You are on Page 1 of the Leader's Report on HeroesCon 16-17 June 2023

Click here for Page 2 of the Leader's Report on HeroesCon 16-17 June 2023

Click here for the Main Introduction Page to see the Leader's Report on the Fayetteville Comic Con, the Virginia Comic Con, the Tidewater Comic Con and the Columbus Moving Picture Show.

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Friday 16 June 2023

Dr. Chopper Dr. Chopper of Codakhrome Comic Shop conferring with some potential customers for his decorative and imaginative comic book framed collages.	Dr. Chopper Dr. Chopper with more of his comic book collages.	Greg Ketter I hadn't seen science fiction and fantasy book dealer Greg Ketter of Dream Haven Books And Comics since the Pulpfest convention in Columbus, Ohio in 2016. I look forward to seeing him again at the Pulpfest convention this coming August which is now being held in Pittsburgh, PA.

Greg Ketter Greg with the first issue of Jerry Weist's EC Comics fanzine Squa Tront which was the best of the many EC fanzines. The magazine Horror Sex Tales #1, 1972 is from the publisher Gallery Press which specialized in off-beat and explicit adult magazines in the 1970s. Gallery Press magazines were frequently home to fiction by the cult film director anti-genius Edward D. Wood, Jr.	Joe Grayson Joe Grayson is the owner of Qua-Brot Comics. Qua-Brot was the name of a one shot issue of another EC fanzine. Like Squa Tront, Qua-Brot was was a phrase spoken by aliens in an EC science fiction story. At left are the hardcover books in slipcase of Weird Science-Fantasy and Incredible Science Fiction published by Russ Cochran in the 1980s as part of his project the Complete EC Library. At right is the Atlas comic Rawhide Kid #1, 1955. This is the first series where which lasted until #16, 1957. In 1960 another series (to cash in on the popularity of the TV Western series Rawhide) started with #17 and lasted until #151, 1979. The early issues of this second series were drawn by Jack Kirby. Later, Stan Lee's brother Larry Lieber did the drawing and writing for many years. I did collect Rawhide Kid in the 1960s and 1970s; I was a Marvel Zombie in those days but not enough of a zombie to collect Marvel's other Western titles, Two-Gun Kid and Kid Colt Outlaw. Joe is holding a copy of Startling Comics #46, 1947 with a cover by the EC artist Graham Ingels. I got a copy of this comic from my friend Rick Krippendorf in Virginia Beach, VA in the late 1990s and sold it soon afterward at the monthly Tyson's Corner comic show near Washington D.C. that I used to setup at as a dealer in those years. The big time dealer Gene Carpenter who always attended the Tyson show spotted it on my display wall and bought it without too much fuss. I'm sure Gene had or expected to find a customer who would paid way more than I charged Gene.	Joe Grayson The Charlton comic The Thing #15, 1954 is one of the most collectible Charlton horror comics since the famous giant worm cover and all five stories are drawn by Steve Ditko. I bought a pretty high grade copy of this comic on the first of my two visits to Ron Pussell's Red Beard's Book Den in Newport Beach, CA in the early 1980s for $90 which was near top dollar then but I'm sure the price has appreciated since then. The Atlas comic Mystic #1, 1951 I'll likely never get to read. I can't afford the original comics even in low grade and as I've lamented many times in the past, Marvel discontinued several years ago its Marvel Masterworks Atlas Era line of hardcover book reprints of Marvel's 1950s Atlas stories.

Robert Griffin I last saw Robert Griffin at the Virginia Comic Con and Tidewater Comic Con last May and I was glad to see him again at this show. He always has some of the best Golden Age and Silver Age comics as seen on his display walls here.	Robert Griffin Here's Robert talking with heavy hitter (holding a wad of $100 bills) collector Russ Talore from Denver, CO.	Robert Griffin Robert with the Charlton horror comic This Magazine Is Haunted #11, 1954 with a Steve Ditko cover and two stories. Also, the Fawcett one shot comic Unknown World #1, 1952 with a painted cover by Norman Saunders and one story by 1950s Batman artist Sheldon Moldoff.

