Posts:
28
Registered:
4/25/07
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Re: What got you started?
Posted:
Aug 14, 2007 3:35 PM
in response to: dasgog
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I got into comics in the early eighties with G.I. Joe, and Star Wars. I started buying other Marvel titles. Then I got older and got out of comics. For some reason about two Christmases ago my parents picked me up the Encyclopedia of DC Comics. I read it all and started to get an itch to read comics again. I picked up a few trade paper backs and sooner then later I was back to comic shops every weekend.
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Posts:
1,578
Registered:
5/17/03
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Re: What got you started?
Posted:
Aug 14, 2007 4:11 PM
in response to: dasgog
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As a very young child, I think I always liked comics... but for the most part, the only comics I really ever got to read were Harvey, Gold Key (Tragg, Dr. Spektor, Star Trek, Disney, Warner Bros) and Archie. Super-hero comics were something I think I knew existed... but I never seemed to get that kind.
Then one summer, we were camping up at Killbear Provincial Park and we visited some friends who had a cottage nearby in Parry Sound. The two oldest kids were both boys... and as it happens they had comics - a LOT of comics (compared to what I had anyhow). Unlike mine though... they didn't have ANY Archie, Gold Key or Harvey comics. Theirs were all DC and especially Marvel.
I remember going there and reading 2 issues of the Fantastic Four where the Thing, the Human Torch and Medusa fought the Miracle Man on Wyatt Wingfoot's native reserve. I was blown away by it. They also had a JLA issue that was my first real exposure to the JSA (the one where Elliot S. Maggin ended up going to Earth-2 and became a villain). They had the Sensational Spider-man treasury edition which reprinted, most notably the first appearance of the Sinister Six (I still love that story). And they had a copy of
Marvel Team-Up
that featured the Human Torch and Ice-Man (which is still one of my favorite comic stories).
At the end of the day, we headed back to the campground and I knew the next time we visited the local marina/gift-shop, I was gonna give their comic rack a good look over. I found 2 consecutive issues of the
Fantastic Four
(#149 & #150)... which I quickly bought and headed back to the car to read. Now, FF #150 is the second half of the wedding of Crystal & Quicksilver (the first part was in the Avengers)... but it didn't really matter. I very quickly got the gist of the story... and was totally blown away by the Inhumans and the Avengers (who co-starred in it).
And really, that was the moment I fell under the spell of comic books. It also etched in stone, some of my favorite Marvel characters (the Swordsman, Mantis the Human Torch, the Vision & the Scarlet Witch).
Being at the mercy of my parents when it came to getting comics (because I wasn't get an allowance at that point), I could only get what I could get. Later on, I picked up
Inhumans
#1, an issue of
Captain Marvel
which guest-starred Ant-Man and the Wasp and an issue of the
Avengers
that told the origin of the Vision and linked him to the golden age Human Torch. Great stuff!
My first DC character encounters came in the form of the Adam West-Batman (which is where my initial love of Batgirl comes from) and George Reeve-Superman series that were being rerun on a Buffalo, NY afternoon kid's show called "The Commander Tom Show"... as well as the first season of the Super Friends (which cemented Aquaman as my favorite comic character). Comic-wise, my first DC books came in a bunch of comics I was given by a classmate of my sisters... and in it was the first issue of
Karate Kid
... which guest-starred the Legion (which was a great bonus) as well as a couple of
Superboy And The Legion Of Super-heroes
issues. There were also more than a couple of DC's horror anthologies and an issue of
Tarzan Family
.
Really though, it wasn't until the late '70's (when I was getting an allowance and could supliment my comic buying by scavenging up beer bottles/cans or returnable pop bottles) till I actively started to "collect" a particular series... and it was
Justice League Of America
(my first issue was the first part of a 2-part JLA/JSA crossover that saw 4 members from each team encounter the Viking Prince, Miss Liberty, Jonah Hex and somebody else). That was followed by
DC Comics Presents
(starting with #5) and
The Brave And The Bold
.
