Classic X-Men #4 cover

Ten years. I suppose the first thing that comes to mind are all the clichés about where the time went and how the years just flew by. In terms of this site, of course it’s all about the great friends I’ve made, all the wonderful people I’ve met, and all the cool artwork I’ve been lucky enough to add to my collection over the past decade. “Decade”, now there’s a scary word. Don’t know why, but it makes me think of history books. I felt old ten years ago, so I’m feeling dang near ancient now! LOL! I can still remember that first night (more like early morning) sitting in front of my computer nervously contemplating my first post. Perhaps I thought that by doing so at that late hour, I could quietly “sneak” onto the site without anyone noticing. (Up to that point, I’d been a relatively private collector for the past 20 years.) But apparently I had forgotten that, while it was the middle of the night for me, somewhere in the world it was the middle of the day. So of course about 20 seconds after I hit SUBMIT, I got my very first comment. And the rest, as they say, is history!

Of course it hasn’t been ALL fun and games. When you put yourself out there, you inevitably open yourself up to attack. Thankfully the few instances have been more silly and stupid, rather than ugly or cruel. Then there was my Dad (thanks to Michael Kenyon for remembering his anniversary). Little did I know when I joined CAF on that night in late March, three years later (almost exactly to the day) I would lose my father to cancer. A lot can change in ten years.

Okay, as promised, here are some pieces I’ve never posted on CAF before. I’ve had these pieces for the better part of 25 years and in each case, I am either the original owner or only the second owner. At this point, I’m not really sure if they will stay up permanently or even how long they’ll be here. But for now, enjoy!

10th ANNIVERSARY - Day 6

Purchased in 1989 from the Graphic Collectibles catalog. THANKS MITCH! It’s like choosing between 6 children, but if I HAD to pick a favorite from my six covers, I might have to choose this one. With all due respect to Dave Cockrum, John Byrne, Barry Smith, Paul Smith, Jim Lee, and Joe Mad - the image on this cover is probably one of the very best drawings of Storm I have ever seen. On that basis alone, it would make this an easy choice for my personal favorite. But what makes this particular image even more special to me is the fact that it was totally and completely butchered by the Marvel art department. If you look at the image of the published cover that I’ve provided in the Additional Images, you’ll see the atrocity of which I speak. The repositioning of Storm’s leg and especially her head, are beyond awkward. If that wasn’t criminal enough, many of the creatures surrounding her were either repositioned or just removed completely! I’m just glad that this wasn’t done back in the 60’s or 70’s when the artwork probably would’ve come back with a slew of stats and paste-ups. Thanks to modern technology, the beauty and integrity of Arthur’s original vision remains untouched and intact on the artwork. I swear, I just cringe whenever I look at the published cover. I actually just try to avoid looking at it if at all possible. But I can stare at this original for hours! Adams and Russell at their best. Again, THANKS MITCH!!!!!

Okay, one more to go! See you all tomorrow for the Grand Finale!

By the way, I’ve resisted doing this so far, but while I have all your attention, I figure I may as well go for it. If anyone has any leads, tips, or rumors as to the whereabouts of the covers for Issue #8, #10, and #20, please let me know. For that matter, I’d be interested in any leads to any of the Classic X-men covers! Ha!