Collecting roots & your collection

[atomic99]

What started you collecting?

The first comics I ever read were a handful of leftover comics from my older brothers. Some kid down the street gave them his comic collection and they promptly turned around and sold them like lemonade from a curbside card table. (bet that kid is kicking himself as an adult now). Some of those comics didn't sell like a Lois Lane from the 1960s (still have it), some other DC Silver with the Go-Go checks, some Hot Stuff, but the date from a Power of Warlock issue from 1973 makes me think all this happened that year.

But it was the summer of 1975 that got me collecting as I got a pile of books to keep me busy during the family vacation to Lake Shasta, CA. Richie Rich Fortunes. A Byrne Speed Bugger or Wheelie and the Chopper bunch. I may have even got into some Mad Magazine before this.


Approximate size of your collection?

I think I estimated about 75 short boxes worth of comics. How many books fit in a short box? 200?


What are the major "runs" in your collection?

Captain America
Tales of Suspense appearance to current plus mini series, etc. Many guest appearances. I'm also working on the Golden Age and Atlas stuff (up to about 5 books now). I have many of Cap's Avengers issues and all the Invaders. I have the entire run of the French-Canadian Cap run (about 157 issues), most of the UK weekly Cap, a decent chuck of his Italian runs, and some of his French, German, Mexican/Spain, Brazil, Greek, Turkish, and Australian/New Zealand runs.

Lots of DC Silver from the 1960s, working on my run of SUPERMAN and ACTION COMICS. Many others too like LOIS LANE.

Richie Rich comics. A good chunk of FF, Avengers, and other titles from the 70s and 80s that I have not kept up with in the last 20 years.


What (if anything) do you collect besides comics?

80s music: New Wave, New Romantic, Synth Pop, Alternative, Ska, Dance, etc. Bands like OMD, Ultravox, Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, the Cure, Depeche Mode. That type of stuff. Lots of vinyl, remixes, and CDs.

Art books: illustrators, comic artists, how to books, fine artists, artist sketchbooks.

Movies & DVDs: I think I've catalogued about 2,100 movies with another binder to log. Most are older movies recorded off of TV from the 1920s-1950s and then I'll buy the official DVDs for the newer movies and then Blu-Ray for any movie I like in the last 5 years. Areas of focus are early horror movies, super-hero or comic book-based movies & TV, Star Trek, James Bond, and all the Doctor Who DVDs.


Take a shot at your current "Top 10" of comics

This is tough because I've shifted to being less of a reader of current comics and more of a collector of artists I enjoy, characters I like, and nostalgic things from my past. I'm reading more regular books (art, biography, history, fiction) than comics lately. And a lot of mid-tier comics I was reading in the past year recently got axed. So I don't think I can reach 10 but...

Avengers Academy
Teen Titans
Captain America
Young Avengers


All-Time Favorite Runs

Dave Stevens/Rocketeer
Claremont/Byrne/X-Men
Perez/Wolfman/Avengers
Stern/Byrne/Captain America
Xaime/Love & Rockets
Schultz/Xenozoic Tales
David/Keown/Frank/Hulk
Perez/Byrne/Avengers
Gruenwald/Perez/Byrne/Marvel-Two-in-One
Sal Buscema/Captain America

[torchsong]

What started you collecting?

I've never "collected". I've "amassed". My first batch of comics was an amalgamation of my sisters' old books and numerous X-Men/Teen Titans books. They were wrinkled, torn, and had food spilled on them from constant re-reading. I gave them all away when my family moved. I do bag and board my books, or at least I used to. Anymore, I just put them in the longbox for the eventual bind, or I get rid of what I don't want anymore.

Approximate size of your collection?

I have about six to eight shortboxes of books. Many are bound for eventually being bound. Most I could and probably should donate, sell, or just get rid of. They're taking up space.

What are the major "runs" in your collection?

Daring New Adventures of Supergirl, Arion Lord of Atlantis (bound), Micronauts (complete run - bound), Amethyst, and I think I'm going to start getting all the Omega Men for an eventual bind.

