BS: Any comic book readers here ?

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 May 03 - 02:30 PM

I will watch for it, Don, thanks. I interviewed an artist, a young man in Wyoming, a few years ago who had just had his first of a comic book series published. I'll have to see if I can dredge up his name - he was really talented and I felt some privilege at seeing his early work, the stages the finished product went through, and to visit so with him before any major success took over. He had already done some fine book covers.

Sheesh! I just found a Frazetta website and, I dunno, Cluin, yeah they've got nice arses, but those bosoms look mighty fine, too! And, now this page makes me wonder if Rog isn't sitting on a small treasure trove.

His, meaning Frazetta's, not rog's! are certainly more buxom than Vallejo's. His all seem just a bit too masculine to me. I like a little softness in my Amazons!**bg**

Great thread!

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Peter T.
Date: 09 May 03 - 02:27 PM

Hmm. Supergirl was pretty far along to be just a girl, unless girls on Krypton had delayed puberty. I seem to remember that her alter ego held down a job (cut to the "when do you become a grownup" thread).

By the way, did anyone ever explain why Wonder Woman had a golden lasso, an invisible jet plane, and the other rococco bits? I can figure the golden lasso -- just, though it doesn't figure in Greek Mythology -- but the plane? Were the writers drinking on the day they thought up her extras? Why not a plutonium pepper mill?
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Les from Hull
Date: 09 May 03 - 01:57 PM

I think that one of my favourites 'The Cloggies', by Bill Tidy should get a mention. It appeared in Private Eye (a UK satirical mag) some time ago, and featured A FOLK DANCE TEAM (and beer, sex and violence, just like the real thing really). I've still got the two comic books that were produced from that series, and no, you can't have them!

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Bill D
Date: 09 May 03 - 01:35 PM

sure, Rick...it seems they had no choice

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 09 May 03 - 01:27 PM

LH,

And every one who wants to buy back that four color colection of memories, if it is available, its on EBay.

Mr. Magoo was probably a DELL/GoldKey book. And possibly Hanna -Barbera. Look on EBay.

I agree with Rick and Peter point out obsessive readers as often as not started with comics.

Frank Frazetta did many years as AL Capp on little Abner before he became well known for his comic and illustrative art. Frank's middle name is "Voluptuous". I think he was heavily influenced by Roy Krenkel and Al Williamson when they all worked at EC comics.

Kat, I suggest you find Xenozoic Tales, you'll be hooked again.



Don

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: GUEST
Date: 09 May 03 - 01:26 PM

Liberty Meadows is a wonderful comic strip created by Frank Cho.    I haven't seen an issue in awhile, but the strips have been collected in a comic book. I believe Cho stopped drawing the daily strip, but I'm not sure about the status of the comic book.

Liberty Meadows is a cross between Walt Kelly's Pogo and Bloom County but with an adult sensiblity.   Liberty Meadows is an animal farm and the character that you mention is Brandy, an animal psychiatrist. The humor is full of double entendre "Nice beaver, Brandy" that runs afoul of the newspapers, which is one of the reasons he probably stopped doing it.   Check out the website - www.libertymeadows.com. The "censored" section is worth it!

Why does he draw Liberty Meadows with such voluptuous females?   Because he can!

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 09 May 03 - 01:13 PM

Jeezus Christ Peter! Supergirl was a GIRL!

Wonder Woman was a WOMAN!

Now Betty and Veronica....what a couple! Can you possibly imagine them wasting FIVE MIUTES with Archie? I'll bet they were Lesbians....oh yes, I can picture them now....it was MISS GRUNDY'S fault!

Oops!

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 09 May 03 - 12:54 PM

Anybody know where I can get the old copies of Mister Magoo?

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Bill D
Date: 09 May 03 - 12:44 PM

Rick..I have 3 or 4 old "Realists"...I knew a guy who had a subscription and had almost all of them....wonder if he is still in Garden City, Kansas?

I also have 3 or 4 of Roger Price's "Grump...for people who are against all the dumb things that are going on"....if I had been better organized, I coulda been rich now!

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Cluin
Date: 09 May 03 - 12:31 PM

Frazetta's ladies were always much larger in the bum area. Must have been that early influence which turned me into an "ass man".   ;)

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Peter T.
Date: 09 May 03 - 12:26 PM

Rick points out an interesting fact, which is that a whole pile of obsessive readers were comic book fanatics, contrary to everything your librarian/parents/teachers used to preach about.