Barry Sandoval Barry Sandoval was one of the representatives of Heritage Auctions headquartered in Dallas, TX. Heritage is the largest auctioneer of popular culture collectibles in the world with offices in many foreign countries. I always like to visit their table because late on the second or third day of a show they will give you some of their nicely produced comic book and original art catalogs.	Barry Sandoval Barry showing a page from the original art catalog shown at left. The page depicts a the Fantastic Four fighting some ancient Egyptian soldiers with an image of their pharaoh Rama-Tut looming in the background. Rama-Tut was the identity the 30th Century time traveling warlord Kang the Conqueror assumed when he visited ancient Egypt. This painting is derived from the Marvel comic Fantastic Four #19, 1963 when the Fantastic Four first met Rama-Tut.	Kevin Poling Hakes isn't the biggest collectibles auction house but since it was founded in 1967 that makes it far older than all the other comic book related internet auction companies including Heritage, Comic Link and Comic Connect. Here's Hakes representative Kevin Poling with a color guide used for the Marvel comic Amazing Spider-Man #36, 1966. Here's a closer look.

Ashley Rankin, Ben Rankin Ashley Rankin and Ben Rankin of Tall Stories from Rock Hill, SC. I alway like to see dealers with science fiction and fantasy books and pulp magazines instead of just comic books. At left is the the Playboy Press magazine VIP #1, 1963. VIP lasted for several years in the 1960s and gave the inside story on what the Playboy Bunnies and important visitors were doing at the Playboy Clubs. I have a few issues and would like to collect them all but VIP had a small print run compared to Playboy magazine and they are difficult to find.	Ashley Rankin Ashley Rankin with two rare and expensive hardcover anthologies of H.P. Lovecraft stories from the Arkham House shelf.	Ben Rankin Ben Rankin with a big coffee table book on Conan the Barbarian written by Roy Thomas who introduced Conan to a wider audience with the Marvel comic book in the early 1970s. In front of Ben are some 1930s and 1940s pulp magazines including Weird Tales where the first Conan stories by Robert E. Howard were published.

Harley Yee Harley Yee (wearing glasses) is a veteran comic dealer with impressive Golden and Silver Age inventory. I haven't seen him since the Baltimore Comic Con several years ago. Harley is the only comic book dealer I know who setup once in the city of Singapore in Malaysia.	Harley Yee Harley with a copy of the EC comic Shock Suspense Stories #12, 1954 with the famous drug needle cover.	Invader of HeroesCon I was pleased to see my friend Guy Rose who I see three or four times a year at the Virginia Comic Con in Richmond. Guy has been one of the big time comic dealers in the Richmond area for many years. He wasn't setup at this show but just selling some comics to his dealer friends.

Vincent Zurzolo Vincent Zurzolo is the co-owner of Metropolis Collectibles in New York City. Metropolis has one of the largest inventory of vintage comic books in the country. I still fondly remember my trip to Metropolis in 2012 when it was still located in the Hoyt building in lower Manhattan as recorded here. At far left in the cap is Miki Annamanthadoo waiting to possibly do some business with Metropolis. I last saw Miki at the Virginia Comic Con in Richmond in August 2022. Several months before that I had made two trips to Miki's home in Richmond to buy lots of his science fiction hardcover and paperback books and also to admire the original science fiction paperback cover paintings adorning the walls of his home.	Vincent Zurzolo Vincent pondering over the price to offer for a piece of original comic art being offered by the seller at left.	Vincent Zurzolo Vincent with two examples of the type of comic books Metropolis is known for: Famous Funnies #213, 1954 with a Frank Frazetta cover. Frazetta did the covers for Famous Funnies #209 - 216 all of which featured the space opera hero Buck Rogers. And, a graded copy of the Charlton comic The Thing #15, 1954 which is higher grade than Joe Grayson's copy shown above and a little nicer than the high grade copy I bought from Ron Pussell in the 1980s.