And much to my wallet and bank account's detriment, I haven't looked back.
David
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Posts:
576
Registered:
12/25/05
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Re: What got you started?
Posted:
Sep 3, 2007 9:48 AM
in response to: davidh
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For the readers who collected in the mid 80's, did you know Crisis was going to be a big deal? Or when you were done with the last issue, did it feel finalized..and complete?
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Posts:
32
Registered:
1/15/02
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Re: What got you started?
Posted:
Sep 3, 2007 8:11 PM
in response to: dasgog
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Well I think the great thing about reading comic books in the late 70's and early 80's was the excitement of not KNOWING what was going to happen in each upcoming issue. And the only real thing I knew about COIE before it started was the ads that ran in DC comics touting ,"Worlds will live, Worlds will die." That made it seem pretty exciting to me. The only DC titles I was reading at the time was the Wolfman Perez New Teen Titans issues and some Superman and Justice League. COIE actually made me a DC fan and I sought out more of their titles afterwards.
That's the big problem with todays comic books and mostly anything entertainment related (books, movies, and tv shows,etc.). Everyone wants to know what's going to happen ahead of time instead of letting it come out and being generally surprised by what's in the comic book, movie, or TV Show. and worse they want to spoil the stuff for everyone else too. The recent Harry Potter book being spoiled by idiots in the book stores reading off the list of characters being killed and other major story points is what's wrong today.
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Posts:
1,005
Registered:
2/19/05
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Re: What got you started?
Posted:
Sep 3, 2007 8:26 PM
in response to: dasgog
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I was always big into Batman and Superman when I was little, but what actually transitioned me over to comics were the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They were huge back when I was 6-years-old, and when I found out they were in comic books, as well, I started picking those up. What caught my eye one time at 7-11 was a Batman Vs. Predator comic, and from there, I worked myself into the DCU and eventually, the MU.
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Posts:
272
Registered:
5/7/07
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Re: What got you started?
Posted:
Sep 3, 2007 8:32 PM
in response to: dasgog
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I knew there was going to be big changes to the DCU because of COIE, I just didn't know how far it was going to go. It was odd and a tad confusing for awhile after Crisis was over because they were still publishing books that had still fit into the Pre-Crisis/during Crisis mythos. Hell the full effects of Crisis hadn't been solved until the Mekanique story in All-Star Squadron which at that point I wasn't able to get. It also made it strange that these heroes hadn't really mentioned Crisis after it happened. At least the DC Editors admitted they made a mistake by not doing a "clean break" after Crisis was over. As far as the story for Crisis it had ended with issue 12 it was just the effects had carried over because of it. Which is what a big event/crossover is supposed to do. The effects of something out of these things is that it would change the heroes and the universe/world they are in.
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Posts:
103
Registered:
10/28/05
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Re: What got you started?
Posted:
Sep 3, 2007 8:42 PM
in response to: dasgog
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I was born in 1964, I remember a copy of Superman (maybe with him coming out of a phone booth on the cover....and a copy of either Ditko Charlton Blue Beetle or Captain Atom....before I could read.....then my uncle/half brother gave me some comics, STRANGE ADVENTURES and SUPERMAN 100 PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR and some SUPERBOYs with and without the LEGION.....another uncle got me a copy of Gold Key's ROAD RUNNER.....I remember seeing some Justice Leagues in the barbershop.....the letter column header intrigued me.....who were these women hanging out with Superman and Batman and their friends? I couldn't read yet or even tell what was going on in the main story...but LOVED that lettercol graphic.....did that blonde woman just wash the dishes?
My few comics collected dust in my toybox, lost some covers or parts of them : )
Finally summer of 1970 on the way back from vacation on Cape Cod we stopped at a variety store....with spinner racks.....I remember seing DOOM PATROL, MARVELS and HARVEY'S, ARCHIES and a bunch more DCs.....I suddenly wanted to learn all I could about the chcracters all before me.....I decided to get JLA #101, a JLA/JSA/SSOV crossover.....multiple earths and time travel...part two of three....NEXT ISSUE ON SALE ON OR ABOUT SEPTEMBER XX......
