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

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Saturday 20 May 2023

Brett Putnam Brett Putnam from Albany, New York attended this show for the first time. He had the largest inventory of Atlas and Pre-Marvel comics at the show.	Brett Putnam Brett with some of his Atlas and Pre-Marvel comics. Space Squadron #3, 1951 has one story drawn by Atlas's top artist Joe Maneely and two stories and the cover drawn by Werner Roth. Roth worked on 1960s Marvel titles later including The X-Men. Marvel Tales #152, 1956 has a cover drawn by Joe Maneely who also drew the cover story with inking by Wally Wood. The Pre-Marvel comic Journey Into Mystery #54, 1959 (Monstro) has a Jack Kirby cover and one story drawn by Steve Ditko which is common for the Pre-Marvels. This comic does however have the added bonus of one story drawn by famous EC artist Al Williamson who did some stories for Atlas and the Pre-Marvels when EC folded in the mid 1950s. I managed to buy a fairly nice copy of this comic from dealer Gene Carpenter at the Williamsburg Film Festival several years ago. Journey Into Mystery #56, 1960 (Zog) has the usual Jack Kirby cover but the cover story is drawn by Don Heck which is unusual as Kirby almost always drew the cover story. This comic and I go back a long way together. It was the first comic book I ever saw (didn't own) when I was six years old in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.	Brett Putnam Brett with two Pre-Marvel comics which are also "prototypes" for later Marvel superhero comics. Journey Into Mystery #66, 1961 features an alien invader named the Hulk. He first appeared in Journey Into Mystery #62, 1960. Marvel's Incredible Hulk superhero wasn't invented until 1962. When this prototype Hulk years later appeared in Marvel 1970s comics his name was changed to Xemnu the Titan to avoid confusion with the better known superhero Hulk. Strange Tales #84, 1961 features the character Magneto who could move objects with magnetic powers. The better known Magneto was a supervillain who first appeared in the Marvel comic The X-Men #1, 1963. Since this Pre-Marvel Magneto's name is spelled the same and has magnetic powers I suppose that makes him a legitimate prototype. Some comic book dealers grasping to sell a Pre-Marvel comic for more money claim lots of other prototypes but with less evidence than these two comics Brett is showing here.

Tim Hogan Tim Hogan of Trilogy Comics in Virginia Beach, VA with two early Captain Marvel comics from Marvel Comics. Marvel Super Heroes starts with #12 since the first 11 issues had been Fantasy Masterpieces which had been reprinting Marvel superhero and fantasy stories from the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s. With this #12 issue from 1967 Marvel introduced its version of Captain Marvel to secure the copyright to that name. The original Captain Marvel of the 1940s created by C.C. Beck was sued out of existence by D.C. comics in 1953 in a lawsuit alleging that Captain Marvel infringed Superman’s copyrights. In 1967 Martin Goodman, publisher of Marvel Comics, launched his own Captain Marvel with this Marvel Super Heroes #12. He was sued by publisher Myron Fass for copyright infringement since Fass had his own version of Captain Marvel since 1966. But Fass settled with Goodman which gave Goodman the copyright. Therefore, when D.C. Comics brought back the original 1940s Captain Marvel with art by his creator C.C. Beck in the early 1970s, they were were forced to call that comic and the 2023 movie Shazam. How's that for a superhero with a convoluted history? After another story in Marvel Super Heroes #13, Captain Marvel got his own book with this #1 issue from 1968 which lasted until #62, 1979. Captain Marvel was one of the few important Marvel characters who stayed dead when he died. He died of cancer in the 1982 graphic novel by Jim Starlin, The Death Of Captain Marvel and Marvel Comics never brought him back to life. However, for the last few years there has been a female version of Captain Marvel appearing in movies and comics derived from Carol Danvers who had been Captain Marvel's girlfriend in the 1960s. The Leader does not concern himself with comic books after 1977 so he can't report the details of how that happened.	Jamie Conner Jamie Conner of Conner's Comics is a local dealer I see in Wayne Zeno's comic book store in Cheseapeake, VA sometimes. Here's Jamie with the Bronze Age DC comics The Forever People #7 and #6 both from 1972. When Jack Kirby left Marvel in the early 1970s he went to DC and created the "Fourth World" connected body of comics which included this title and The New Gods, Mr. Miracle, Jimmy Olsen. I bought all of them new because of the Jack Kirby art but I found Kirby's writing to be adolescent and turgid. His dialog and captions all read like a 16 year old kid wrote them. The titles were all cancelled within 18 months but Kirby remained at DC a few more years creating more comics with good art and lousy writing.	Jamie Bramble Jamie Bramlbe is another local dealer I see in Wayne Zeno's store from time to time. Here he is considering a purchase of three graded comics being offered to him. The deal wasn't consummated so I assume the seller wanted to much money.	Jamie Bramble Jamie with two Silver Age Marvel comics The Fantastic Four #20, 1963 featuring the first appearance of the Molecule Man. Also, #35, 1964 with Diablo and his latest creation, Dragon Man. I remember seeing on a dealer's table at the San Diego Con in the early 1980s the splash page and some other pages to this story.

