Comic Book Collection News and Updates

It appears that DC Comics is resurrecting Batwoman. Originally she started in 1956 and was killed off in 1979. But now with all the evolution the comic book industry is going through, DC is bringing Batwoman back as a lesbian.

She comes back with a very commanding appearance. 5-foot-10, long flowing red hair, knee high red boots with spiked heels and a tight form fitting black costume.

"We decided to give her a different point of view," explained Dan DiDio, vice president and executive editor at DC. "We wanted to make her a more unique personality than others in the Bat-family. That's one of the reasons we went in this direction."

Batwoman comes back with her original alter ego, Kathy Kane. Kane will be a socialite among Gotham's elite.

"This is not just about having a gay character," DiDio said. "We're trying for overall diversity in the DC universe. We have strong African-American, Hispanic and Asian characters. We're trying to get a better cross-section of our readership and the world."

Well, for all you Batwoman fans she's back! There will be, I am sure, some very active controversy as the new personally unfolds at DC Universe. Hope you can get behind this new move, whatever your opinions are. Batwoman's return will definitely prove to be interesting.

Dave

June 5, 2006 09:13 - Conversations with a "Comics Galore" Subscriber

Well I had an interesting email conversation the other day with one of my cherished newsletter subscribers. Pete and I conversion on occasion when he gets a new issue. Here is what he had to say and my next post will be my comments back to him:

Hi Dave,

I was going through withdrawal wondering when your next issue was coming out.

How old were the 189/$50 books? I'll sell you an assortment of books for .25 each no problem. How many thousand can I put you down for? I've always been leery about "meet-me-in-the-parking-lot" deals. Comics might be ok but I would never buy a high priced or electronic item that way. A buddy of mine got screwed when he bought a digital camera from a proverbial little old lady who said "meet-me-in-the-parking-lot." Since he didn't know where she lived, he was out of luck. Anyway, if you want books at .25 a pop, let me know how many you want.

I'm somewhat familiar with Rozanski. He used to write a very interesting column in the CBG giving his spin about comic pricing and his spin about how he got his mile high collection. He also unintentionally raised some interesting ethical issues amongst my comic collecting friends regarding a buyer's moral obligation to a seller when the seller doesn't know the value of what they have but the buyer does know the true value. My friends and I came to the conclusion that comic dealers are thieves who want to buy your books for next to nothing and then make a killing. Back in 1991, when I started getting back into comics, I wanted to get rid of about 2000 doubles and triples of books that I had when I stopped collecting in 1973. Two dealers came over and looked through my books and they couldn't believe what good condition these books were in. I told them that the comics had been baggedand sealed since the late 60's thanks to the advice of a high school pal. I kept them in regular food storage bags that I bought at the grocery store and sealed them with tape--nothing got in and nothing got out.

Over time, the plastic sealed onto itself and those bags became hermetically sealed. Back in the 60's and early '70's, we didn't have those fancy plastic bags that we have now. Actually , I think those old food storage bags did a better job because they completely wrapped around the book whereas the new bags don't actually seal at the top. The bagged comics were then stored in the attic and basement and were subjected to over 100 degree attic heat, freezing cold, and basement dampness for over 30 years--yet the books came out fine. The bags turned yellow over time but who cares--the books were not harmed in any way. Anyway, back to my story. The dealers said that they wanted my complete collection and they'd give me $25k for all 6000 of my old books not just the 2000 doubles. I said that that came out to about $4/book for a collection of books from the 40's, 50's, 60's up to about 1973. I said that I could go into their comic store and I wouldn't have to look far to find a $4 book and they were trying to tell me that these old books had the same value as their new books???? One of the dealers said that $25k was a lot of money and I said that 25k of anything is a lot. He then asked me how much I wanted and I said how about a million bucks?? He said "that's ridiculous" and I said not as ridiculous as $4/book. I said that I'd give these books to my sister's kids before I sold them for 4 bucks each and one of the dealers said that he's not leaving anything to his kids.