JLA was bimonthly back then, I quickly learned all sorts of words like BI MONTHLY, SATELITE, TELEPORTATION, GEOSYNCHRONUS ORBIT......I dug out my old comics and read them covert to cover.....found out where in my town I could find new issues...twenty cents!!!!! When JLA hit 100 PAGE status (at 50 and 60 cents) it was too expensive so I missed almost a year....but learned to get back issues from the flea market....EIGHTY CENTS for early issues of JLA.....!!!! Most of my freinds were DC kids, the MARVEL kids had older brothers.....JACK KIRBY looked so scary to me.....kirby dots!!!!
When I got a paper route I started expanding my monthly habit....checking the racks everyday......just in case....got a coverless AVENGERS #151....George Perez......Staton and Byrne at Charlton.......Perexon Marvel 2 in 1 and Fantastic Four....finally the Legion got added to the Superboy title indicia.....reading letters from RICHARD MORRISEY from FRAMINGHAM MASS....only a few miles away.....not realizing my hometown SAUGUS MASS was a comic book haven!!!!! I was able to buy a ton of comics, mostly team books....DC, MArvel etc.....Jack Kirby AND Neal Adams became my heroes....Gene Colan on NIGHT FORCE...WOWCarmi e Infantino was STAR WARS to me and IRV NOVICK was FLASH for me......DICK DILLIN AND FRANK MCCLAUGHLIN were my ideal!
I got to meet Rich Morrisey before he died, great friend and person.....
Now, I live in HOPKINTON, and when I pass his cemetary while driving on the pike I recount the latest goings on in the JLA out loud to him.....
TO THIS DAY....the JLA remains my all time favorite.
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Posts:
103
Registered:
10/28/05
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Re: What got you started?
Posted:
Sep 3, 2007 8:46 PM
in response to: johnnyblazedcu
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we had a READING and GREETING in Saugus MA....
I remember buying NO ONE HERE GETS OUT ALIVE......otherwise a favorite haunt of mine for comics too....now is a chinese food buffet......
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Posts:
103
Registered:
10/28/05
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Re: What got you started?
Posted:
Sep 3, 2007 8:59 PM
in response to: dasgog
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> For the readers who collected in the mid 80's, did
> you know Crisis was going to be a big deal? Or when
> you were done with the last issue, did it feel
> finalized..and complete?
I always thought of Earth1/Earth2 as being clunky and made "excuses" for the JLA and JSA being on the same world anyways....CRISIS "proved" me right......
SHOWCASE #100 was kind of a precursor story where they JAMMED in as many characters as they could so I LOVED CRISIS......
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Posts:
272
Registered:
5/7/07
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Re: What got you started?
Posted:
Sep 3, 2007 9:05 PM
in response to: frankdurso
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I always liked that story. Too bad they hadn't done something similar with Brave and The Bold at that time. There was only maybe 5-6 characters that hadn't popped up in that issue that had appeared in Showcase. Imagine all the B&B guys, including the Team-Ups, together in something similar.
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Posts:
103
Registered:
10/28/05
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Re: What got you started?
Posted:
Sep 5, 2007 9:51 PM
in response to: onisized1
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> I always liked that story. Too bad they hadn't done
> something similar with Brave and The Bold at that
> time. There was only maybe 5-6 characters that hadn't
> popped up in that issue that had appeared in
> Showcase. Imagine all the B&B guys, including the
> Team-Ups, together in something similar.
I'd buy that : )
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Posts:
576
Registered:
12/25/05
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Re: What got you started?
Posted:
Nov 3, 2007 6:43 PM
in response to: dasgog
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I hope this re-port is not taken the wrong way...I just noticed that we have a lot of new people, and I am curious as to peoples reactions... I think we have gotten a bit political and bitter, so maybe again this could be fun..
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Posts:
3
Registered:
11/13/03
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Re: What got you started?