The one comic I would like to have again is the first one featuring Supergirl. For some reason (duh) it was like pure oxygen to my fevered adolescent brain. I always felt she was seriously underused -- also, how come she was underendowed in the chest area compared with Wonder Woman (not to mention her cousin Superman)? Was this a deliberate policy choice? yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 09 May 03 - 12:12 PM

Yup, I remember the Cardiff Giant.

Also the adds in the other comics were great. Remember how you could sell SALVE and buy a Schwinn bike. Wonder how many tins of salve you had to sell? Hmmmmmmm, pyramid sales for the very young.

Ads for Charles Atlas. Damn I'd have loved to have kicked that bully's ass on the beach (even though he left me alone cuz' I LOOKED big enough to fight!)

OH! And also in the backs of the Classics...little tidbits about Paul Revere...complete with totally wrong information, ha ha! George Washington too. Canadian bios always pointed out the WORST in our heroes (it's the Canadian way) so that we knew that DOLLARD did save the settlement from the injuns, but he also blew up most of his own men when he aimed the cannon the wrong way!! The Americans would have left that bit out.

We knew that our first Prime Minister (the Father of our country, so to speak) Sir John A Macdonald was a total depressive souse, before we read about any of his accomplishments.

Ever since Billy Bishop was recognized as the greatest WW1 flying ace, writers have been trying to figure out how he probably lied about his exploits. Hell, I knew EVERYTHING about Charlie Lindbergh longgggg before I found out he was a Nazi.

I know a LOT about Davy Crockett, Dan'l Boone etc. but very little about Raddison and Groseillieurs. Surely between then they killed at least ONE b'ar.

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 May 03 - 11:50 AM

They probably all want to emulate Frezetta's buxom wenches, LH!

Rick, I loved those extra articles in the back of CI!!! One that made a BIG impression on me was the story of the Cardiff Giant! Anyone else remember that one? If I can find it, I'll post it.

Jeez, now I'm going to have to go find a comic book store! I haven't bought one in years!

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 09 May 03 - 11:39 AM

Anybody know what the comic "Liberty Meadows" is about? I saw a copy of it yesterday (sealed) in a small comic collector store in Orillia. It had a young woman on the cover, tastefully dressed, and she had a chest dimension that would have thrown a scare into Lara Croft! These comic artists...such dreamers...

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 09 May 03 - 11:11 AM

And ya know what galls me? It would have been SO easy to order the COMPLETE set of Classics Comics. Remember the order form on the back? Remember also those little tidbits in the last few pages, lile who William Osler was, and Socrates, and HEROIC DOGS!!!

MAD was wonderful, but Oh Boy, those early National Lampoons!! Did anyone collect "The Realist"...Paul Krassner's subversive magazine.....and without going into ANY detail, do you remember the REALLY subversive article?

Rick

P.S. I'll bet we're all very good and fast readers here, BECAUSE of our comics addiction.

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Wesley S
Date: 09 May 03 - 11:09 AM

Many of my bike trips up to the local drug store were when I was eagerly awaiting the Secret Origins Annual from DC with reprints of the first issues of the Flash, Green Lantern, the Atom and so on. I was never the biggest Batman or Superman fan, always prefering the other superheros. Same with music - I never liked the most popular ones.

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: GUEST,Ron Olesko
Date: 09 May 03 - 10:05 AM

I still read and collect them. Between my CD's, LP's, tapes and comic books - we need a bigger house!

Don and Kat's separate mention of riding their bikes to buy their comic certainly bring back memories for me.   While my parents bought me some Disney comics when I was real young, I first fell in love with them in 1967. Amazing Spider-man #53 was the first one that I bought after a friend of mine told me about Marvel Comics. I was... amazed!   I still have that dog-earred copy and while it is worth nothing to a collector because of the condition,it is priceless to me. I collect them, not for their value, but for the pure enjoyment.

Comic book heros ARE modern folklore and mythology.   Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and all the others who should be mentioned created something very important to our culture.

When I started college I drifted away for awhile, but after my kids were born I started into them again.    My son, who is 7, loves the movies and DVD's that we have collected.   Unfortunately comic books today are not created for that age group anymore, but they still offer some wonderful stories for adults.   I love the way characters like Spider-man and Captain America have evolved.   I've always been a fan of Prince Namor and I'm thrilled at the new mini-series that just came out.   Anyone read the new Rawhide Kid?   I was worried that it would become an excuse for homophobic humor, but they explored it in an admirable way - in my opinon.