When my nephew got me back into comics about 15 years ago, with my Overstreet (OS) guides, I developed my own comic catalog database using the cheapo microsoft works spreadsheet (SS) that came with my computer. I developed a SS grid template for each title that I had. I also included important notes at the bottom of the page and printed my listing. I also used the SS dbase capabilities to track the % change of each book according to each new OS issue. However, I have been looking at some catalog software and I noticed that there are more programs than you can count and that prices are all over the place. Ebay has some cheap ones but there was one program that really intrigued me. You didn't keep your records on your computer, rather the dbase was kept on their computer and you just went in and updated it. I looked through their listing and I thought that I could make a major contribution if I bought a scanner and scanned in some of the covers that they didn't have. Since I now have somewhere around 20,000 comics, this would be a major project and would take me a while to complete. It would be fun, but it would take some time. I still haven't settled on which bdase I'd like to go with, but I would love to hear your thoughts.

Pete

If you are interested in keeping up with the fascinating world of comic books, feel free to sign up for my comic book newsletter. Until next time.

Dave

June 7, 2006 10:38 - Response to a "Comics Galore" Subscriber

Well, as stated in my last post, here was my response back to Pete, one of my newsletter subscribers, whom I always enjoy hearing from:

Hey Pete:

Ha ha, glad you are looking forward to my newsletters. I have my auto-responder set to deliver each one 30 days apart. Right now, it looks like you have received issue 9. I have up to issue 14 loaded up at the moment. But when my oldest subscribers get caught up, then I have to take some time and write a few more issues and get them loaded up. The way I do it allows brand new subscribers to start from day one and then continue with my entire series. I may change the formatting later, but I haven't decided what to do yet.

Yeah, I didn't think about that, but the 189 comics I bought wasn't a psst, have I got a deal for you, in an unlit parking lot ( ha ha). I saw the ad in my local newspaper and called this lady. She lived a ways away. And instead of her trying to find my place or me trying to find her place, she was on her way to the Mall with her kids. We both knew where that was, so we decided to meet there.

They were all in excellent shape. They were from the 1980s and newer. I didn't buy them for investment purposes though. If they are worth more than I paid for them, that is just icing on the cake. I wanted them for a research tool for my site and to give me practice at cataloging them. I think I do have a few though, that are worth $10.00 to $50.00.

I had quite a collection when I was young, but they got stolen during my college days. I didn't have any comics when I started my site, so I figured I could use a few to play around with.

Yeah boy, it sounds like you may have some comics that could be worth quite a bit. Although you have to consider that a comic shop or others in the retail business are out to make a profit. That is free enterprise. You collection, overall may only be worth $4/book, I don't know.

But the first step is determining the estimated value of your collection (a LOT of work). And no matter what a guide or software says your comics are worth, you still need to find others who are willing to pay those prices. This is more major work.

You can do all this work yourself and reap the rewards, if you can find buyers. Or you can sell you collection below what it is worth and let others do all this work. They still want to make a profit for all their time and investment. I don't agree with the philosophy though, of lowballing a potential seller just because they don't understand their comics' potential worth. An up and up business deal should be a win win situation for both parties. But an owner of a collection does need to that the time and effort to understand what their collection is potentially worth if they are going to try and sell them.

Yeah, I started out with a spreadsheet also. It takes a lot of time and effort if you have a lot of comics. I purchased a cataloging CD called Visual Packrat for $30.00, but it still is very labor intensive.

Then I got turned on to Comic Base 10, which I purchased the CD down at my local comic shop. This was about $150.00 though. You may want to check out their site just to get an idea of what the software does:

www.comicbase.com

It is some neat stuff, but I haven't learned all its functions yet. I would like to promote the software on my site, but I haven't found that they have an affiliate program yet. I need to call them on the phone and talk to them.

I have seen several sites on the Net where you can put your collection on their servers. This might not be a bad way to go. Although, I kind of like the idea of have my own database on my own hard drive. You could lose it on someone else's server. But it is also cheaper to go that way. If you do, I would be interested in your thoughts on the subject.

