Redartz: There are lots of reasons for selecting the particular comics that filled our shelves as youth. The reasons are much the same now, with the addition of hindsight and years. We may pick a specific comic because it's continuing an ongoing storyline. It may feature a favored artist or writer. Perhaps we grabbed it up for the sake of completeness: we don't want to miss an issue. Some folks will buy a given issue for perceived collectible. Some will buy a book just for the cover (I've done that numerous times, as recently as last month). But one of the best reasons to buy a particular comic book is "just for the fun of it".
Last weekend I doubled up; visiting a comic shop and a flea market! And since I've long ago abandoned completion as a goal, I just look for books that appeal to me. Some are books I once had and would like to reacquire, some are books I've always wanted to read. But often I just pick up a book because it looks like a lot of fun. This was the case last weekend, as I picked up these little smile-inducers:
My first stop was on Sunday, at a local comics shop. I try to visit one about every month or so, to see what's new, and to pore over some back issues. This go-round I spotted these gems on the rack: if you're not familiar with them, DC has been publishing comics based on the 1966 Batman TV series for several years. The characters and villains are drawn like, and scripted like, the portrayals we remember: Adam West, Burt Ward, Cesar Romero, Burgess Meredith, and all the rest. What's more, they bring some of the TV villains onto the page that previously were only seen on the show: for instance, these books feature the Bookworm (resembling Roddy McDowell, of course) among some of the more familiar faces.
And of course, as you saw recently in my Archie post, I have a fondness for the denizens of Riverdale. So seeing these two favorites paired up was , in a word, irresistible. And irresistibly fun. So for any of you who may despair that 'fun' comics aren't available any more, you can rest assured. There are many lighthearted, amusing, 'just plain fun' books being published yet today.
Next day was Monday, and it meant a trip to the flea market. There were many comics for sale there, including several comic dealers with nice back issues at full collector's prices. I did pick up a couple books from one (he had everything for half off), but where I most enjoy looking are the random comics found in random booths, usually stacked (you guessed it) randomly. It was at one such table that I saw this comic. As you can see, it's certainly been read before. Many times. And that's part of it's charm. Of course the biggest part is the subject: Little Lulu. Lulu is another character hearkening back to my youth, particularly in the form of those Golden Comics Digests that usually accompanied me on family trips. Artist /writer John Stanley came up with clever, amusing stories, and gave the kids (Lulu, Tubby, Alvin, and the rest) loads of personality. Tubby is always coming up with some kind of scheme, usually to Lulu's detriment. And Lulu is no helpless victim: she shows great ingenuity in her various forms of revenge. The books were great fun to read as a kid, and are still a kick. Finding this for a dollar was another 'must succumb' moment. You know, just for the fun of it.
So, what comics have you grabbed up, 'just for kicks'?
7 comments:
Well, I went to Wizard World a few weeks ago in Chicago. I did not have a "buy list" and whatever I bought was "just for kicks" actually! I limited myself to ONLY 10 comics and they had to be "Cehap!"
Well, the $2 bin was all the rage for old dudes like me and many dealers has these!
I got me:
Kamandi 6, 7, 9, 10
Conan 27, 40
Jimmy Olsen 145, 150 both GIANT SIZE!
JLA 85 GIANT SIZE!
Secret Origins #6 (Legion of Superheroes and Blackhawk!)
All in really really super condition at $2 each so I spent only $20 all day.
It was all "just for the fun of it!" And, the Jimmy Olsen purchases were likely inspired by this blog b/c some I had recalled folks talking about Neal Adams art on that series and such.
I'm digging this little trip down memory lane as I open 'em up and read 'em!
I am constantly buying dollar or two dollar comics I find at a used bookstore for the heck of it - just to check them out.
I recently got a random issue of Blue Devil (a character I know next to nothing about) because it crossed over with Crisis of Infinite Earths.
Whenever I find cheap romance comics from the 60s and 70s I get those, too because I like reading stories from when some cultural mores were changing, but the comics were still trying to hold on to traditional perspectives of heteronormative relationships and inadvertently showing how absurd such ideas can really be.
I also got a copy of the first issue of BOOM! Studio's CBGB series because the cover was by my personal fave Jaime Hernandez.
I also pick up any cheap Superman's Girlfriend or Superman's Pal issues I can find - just for fun - sometimes just for the covers!
The only thing that comes to mind was the Rocket Raccoon mini back in the 80s (before he was cool); I bought it on a whim, one issue at a time, but the story was pretty goofy. I still have it, though.
Don't have access to dollar bins or flea markets where I am now; however, the last few times I've visited the US, I've purchased at least one Archie digest that I've come across in a thrift store or used book store, including one of those big 500 page books.
By the way, I've heard only good things about the Batman '66 books, both the main series and the various team-ups. I hope to read those some day.
Charlie- you got some good finds there! You just can't beat rifling through those dollar boxes. And speaking of dollars, major kudos to you- getting through a con and spending only twenty dollars! Incredible...
Osvaldo- Blue Devil, eh? Let us know what you think of it; I've never read any of them but recall the title being discussed awhile back in "Back Issue" magazine. It got some pretty good notices. And those old Weisinger era 'Lois and Jimmy's are a kick. Some crazy covers indeed.
Edo- So tell me, do those monstrous 500-pagers hold together? You'd think they'd start coming apart from the weight alone! And yes, I highly recommend the Batman '66 books. Also, the "Scooby Doo" team ups. Actually, DC is putting out numerous very entertaining titles these days. I'm picking up more from them than from Marvel. It all goes back to that element of fun...
Man, about 80% of the time if I picked something up "for fun" it almost always resulted in my continuing to purchase the title, or keeping a lookout for cheap back-issues, etc. Especially in my off-the-spinner-rack days. I think that's what launched me into that Sad Sack tsunami for a year or so in the 70's. . . !
As a very little kid: A coverless issue of Dell's MONKEES series from a thrift store my Mom liked-- and it still holds up so well as a read that I truly covet the rest of that brief run-!
Flash #214-- 100 Page Giant! Never had a Flash comic, and had NO CLUE about any of the characters in the Golden Age reprints inside, but the cover grabbed me. . . and I still love that disintegrated old issue!
Avengers #80
Incredible Hulk #128
The biggest For Fun experiment during my adult collecting years turned into a family passion and pastime, as I've mentioned. Picked up the first three issues of THE TICK's original run at Geppi's Comic World (Three Issue Rule was still kinda in effect for me). . .it was the last copy the had of #1, in fact. What a lot of joy that big blue arachnid has brought us over the years!
Similarly, the exact same thing happened with WATCHMEN-- first three issues (Rule), #1 being the last copy of the first printing (hunh-- that may once have had some collectibility). However, I'm not sure there's any aspect of Watchmen that you could associate with the word "fun", y'know? My poor wife tried to read it early on, to try to get some insight on this hobby of mine, and it made her cry. . . she hated it, and I told her that while I found it interesting and compelling, it by no means represented what I loved about comics. . .
HB
Red, the 500-pagers, or at the least the one I have, hold together just as well as the standard 100-200 pagers. However, I also bought, via eBay, the "75 Years, 75 Stories" Archie digest, which has about 650 or pages, and the spine cracked in one place while I was reading it. None of the pages came out though. I've seen (online) that Archie also publishes 1000-page digests, and I'm curious as to how those hold together - or even how they can be read. It seems to me that 500 pages is about the limit for binding that doesn't come apart and comfortable reading (I found that 600+ page book a bit unwieldy at times).
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