What (if anything) do you collect besides comics?

Used to collect action figures, but have since "graduated" up to statues and busts. Really into Women of the DCU, Bowen, and Ame-Comi and Kotobukiya statues. Manga out the yin-yang. Of late, I've developed a yen for picking up Marvel Premiere Hardcovers - the ones with the shiny foil spines? One part of my bookshelf looks like a Christmas Tree.

Take a shot at your current "Top 10" of comics

1) Excel Saga - 22 volumes and counting! Action, comedy, women in weird outfits...I love this series.
2) Yotsuba@! - One of the best manga series out there today...if not THE best.
3) John Carter of Mars - made me a believer in Dynamite Entertainment.
4) Teen Titans - the Wolfman/Perez years. The baby that cemented me into loving comics for life.
5) Supergirl - the Peter David run
6) Hayate the Combat Butler - lampoons everything we love and hate about manga
7) Megatokyo - Been in love with this webcomic from the very get go. Half my wardrobe is Megatokyo t-shirts.
Exiles - a love letter to anyone who was ever a fan of Marvel continuity
9) Thor - doesn't matter what incarnation, I'm always down for a story about the ol' Thunder God.
10) Anything Naoki Urasawa creates - same goes for Kiyohiko Azuma.

[Gilgabob]

What started you collecting?

Bronze age Marvel 100%. I was probably about 9 or 10 when I started buying comics at the drug store on a regular basis and one summer I traded my football for a stack of Amazing Spider-Man from the 60's. Unfortunately I then sold that stack for $5.00 to another kid because I could take that money and buy more "new" comics. Not my wisest move.

Approximate size of your collection?

50,578

What are the major "runs" in your collection?

Avengers (1963) 1-100

What (if anything) do you collect besides comics?

I have about 20 McFarlane hockey figues.

I have alot of MtG cards

Take a shot at your current "Top 10" of comics

Avengers
B.P.R.D.
Fables
Chew
Captain America
Locke & Key
FF
New Avengers
Secret Avengers
Atomic Robo

[jonah]

What started you collecting?

My father was stationed in Germany during the early 60's. Armed forces Radio was the only English speaking entertainment so I need something else to keep me amused. My father would bring home comics the other G.I.'s had discarded so they became my source of entertainment. Eventually I discovered all the other kids in the living quarters area also had comics so trading and collecting became and active past time. We eventually moved back to the states and my first 'active' purchase of a comic occurred, Avengers 68. I mark that as my 'starting to collect' phase as I was parting with my own allowance to aquire the comics.

Approximate size of your collection?

Unknown at this point as I'm actively trying to rid myself of long boxes by binding everything. I currently had 253 bound additions of comics and 9 long boxes and one short box left.

What are the major "runs" in your collection?

Legion of Superheroes (everything after the DC archives 12th volume)
Avengers 100 and forward
Nightwing & Birds of Prey

What (if anything) do you collect besides comics?
Bowen Statues & Busts
DC Direct Statues & Busts
Eaglemoss Figures
Animated TV Series on DVD
Anything Doc Savage Related
Marvel Masterworks, DC Archives Editions

Take a shot at your current "Top 10" of comics

Morning Glories
Fables
Legion of Super-Heroes
Doom Patrol (now cancelled)
Cinderella : From Fables Town (mini series)
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. agents (apparently done at DC relaunch)
Echo
Jennifer Blood
Zatanna
Avengers : Children's Crusade

[ShawnL]

What started you collecting?

The Atari Force mini-comics that were included with some Atari 2600 game cartridges. They were quite good, written by Roy Thomas, and when a regular comic series was announced, I ventured to the comic racks at my local newsstand for the first time as a teen in 1984.

