ELDORADO COMICS

Back in the mid-70s I started a mail order business called Eldorado Comics. We supplied collectors and shops across the US with plastic bags and storage boxes for comics and magazines.

Then around 1978 we decided to open up a retail store in Pennsauken, NJ. We were in Pennsauken from approximately 1978 to 1980. Check out the "new" comics on the shelves!

I was fortunate to get to know many artists from going to the NY cons in the mid-70s and we used to have a lot of them come to the store for sign and sketch sessions. During this time we also bought their original artwork.

I've posted some photos of some of the artists who visited and some of the write ups that we got in the local and Philadelphia newspapers. The Bulletin article mentions upcoming store appearances by Perez, Romita Jr, Cockrum and Layton. Boy oh boy, those were the days!

Check out the respective artist's folder for 1979 era photos of Dave Cockrum, Bob Layton and Rudy Nebres including some art that they did for us at that time.

A couple more notable store customers included Will Gabri-El who you know as a big time art dealer and Derek Woywood who has been running the Philly Comics Con for many years.

I've also posted some of the old advertisements we used to run in the Comics Buyers Guide and Overstreet Price Guide.

In 1980 we moved the store to Cherry Hill, NJ and finally closed the doors in 1983. I was Director of Pharmacy at a local hospital and this "part-time" vocation was eating up too much of my time.

Then in the mid-90s I got the bug again and started up a mail order service specializing in hard to find Indy titles (CFD, I Lusiphur, all the "bad girl" comics that were trendy at that time, etc.). We were also very active selling at the NYC comic cons during the late 1990s.

With this as a basis to build from, we re-opened our store in Cherry Hill in 1997. This time we expanded into action figures (super hero, Star Wars, Gi Joe, etc) and even got into the Beanie Baby craze in 1998. Finally when our lease came up in 2000 I was in the process of going through a divorce and decided to call it quits for good on having the comics shop.

Check out my "Sold" folder for lots of vintage art that was sold during my divorce.

Now its time to start writing a new chapter as I continue collecting original comic book artwork.