Larry Fredrickson I first met Larry Fredrickson of Sinister At Arms at this show in 2022. He was back again his year with more 3-D printed models of comic book characters seen here including Galactus and the Silver Surfer. I tried 3-D printing but couldn't get the hang of it. I will try again when the printer software gets easier to use.	Derryck Sargent Jr. and Sr. The father and son team of Derryck Digital Designs with some more 3-D printed models and other types of statues.	Scott Destromp, Johnny Passacantando Local dealer Scott Destromp of Atomic Comics always sets up at this show. At far right is one of his associates, Johnny Passacantando who is going to show us two cool comics in the next photo below.

Johnny Passacantando The Fantastic Four #4, 1962 brought back into the Marvel Universe one of its main characters, the Sub-Mariner, who had been absent from any Marvel comic books since the mid 1950s. I clearly remember having this issue as a eight year old boy in Savannah, GA but I was to young to appreciate the historic significance of the newly burgeoning Marvel Age of Comics. So, I didn't buy anymore issues of Fantastic Four until #44 in 1965. The Fantastic Four Annual #2, 1964 includes the origin of the FF's main villain, Doctor Doom.	Robert Griffin I had last seen Robert Griffin at the Virginia Comic Con in Richmond 13 May and was pleased to see him again so soon at this show which he was attending for the first time. Here's Robert listening attentively to a young lady who appears to be explaining something rather vigorously.	Robert Griffin Robert with two of the most spectacular and expensive Marvel comics from the Silver Age: The Fantastic Four #26 and #25 both from 1964. I'm sure any young teenage boy in 1964 with 12 cents in his pocket who spotted either of these comics at a newsstand or drug store comic book spinner rack would have bought them. The #25 proved conclusively that the Hulk was stronger than the Thing. There had been some doubt about it since in their first battle in The Fantastic Four #12, 1963 they seemed about evenly matched.

Donald Gehl Donald Gehl of Ducky's Comics in Florida making a spirited sales pitch to a prospective buyer. Let's take a closer look in the photo below who the buyer is.

Keith Mitchell, Donald Gehl It's local Virginia Beach area collector Keith Mitchell looking over Donald's low grade but affordable copy of The Fantastic Four #11, 1963 featuring the first and almost only appearance of the Impossible Man. As a young boy in Savannah, GA I attended White Bluff Elementary school which put on a Halloween Carnival each year. One of the school rooms in the Carnival had a table with a stack of comic books donated by the school kids that were being sold for a nickel each. I do remember buying a beat up copy of Sgt. Fury And His Howling Commandos #3, 1963 off that table. And I was delighted one year to spot a copy of this The Fantastic Four #11 on that table. This issue's cover with the graduated red and yellow tone colors and big yellow spotlight on the ground jumped right out me. However my delight turned to chagrin when I realized all the pages from the comic were missing. So I spent my nickel somewhere else.	Keith Mitchell Keith with his new The Fantastic Four #11 just purchased from Donald Gehl. Knowing Keith the way I do I'm sure he's going to buy a better condition copy of this comic fairly soon.	Donald Gehl Clutched in Donald's right hand is Marvel Super Heroes #19, 1969 featuring Marvel's Tarzan clone Ka-Zar aka Kevin Plunder. The cover is drawn by Marvel's new artist Barry Smith when he was still copying Jack Kirby. This title mutated out of Fantasy Masterpieces which reprinted science fiction/fantasy and superhero stories from the 1940s through the early 1960s. After issue #11 that title changed to Marvel Super Heroes which continued the same type of reprints except for issues #12 though #20 which added a newly drawn and written lead story. The main characters in those stories were as follows: #12 and #13 Captain Marvel; #14 Spider-Man (first solo story outside his own title); #15 Medusa; #16 Phantom Eagle; #17 Black Knight; #18 Guardians Of The Galaxy (original crew not the recent movie version crew); #19 Ka-Zar; #20 Doctor Doom. After #20 all reprinted stories were resumed until the last issue #105 in 1982. In Donald's left hand is Daredevil #12, 1966 with a John Romita cover.The story was continued to #13. This #12 is the second appearance of Ka-Zar in the Marvel Universe. His first was in X-Men #10, 1964. After Daredevil #13 Ka-Zar got the lead story in the dual character comic Astonishing Tales #1 in 1970 with Ka-Zar stories until #20. Ka-Zar finally got his own comic with Ka-Zar #1 in 1974 which ran until #20, 1977. Ka-Zar is the oldest name in the Marvel Universe. A Marvel pulp magazine named Ka-Zar with a Ka-Zar named David Rand was published in 1936, three years before the Sub-Mariner appeared in the the black and white ashcan comic Motion Pictures Funnies Weekly in 1939. The David Rand Ka-zar also appeared in Marvel's first color comic book, Marvel Mystery Comics #1, 1939.

