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Saturday 23 April 2022

Bob Cunningham Friday night when the dealers were setting up for the show I saw this elderly gentlemen arranging his comics. I said to myself this man looks really familiar. I went over to talk to him and discovered he was long time comic dealer Bob Cunningham. I remembered him from 1997 - 1999 when I was a comic and magazine dealer myself setting up at shows. In those days I saw Bob frequently at the Greensboro Super Flea in North Carolina and other shows. At age 82 Bob told me he is known as "the Old Man of Comics."

Bob Cunningham Bob with the last issue of the Dell television tie-in comic F-Troop #7, 1967 with a Ken Berry photo cover. I never watched this show because I found the actor Larry Storch annoying. I did like his co-star Forrest Tucker who played in one of my favorite British Hammer horror movies, The Abominable Snowman Of The Himalayas, 1957 and some John Wayne movies. The Avenger's King Size Special #2, 1968 features the first appearance of the Scarlet Centurion who was another of the time traveler Kang the Conqueror's alter egos. It would take a time traveler to arrange a meeting between the old Avenger and the new Avengers of course.

Chris Foss Veteran comic dealer Chris Foss from Columbia, South Carolina chatting with a customer. Chris is the only dealer in this room whose inventory of Golden and Silver Age comic books can compete toe to toe with the Leader's favorite comic book dealer, Gene Carpenter.	Chris Foss Chris with Dell's Four Color #656, 1955 featuring the second Four Color appearance of the American Indian dinosaur fighter Turok Son of Stone. Turok in his own comic title started with #3, 1956. Turok and I go back a long way together. Starting in the mid-1960s I started collecting new issues of Turok Son Of Stone for several years. In the late 1990s I sold at comic shows or on ebay my Turok collection except for the first two issues I bought. In the early 1970s I bought at a used bookstore in Birmingham, Alabama a mid grade copy of Four Color #656 for a nickel. I sold it on ebay in 2000 for the then princely sum of $93.55. In 1997 at the famous Hillsville, Virginia Flea Market I bought a large collection of Dell comics which included a few nice copies of Turok comics including Four Color #656. I sent the Turok comics to CGC for grading and sold the Four Color #656 on ebay in 2004 for $71.00. So either the 1997 ebay buyer paid to much or the 2004 ebay buyer got a bargain. If you can't afford Chris's asking price of $1500 for this Ziff-Davis issue of Weird Chillers #3, 1952 you can buy the reprinted hardcover volume from PS Artbooks.	Bryan Barros Bryan Barros with a CGC graded copy of the Marvel black & white magazine Savage Tales #1, 1971. Conan the Barbarian quickly moved from this magazine to his own magazine The Savage Sword Of Conan which ran for many years.

Gerald Hogan Gerald Hogan is the long time owner of the Trilogy comic book store in my town of Virginia Beach, VA. He and his son Timothy frequently set up their massive toy and comic book displays at shows in Virginia and surrounding states. I'll next see them at the Tidewater Comicon in Virginia Beach on 14 May.	Gerald Hogan Gerald with the Marvel comic Daredevil #16, 1966 with a Spider-Man crossover which makes this a popular and expensive issue. Speaking of expensive, check out Gerald's Warren Publishing magazine Vampirella #1, 1969 with the Frank Frazetta cover. Vampirella

Christopher Trester Christopher Trester of Rebel Base Comics.	Christopher Trester Chris with X-Men #5, 1964 and #14, 1965 which features the first appearance of the mutant-hunting robots called the Sentinels who appeared in later issues. The Sentinel in the foreground with the outstretched hands is a typical example of artist Jack Kirby's wide-angle lens technique which makes objects in the foreground appear larger than normal.	Jimmy Shirah Jimmy Shirah aka Mr. Weekend with his many movie and popular culture posters. Jimmy wears colorful shirts that make it hard to distinguish him from his merchandise.

Jimmy Shirah Jimmy with a movie pressbook from the hit 1970s movie The Poseidon Adventure. Pressbooks are a bit hard to find. They were issued by the movie studios only to movie theater owners with samples of movie posters and other advertising materials the theater owner could order to promote the movie at his theater.	Jimmy Shirah Interior pages of the pressbook with photos and articles about the stars of the film.	Tim Brandt Tim with the first two appearance of Hercules in the Marvel Universe. Journey Into Mystery Annual #1, 1965 tells how Thor first met Hercules when he visited Mount Olympus. Journey Into Mystery #124, 1965 shows Hercules's first visit to Earth at least in modern times where he meets Thor again.

Thomas Helms Thomas Helms of Angry Comics with the Marvel comic Conan The Barbarian #1, 1970 which introduced pulp writer Robert E. Howard's famous barbarian into the Marvel Universe. Also the DC comic Detective Comics #359, 1966 with the first appearance of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl. Speaking of Batgirl ...	Karen Whitfield Karen Whitfield from 1978 - 1984 made public appearances as Batgirl with Adam West and Burt Ward who were traveling around the country reprising their roles as Batman and Robin from their 1960s television show.	Karen Whitfield Karen with some of her Batgirl memorablia for sale.

Steve Smith Steve Smith of Comics Express with his usual nice selection of Golden and Silver Age comic books.	Steve Smith Steve with the Pre-Marvel comics Strange Tales #83, 1961 and Strange Tales #78, 1960 both with Jack Kirby covers.

Click here for Page 2 of the Leader's Report on the Fayetteville Comic Con 2022

Click here for the Main Introduction Page to see the Leader's Report on the South Carolina Comic Con 2022