Scenes from the Life of an Amateur Comic Book Collector (12)--

I stopped by Time Machine recently just before it was closing and brought up an old Jimmy Olsen (103) with the top half of the cover slashed off. Roger said it was worth about $4, but he'd let me have it for free. Here's an interesting letter from Jimmy Olsen's Pen Pals in that issue:

Dear Editor:
We all know that Jimmy's favorite girl friend is Lucy Lane. But who is his favorite boy friend, his best boy pal?
Gloria Samuels, Leonia, NJ
(Robin the Boy Wonder. They frequently work together on cases with Batman and Superman.--Ed.)

So, I wonder if Gloria Samuels is still around and if she realizes the homoerotic can of worms she opened?

They were other gay goodies to be found in my most recent batch of Silver Age purchases. In Superboy 147, an 80-page giant starring the Legion of Super Heroes, the story about the initiation of Ultra Boy is most interesting. In the first panel, a new kid and an older man alight from a train in Smallville, Superboy's home town. "We will go directly to the home I've rented," the older man says, "Be on guard! No one must suspect we are...different!" (Cue the creepy music) In the next panel, both figures are in their new home and taking their shirts off! They reveal bright red action costumes with a green bird insigna. Now if that's not gay, I don't know what is.

It turns out the kid is Ultra Boy and he's in Smallville to pass his initiation into the Legion of Superheroes in the 30th century. He must discover Superboy's secret identity. The older guy is later revealed to be some old coot named Marla, the Legion's senior advisor. But Marla never showed up again in any of the Legion stories when they got their own feature in Adventure Comics. What happened to him?

In The Story of Superman, Jr., reprinted in Superman Annual no. 7, Superman adopts a young boy who had gained superpowers when his father shot him into space thinking the earth would explode. But he didn't know Superboy would save earth. Years later, the now super youngster returns to earth and the grown up Superman adopts him. The boy's dad has since passed away. Superman just drops his Clark Kent identity and pretends to be the boy's dad. Weird, huh? It gets weirder. In one panel they are actually sleeping in the same bed. Later Superman Jr. loses his superpowers and Superman Sr. just leaves him on the street. Presumably Superman found a home for his former adopted son, but why just abandon him?

Scenes from the Life of an Amateur Comic Book Collector (11)--Comic Smuggling in Times Square

Though I had resolved to cut down on my comic book habit, I came across an incredible deal on Ebay and just couldn't resist. A seller based in NYC was putting up for auction 31 Silver Age DC comics and the bid was only $45. That's less than $2 a book. Maybe the price was so low because they were readers--copies in such poor shape they are only good for reading the comics not for collecting. So I made my top bid $50. What the hell, the guy was in NYC, I wouldn't have to pay postage and handling. I won for $47.50! After a week while the seller had a bad cold, I finally met him in Times Square in front of the Toys R Us on 44th St. and we made the transaction. I felt like a drug smuggler picking up an illegal cache of halucinogentics. Although I shouldn't feel so bad, I did go during lunch and I didn't take more than an hour total, eating my lunch on the subway. He was selling them because he was now collecting science fiction book covers.

Interesting side note: while in Times Square, I spotted the Naked Cowboy for the first time in a while. This is a hunky entertainer who dresses only in a pair of briefs, a cowboy hat and guitar to pose with tourists. It was about 30 degrees and he was getting a lot of attention. Unless I am mistaken this was a different Naked Cowboy that the last one I saw a few years ago. The old one was beginning to put on weight. This one looked a lot younger and buffer. I could be wrong. It could have been the same guy.

Anyway, in addition to the haul of 31 from the Ebay seller, I also recently bought seven Silver Age comics from Time Machine for only $25 and a really beat-up Jimmy Olsen from another shop for $5 (more than it was worth. I should have waited til there was a sale.) Here's the rundown--
Action Comics #344 (beautiful Curt Swan cover, dull Wayne Boring art on the inside)
Adventure #277, 302, 357, 359, 370
The Adventures of Bob Hope #107 (were they really that many Bob Hope comics? Or did he take over another title?)
Challengers of the Unknown #39
The Flash # 130, 141, 183
Fox and Crow #5, 75 (a funny animal title, a genre of which I have very few. #5 is from 1952 which makes it the oldest comic in my entire collection)
Jimmy Olsen # 81, 82, 91, 98, 100, 104 (80 page giant),107, 108, 113 (80 page giant), 115, 129
Lois Lane #81, 88, 90
Sea Devils #13
Strange Adventures #205 (first appearance of Deadman, fantastic Carmine Infantino cover)
Superboy #117, 125, 127, 134, 135, 143, 145, 147 (80 page giant featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes)
Superman Annual #7
Wonder Woman # 131