Bobby Whitworth This is the first time I met Bobby Whitworth from Chickamauga, GA. Here's Bobby with the EC comic Weird Fantasy #8, 1951 with a cover by Al Feldstein. Also the Marvel comic The Incredible Hulk #2, 1962 with Jack Kirby cover inked by Steve Ditko. This is another of the few Marvel comics I had as a young kid. I didn't rediscover any Marvel comics with the Hulk in them until about 1965 when he was the second story in Tales To Astonish. Bobby introduced me to a dealer setup next to him and told me he had a special comic book I might want to photograph.	Dustin Ruff And here's the comic Bobby mentioned and its owner Dustin Ruff: Amazing Spider-Man #14, 1964 featuring the first appearance of the Green Goblin. But this particular comic isn't famous because of the Green Goblin but because it is now known as the "Angry Girlfriend Variant." Dustin told me a collector named Chance had given his girlfriend this comic. When they broke up she returned the book to him with vituperative diatribes scribbled in magic marker on the front and back covers. Dustin said the book was bought from Titan Comics in Atlanta, GA circa 1995. Since then the comic has acquired the status of a popular culture Objet d' art and would command far more money than a regular issue of Amazing Spider-Man #14 graded 1.8. Dustin said he recently turned down a big pile of money offered to him for the comic from DC Comics artist and executive Jim Lee. To add to its lustre the comic has been signed on the plastic slab case by several comic book celebrities including Jim Shooter and Jim Steranko.	Dustin Ruff Here's the back of the "Angry Girlfriend Variant". I told dealer Mario Russo from Atlanta, GA at dinner that night after the show about this comic and he said he was familiar with it. Mario also told me that he believed the interior pages also had the vengeful girlfriend's writing on them.

Mario Russo I had last seen Atlanta, GA dealer Mario Russo at the Fayetteville Comic Con in late April and I was glad to see him again so soon at this show. In the red shirt is Keith Mitchell still searching for comics he needs.	Keith Mitchell, Mario Russo Wily Keith Mitchell looks like he's trying to out maneuver Mario on a comic book deal. I'm sure Mario can hold his own.	Mario Russo Mario with three Marvel Daredevil comics: #9, 1965 has a cover and story by famous EC artist Wally Wood. Wood drew inked the covers and stories to Daredevil #5 - #10 and inked the cover and story over Bob Powell pencils for #11. He then left Marvel until the early 1970s when he returned to draw a few more fantasy stories for Marvel's anthology fantasy/horror titles and the Doctor Doom story in Astonishing Tales. I've always regretted that Marvel couldn't persuade Wood to draw more of their comics but apparently he had a personality conflict with Marvel editor Stan Lee and didn't want to overstay his welcome. The Daredevil #16 and #17, 1966 marks the first time that newly returned to Marvel artist John Romita (he had drawn Atlas comics in the 1950s) drew Spider-Man. The story goes that Stan Lee suspected that Spider-Man's regular artist Steve Ditko was getting ready to move on and Stan wanted to test Romita as a possible replacement. I was shocked when I bought Romita's first Amazing Spider-Man comic, #39 from Mr. Woo's 7-11 store. I never heard of Romita and thought nobody should be allowed to draw Spidey except Ditko. However I did have to admit that Romita could draw prettier girls than Ditko and I got used to having Romita draw Spider-Man for the next several years.

Mario Russo, Lewis Forro I've been a proficient craps shooter ever since the early 1980s when I was stationed at Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, CA which is only about three hours from Las Vegas, NV. I've lived in Virginia Beach, VA since 1992 which is bereft of casino gambling. I only managed to make two brief trips to the casinos in Atlantic City, NJ while living in Virginia Beach over the years. So, my thirst for the drama and electricity of the craps tables has gone mostly unsated. However just a few months ago the large Rivers Casino in the adjacent town of Portsmouth opened. Having been off ebay for over a year I'm a bit short of discretionary money so I've been biding my time before visiting that new casino. Mario Russo had told me at the Captain's Comics Expo in Charleston, SC two years ago that he wanted to learn to shoot craps so when Mario arrived at this Tidewater show I knew it was time to plunge once again into the whirlwind. Mario already knew the basics of craps and needed very little coaching from me. He proved himself a quick study and played much more aggressively than me. After about two hours at the Rivers Casino craps table that had the $15 minimum bets I had nearly doubled my money. But Mario had nearly quadrupled his! I'm sure we'll go again at next year's Tidewater Con and I plan to make a few trips on my own until then.

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