A 1000 comics in 2011

One of the pitfalls of collecting comic books is that soon the collecting becomes a goal on its own. You don't collect anymore to get to read a good story, or to find out something you didn't know about your favorite character. No, at a certain point your collection becomes so important that you collect just for the sake...of collecting.

I tried to resist this for years, but slowly I turned away from being a comic reader to a comic collector who reads, to finally a comic collector. There were years where I bought a few thousand comics and maybe read 50 to 100 comics that year in total. One of the questions I get asked the most when I show off my collection (in real life or through my Youtube vids) is "Have you read them all ?" My standard answer for years was something like : "Well I'm a few thousand behind schedule, but one day I'll catch up". After a certain time I'm not sure even I believed it anymore.

Now since my collection basically got completed sometime in late 2009 the deluge of new incoming comics has slowed down considerably, but still I didn't have the time or the inclination to start reading. About a year ago I made the decision to start selling off a major chunk of the collection (almost everything from 1985 - 1999) and in doing so I committed the awful sin of selling comics, even large series, that I hadn't even read. I could hear Jack Kirby turning over in his grave.

For some reason I read more books and magazines ABOUT comics and comic book history than I did reading the actual comics themselves. Deep down inside I knew this was wrong, but I was stuck in a rut.

Now let's fast forward to the end of December 2010 a couple of friends and acquaintances on the CGC boards made a New Year's resolution to read more comics in 2011 and I happily jumped aboard that train. About 10 of us took up the challenge to try and read 1000 comics this year, or about 3 a day, every day (or 84 each month).
I started on January first and the first month is now over and I'm happy (and yes proud) to say I read 169 comics this month..I WAY overshot my target, but I know it's better to have a little in reserve for the lean months.
I'm really hoping I can stick with it for the entire year and am curious what my grand total will be. I'm pretty sure the 169 comics I read this month will not be surpassed this year as I had plenty of free time and motivation to start off with.

I did ad an additional clause to my personal quest, only 25% can be comics I have read before. I still have thousands of comics I haven't read before, so that shouldn't be a problem, but I just put it there to stop me from re-reading favorites like the 75 Sandman issues for the 5th or 6th time.
I'll try and post a monthly update, and here's the list I read this month.

January 2011 - 169 comics

Strange Adventures #117, 120, 123, 126, 129, 132, 135, 136, 138, 141, 144, 147, 150, 153 156 and 160 (16 comics)
V for Vendetta #1 - 10 (10 comics - re-read)
Journey into Mystery #87
Daredevil #159 #160
The Brave and the Bold #40
Marvel Premiere #15
Batman #108
Creepy #1 - #32 (32 comics)
Hellboy The Sleeping and the Dead #1
Ultimate Avengers 3 #5 + #6
Warlord of Mars #3
Stuntman 1/2/3
Conan 1-24 (24 comics)
Ultimate Captain America #1
Captain America Hail Hydra #1
The Walking Dead #80
Conan - Road of Kings #1 + #2
Captain 3-D #1
Fighting American #1 - #7 (7 comics)
B.P.R.D. Hell On Earth Gods #1
Daredevil Reborn #1
Infinite Vacation #1
The Thanos Imperative - Devastation one-shot.
Weird Worlds #1
Victorian Undead II #3
Fighting American V2 #1
The Double life of Private Strong #1 + #2
Adventures of the Fly #1
Marvel Westerns: the two-gun kid,
Marvel Westerns: western legends,
Marvel Westerns: kid colt and the Arizona girl,
Marvel Westerns: strange Westerns starring the black rider,
Marvel Westerns: outlaw files
Captain America 25/26/27/28/29/42 (18 comics)
What if ? 22/23/26/27/29/30/31/32/33/34/35/42/43 (13 comics)
The Boys #50
FF 587
Shazam #1 (2011)
Lady Death #1 (2010)
Infestation #1
The New York Five #1
Orson Scott Card's Speaker For The Dead #1
Proof Endangered #1 + #2






Have to go now as it's already a new month and I still haven't read a comic today.