You have given me an idea though, of another potential product I could create. I don't know if you know what Camtasia software is, but it is a way of making electronic videos with screen capture that shows up on your computer.

I could go to some of these online cataloging sites and learn how to use them. Then I need to learn how to use my Camtasia software. I could make tutorial videos on how to use these sites and how to get your collection all cataloged online and make recommendations for which sites are the best. What do you think? It would take me a while to get to it though.

No matter which direction you go though, it is going to take lots of time to catalog 20,000 comic books (ha ha).

Well, better go eat breakfast and then get some other stuff done. Talk later.

Dave

If you are interested in keeping up with the fascinating world of comic books, feel free to sign up for my comic book newsletter. Later.

June 9, 2006 09:23 - Comic Books on Film TV Special!

It looks like Starz will be running a very very interesting TV special on comic book heroes and their extreme Hollywood interest these days. Here is part of the press release below:

"Comic Books on Film Premieres on Starz June 25
Source: Starz Entertainment Group June 6, 2006

Starz has released the following announcement about the cable channel's upcoming "Comic Books on Film" special. You can view a preview here!

"Superman Returns," "X3" and "Spider-Man 3" ... with the ever increasing trend of turning comic books into blockbuster films, "Starz The Hollywood Reporter: Comic Books on Film" explores this "super" natural phenomena with a half-hour original special that examines why these films continue to leap off the lot of Hollywood studios landing into movie theaters all over the world. The special includes interviews with Brandon Routh, the new Superman, Christian Bale of "Batman Begins," Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry both of "X-Men: The Last Stand." "Comic Books on Film" premieres on Starz, June 25th at 6:30 p.m. as part of a 24-hour marathon of comic book inspired films.

"It seems that nearly every popular comic book is being made and remade into a cinematic version, from 'Sin City,' 'Hellboy,' 'Batman,' 'Spider-Man,' 'Superman,' to 'The Hulk,'" says Michael Ruggiero, vice president of programming for Starz Entertainment Group. "'Starz The Hollywood Reporter: Comic Books on Film' focuses on the impact and success that these comic books have had by being turned into films."..."

Be sure and check out the rest of the story about Comic Books on Film. And watch the video trailer. This looks like an exciting special, if you happen to subscribe to Starz. I may have to put in a special premium request to watch this special. It will probably cost me about 4 bucks. Or I may be able to get the DVD later. Will have to wait and see. Enjoy the trailer.

Dave

June 12, 2006 08:04 - Remember the Superheroes from Way Back When?

Seeing how I am old enough (am I a comic book fossil now?) to remember the old time superhero characters, I found the following article somewhat enlightening. I hope you find it interesting also:

"Whatever happened to the superheroes of old?
By Finlo Rohrer
BBC News Magazine

With Batwoman reinvented as a lesbian, Spider-Man beset by personal problems and the X-Men hailed as a parable of scientific oppression of minorities, the old-fashioned comic superhero seems to have been vanquished.

When Superman first appeared in the 1930s, he was for many a symbol of patriotism and pure-spirited heroism in an increasingly fragile world.

As the cataclysm of World War II approached children could take solace in the simple notion of a Man of Steel who was capable of stopping any enemy.

Today, we are in the grip of a wave of success for comic book conversions at the box office, with the Spider-Man and X-Men series proving monster hits.

And the characters are proving to be in close touch with the Zeitgeist, tapping into an overwhelming feeling of global self-doubt best exemplified by Tobey Maguire's take on Peter Parker.

He is a Spider-Man whose personal life and existential crises become so serious that his powers begin to fade and he decides to quit the hero business.

The adjective "cartoonish" is usually taken to mean a gross over-simplication, and yet we are now used to seeing comic superheroes rich in complexity and reflecting the diversity of a multi-cultural society.

Danny Fingeroth, a former group editor of Spider-Man comics and author of Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us About Ourselves and Our Society, says comics have changed to reflect society over the years.