Anyone mention the Spirit?

Now instead of the bike and the trip to the candy store to pickup these gems, I get in the car and head to the comic book store on Saturday mornings where my order awaits me.   Times they are a changin!

Excelsior!

Ron

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: MMario
Date: 09 May 03 - 09:24 AM

Shazam!

Saturn
Hercules
A?
Zues
A?
M?

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Wesley S
Date: 09 May 03 - 09:10 AM

"No evil shall excape my sight. Let those who worship evils might beware my power, Green Lanterns Light "

I didn't know that I could still remember all of that.

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 09 May 03 - 04:06 AM

Nice to see a 'Guest' post which starts an interesting thread. I note that Guest does give a name, but clearly is posting under a pseudonym.
"In brightest Day....."

Nigel

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 08 May 03 - 10:41 PM

Yeah, Rick, I agree about those Classics Illustrated artists. Some of them were just amazingly godawful BAD!!! It makes you wonder how they could get such a job in the first place. But the subject matter was great.

Of the various Classics Illustrated I fondly remember: Moby Dick, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Chief of the Cossacks, Julius Caesar's Campaigns in Gaul, Last of the Mohicans, The Three Musketeers, Cyrano De Bergerac, Ivanhoe, Robin Hood.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Bill D
Date: 08 May 03 - 10:41 PM

*wondering if "comic book readers" includes National Lampoon readers*

I have a bunch of the OLD ones..(nothing from the last 10 years)
...the early ones were clever & funny

I lost my 'standard' comics in a flood in New Orleans in 1947...although I owned a few after that, it was never the same ..*sigh*

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 May 03 - 10:21 PM

Classics Illustrated were the only ones I had, I think because it was all my mom allowed, but also because they were what I was interested in. Loved them almost to tatters! I only have a few left, Count of Monte Cristo, Three Musketeers, A Study in Scarlett, and Jane Eyre come to mind. I used to get a new one about twice a month when mom would go to the grocery store.

Some Saturdays, after we cleaned house, I'd get to ride my bike into town, about 3-4 miles one way, go to the drugstore, get a bottle of coca cola, a package of sunflower seeds, and a new comic, go home and hole up in my bedroom readin' and spittin' and sippin'!

I've tons and tons of MAD, but, again, read almost to tatters because my kids all grew up reading not only new editions but also all of mine. Funny that mom had no objection to them. I guess the others must have been what I wanted and not so much her stricture. We quit reading them after Wm. Gaines died.

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 08 May 03 - 09:35 PM

My mother must have thrown out THOUSANDS of my comics! I doubt if any of them were first editions, but ya never know. It's one of the reasons why, when thinking today about a great book I often have this two-dimensional picture of the characters in mind! Gawd, some of the "Classics Illustrated" artists were bad.

Thank Gawd, I'd already moved out when I started my Furry Freak, and Crumb collections.

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 08 May 03 - 07:34 PM

My house is without all three of those guys. But I would never go without Don Martin or Sergio Aragones...or Carl Barks. Or Wendy and Richard Pini.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 08 May 03 - 06:07 PM

Avengers Annual #10 is the first apperance of Rogue and a minor Key issue. $25.00 to $ 50.00 in the right condition.

And I agree, a house without Stve Ditko or Jack Kirby is like a house without Wally Wood.

Don

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Peter T.
Date: 08 May 03 - 05:04 PM

We have had threads on this -- I had all the Marvel comics in the 60s until I sold virtually all of them in desperation in the late 70s. I still have some of the Annuals hidden away, but I assume they aren't worth anything, I just couldn't bear not having any Steve Ditko in the house. yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 08 May 03 - 08:50 AM

Bagpuss: 'V for Vendetta', I read this on its first publication in a short run UK magazine called 'Warrior', only ran for 20+ issues, but had some good stories (I've still got them somewhere!)

Nigel

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Bagpuss
Date: 08 May 03 - 06:05 AM

I used to read comics regularly, but haven't really continued to do so since the end of The Sandman. Everything else seems disappointing in comparison. I do keep checking out the DC Vertigo line to see if there is anything promising on the horizon, but have come to the conclusion I was much more a Neil Gaiman fan than I was a comic fan - though there have been a few others I enjoyed: Early Hellblazer, for example, and some short series like The Last One - also in the Vertigo line. Oh and a lot of Alan Moore, like Watchmen, V for Vendetta etc.

