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Dealer Setup Friday 28 July 2023

Banks Robinson and Polly Robinson I wanted to take photos of the dealers setting up the night before the show but I arrived later than expected and most of the dealers had already left. Thankfully my favorite dealer at the show Banks Robinson was still setting up. This is the one of the few times I've seen Banks setting up without one of his usual assistants, Mac Barnes or Danny Murphy. I'll see Banks again in October at the Fayetteville Comic Con in North Carolina.

Wayne Brown Wayne Brown is a member of a very select group. He is one of the few labeled as the Leader's Favorite Comic Book Dealers Under the Age of 45. The only other two members are Josh Almond and Chris Rigo. I am grateful to Wayne for returning to me at this show a sketch of me drawn by Marvel/Atlas artist Vic Carrobotta that I accidently left behind at the South Carolina Comic Con in April 2022. Vic sure couldn't do another sketch of me since he died in November 2022. I mentioned leaving it in Wayne's booth at the South Carolina Con when I saw him at HeroesCon last June and his wife Brandy said she had a sketch that might be what I was looking for. Brandy didn't know what it was but hd saved it on a hunch. Thanks Brandy!

Saturday 29 July 2023

Dealers' Exhibit Hall I'm not interested in Star Wars's Chewbacca or alligators but I am interested in what might be in the Pop Culture Playground at far left. Let's take a closer look in the photos below.

Tom Raupp Here's the owner of the Playground Tom Raupp (blue shirt) of Mount Dora, Florida with Steven Petrea looking over Tom's display wall. I hadn't taken Tom's photo since the Captain's Comic Expo in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina last February 2022. I saw him at HeroesCon in June 2023 but he was to busy to pose for photos.	Tom Raupp Steven Petrea is at far left looking over some of Tom's comic books. Steven is on the staff of the Savannah Comic Con and a few years ago gave me a press pass for the Savannah Mega Con that used to be held at Savannah's other convention center.	Tom Raupp Tom with three Tales To Astonish comics from the mid 1960s which is my favorite period for that title since the stories revolve around the Hulk's first encounters with the Leader. These early Hulk stories were drawn by Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, Bob Powell and John Romita. The #60, 1964 at left is the first installment of the Hulk stories in Tales To Astonish. Before this issue, the Hulk had only been making guest appearances in other Marvel comics since his own title had been cancelled in early 1963. Tom is holding in his hand a copy of #67, 1965. The original art to this cover was on display at Metropolis Collectibles in New York City and I took a photo of it on my visit there in 2012.

Tom Raupp The Pop Culture Playground has lots more intereresting material besides just comic books. Here's Tom with some paperback books all from the famous mystery writer John D. MacDonald. It was normal for these type of paperbacks to have sexy women on the covers but MacDonald wrote at least one novel that didn't have a sexy woman on the cover and it is the only novel of his I've ever read: The Executioners, 1957 which was made into the movie Cape Fear, 1962 filmed partially in Savannah and was remade with the same title in 1991. I had the 1962 version on laser disc and saw the remake in the theater. So, when I came across the paperback book a few years ago I read it to see how it compared to the movies. MacDonald has a polished, professional writing style and if I could tear myself away from science fiction and start reading mystery novels MacDonald would be the first author I would start with.	Adam Morrison Adam with four high grade early issues of the Warren magazine Creepy from the mid 1960s. The #1 with the yellow cover has a cover by EC artist Jack Davis. The other three covers were drawn by Frank Frazetta who drew the covers to many early issues of Creepy and Eerie. The label on the #9 issue at right that says "1st Published Bernie Wrightson" is referring to a drawing by Wrightson that appeared in the magazine's "Creepy's Lothsome Lore" that featured art and short stories sent in by readers.	Logan Weaver Although these two comics have the same title of "Marvel Super Heoroes" they are not related. The comic at left was a one-shot title from 1966 of reprinted stories from the 1940s - 1960s. I bought this issue new off the comic rack at a drug store in Tarrant City, Alabama where I spent my summer vacations in the 1960s. I didn't have a Daredevil #1 yet so I got here an early peak at his origin. The comic at right replaced the reprint title Fantasy Masterpieces which lasted 11 issues. With #12 a new story with a different Marvel character was the first story with the remainder of the comic being reprints. This issue with Doctor Doom was the last issue with a new story. The title reverted to reprints only until cancelled with #105 in 1982.