"Until probably the late 1960s everybody was a 'neutral' white Anglo-Saxon Protestant. Even if you had a street scene in New York or Chicago everybody was white.

"The move towards realism was originated by Stan Lee and his collaborators in the Marvel Comics of the 1960s. They put in black characters, Hispanic characters. Along with that came an attempt to have more realistic personalities and reactions to things." ..." To read the rest of the article click on over to Superheroes of old.

The rest of this article is really worth reading. And there are some excellent comments and rebuttals. Until later.

Dave

June 14, 2006 12:13 - Are Comic Books no Longer For Kids?

As I am one of the older crowd of comic book aficionados, I can relate to the comic books of the fifties and sixties more than today. But Brent Bozell makes some interesting points about the comic industry as it stands in today's world:

"by L. Brent Bozell III
Posted Jun 12, 2006

The world of comic books has sure changed a lot since we were young. It was a singular pleasure of a bygone day to gather an allowance and head for the corner drugstore for an issue of "Superman" for 12 cents, a quarter for a book with three -- three! -- stories. Today, comic books still seek an audience of young men (and to a lesser extent, young women) hungry for heroes. But that's where the similarities end.

Today's comic books have undergone a Starbucks transformation. They are now called "graphic novels" and are bound on fancier paper, selling at Borders or Barnes & Noble for $2.50. Even more striking is the business formula: The comic book industry is making the big bucks not on paper, but on the silver screen. Marvel Comics has had an amazing run at the movies, with massive box-office results for the "Spider-Man" films and now a monster third sequel in the "X-Men" movie series. On the other hand, Marvel isn't making much money in the old-fashioned publishing way. One recent estimate had them making only 22 percent of their revenues on the printed page.

Why is this important? Because by branching itself into the movie business, the comic book industry is no longer focusing solely on the freckle-faced 10-year-old. It's now big, big business, aiming to reach the 30-year-old audience with more adult messages, even though children will also be exposed to them..." Read the rest of the article here at Comic Books Today!

Definitely read the rest of the article and see if you agree. One thing for sure though, we still have a choice on what we want to read and what movies we want to see. And there are good sites and shops to carouse around if we still want to pick up old back issues.

Dave

June 16, 2006 07:15 - Spider-Man's Secret Identity Revealed! Is this Good?

Hmm, I don't know if I like this or not. In Marvel's latest issue of "Civil War", Spider-man decides to let the world know that Peter Parker is who he has really been all these years. Apparently after many civilian deaths during a catastrophic Superhero Supervillian war, the government has passed the Super-Hero Registration Act, requiring all superheroes to reveal their identities and register as "living weapons of mass destruction".

This has caused major division of the superhero club. Do we support the government or do we not? On one side of the fence, Spider-man says yes. On the other side Captain America says hell no!

Big Brother likes to get his fingers into everything doesn't he? If the super crime-fighting club has to reveal their identities and register, shouldn't all covert government agencies have to reveal their operatives and purposes? I am sure they would not allow that to happen, so why do the most effective operatives on the planet have to?

Has Marvel gone too far? They are trying to shake the comic book industry to their knees. Will fans stand for this? Or will Marvel ultimately clean up at the bank? Questions, questions and more questions. What do you think? Comments welcome.

Dave

June 19, 2006 07:47 - Who all is Anticipating the New Superman Movie?

As the 28th of June draws closer, are we getting psyched for the release of Brandon Routh as the new Man of Steel? Will he live up to the expectations of Christopher Reeve? Whatever the outcome, it has been about time for a new Superman rendition from Hollywood. Will it be enjoyable or a campy joke? Here is what the Hollywood reporter has to say about it:

"Superman Returns

By Kirk Honeycutt

The Superman who returns in "Superman Returns" is a different Man of Steel than we are used to seeing. In "Superman: The Movie," the film by director Richard Donner in 1978, the late Christopher Reeve rescued the iconic superhero from high camp with the sincerity and warmth of his acting. His Superman was a romantic charmer. Director Bryan Singer positions this new film as a sequel to Donner's film, and his Superman -- played with winning fortitude by newcomer Brandon Routh -- is less a Man of Steel than a Man of Heart.

