went to a restaurant called Schnitzelbank that specializes in (duh) schnitzel.  The portions are huge.  Here's my order, schnitzel with mushroom gravy.

 

Here's an itinerary of our cruise, going from Rome to Marseille.

 

I'm a big bourbon fan, and the bars in our ship had an entire menu of Manhattans!  Not all with bourbon, one was even made with tequila.  Some of our cruise mates sampled all of the selections.  I just managed a few.

 

Finally, here are me and my wife at dinner in Venice the night before we boarded our cruise.

 

[n2wdw]

Cruising Provence and the Italian Riveria - Part 2

I managed to add a few comics to the collection while on vacation (the ship had decent internet).  One was from @Ricksneatstuff, Captain Flight 5.  What a crazy cover!  As often the case with GA comics, there are no stories in the comic that relate to the cover.

 

I also won this pulp on eBay.  It fits the "girl tied to a wheel" GGA bondage category.

[Robot Man]

Jeeze Mike, you are a lucky man! Cruising the Italian coast with a hot blonde, eating well and even buying some cool books at the same time...  I want to be you when I grow up!

By, the way, even though I'm not jet setting today, I consider myself a VERY lucky man as well.

Love the books. Especially the Capt. Flight #5. I luckily got mine back when it was "Capt. Who?".  Here's mine as well as another what I call a "weird machine cover"

[n2wdw]

Cruising Provence and the Italian Riveria - Part 3

I have 2 new favorite drinks that came out of this vacation.  First is a Campari spritz.  You can also make it with Aperol (for a sweeter taste) as well as the local Select.  A simple recipe -- 3 parts prosecco, 2 Campari (or Aperol or Select), and 1 part soda water, with an olive on a stick to mix it.  In Venice they sell it for 3.5 euros, a huge bargain.  They sell it all over Italy.  This is a picture from Lucca.

 

Here's the version of the Campari spritz on the boat.  They were disappointing compared to Venice.  Not enough prosecco, and I had to ask for the olive stirrer.  And ideally the stirrer should be a long stick with one olive at the end. 

 

The ship also had a dry martini called the Vesper, from the first Daniel Craig Bond movie. The recipe on the ship had equal parts vodka and gin, but of course fans of the movie will know that it's 3 measures gin, 1 vodka, half measure of Lillet, shaken over ice.

 

The Vesper was very easy to drink.  I probably had too many.  I want to make it at home, but the Lillet is hard to find.  Here's the bartender (Dennis) from the ship, with my last Vesper before disembarkation the next morning.

 

The ship was all-inclusive, but they had a list of premium drinks you could buy.  They had a Sam Adams Utopia for $350!  What the heck?  I'm not a beer drinker but $350 for a beer? 

 

I'll show just one food picture.  In Antibes France, one of our cruise mates got this spaghetti carbonara at a small restaurant in the square.  What set it apart from others is the raw egg on top.  I was wishing I'd ordered it!

 

I still collected while on vacation.  I was pleasantly surprised to win these two Star Spangled Mlle. Marie comics on eBay.  I wonder if the character is cooling off?  More likely, I probably just got lucky to be one of the few collectors who happened to be looking at the time.

 

Edited October 8, 2018 by n2wdw

[piper]

Sounds like an excellent holiday! When, I go on these kind of trips, it usually curtails my spending for a bit. I’m glad it doesn’t stop you!!

Thanks for sharing the Captain Flight and your Martini adventures.

Cheers,

[n2wdw]

On 10/8/2018 at 6:19 PM, piper said:

Sounds like an excellent holiday! When, I go on these kind of trips, it usually curtails my spending for a bit. I’m glad it doesn’t stop you!!

Thanks for sharing the Captain Flight and your Martini adventures.

Cheers,

Thanks Piper.  Yes, it was a great vacation.  Only wish it was longer!

[n2wdw]

GI Jane

I can't remember if I posted about this already -- but about a month ago a bunch of GI Janes were offered on eBay.  There were a couple of higher grade copies (VG+ / FN-) that I didn't win, but otherwise I won the issues I was bidding on.  They weren't cheap, but considering the prices I've seen over the last 18 months at cons, I think I got them for market (or maybe a little better than market).  Here are the ones I got:

[Robot Man]

1 hour ago, n2wdw said:

GI Jane

I can't remember if I posted about this already -- but about a month ago a bunch of GI Janes were offered on eBay.  There were a couple of higher grade copies (VG+ / FN-) that I didn't win, but otherwise I won the issues I was bidding on.  They weren't cheap, but considering the prices I've seen over the last 18 months at cons, I think I got them for market (or maybe a little better than market).  Here are the ones I got:

Nice haul Mike! Especially the #5. Usually goes to the moon. I had to get mine the old fashion way, one at a time...