I gradually started reading more and more books, and by 1985 I had the ulitmate crash course in the DC and Marvel universes with Crisis on Infinate Earths and Secret Wars II. (Having access to back issues at a dime to 25¢ apiece via a junk shop further down the street helped with several years of backstory on a lot of books)

I was hooked for life. (Though personal problems has kept me down to a bare minimum of comics for the last few years, but that's about to turn around. The DCnU, is the jumping back on point for me.)

Approximate size of your collection?
20,000 comics


What are the major "runs" in your collection?

DC from the 80's on.


What (if anything) do you collect besides comics?

My other hobbies don't involve collecting.

Take a shot at your current "Top 10" of comics[/quote]

The books I've been following lately ...

Avengers.
New Avengers.
Secret Avengers.

(the ongoing soap opera from Secret Invasion thru Siege has been what's keeping me on these books all along. Ironic, that a self professed DC zombie has been tightly following Marvel more during this lull)

Secret Six.
Echo (Making my way through the trades right now)

[BobBretall]

What started you collecting?

The Atari Force mini-comics that were included with some Atari 2600 game cartridges. They were quite good, written by Roy Thomas, and when a regular comic series was announced, I ventured to the comic racks at my local newsstand for the first time as a teen in 1984.

I remember liking Atari Force quite a lot. Ross Andru, Gil Kane, & Dick Giordano were among the artists that worked on the video game inserts, written by Gerry Conway & Roy Thomas.

The on-going series was great too, with art (at the beginning) by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, a favorite artist of mine.

[HassanT]

What started you collecting?

The Atari Force mini-comics that were included with some Atari 2600 game cartridges. They were quite good, written by Roy Thomas, and when a regular comic series was announced, I ventured to the comic racks at my local newsstand for the first time as a teen in 1984.

I remember liking Atari Force quite a lot. Ross Andru, Gil Kane, & Dick Giordano were among the artists that worked on the video game inserts, written by Gerry Conway & Roy Thomas.

The on-going series was great too, with art (at the beginning) by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, a favorite artist of mine.

I agree as well. When I was a kid, I loved the Atari Force comics that came with the games. And the ongoing series was even better.

[neenjah]

What started you collecting?

Amazing Spiderman #171 first comic I bought, and Marvel Team-Up #4 was the first one I remember reading.


Approximate size of your collection?

24 or so long boxes. I really need to sit down sometime and inventory them all. I really forget what all I do/don't have! I started keeping them all in a Don Post Spiderman costume box, then a couple shoe boxes, a foot locker, another foot locker, etc. and then discovered LCSs and longboxes when I was just out of high school.

What are the major "runs" in your collection?

Amazing Spiderman- mostly around the 150-300 or so- with a few before and after. Peter Parker, Marvel Team-Up, Marvel Tales, Spidey Super Stories. Have all of the first Nova series. All the Liberty Meadows. The recent Buffy Season 8, 52, animated Batman, early Ghost Rider, and Marvel Star Wars comics.

What (if anything) do you collect besides comics?

Guano! Lots and lots of bat-$#*%!!!

This started it all back in 1969.

Also collect 8x10 photos, comic art/pages/prints/sketches, some sports collectibles (Yankees, Rams, Riverkings, Predators), art books, DVDs, and more. Have tried to cut back to Batman items- mostly Batmobiles, HeroClix, and anything Harley Quinn. Collected a lot of Spidey, KISS, and Star Wars stuff as a kid. Always keeping an eye out for cool Phantom, Green Hornet, Shadow, and Rocketeer items.

Take a shot at your current "Top 10" of comics
Don't think I'm getting ten comics a month anymore.

Started getting the new Rocketeer and Bela Lugosi series, get most Buffy/Firefly/Dollhouse books, pick up Gotham Sirens (and most anything with Harley Quinn).