I haven't read them yet of course so I haven't had a chance to form any commentary. However, I did find something interesting in the Jimmy Olsen #98 (pictured) which I bought at Time Machine a week or so previously. On an episode of The Big Bang Theory from last season, Sheldon, Leonard, Wallowitz, and Raj are arguing about how Superman cleans his super costume since it is just as super as he is. Sheldon had a very funny line about the Man of Steel flying into the sun whose rays burn away any dirt and leave his suit downy fresh--or words to that effect. I thought this was just some funny dialogue the writers came up with that the comics-obsessed Sheldon would say.

But oh no! In Jimmy Olsen #98 in the story "The Four Clocks of Doom" (not the cover story, I might add), our favorite cub reporter is appearing on a TV trivia show answering questions about his best super-buddy. "How does Superman clean his indestrucible uniform?" asks an audience member. "By flying into the sun and letting the flames of old Sol burn away the dust and dirt." So the Big Bang writers were referencing an actual comic. You can imagine Sheldon actually finding the comic and pointing to it, saying "How could you doubt me? If you spent more time on comics and less pining for unavailable women, we wouldn't be having these pointless conversations."

Scenes from an Amateur Comic Book Collector's Life (6)--Big Apple Comic Con

I am one sick ticket. I spent Saturday at the Big Apple Comic Con which has recently been bought by Wizard Entertainment and moved from the Pennyslvania Hotel (or whatever it's called now) on 34 th Street all the way down to the ass-end of the West Side on Pier 94 at 12th Avenue. I had a lot of fun. Previously the Big Apple cons were crowded into this one floor at the hotel with dealers and a few second-tier celebs selling their autographs (Bill Daly, Larry Storch, Mason Reese, etc.) Now the event has exploded with panels, talks, video game demonstrations, and literally dozens of celebs. It still doesn't approach the big Comic Con at the Javits Center or the Star Trek conventions I used to go to all the time, but it's a definite step up. (the pix are of two convetion-goers--the Golden Age Green Lantern I've seen before at Comic-Con. The blue alien is from a Star trek Episode. I said to her as she was eating, "Are you a Tellerite?" "No, an Andorian" Both species were on the episode Tower of Babel. Side note: my friend Lydia gave me some Star Trek episodes she got a garage sale. This episode was not on them, but it did have Court-Martial, one of the best ones. Thanks Lydia. Lots of other costumed conventioneers, but not as many as one would see at comic-con)

The day started with two Q&A sessions with Star Trek people: Kate Mulgrew and Brent Spiner. Both were funny and glad to meet their fans. I told Spiner I thought he was fantastic as John Adams in 1776 at the Roundabout a few seasons back.

Then I hit the comic dealers and went bat-shit crazy, buying 41 old comics. Actually that's not so bad. I didn't spend more than $5 for any one book and some I got for as low as $1.

Here's the haul: 2001: A Space Odyssey #7 (Jack Kirby art)

Action #380 (Superman and a really good Legion of Super-Heroes feature)

Adventure #392 (Supergirl)

Atom #9

Blackhawk #237

Capt. Johner and the Aliens No. 1 (formerly a second feature with Magnus Robot Fighter)

Detective #292 (coverless)

House of Mystery #160

Jimmy Olsen #48, 51, 73, 96, 101, 117

Journey Into Mystery #116 (Kirby)--with the Mighty Thor before he became the mag's title character

Legion of Superheroes 273

Lois Lane #25, 35, 46, 62, 80. (#62 looks like a real winner with Lois and Superman running against each other for senator, just like that time Greg and Marcia ran against each other for student body president.)

