X marks the spot

Today is a red letter day for me, it's exactly one month since I bought a single comic. Now I know I sound like some alcoholic in a cliché US sitcom who's just reached step 3 in stepping-to-get-sober programme, but for the last three years I have bought comics like a madman, over 12.000 comics in a little over 3 years is not the sign of a well balanced individual.

So on Xmas eve 2004 I decided to take a little break and actually read the damn things, I did, it was fun, but now I'm back...so tonight I'll go cruising on eBay with my new sights set on getting a copy of Uncanny X-men #94.

Why this title to restart ? Well I'm (a trifle to) fond of symbolism, and getting this issue would also mark an ending next to a beginning as this is the last Uncanny X-men (yes I know they were still called The X-men at the time) I need to get #94 till #150 complete.

Let's hope getting back in the game, or falling off the wagon, however you want to call it, won't give me splitting headache like poor old Xavier in the good old days

Who wants to be a millionaire ?

Yesterday my friend Thomas and myself had a geekfest while using Messenger. We started talking and discussing the Super Hero and his secret ID and came to the conclusion that half of them seem to be millionaires, playboys or preferably both...we started getting in touch with our inner nerd and this is what we came up with..


* Batman...................................* Green Hornet
* Moonknight.............................* Captain Britain
* Green Arrow............................* Nighthawk
* Dominic Fortune.......................* Black Knight
* Iron Man................................* Phantom Lady
* Angel

And this in a few minutes....I'm still not sure if this typecasting is a result of a lack of creativity (or just plain laziness) by most creators or because the creators figured this would be a convenient way of not having to explain why their hero didn't need to go out to work everyday AND had money to buy all those crime-stopping devices.

According to Stan Lee, the playboy started becoming popular because this was the lifestyle most creators dreamed about, hunched over their drawing desks in smoke filled rooms, and thought that their readers would yearn for this as well.

All good and well, but I'll leave you with this, Spider-man probably the most popular character of the last 20-30 years is truly defined by his roots, more even than getting bitten by that radioactive spider. We all love the Silver Age Peter Parker, because he is us, struggling to pay the rent on time and nervous and insecure around women, the everyman.

Oh and if you know some more, don't be afraid to leave a little comment...

Art for art's sake

Each year, the original comic art community holds a "contest" where each collector posts his or her acquisitions for the past year and everyone votes for the top 5.

2004 was an incredible year and if you like comics you just have to take a look at the 200+ covers and splash pages that were sold in 2004.

Comic Art Fans 2004 Gallery

Nobody puts Robin in the corner

This here is one of the funniest threads I've read on a comic message board in years...
For some strange reason the Silver age had lots of covers that show Robin, the Boy Wonder in a shock pose.

Usually in one of the lower corners of the cover.
It's really freaky when you see all of them so close together. And it also shows how lazy some artists are. At least 4 covers use the same drawing or at least pose.
Check it out and you'll never look at Robin in the same way again.

Thanks to Red Hook for the picture.

My god it's full of stars

Instead of reading the damn things like every sane person would do, I made a mock-up of all 503 Avenger covers...So maybe I should have put the Geek icon in front of this post instead of the Comics one...

So if you would like to see what 503 consequetive issues of The Avengers looks like....
then Click for link to picture

Issue #57 still sports my favorite cover...

Avengers Assemble(d)

It's done... I have them...all of them and I'm happy as a lark, strange that most of the time I feel like the path of my life is strewn with cowpats from the devil's own satanic herd.
Of course I'm talking about that constant thorn in my side the last few months... the one I have been bugging the two or three readers that actually read my blog.

I just received my first package of 2005 and as a result of some weird synchronicity it contained the last book I bought in 2004 and the final issue of a very large run....

Book was Avengers #4 and now I'm the proud owner of Avengers #1 through to #503.
I initially wanted to stop at #500, but then the news came the series would stop at #503, so I bought the last three crappy issues as well to get a full set.
None of the Silver books are high grade, but what does maybe make the collection a bit special is that not a single book was bought domestically, yes the 500+ books were all bought abroad and by mail, so basically I didn't buy a single book in person or was able to check it out before buying.

Avengers V3 were bought from a Dutch dealer and from Mile High
Avengers V2 I got from a German website
And the first +- 400 I got from the US, mainly from CGC board members.
Putting this collection together, reminds me how thankful I must be for the internet, webboards and e-commerce in general, without this I would NEVER have finished this collection....It's pretty rough living in a country where there are no Bronze or Silver age collectors or back issues and every new issue has to be special ordered and is marked up 200%. But I'm keeping the fires burning and am hoping to finish Fantastic Four #1 - #520 in 2005 as well (only need 6 more issues).
Once I get home, I'll put a scan up of Avengers #4...which was the most expensive and last book I needed...there's some Zen in there somewhere...

My New Year started off very well I hope yours did too, yeah surprisingly enough I don't hate New Year's Day..only Xmas