[JasonNewcomb]

What started you collecting?
Well, I've been interested in comic books since I was a boy. Tintin was probably my first love in comics. But where I lived, there was no comic shop and just when I started being interested in buying comic books, the corner store stopped carrying them on the spinner. I did find some comic books at garage sales here and there, most notably a few Question comic books which blew my 13 year old head off. But I spent a long time suspending my desire to have a collection of my own. Until my adulthood where I discovered that the library had comic books. So there I read Watchment, Understanding Comics, Maus and that sort of thing. Finally, when Iron Man came out in theaters I made the decision to no longer postpone my want for a collection. I found the shop in the town I now lived in and have been a regular reader since.

Approximate size of your collection?
Whenever I get asked this question I feel like I'm saying I am openly saying I have a small penis. I have about 400 comic books. I'm trying to be proud of my small penis *ahem* I mean "small collection". I do my best to think of it as "streamlined" rather than small. I keep it in a file cabinet.

What are the major "runs" in your collection?
Hmmm. Again, I don't know if you can call the "major" but I have a few I'm fond of. The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl all in high grade. I don't have it for the monetary value, I collected it for the stunning covers and gorgeous interior art. The story is kind of cheesy but it has its charm.

I also have all of 52 which is an important Question story and my goal is to collect all appearances of The Question (I do have his first appearance). So of course I'm working on finishing my run of the O'Neil/Cowan series which I read many many times in TPB.

I do also have the first 12 issues of Perez's Wonder Woman in high grade. Again, very cool covers and an important landmark for the character.

And I'm trying to put together all of Captain Canucks original series in high grade as well.

Here are a few pictures:





What (if anything) do you collect besides comics?
Nothing. I prefer to stick to single issues. My wife is a fine artist so my fine art collector itch is scratched there.

Take a shot at your current "Top 10" of comics

I don't buy ten comics a month. I try to keep a strict budget because otherwise it gets out of hand. My motto is buy less, re-read more.

But here are my favorites right now.
Wonder Woman (it had it bumps but ultimately was a very enlightening character story of Diana).
Carbon Grey is a recent favorite. I had the pleasure of interviewing Hoang Nguyen and the hard work that goes into this is astounding. I love how the series has more of a Heavy Metal/Humanoids philosophy to it. They prefer to release it in chunks then have a wait period. They really believe in the product and want to make it the best possible.


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[J. Farrell]

What started you collecting?

I read comics as a kid, mostly to kill time on car trips or at Grandma's. When I was a teenager, I read the usual suspects (X-Men, Punisher, etc.) But what really started me collecting was being excruciatingly bored at a retail job downtown as a young adult, finding issue #1 of The Maxx stuffed below the cash register, and reading that. That eventually led to discovering Sandman in the twilight of its existence, and the rest is history.

Approximate size of your collection?

Around 8,500 books. That includes "floppies" and various trades/graphic novels/etc. I've never counted the book books, but there are probably somewhere between 500 and 800 of those. I don't collect any figures, statues, art, etc. Just stories, man.

What are the major "runs" in your collection?

I don't really collect superhero comics, so that tends to limit the size of any runs. I have the entirety of things like Y: The Last Man and Sandman Mystery Theater (which I just read/re-read recently...so awesome). I have very nearly all of the Hellboy-verse stuff and a lot of Hellblazer.

What (if anything) do you collect besides comics?

I've made a pretty conscious decision not to collect anything besides comics because I can't afford it. Heck, I can't really even afford to collect comics, at least not as many as I'd want to. I kinda collect interactive fiction games, but those are 99.9% free. I've always collected something; as a kid I did bottlecaps, then matchbooks, then stamps.

Take a shot at your current "Top 10" of comics

Scalped
Locke & Key
Hellboy/BPRD/Witchfinder

Those are the three mainstays that spring to mind. There are plenty of others I love, like Chew and Atomic Robo, but I'm actually trying to cut back (out of necessity) right now. I also tend to crave variety, so the list changes from month to month as I try different miniseries and stand alone books.

[keith71_98]

What Started You Collecting?

Around 1978 I came across some of my uncle's old comics at my grandmother's house. I was immediately drawn in. The books I found were a wide assortment including Woody Woodpecker, Sad Sack, Lost in Space, Spectre. Later my father began buying Sgt. Rock and Fighting Marines. He would read them then give them to me, A collection was born!