Magnus Robot Fighter 6 (the earliest one I've ever found)

Metal Men, 17, 25, 27

Strange Adventures 131, 151, 152, 231 (the last is a 64-page giant. I wasn't sure if I had it, but I didn't)

Superboy 121

Superman 171, 177 plus Superman Annual 4

Superman Family 176

Thor 138, 140, 153, 171 (all by Kirby)

World's Finest 163, 185

In between buying binges, I visited the autograph area were celebs were selling their autographs and photos. I didn't buy any (at $20 a throw), but it was fun to see Mickey Dolenz (my sister's favorite Monkee), Nichelle Nichols, David Hedison (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, the handsomest man on TV in the 60s, now totally white-haired and still handsome), Bruce Weitz (Hill Street Blues, who I once interviewed for Theater Week magazine), Carol Cleveland of Monty Python, and of course Julie Newmar, the original Catwoman. I was standing by her booth and said hello. I said "You know I was looking at Youtube and you can find the What's My Line episode where you were the Mystery Guest. That was when you were in The Marriage Go Round on Broadway." She smiled and said "Thank you." Another surprise--Pete Rose was selling his signature too, but for a lot for than Julie Newmar or Todd Bridges.

The whole day was like going into a tunnel and escaping reality, emerging in this alternate universe were the DC and Marvel worlds, Star Trek and Star Wars were all real. Well, back to reality--or reality TV anyway. In future blogs, I'll deconstruct the comics I bought.

Scenes from an Amatuer Comic Collector's Life (2)--Sunday Funnies

Today is new comic book day, so I go into Forbidden Planet to check out the new goods. DC Comics has come out with an entirely new series I absolutely love which is in the form of a Sunday newspaper comic section like what we used to call the funnies. Remember those? This features epic 14 X 20 inch story pages of Superman, Batman, Kamandi (I have almost all of the Jack Kirby originals), Hawkman, Deadman, Green Lantern, Metamorpho, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Metal Men, Flash, Sgt. Rock, Teen Titans, Adam Strange, and the Demon teamed with Catwoman. Best of all, Metamorpho the Elemental Man is drawn by my absolute favorite artist Mike Allred--who has a cool retro sensibility--he's the guy who does Madman, which will conclude its current series next month from Image Comics. And this Metamorpho strip is written by Neil Gaiman (Geeky enough for yez?)

This will be a weekly series from DC for 12 weeks. Wow! I can collect them all! I remember the funnies used to be my favorite part of the newspaper. Saturday nights my dad used to drive us to this general store-sort of Wawa place to get the Sunday paper. We would go after dinner and get ice cream and pick up the Sunday edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer. It was a weekly ritual, I remember sitting with him in the front seat and my sister in the back. We'd go in the store and pick up this enormous newspaper with the colorful funnies wrapped around the front. Sometimes if I had enough allowance money left--I got 25 cents a week--I would buy the latest Action Comics with Superman AND the Legion of Super-Heroes. So it had to be the early 70s, when the Legion was no longer the only feature in Adventure Comics, but had been relegated to second-class status behind the Man of Steel in Action.

I haven't read all of the comics yet, but I love the Green Lantern which has a real cool early 60s vibe like The New Frontier, a graphic novel series I've been meaning to read.

I also picked up issue 5 of the Marvel adaptation of Pride and Prejudice for my friend Lydia who is a Jane Austen fan.

Krypton--The Place to Be

Just finished reading the new Superman Silver Age collection--Tales from the Phantom Zone. It got me to thinking that a lot was happening on Superman's home planet Krypton before it blew up and it was all happening to Superman's parents Jor-El and Lara. Before the fatal explosion, several Earth people visited the doomed world--Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, two doctors (both healed an ailing baby Kal-El), even the grown up Kal-El himself--and they all dropped in on Mr. and Mrs. El. In one version, Kal-El is a phantom because he hasn't been born yet. In other, he's just as flesh and blood as any Kryptonian and falls in love with a glamorous movie star. In addition, the Els were visited by the youthful Mon-El of the planet Daxam who later crashed on earth and caught amnesia, then thought he was Superboy's older brother. He recovered his memory but was sent into the Phantom Zone for 1,000 years so he wouldn't die of lead poisoning. In the 30th century, Brianiac 5 developed a serum to cure Mon who then joined the Legion of Super-Heroes. But I digress.

Jor-El was a jack of all trades evidently. Not only was he a leading scientist, but also an undercover agent for the KBI (Krpyton Bureau of Investigation) and chief executioner (before he invented the Phantom Zone projector--a more humane way of dealing with criminals). This leaves a question, if Jor was such a respected member of society, why didn't his fellow citizens believe him when he said the planet was about to explode? Some day I will have research this and develop a time line of all the events that occured on Krypton before the big bang. I know there is a sci-fi novel on this topic. Perhaps I'll check it out for consistancy with the mythos of the comics.