3 Questions About Comics and Me

I am honored to have been tagged by Stephen. This means that at least someone is reading this blog. So here are my answers to the three questions:

1) What was the first comic you remember reading?

The first one I actually remember reading (and not just looking at the pictures) was Wonder Woman 215. Having searched the racks in vain at Piggly Wiggly, all the Batman titles were sold out. But thumbing through this Wonder Woman issue I discovered that Batman had a cameo, as did several members of the JLA.

This was during a run in which a different member of the JLA was special guest star each issue. This time Aquaman had a major role. More heroes for the money seemed like a good deal. So I bought it and read it numerous times. The plot was pretty sophisticated for a fourth grader.

2) What was the first comic that made you realize that you might be in this for the long haul?

That would be Batman 263, published a few months after the Wonder Woman issue mentioned above. This was another Piggly Wiggly purchase. One evening at the supermarket my two younger sisters and I begged our parents to spring for a comic for each of us (though they had gone up to a whopping 25 cents). I remember that one sister (the middle child) chose an issue of Shazam with a talking frog on the cover. I don't remember what our youngest sibling chose--probably some Archie or funny animal comic.

We rode home in the back of our family Oldsmobile trying to read our comics by the glow of the street lights. Those were the days when comic book heroes spent one page ads selling Hostess cupcakes, fruit pies, and twinkies.

I was introduced to Batman via television before I could read. This issue had the Riddler who I recognized from the TV series. I immediately concluded that the comics had become far more sophisticated than the campy TV show. But Robin was absent, which I was not happy about. Well, this issue led to semi-regular purchases of Batman, Detective Comics, and Justice League of America. From there I kept branching out.

3) If you had to make a snap decision to take one comic or comic run to a desert island, what would it be? Don't think too hard!

It would be the Elseworlds limited series, now collected as a trade paperback, called JSA: The Golden Age. Earlier printings are merely called The Golden Age. I picked up the trade while vacationing in a rainy Albuquerque. I had been out of the comics scene for a while. Not caring to commit to any regular titles, I'd occasionally pick up a one shot or a trade.

The Golden Age appealed to me because I am so retro. The cover pictured many of the heroes I had grown to love reading Roy Thomas' All-Star Squadron. The Golden Age might even be better. I was engrossed in this book and could not put it down. Not having read it in seven years, I think I'll read it again.

Here is the part where I'm supposed to tag five people. But I can't even think of five other bloggers who I know read this blog. The ones I do know about, I have not seen respond to tags. But if you have a blog, and you're reading this, consider yourself tagged. If you do a post on this, please comment here so I'll know you did.   

Comments

[stephen]

gonna have to check out the golden age it sounds like it's right up my alley.

also may i suggest that "because I am so retro" become your official catch phrase. i can see that sweeping the nation like "where's the beef?" or "what chu talkin bout willis?"

[Vicki]

Shazam was my first comic. I think I still have that one with the talking frog. I was so excited and it was one of my favorite comics ever.

-The middle child.