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Your narrator, the Leader

Click here for the Main Introduction Page to see the Leader's Report on PulpFest 2022

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Saturday 14 May 2022

Otto Octavius Here’s the famous atomic research scientist Dr. Otto Octavius pointing the way to the main entrance to the dealers’ room.	Jen Southard Jen Southard of Retro Daddio had a nice display of Star Trek, Star Wars and other pop culture collectibles.	Jen Southard I saw this book Marvel Museum The Story Of The Comics in Jen’s booth Friday before the show opened. I didn’t have any extra money on me so I asked her to hold it for me until Saturday. I was glad to get this book and I’m puzzled how it slipped by me. I always read carefully the monthly Previews from Diamond Distributors so I can order any new upcoming interesting comic book related hardcover books and I don’t recall seeing this book in the Previews.

Jamie Bramble Jamie Bramble of JN’R Comics is a local Virginia Beach area comic book collector. He looked familiar to me but I could’t place where I had seen him. After talking together we figured out that I had probably seen him in Wayne Zeno’s comic book store where I buy most of my new comic related books.	Jamie Bramble Jamie with two Silver Surfer comics. #4, 1969 with the John Buscema cover is the famous issue where the Surfer battles Thor. Many fans think this story is the best story Buscema ever drew in his long career. #18, 1970 is the last issue in this original series of the Silver Surfer. The cover and story are by Jack Kirby who hadn’t drawn any of the previous 17 issues. Soon after this issue Kirby left Marvel for DC Comics.	Jamie Bramble Jamie with The Amazing Spider-Man #32, 1966. This is the second issue of the now legendary “Master Planner Trilogy” where Spidey has to overcome one obstacle after another in his battle with Doctor Octopus to retrieve a serum stolen by Doc that Spidey needs to save his Aunt May’s life.

Scott Destromp Scott Destromp of Atomic Comics in Hampton, VA. Saturday morning before the show opened to the public I discovered my light stand had a broken piece that kept me from attaching my camera flash unit to it. Scott gave me some gaffer’s tape to tape everything back together which made it much easier for me to take my photographs at the show properly. Thanks Scott! Here’s Scott with two CGC graded Marvel comics. Sgt. Fury #1, 1963 and The Fantastic Four #28, 1964. This issue is popular because of the dynamic cover by Jack Kirby and because it features a cross-over with the X-Men.	Scott Destromp Here’s Johnny Passacantando, Scott Destromp and Joel Passacantando pondering the physical immensity of a potential customer.	Scott Destromp Johnny Passacantando, Scott Destrup and Joel Passacantando with a 1960s Marvel comic, a 1940s Timely comic and a 1950s EC comic. Johnny and Joel are to young to understand the renowned quality and historical significance of EC comics so I gave them a brief explanation. I hope they listened carefully.

Timothy Hogan I’ve been seeing a lot lately of Tim Hogan and his father Gerald Hogan who owns the “oldest comic book store in Virginia Beach,” the Trilogy Comics shop. I last saw Tim and Gerald at the South Carolina Con and the Fayetteville Comic Con last April. Here’s Tim (far left) holding down one end of the big Trilogy display of comic books, manga books and toys…	Gerald Hogan …and here’s Tim dad Gerald Hogan holding down the other end. This picture looks peaceful enough but I had to wait a long time to get it. Most of the day the Trilogy booths were crowded with customers which prevented useful photography.	Gerald Hogan Gerald Hogan with two 1950s Batman comic books with the common theme of Batman having woman problems. Even in average condition like these copies old Batman comics command high prices. A few minutes after I took this photo one of Gerald’s customers bought a 1940s Batman comic in average condition for about $800. I regret I didn’t have the time to photograph the event.

Gerald Hogan, Chad Gray, Tim Hogan Another rare quite moment in the Trilogy booths. The guy between Gerald and Tim is their associate Chad Gray. At the Fayetteville show last April I accidently blasted Chad’s eyeballs with a surprise burst from one of my flash units. I’m glad to see here he made a complete recovery.	Christopher Trester I last saw Christopher Trester of Rebel Base Comics & Toys at the Fayetteville Comic Con last April.	Christopher Trester Christopher with two CGC graded 1940s era DC comic books - All Star Comics #2, 1940 and #4, 1941. No need to ask the price. As the saying goes “if you have to ask you can’t afford it.”

Karen Whitfield I first met Karen Whitfield at the Fayetteville Comic Con last April. Here she is posing with some of her fans wearing Batman and Batgirl costumes. In the time frame 1978 - 1984 Adam West and Burt Ward who starred in the 1960s Batman television show were touring the country appearing as Batman and Robin again. The young woman Yvonne Craig who played Batgirl in the television series with them didn’t want to do much touring so Karen Whitfield was hired to appear with West and Ward as Batgirl.	Karen Whitfield	Karen Whitfield Karen schmoozing with some of her many fans and customers.

Karl Wickert Like Jamie Bramble earlier this fellow looked familiar to me but I couldn’t place him. Also like Jamie Bramble it was determined that I had seen him a few times before in Wayne Zeno’s comic book store. His name is Karl Wickert and he was in Conner Comics’s booth watching it for the owner Jamie Conner who away for the moment. Yes, Jamie Conner is another guy I see from time to time in Wayne Zeno’s store. Next time I’m in Wayne’s store I should ask him how many guys named Jamie he knows. Here’s Karl with a nice copy of The Fantastic Four #75, 1968 with Galactus and Silver Surfer cover by Jack Kirby.	Harry Hopkins Harry and I go back a long way together when we were both in the Air Force and stationed at Mather Air Force Base in San Bernardino, CA in the 1980s. In those days he was Captain Hopkins and I was Staff Sergeant Forro. I first me him at the San Diego Con which I visited every year. Soon after I made one trip to his house in San Bernardino to buy some Marvel comics from him (which I still have of course). I lost track of Harry for many years but when I was serving my last four years in the Air Force and living in Virginia Beach in the mid 1990s I discovered Harry again. He was living in the Washington D.C. / Maryland region and setting up at the comic book shows in that area.	Harry Hopkins Harry was doing a gang busters business during this show and was too busy to pose for a picture. But late Saturday afternoon the tumult subsided and he was able to indulge me this one photo of him. Harry with two cool Superman comics - #127, 1959 and a key issue #146, 1961 which retells Superman’s origin. I’d like to read this story but I’ll have to wait for it to be reprinted someday in a future Superman Omnibus hardcover book.

Larry Fredrickson Here's Larry Fredrickson of Sinister At Arms with an impressive selection of Marvel character statues that were created by a 3-D printer. I was experimenting myself with 3-D printing but I found it too complicated for the moment. I’m not ready to be a 3-D printing pioneer. When the printers get cheaper and the design software gets easier to use I’ll try again. That’s a huge statue of Galactus looming up majestically in the background.

Click here for the Main Introduction Page to see the Leader's Report on PulpFest 2022