Sunday, April 3, 2011

The A-Z Blogging Challenge - The Letter C - Comic Book Covers












I have had a lifetime love affair with the comic book. There is nothing like scanning the rack of colorful covers and picking out those that appealed most. Eventually everyone realizes that sometimes the events on the cover have nothing to do with the story within. They are just the tease to get you in the door. I wish that mattered to me but it doesn't. I love anything an artist does that can catch my eye and of course my favorites will always be so because I can recognize the EFFORT they put into a quality cover.

I have many great childhood memories of my father bringing me home a pile of comics each time he had to be away from us in his role as a soldier. I spent hour in my big leather chair, decompressing from school by taking my imagination on a trip between the covers of a good comic book. I feel sorry for anyone who never got to experience comic books the way I did.

My mother worked at a military hotel that soldiers and their families stayed at when they first arrived in Europe or were leaving. She would have her cleaners collect any comics or magazines left behind and she would bring them back to me at the end of the week.





All the kids in our building knew that I would have new comics to trade and would meet me a the top of our floor's staircase and we would do business. I had many doubles to get rid of and they had comics they had read all week to trade. Usually it was one for one which seemed the most fair way to do things.

I lost those books when boxes from my room were lost when we moved back to Canada from Germany but in my teens I got back into collecting and amassed a collection of 12,000. I stopped buying the hard copies when they became to expensive and comics were easier to read for free online.

There is still nothing like the feel or smell of a comic book in your hands. Go buy one for a child in your life and see the look on their face as they are consumed by the format.










11 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

So do you identify with the boys on Big Bang Theory with their love for comics and superheroes?

M. D. Jackson said...

I have a garage full of comic books collected in the late 70's through the 80's and into the early 90's when I stopped. Somehow as printing technology got better the content seemed less and less interesting.

As for the guys in the Big Bang Theaory, that was me and my friends when I was in university.

Budd said...

hey, kitty is supposed to be a nice clean cut girl. What is the deal? for the record, I am not complaining.

Joe Richardson said...

My first comics came when I was in the hospital after an accident. I was 12 at the time, so by most measures, I got a late start with comics.

A good start, though--they actually relieved the tedium and lifted my spirits.

To this day, if I'm a bit bummed or ailin', I'll search out a comic book or two, much like you might a distant friend.

In the high spirits department, they still work. Thanks for posting the awesome covers.

Best,
Joe
Dead Reckoning

TS Hendrik said...

I love that invisible man cover.

Kal said...

Of course I indentify with them. I too arogantly feel bad for anyone who doesn't 'get' what is cool about comics or superheroes. But then again I never did grow up.

MD - the comics of the 70s and 80s were great. It was the 90s when everything went 'dark' and to shit. That is when I stopped buying them also. Stuck with graphic novels until it was easy to download them. Now I read alot and I can tell you that some things haven't changed. There is good and there is crap like there has always been.

Pat Tillett said...

If you are going to do something, do it right! YOU DID IT RIGHT!!!
Wow...

Kal said...

Thanks buddy. I appreciate hearing that from someone I no longer need to impress. I am glad I can still suprise you.

MOCK! said...

Nice choices all around. That Avengers is one of my favorite issues of all time....

Belle said...

I have to say my heart started beating louder looking at these comics. I'm just going to have to try and find some in town, I've never bought them in Kelowna before. Superman looks especially hot in that cover!

Kal said...

I would love to see you in the comic store pouring over the racks. There is a sight you don't see everyday. Don't ever change Belle. You rock.