[n2wdw]

22 hours ago, Robot Man said:

Nice haul Mike! Especially the #5. Usually goes to the moon. I had to get mine the old fashion way, one at a time...

On that #5, you've got good taste!

 

[n2wdw]

Mopsy

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person in the world who collects Mopsy.  Okay, she's not blonde.  But then, I think most polls have Veronica over Betty ,,,,

Anyway, I'm slowly building my graded Mopsy collection.  Copies in any grade are not frequently offered.  Here's my collection so far:

Edited October 11, 2018 by n2wdw

[jpepx78]

Gladys Parker was the artist that drew Mopsy and there was some discussion that Parker based Mopsy on herself.

Here's a picture of Parker from August 1950. What do you think?

 

[Bat34]

On 10/4/2018 at 6:11 PM, n2wdw said:

Cruising Provence and the Italian Riveria - Part 1

I haven't been posting in a while because I've been traveling for work.  I had to go to Sofia Bulgaria and then Heidelberg Germany.  Then my wife met me in Venice.  We stayed a few days there, and then went on a cruise of Provence and the Italian Riveria.  Yeah, I have to say, lately life doesn't suck.

I won't bore you with lots of pictures of our vacation.  I'll just show a few.  First, in Heidelberg, we went to a restaurant called Schnitzelbank that specializes in (duh) schnitzel.  The portions are huge.  Here's my order, schnitzel with mushroom gravy.

 

Here's an itinerary of our cruise, going from Rome to Marseille.

 

I'm a big bourbon fan, and the bars in our ship had an entire menu of Manhattans!  Not all with bourbon, one was even made with tequila.  Some of our cruise mates sampled all of the selections.  I just managed a few.

 

Finally, here are me and my wife at dinner in Venice the night before we boarded our cruise.

 

Schnitzelbank is great, I go to Heidelberg every so often for work.  Glad you enjoyed and were able to pick up some great books at the same time!

[Ricksneatstuff]

11 hours ago, jpepx78 said:

Gladys Parker was the artist that drew Mopsy and there was some discussion that Parker based Mopsy on herself.

Here's a picture of Parker from August 1950. What do you think?

 

Wow. Yes she was self inspired. 

[Robot Man]

16 hours ago, n2wdw said:

Mopsy

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person in the world who collects Mopsy.  Okay, she's not blonde.  But then, I think most polls have Veronica over Betty ,,,,

Anyway, I'm slowly building my graded Mopsy collection.  Copies in any grade are not frequently offered.  Here's my collection so far:

Love those Mopsys myself. I have quite a few. I believe Gladys Parker was a fashion designer as well. Really comes across in her comic book work.

[n2wdw]

8 hours ago, Robot Man said:

Love those Mopsys myself. I have quite a few. I believe Gladys Parker was a fashion designer as well. Really comes across in her comic book work.

I didn't know that, but it makes sense.  Mopsy was also in newspaper strips, and they are reasonably priced on eBay.  Here's one from my collection.

[n2wdw]

Matt Baker's Midget Comics

A few weeks ago I was surfing eBay and found a restored Midget Comics #1 (cover by Matt Baker).  The grade was 7.5 and the restoration was the type acceptable to me, and most of all, the price was discounted to reflect the fact that it was restored.  That's not always the case.  If you don't believe me, do a search on eBay of "CGC restored" and you will be amazed by the high prices on many restored books.

Anyway, the seller on eBay was Lone Star.  So I immediately went to the Lone Star site, because their prices are always lower on their site.  Yes, you often have to pay a consignment fee and shipping, but usually it's cheaper than buying on eBay (in fact, I can't remember a time when this wasn't the case).  Here's the book:

 

So now I actually have 2 copies of this somewhat rare comic.  I found my first copy last year.  In fact, just weeks before I bought the restored CGC copy, I sent my raw copy to CGC so soon I'll have 2 slabbed copies.  Here's my first copy: