. BRAUNY ( 3 )
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Although I started collecting comics back around 1970 when I picked up a copy of Amazing Spider-Man #100 and saw that Spidey had six arms on the last page, my interest in comics goes back to the early 1960s. I can still remember flipping through my older brother's copy of Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 when I was just learning to read. What a great kick-butt comic that was, my all time favorite! I can also remember buying Daredevil #1 off the newsstand. Damn, I'm getting old!
Later in the 1970s I started buying as many comic collections as I could get my hands on as well as starting a mail order business for comic supplies (bags, boxes, inventory cards, etc) and selling at local cons. Some of you old timers might remember Eldorado Comics from the Comics Buyers Guide, Comics Journal, Overstreet, or Wizard ads we used to place. In the late 1970s we opened up a comic shop primarily because we needed more space for all of our inventory. A young Will Gabri-El was actually one of our customers back then and I still see enjoy seeing Will at the Philly and New York cons.
I was lucky enough to attend some of the New York cons in the mid-1970s and I obtained my first sketches at the 1974 con. Some of those sketches are on my CAF site. Others were subsequently sold off to "finance" my divorce (sigh).
At the New York cons I got to know many of the Marvel artists and we used to have many of them come to our shop for signings and sketch sessions. Back in the day, we had John Romita Jr, Bob Layton, Dave Cockrum, George Perez, Jerry Bingham, Rudy Nebres and others to our shop. What a great time it was. We'd also buy artwork from them.
We were the original owners of covers for the Amazing Spider-Man #200, Uncanny X-Men #122, and Avengers #181 as well as many high quality interior pages (Golden Micronauts, Brunner HTD #1, Perez FF, Adams Avengers, Alcala SSoC, Gulacy DHoKF, Buckler Avengers, and the list goes on). Unfortunately, these too were sold to finance my divorce.
I should also point out that during the mid-70s, I joined a comic fan club that started in New Jersey, the Fans of Central Jersey or FCJ. You might recognize names like Rob Stolzer, Bob Andelman, Bob Pinaha (who went on to be a letterer for some time), Al Czarnecki, Chris Padovano to name a handful, all members of FCJ.
Like many other fans, I was in and out of comics -- mostly out -- for various stretches of time. While I don't read any comics today (for lack of time), I have started collecting artwork again with a passion over the past 3 years and look forward to building my collection although it seems each month it is getting harder and harder (and more expensive) to find good quality art to add to my collection!
Now I collect primarily Marvel artwork that goes back to the silver or bronze age (my reading time period) plus a select few "modern" artists like Budd Root, Joe Linsner, Adam Hughs, Sam Kieth and Todd McFarlane.
I have a lot of trouble admiring the style of most newer artists. Seems like a lot of today's artwork is missing detail and tonal qualities and just looks like a coloring book waiting for someone to finish it with color. Like many other things in life, the artists and artwork just seemed better "back then"...
Check out my photo below from 2009 with one of my favorite artists, Jim Starlin!
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