Bobby Withworth I first met this dealer at the Tidewater Comic Con in my town of Virginia Beach last May. Bobby told me this large articulated figure of Fin Fang Foom was one of the first in the Marvel Legends "build a figure" toy line. That's a marketing gimmick where you buy an articulated character figure which includes only one piece of a separate character like an arm or a leg. That way Marvel hopes somebody will be stupid enough to buy a lot of character figures they don't really want to get all the pieces needed to assemble one they do want. Fin Fang Foom was the most famous of the many Marvel monsters who appeared in Marvel comics in the early 1960s before super heroes took over. Fin was one of the few Marvel monsters who appeared in new stories in the Marvel Bronze Age comics in the 1970 and later. However in recent years Fin's fame was greatly eclipsed by the Marvel monster Groot who had only appeared in Tales To Astonish #13, 1960. Groot's ticket to fame was his being picked from among the dozens of other Marvel monsters to appear in Marvel's Guardian's Of The Galaxy movies.	Bobby Withworth Bobby with two Silver Age Marvel comics: Journey Into Mystery #102, 1964 with a Jack Kirby cover and Thor story and Fantastic Four #25, 1964 with a cover and story with art by Jack Kirby featuring the Thing's second battle with the Hulk. They had first fought, only briefly, in Fantastic Four #12, 1963.	Tony Givens Tony with two Fantastic Four comics: #67, 1967 featuring the first appearance of Him. Him was an android of sorts who later battled Thor and eventually became the Marvel character Adam Warlock. I don't remember how. The #46, 1965 features the first time the leader of the Inhumans, Black Bolt, appeared on the cover of a Marvel comic. Black Bolt has already appeared in a recent Doctor Strange movie and is expected to make movie or TV appearances so this issue should have some good investment value.

Mike Zollo Mike Zollo with Tales Of Suspense #63, 1965 with the first time Captain America's origin was told in the Silver Age. The second time was in Captain America #109, 1969. Cap's origin was told for the first time in Captain America Comics #1, 1941 of course. All three origin stories were drawn by Jack Kirby.	James Kressner James with two Fantastic Four comics: #9, 1962 and #27, 1964.	David Burns Veteran dealer David Burns with four early copies of Marvel's blue chip Silver Age title The Amazing Spider-Man.

George Macas It's been a few years since I've seen George Macas who had the best selection of posters and photos at this show. Here's George with photos of the two greatest Universal Studios horror movie actors - Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff. The photo at top left shows Lugosi as the hunchback Ygor and Karloff as the Frankenstein Monster from Son Of Frankenstein, 1939 which was the third and last time Karloff played the Monster. The bottom center photo is from the best movie Lugosi and Karloff played in together, The Black Cat 1934. In the photo Lugosi is inquiring of Karloff why he keeps Lugosi's dead wife preserved on display as a souvenir.	Steven Petrea, Wayne Brown Show staff member Steven Petrea conversing with a customer while Smasher's Comics owner Wayne Brown attends to the important task of counting the money.	Wayne Brown Wayne with The X-Men #49, 1968 with a cover and story by Jim Steranko. Steranko also drew #50 and #51 and left Marvel forever shortly afterwards. The #58 and #60 are two of the issues from #56 - #63 that Neal Adams drew the covers and stories for. Even with top talents like Steranko and Adams The X-Men couldn't be saved from reprint hell. The last issue with new stories was #67 then reprints took over until #94 when new writers and artists, mostly Dave Cockrum and Chris Claremont, revitalized the The X-Men and made it the best selling comic book in the world.

Wayne Brown Wayne with The Fantastic Four #49, 1966 with the second installment of the now legendary Galactus Triology. Also, The New Gods #1, 1971 which part of Jack Kirby's "Fourth World" series of comics that he wrote and drew for DC Comics when he left Marvel.	Banks Robinson Banks relaxing in his booth and palavering with a customer. I've long been a fan of the Pre-Marvels which were Marvel's science fiction / fantasy titles like Tales To Astonish, Tales Of Suspense, Journey Into Mystery, Strange Tales from 1958 - 1962 before those same comics had super heroes in them. I still remember that day way back in 1966 when I was looking in the new stack of comic books just delivered at Mr. Woo's 7-11 store in Savannah, Georgia and seeing this comic. The Steve Ditko story "Those Who Change" really impressed me and is still one of my favorite Pre-Marvel stories.	Banks Robinson Speaking of the Pre-Marvels - here's Banks with two examples in his left hand. In his right hand is Journey Into Mystery 27, 1956 when it was an Atlas comic before becoming a Pre-Marvel comic. Bank's little finger is casting a shadow over the Atlas Globe in the upper left hand corner. Journey Into Mystery and Strange Tales were among the few Atlas titles that survived the Atlas Implosion of 1957 and went on to become Pre-Marvels. The three comics shown here are part of the Tom Lammers Atlas collection that Banks has been selling the last few years.

Dealers' Exhibit Hall It's late in the afternoon and the customers in the dealers' room are thinning out. So, it's just about time to head out with Banks and Polly to catch the ferry across the Savannah River for dinner at the Shrimp Factory.

World Globe Storage Tank After dinner I was in no hurry to rush back to my dreary hotel room so I made a sentimental journey from downtown Savannah to Savannah's Southside where I grew up in the 1960s. My destination was the World Globe Storage Tank or as many Savannah residents call it more simply - the Globe. It was built in the late 1950s by the Savannah Gas Company and had a political paint scheme that showed the nations of the world. In recent years it was repainted to resemble the Earth seen from outer space. Many of the stores around the Globe used the word Globe in their name. One of these stores in particular during the 1960s and later 1990s had a special significance for me. Its name was the Globe Book Mart. To read more about my fondly remembered relationship with the Globe Book Mart please click here.

Click here for the Main Introduction Page to see the Leader's Report on Pulpfest and the Virginia Comic Con