Bagpuss

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Doug_Remley
Date: 08 May 03 - 12:33 AM

When I was stuck in Marseilles for a long time I bought all the Asterix comic books. Oddly, they were hardbound. :)

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: NicoleC
Date: 07 May 03 - 11:40 PM

If you have anything you're really hankering for, Don, PM me. A friend of mine is currently unemployed and making a living selling off his comic book paraphenalia on eBay, after having spent many years as a Marvel employee and more as a fan. I know from first hand experience that he's got some wacky stuff.

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 07 May 03 - 11:27 PM

Very cool, Don!

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 07 May 03 - 11:25 PM

LH,

I have a few thousand comics. I like to keep them in good shape so I take care of them. I have friend who think I'm nuts because I also read them. They don't think I'm nuts because I read comics at 52. They think I'm nuts because I might damage the investment potential.

Oh well.

I gotta tell you I rode many a mile with my Schwinn Roadmaster, ball glove on the handle bars, Royal Crown Root Beer in my left hand and Captain America in my back pocket. The big difference now is it's a Plymouth Voyager, gas station coffee, and Xenozoic Tales on the passenger seat.

Don

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Cluin
Date: 07 May 03 - 11:20 PM

Turok, Son of Stone! Whoo-hoo!

Watch out for the honkers!

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Cluin
Date: 07 May 03 - 11:18 PM

Yeah, Don, thanks. I had checked there back around January and there were a couple on there for around 500 to 600 US$ comparable to mine. Like I said, though, E-Bay scares me.   ;)

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 07 May 03 - 11:17 PM

I was a bigtime comic reader, cos we didn't have a TV till I was 18 years old, and I have remained a lifelong comics fan. I had very little interest in the superheroes, but loved the old Dell and Gold Key adventure comics, the Disney stuff like Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge (which had superb art and stories by Carl Barks), and I later was a fan of Howard the Duck, Groo the Wanderer, and Elfquest.

I also read most of the Classics Illustrated ones. The comics I have are not in mint condition by any means, cos they've been handled quite a bit. I always bought them to read, not to collect.

Some of the old adventure titles I recall were: Tarzan, Turok (Son of Stone), Magnus - Robot Fighter, Jungle Jim, Ben Bowie and his Mountain Men, John Carter of Mars.

Then there were the comics issued to go with various adventure movies, like Moby Dick or Davy Crockett. Had lots of those. There were plenty of western comics too, but I don't recall the titles.

I also liked Mr. Magoo...VERY funny stories with great art. I don't think there were more than maybe 10 issues of it, and I wish I could find them now. It totally outstripped the cartoon...as did the rest of them, in fact. Nothing beats the printed medium for subtlety and humour, when it's well done.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 07 May 03 - 11:15 PM

Cluin,

On ebay right now, Mint in the Box, $305.00 American. reserve not yet met.

Don

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: Cluin
Date: 07 May 03 - 11:09 PM

Well, I've got an old Johnny Seven One Man Army gun in damn-near mint condition that I pulled out of my parent's attic. Still got all the little plastic bullets and grenades for it too, as well as the drop-out cap pistol. I took care of MY toys, man!

But I'd sell this bastard to finance a new guitar in a heartbeat too. Kinda leery of E-Bay tho'...

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 07 May 03 - 11:07 PM

Hal,

I try and stay current with some books. I still collect and I buy original art from all types of comics. AS you may know, like guitars and comic books, condition is everything. Conan #1 in NM condition might have a book value equal to a new Seagull S 6, Conan 1 in VG condition might buy you six sets of strings.   At A comic show this past weekend I saw Silver Surfer #4 ( Square binding, 25 center with Thor on the cover, John Buscema art I think) in Very Fine condition priced at $280.00. It was there in the morning at that price, it was there when I left at that price.

Give a message, I'll help if I can.

Don

Subject: RE: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 07 May 03 - 10:56 PM

E Mail me at [e-mail]

Don

Subject: BS: Any comic book readers here ?
From: GUEST,Hal Jordan
Date: 07 May 03 - 10:52 PM

Just wondering if any mudcats were also current or past comic readers. I just rediscovered my collection that ranges from Marvels to old Freak Bros and Crumb comics. Where can I find out how much some of these are worth { the first dozen Conan's and Silver Surfers for instence } if I decide to sell these to finance my next guitar ? Do any of you stay current with comics now or is it something from your past ? Who were some of your favorites ?