Today I Am a Man?
"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." ‑ 1 Corinthians 13:11
I still read comics -- a habit I developed in high school and never felt the need to abandon. Sometimes the stories are quite good (I don't just read the superhero stuff), but more often it's about the nostalgia and, again, the habit. Which reminds me a little uncomfortably about this notion of kickball-playing adults: rejuveniles, but anyway....
Shannon and I just spent the better part of the day driving a bulldozer through my collection. This has been a real purge. Titles I'd enjoyed over the years are heading to the local comic shop, if not eBay. (Once upon a time, there was a comics collectors' market, but that turned out to be mainly a tulip craze that nearly destroyed the whole publishing sector. So I'm not expecting a lot of cash.)
Eight Eleven long-boxes of comics whittled down to three. The biggest surprise for me was how easy it was for me to let go of twenty years' worth of Superman comics. It was a practically uninterrupted run from John Byrne's 1986 reimagining of the character all the way through 2002, with a few later issues here and there. Today's Superman doesn't resemble that one too much, and I've discovered that the only thing that gave those old comics value to me was the sense that the story was continuing. In the end, they're not worth as much as some reclaimed closet space.
Tomorrow, some recommendations based on what I'm still reading and keeping. And yes, I'm keeping the Walt Simonson Thors.
Comments
Actually, the eight boxes are the ones going to the shop. You had eleven total to start with.
Posted by: Shannon | July 30, 2006 8:32 AM
I sold my comics before we moved. I sold all of them without a glance with the exception of Nausica. I don't really miss them which isn't hard to believe when you consider that the last time I re-read any of those was years ago. The uninterrupted run of Tick from 1 (2 copies) to 20 something. Grey digital target, Rumiko Takahasi's stuff. 2000 knights, several hard back graphic novels (gothem by gaslight being one of my favorites). I'm finding it easier and easier to let go of kipple from my past.
Posted by: Rob | July 30, 2006 11:17 AM
The only thing I've still got from 20 years ago is one old t-shirt and my vinyl collection (augmented dramatically after Dad died last year).
I sense a bulldozer in my future, too, although I might digitize some of the LPs before consigning them to ... well, consignment, or eBay, or the Greensboro Public Library, or whatever.
Posted by: Lex | July 30, 2006 11:28 AM
OK, eBay? Really? Lisa's been after me to get rid of mine, but every time I look at eBay they're graded, etc. Too much trouble. And do you really think the comics shop is going to take everything? I look forward to hearing how this turns out. I'd probably be willing to get rid of just about everything except Gaiman, Moore and Sim at this point.
Posted by: T.J. | July 30, 2006 11:26 PM
What about the discovery of the kitchen utensil holder that Shannon has been searching for since the day you moved into the house?!?!?!?! As it was found nestled in a half filled box of comics.....
Posted by: Kerri | August 1, 2006 10:51 PM
I'm not an avid comic collector. I got a few back in high school, and I've gotten all the JMS issues of Spider-Man in graphic novel form.
I'm also tempted to eBay most of my collection from high school, except for all the X-titles. For some reason, I'm not ready to let go of those quite yet.
I have gotten a few issues in Marvel's current Civil War storyline, and I'm debating whether I should get more. Do you have any opinion on whether it's worth it or not?
Posted by: Todd Williard | August 7, 2006 10:15 AM
Rereading Watchmen. Wow.
Posted by: T.J. | August 8, 2006 9:27 PM