Posted:
Nov 6, 2007 5:24 PM
in response to: dasgog
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1958
I come from a traditional Italian family
we would visit relatives on weekends
my cousin gave me a coverless Batman comic book
#118
I was hooked.I would look forward to trips to a discount store where coverless comics were packaged 3 to a cellophane bag and resold. I remember lots of DC war and humor in these packs. It was a special treat for my father to take me to the downtown (Northeast, Ohio) bus station where a newsstand sold the treasures of DC and the then, new kid on the block, Marvel Comics (early 1960s). I had a neighbor who had a copy of Brave & the Bold #30 (Justice League of America vs. Amazo.) I was able to work a trade to obtain that book from him. I fondly remember the effort my father made in getting his friend to stop at another downtown newsstand to pick up Superman Annual #5 (soon to become 80pg. Giants) for me. I had a friend who was really enthusiastic about Marvel comics, he tried to get me to buy some and I finally did. Strange Tales #114 (Captain America look alike) really knocked me out. I cherish the summer vacation I had with cousins in New York where, after Sunday Church service, we walked to a candy store and I bought Justice League of America #21. When I turned 12 years old I was allowed to cross the busy 4 lane street at the top of my street alone !!!! I made many trips to a Grays Drug Store to buy the comics from the turnstile there. I bought X-Men #1 from that turnstile. These werent WEEKLY events but scattered thru that 1958 coverless Batman thru the early 1960s. Ive been a collector ever since (except for a break 1970-1972 when I served in the U.S. Army.) I now have approx. 13,000 comics in my collection
sadly to say a lot of those silver age gems didnt make it with me
trades and sales got some of them
I still have that Batman #118, coverless
but I did buy a decent copy of that issue with a cover years later. (Oh ya, X-Men #1 got traded away when I was 13 or so
stupid, stupid !!!)
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4
Registered:
3/5/06
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Re: What got you started?
Posted:
Nov 6, 2007 11:05 PM
in response to: dasgog
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I was a giant fan of the Superman movies when I was really young. When the Death of Superman came out I bought it and I was hooked. I stopped reading in the late 90's when I went off to College. I began reading again around the time that Superman/Batman first came out, and became obsessed again around the time of Identity Crisis.
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Posts:
761
Registered:
5/27/03
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Re: What got you started?
Posted:
Nov 7, 2007 12:36 PM
in response to: dasgog
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I started reading comics in the mid 50s almost as soon as I started learning how to read. Superman I knew from the George Reeves TV show. Somehow everyone knew Batman - though the first vivid impression was from a single episode of a serial that I saw in a theatre while visiting a cousin. Batman was in a dungeon of some sort and the walls were closing in. But being 5 and getting 10¢ per week allowance which just happened to be the price of a comic - I initially was more into the Harvey characters ( I liked the ones with powers like Wendy, Casper, Spooky, and Hot Stuff)
But by the mid 60s I had other/better uses for my disposable income ( such as dating )
What got me started again was in 1998 when I was visiting my son to watch him graduate from college. I had some time to kill prior to the ceremony and as I wandered around a came upon a sidewalk sale where the comic store had a box of comics for 10¢ each. I knew of Nightman from the TV show and had seen the Sovereign Seven on racks where the covers looked mildly interesting (although not so much so that I had ever picked one up and looked inside) but what caught me was The Sensational She-Hulk. I had read a couple issues of Savage She-Hulk in hopes that it was the start of something big like Spiderman and JLA had been. It had not impressed me. But this was awesome. At the time I had never heard of John Byrne but it struck me that he had really gotten this right.
So from there I started trying to pick up other back issues at bargain prices and eventually went to ebay to complete the runs of Shulky and Sov7.
By that time I had discovered PAD's Supergirl, Spidergirl at Marvel, and DC was giving J'Ohnn J'Onzz a run at a title of his own. So I started buying new issues and trying to figure out what had happened to so many characters that I had known and loved back when JFK was still alive.
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