While Routh is the same age as Reeve when he played the role, Routh's Superman is older in spirit. His Superman has known heartbreak and loss. He thinks about his late father and must consider the possibility that he might have a son. He even faces his own mortality. In other words, Singer wants to put human emotions into his alien superhero, and for the most part, he succeeds..." For the rest of the story surf on over to the Hollywood Reporter's site on Superman Returns.

Will the new Man of Steel capture our hearts or just put more coin in Hollywood's coffers at our expense? We shall see at the end of the month.

Dave

June 22, 2006 11:46 - Comic Book Piracy, What are Your Thoughts?

While looking for something interesting to post this morning, I ran across a rather interesting article. In the age of digital information, it is now possible to download digital comic books. This could be hurting the comic book publishing industry in general. Here is part of the article that I found:

"Sharing threatens comic books
With low sales numbers to begin with, creators can ill afford any loss to piracy
By Michelle Keller
LOS ANGELES TIMES

Since their smashing introduction in the 1930s, comic-book heroes such as Superman and Batman have been fighting evil right and left, keeping cities safe and delighting fans.

But these days they and other stalwarts of the industry are stuck in the grip of a sticky Web that could ensnare even Spider-Man. They face foes that couldn't be imagined 70 years ago: digital pirates.

Digital scanning and sharing of comic books have begun to make a dent in the business, driven by easy-to-use file-sharing tools and a culture in which enthusiasts eagerly pass along their copies to one another.

"No comic sells enough to lose some of the market," said Chris Gage, who has written for DC Comics Inc. and independent publisher Arcana Studio. "If your comic book doesn't sell a certain amount of copies, it can get canceled."

Gage, a writer for "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" and other television shows, is well aware of piracy in all forms of media. The West Hollywood resident worries most about his first creator-owned comic, "Paradox," which debuted last year and whose survival depends on healthy sales.

Estimates for the number of comic books shared online are fuzzy because it is difficult to track specific downloads on so-called peer-to-peer networks..." To read the rest of the article on Comic Book Piracy click the link. I think it may be worth your while!

I am not sure I completely agree with this article. Seems to me, that those of us interested in comic books, still want the hard copy version to add to our collections. Digital downloads, in this electronic day and age, can enhance the promotion of the hard copies. Give us a little titillating prelude and we may be enticed to run out and get the hard copy. What do you think?

Dave

June 26, 2006 08:31 - ComicBase Express, Wow, this is Great

Well, well, well, I received this email the other day from ComicBase and thought I would pass it along:

"For everyone who's ever looked at ComicBase and thought, "Wow, it looks really great, but I just can't fit software like ComicBase into my budget..."

Now you can.

We're excited to announce ComicBase Express, the most affordable ComicBase ever. For just $39.95 (download) or $49.95 on CD, you can track your comics with the world's #1 program for managing comic collections. And while ComicBase Express lacks some of the upper-end features from our Professional and Archive Editions, I think you'll find it's up to the task of managing even the largest collection with ease.

Its features include: - Built-in listings and current pricing on over 275,000 comics, ranging from the 1800s to last week's new releases!

- Searchable listings of 1st appearances, Origins, Deaths, and other special issues.

- Over 5,000 full-color cover scans from Marvel, DC, and Image (and you have the ability to add your own as well!)

- Automatic calculation of your collections value, along with insurance reports, price lists, price labels, issue checklists, and more.

- One-key data entry for entire runs of comics

- Barcode support for lightning-fast data entry

- A year of weekly, downloadable updates to both issues and prices, so you'll always be updated on the latest releases and trends.

For all the details, check our web page at www.comicbase.com. You can even order and download it online and be managing your collection in minutes!