Approximate Size of Your Collection?

Probably around 4,000 but I'm horrible with estimates.

What are the Major Runs in Your Collection?

I'm particularly found of my G.I. Joe run from the 80s mainly because they are same books that I picked up off of the spinner rack at my small town grocery store. I also have tons of Avengers books starting with issue 10.

What (If Anything) Do You Collect Besides Comics?

Movies - DVDs and Blu-Rays. I'm also a huge Humphrey Bogart with almost every movie of his in my collection.

Take a Shot at Your Current "Top 10" of Comics

(This is hard, especially with The New 52)

1. Detective Comics
2. Captain America
3. Batman
4. Justice League
5. Punisher
6. Daredevil
7. Uncanny X-Force
8. Teen Titans
9. Fantastic Four
10. Green Lantern

[heroesmask]

What started you collecting?
The first comics I remember getting were Star Wars right after the movie came out. My mom got my brother and I a subscription that a neighbor was selling for school. After that I skip ahead to Uncanny X-Men 196. This started my love affair with the X-Men and I've been mostly hooked since. Took a hiatus like most people during high school/college and then got back in.

Approximate size of your collection?
About 6,500 books

What are the major "runs" in your collection?
Uncanny X-Men from 141-current (-4 books)
X-Men (complete)
New Mutants (complete)
Generation X (complete)

What (if anything) do you collect besides comics?
Star Wars figures/memorabilia, big Chicago Cubs fan so trinkets here and there, Blu Rays

Take a shot at your current "Top 10" of comics
1. Uncanny X-Force
2. Walking Dead
3. GI Joe
4. Batman
5. Avengers
6. Captain America
7. X-Men Legacy
8. Uncanny X-Men
9. Star Wars Dark Times
10. Planet of the Apes

[mguy1977]

What started you collecting?
My mom & grandma needed me to be occupied for long hours at a beauty salon so comics did the trick. I bought them at the pharmacy & grocery store. The pharmacy had ice cream parlor too. But I had plenty of building block games growing up through the years until I got big boy toys, Legos. However w/ 8 to 14 hours shifts you could only build so much & comics was something else to do. Comics was 40 cents when I started reading. My sister read Dazzler & Archie comics; hey it takes all kinds back in the 80s.

Approximate size of your collection?
I have never done an official estimate but it is under 10,000.

What are the major "runs" in your collection?
Superman era (post COIE) comics through today -- Yes it is a lot of comics

What (if anything) do you collect besides comics?
DC Comics tv series of various Superman programming from Superfriends to Smallville, Freddy & Jason movies & various coins.

Take a shot at your current "Top 10" of comics

1 Fables -- Yes I get engrossed in every issue of this series.
2. Superman -- Yes Perez Superman, I have no problem with lots of words & various panels in a comic is a big plus in my book. I am just sad to see him go after issue 6 & I look forward to his next work.
3. Action Comics -- Yes it costs more so I enjoy the book.
4. The Walking Dead -- Best suspense comic out there today (made the move to HC recently though after issue #84)
5. Criminal Last of the Innocent -- the best mini of the year after Rocketeer Adventures of course
6. Usagi Yojimbo -- some of the best art out there today every issue
7. Batman -- Snyder's Batman & not every Batman book out there
8 Justice League -- I am very interested by the series
9. Jonah Hex/All Star Western -- I am hooked on Gray, Palmotti & the various artists that work on the series.
10. Catwoman -- Winick & March comic -- Count me in.

Matthew

[BobBretall]

What started you collecting?
My mom & grandma needed me to be occupied for long hours at a beauty salon so comics did the trick. I bought them at the pharmacy & grocery store.

This is great! I remember something similar. My Mom was in a daytime bowling league & while she was bowling she'd give me 50 cents & I could walk down to the Sav-On Drug Store (in the same shopping center) and get 2 comics and a double-scoop ice-cream cone!