I went through a stage of life where I wanted to be a collector, but could not afford to be. I traded comics and stuff in an effort to find the many comics I wanted. But when my collection reached the height of 5000 comics and I had still not found most of the comics on my want list, I had to change my way of thinking. I gave away or sold 4000 comics. The resulting trades were great, I ended up moving over to trade paperbacks, and the many, many kids who received my comics no doubt thrilled to the adventures within. I am a reader now, and nearly solely that. If I am collecting a series, it has a purpose in that I want to read it, or share it with others. But through my work at STL Comics, and the many people I Yahoo chat with, I realize that a great majority of people who like comics are collectors... and as such, have a somewhat different outlook than I.
Perhaps it is that I am older than many people who read my column, perhaps it is that comic collectors reign in the comics hobby. I hope to consider this area more: who is reading my column, readers or collectors?
SOME NEWS
I am now a writer on the comic industry blog The Great Curve. Visit the site and leave your thoughts. My first work on the Great Curve. There are more to come, I assure you.
EXPATRIATE
Written by B. Clay Moore, Art by Jason Latour
From IMAGE COMICS
Jack Dexter, and lovely Maria Lobo are on the run from some men in black, ostensibly from the CIA. Jack has a secret. And they are anxious not to be caught. With odd art, something like a cross between a sixties-style groovy film and noir, the comic does stand out. I am not altogether there yet with the art, but I do think it is good. But as it seems with Clay Moore’s writing, he does a great job of luring me into a story, mystery, possibly a thriller. (I also think that I get the hint of Robert Rodriguez’s Desperado in terms of pacing, even somewhat look. And I love the El Mariachi trilogy. So that is not a bad thing.) But while I do not necessarily like Jack or Maria yet, I will stick around... This is a book that might not have kicked me in the butt and said THIS ROCKS, but I suspect, that when all is said and done, I will be saying that.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Tony Isabella message board is a place where intelligent, thoughtful people post. The host, Tony Isabella is a good friend of mine, and he is an interesting person, and especially interesting to read his thoughts about life and literature. I hope you might check out his board.
If you visit Duluth, Minnesota, make certain to go to Robin Goodfellow’s storefront. The retail staff there view comics as literature, games as opportunities to create fiction or recreate events, and books as vital to our existence. Buying from a local retailer helps the hobbies you enjoy, because there needs to be a storefront in order to be a secondary market. The internet rocks, but it is not everything. But considering the internet, do you like some great auctions with super service? Check out STL Comics where my webmeister at STL Comics sells a lot of great stuff at good prices and has a good selection. I have had some experiences with his services and can vouch for his integrity. Finally, I want to remind you all that Comic Supply.com has a big sale going on very nearly all the time, has some fine collector supplies and has a lot of comics.
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