All the best, -Pete Bickford"

I have their professional version and really think it is great. I am still learning all the features and have quite a few comic books yet to catalog, but in my opinion, it is great software. It cost me $135.00 and I had to run downtown to my local comic shop and pick it up. Now you can get an express version for 40 bucks and download from the Net. Neat! Go check it out.

Dave

June 28, 2006 07:19 - Is Marvel's "Civil War" Ripe for the Times?

With all that is happening in the world today and our national security being threatened, does Marvel's new "Superhero Registration Act" reflect current times? Here is what a university instructor had to say:

"Can comic books work as social, political commentaries?

Arnold T. Blumberg of Baltimore, who has written extensively on comic books and teaches a course in comic book literature at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, says Marvel Comics' "Civil War" comic book series is a valid way to get people to look at important issues such as those now facing the country.

"I think the very fact that the story exists at all, whether they come up with a twist and speak to both sides of the debate or not ... is interesting," he says. The question, Blumberg says, is whether Marvel is going to stick to "this really heavy subject matter."

The writers could, for example, take the plot to a point where those promoting the Superhero Registration Act in government turn out to be "Skrulls," an advanced intergalactic race that has clashed with Earth's superheroes in the past, he said, calling such a notion "a cop out."

But, he says, "if this really is the U.S. government in the Marvel universe saying superheroes are too dangerous not to regulate, this is a really potent story." Stan Lee, creator of some of the comic universe's greatest heroes, including Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, says he expects service members likely will respond to "Civil War" much like civilians will, notwithstanding its politically charged plot line.

"I think that any area is OK to go into if you do it tastefully and present both sides of a story and let readers decide how they feel," says Lee, who served in the Army during World War II as one of nine men whose military occupational specialty was playwright..." the rest of the story can be read at comic books & social commentary.

I have had a few contacts and have seen many of the service men over in Iraq interested in comic books. It makes me wonder what their current reflections are on "Civil Wars". Hope they leave some comments here.

Dave

June 30, 2006 07:50 - Have You Seen "Superman Returns" Yet?

Well, the new Superman movie has been out for a couple of days now. Have you seen it yet? Sounds like it is doing quite well at the box office. Searching through some of the reviews, I found one from one of my local papers. It provides an interesting read:

"Superman endures

Man of Steel franchise gets a blockbuster jolt as beloved superhero returns to the silver screen

By Jeff Vice
Deseret Morning News

Superman, the Kryptonian Man of Steel, was born in 1938 on the pages of "Action Comics," and he died in 1993 - at least in the comics - only to be reborn a few months later.

Actually, the character, who is arguably the most popular and longest-running superhero in history, has been repeatedly reborn in a variety of incarnations. In addition to his appearances in several comic-book titles, Superman has been the subject of theatrical cartoons, serials and movies; live-action and animated TV series, and uncountable merchandising products.

TV helped boost the character's iconic status in the 1950s, when "Adventures of Superman," starring George Reeves, was a phenomenon that is still beloved by baby boomers. The show ran for six seasons (two in black and white, four in color), until the apparent suicide of Reeves, which caused the character to disappear from the TV scene for a time.

But every decade since the 1980s has seen the character revived on television: "Superboy" in the '80s, "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" in the '90s, and the ongoing "Smallville" in the 21st century - and all can now be found on DVD, along with the four Christopher Reeve films.

And, of course, we now have the summer blockbuster "Superman Returns," directed by Bryan Singer (best known for the first two "X-Men" movies).

Needless to say, the character numbers his fans in the millions. Even filmmaker Quentin Tarantino had one of his "Kill Bill" characters extol Superman's virtues in an attempt to explain his nearly universal appeal. Or as Internet-based comic-book journalist Jennifer M. Contino explained, "I think the original tagline 'Truth, Justice and the American Way' is a concept that strikes a chord with just about everyone in the United States..." The rest of the story can be read at "Superman Returns".

I can't wait to see it, but I will probably have to wait for the DVD to come out (hope this is soon!). It will sure be a welcome item to my DVD collection. How did you enjoy the movie? Any selective tidbits for my visitors? Thanks.

Dave