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fajrdrakoI just came back from the local "cards and comics" show and I'm thrilled with some of my findings.
One item I bought is a set of cards that I saw once at a con about ten years ago for $50.00 when I couldn't afford it. It's called "Famous Comic Book Creators", and was published in 1991. I've looked for it ever since, hoping for a better price, but prepared to pay $50 just because I want it so much. Today (thanks to Patti, who spotted a table of card sets at reduced prices) I got the set for $4.00.
No, I don't collect cards generally, but this has such special meaning for me. It's a thrill. Each card has a picture of a comic book writer, artist, or whatever, with his biography on the back. Many of these are people I've met - some of the great heroes of my pantheon, like Will Eisner and Moebius and Neil Gaiman and Scott McCloud and Stan Sakai - others who have become friends, and still others I have heard about for decades but have never met, like Howard Cruse and Matt Wagner and Marie Severin -I had no idea what they looked like. Some of the pictures are delightfully bizarre, like that of Trina Robbins. Larry Marder - I haven't thought about him in years. Fred Kida - I'd forgotten his existence, but enjoyed his work. Todd MacFarlane, trying to look like one of his own heroes - and not doing a bad job. Bill Sienkievicz, looking like one of his characters: a good trick. Jim Shooter looking more like one of his own villains - I don't even know what happened to him. Is he selling cars in Florida now? No, no, I mustn't be snarky. Mark Verheiden (now one of the Smallvile producers) is in there, too.
In his card, Neil Gaiman looks cool. You'd think that writing comics (and books) would be the thing he does best, but no. Brilliant as he is when it comes to writing, Gaiman's best thing is looking cool.
It's a trip down my personal memory lane and a long-time comic-fan's dream.
As to comics themselves, I got all the issues of the current series of Catwoman that I was missing, and some early issues of Gotham Central which got by me before I learned how much I liked Ed Brubaker's writing, and Superman/Batman #2, which I'd missed. I'll subscribe now; it's good, though I'm not mad over the art. But the writing by Jeph Loeb is superb.
Some days it feels really great to be a fan.
I also got to talk to two good friends who are comic book professionals whom I haven't seen much of in the past few years - I used to go to the San Diego Comic Con every year with one of them. They saw my Smallville tote bad and teased me for my fannishness, but that's okay, they're fans too.
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Date: 2003-11-23 01:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-23 01:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-23 03:57 pm (UTC)BTW, if you haven't read "Hicksville," by Dylan Horrocks, you should.
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Date: 2003-11-23 04:07 pm (UTC)Amazing, isn't it? The cards were published by Eclipse Enterpises, and my guess is that they were the brainchild of cat yronwode, who at that time was still Editor-in-Chief there. But that's only a guess. She and I are people to whom the writers and artists of comics are superstars, but we're a rare breed.
Which is probably why, at the cards and comics show, there were many, many dealers, selling many hundreds of cards of hockey stars and football stars and only one discounted, unwanted set of Famous Comic Book Creators cards - which found the one person who would want them.
Mind you, Neil Gaiman is currently flirting with a sort of superstar status.... I'm not sure how deliberately.
Funny that rock stars don't produce collectible cards. I wonder why. I once had a set of Beatles cards, lost long ago.
No, I haven't read "Hicksville". Is it a comic? a novel?
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Date: 2003-11-24 09:17 am (UTC)They were put out by Eclipse? That explains it. I miss Eclipse. What is yronwode up to these days, anyway?
"Hicksville" is by Dylan Horrocks, and it's the best comic book novel ever written. One of my favorite works of fiction, period. I can't quite describe it, but it takes place in a tiny town in New Zealand where everyone _ the postman, the old ladies, the police _ read comics.
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Date: 2003-11-24 10:24 am (UTC)Isn't he just! It's the dark glasses that are the tip-off.
I miss Eclipse.
So do I. They put out a nice eclectic collection of comics... and other things, too. Image and the other newer companies just aren't the same.
What is yronwode up to these days, anyway?
I'm not sure. My last bit of news is out of date now. It would be interesting to find out.
I'll look for "Hicksville", it sounds wonderful. Not only had I not heard of it, I never heard of Dylan Horrocks either.
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Date: 2003-11-23 07:40 pm (UTC)Phil Foglio does that, but then again, Buck Godot is likely a self-portrait, anyway!
Say--any sign of Reed Waller and Kate Worley in that deck? They were my heroes "way back when"!
No doubt about it, though. Neil Gaiman is de man.
(Smallville tote bag? Where did you acquire that gem, or is it handmade one-of-a-kind?)
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Date: 2003-11-23 07:56 pm (UTC)That's for sure! Creepy in a sort of dark, abstractionist way.
Phil Foglio does that, but then again, Buck Godot is likely a self-portrait, anyway!
Almost certainly!
Say--any sign of Reed Waller and Kate Worley in that deck? They were my heroes "way back when"!
What, were you an Omaha fan too? Gad, those were terrific. Yes, they are both in the deck. Some of the inclusions and omissions are odd - for instance, why include Mike Ploog but not Frank Miller?
No doubt about it, though. Neil Gaiman is de man.
Who would dare to argue with that? (I still haven't read "Endless Nights", but I'm loving "1602".)
(Smallville tote bag? Where did you acquire that gem, or is it handmade one-of-a-kind?).
I bought it at Escapade, the slash con in California, when I was there last year.
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Date: 2003-11-23 09:30 pm (UTC)What, were you an Omaha fan too? Gad, those were terrific. Yes, they are both in the deck.
I poured them beers at a con in Racine, WI, once. I have their band's album and all the issues of the comic that came out (I think). Heck, my convention badge name used to be Omaha! I loved that thing! I don't get furry fandom, but those guys made great anthropomorphic animal porn! Wonder what was gonna happen next in the storyline?
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Date: 2003-11-24 04:26 am (UTC)