Another Invader of HeroesCon Before leaving Metropolis's booth I took this photo of my friend Miki Annamanthadoo. In the background at right is "The Prince of Pop Culture" Mike Carbonaro who we will see more of on page 2 of the Leader's Report.	Steve Stryke The last time I saw Steve Stryke was several years ago at the Baltimore Comic Con. Steve always has interesting Golden and Silver Age comic books to choose from. At left is the Marvel comic Journey Into Mystery Annual #1, 1965 which features the first appearance of Hercules in the Marvel Universe. I remember buying this comic new at Fordham's Super Market in my hometown of Savannah, GA. Thor's visit to the home of the Greek gods, Mount Olympus, and his battle with Hercules there served to strengthen my growing admiration for Jack Kirby' artwork.	Steve Stryke Steve with two copies of what he told me was a very rare comic book - Real Life Comics #3, 1942 with an Adolf Hitler cover. Here's a closeup of Steve's note on the cover.

Patrick Sullivan I last saw Patrick Sullivan at the South Carolina Comic Con in April 2022. Here's Pat with the DC comic Action Comics #252, 1959 with the first appearance of Supergirl in the DC Universe. It's low grade soo you can afford to buy this copy. Also the Dell comic Barbie And Ken #4, 1959. Barbie and Ken, created by the Mattel toy company were the most popular children's dolls in the world in the 1960s and maybe still are. All the interior stories are drawn by Marvel artist and inker Vince Colletta whose feathery drawing style was good for romance comics. He is also known for inking Jack Kirby's pencils on The Mighty Thor in the 1960s. Barbie And Ken only lasted five issues and must be fairly rare as this is only one I've seen. It's the only Silver Age comic I know of that features toy dolls as the main characters on the cover.	Mark Scott I had never met this dealer before but he had some interesting magazines that caught my eye. I've been looking for a high grade copy of this issue of the TV fan magazine TV Star Parade from the late 1960 with William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy in their Star Trek uniforms and with a model of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The ebay sellers want about $100 for a high grade copy but Mark sold me this one for $30. Mark also had these high grade copies of Foom #2, 1973 with a Hulk cover by Jim Steranko and #11, 1975 with a Jack Kirby cover illustrating himself. This issue is about Kirby returning to Marvel after a few years at DC Comics. Foom was a Marvel fanzine that followed Marvel's first two fan clubs - the M.M.M.S. and Marvelmania. It ran for 22 quarterly issues from 1973 - 1978. It was followed by Marvel Age which ran monthly from 1983 - 1994.	Chris Rigo, Josh Almond I last saw Chris Rigo of Concord, NC at the South Carolina Con last April 2022. I can't remember the last time I saw Josh Almond since he moved to New Hampshire over two years ago and doesn't get down this way to often now. I enjoy talking with both these energetic young men and look upon them with special favor as they comprise two-thirds of what the Leader calls his "Three Favorite Comic Book Dealers Under the Age of 45." I was glad to see Chris with a copy of Amazing Spider-Man #29, 1965 as I have a Marvel file copy of this comic as explained here.

Wayne Brown And here's the other third of the Leader's "Three Favorite Comic Book Dealers Under the Age of 45" - Wayne Brown of Smasher's Comics. I first met Wayne at the Savannah Mega Con in 2019 and will probably see him again at that show this coming late July 2023. Amazing Spider-Man #38, 1966 to me is an historic issue as it mark the last issue of this venerable title drawn by my favorite comic book artist, Steve Ditko. Ditko knew he was leaving Marvel when he drew this comic and he didn't put much effort into it. He was even to lazy to draw a separate cover; the illustrations on the cover are all just taken from interior panels. I did get used to Spidey's new artist John Romita and like his art but like many old timers, I still prefer Steve Ditko.

Click here for Page 2 of the Leader's Report on HeroesCon 16-17 June 2023

Click here for the Main Introduction Page to see the Leader's Report on the the Fayetteville Comic Con, the Virginia Comic Con, the Tidewater Comic Con and the Columbus Moving Picture Show.