I continue my posts on what I consider essential for a serious comic collection:
17) A few comics in which a Celebrity Appears as Him or Her Self. One of my favorites is Action Comics # 345 from 1967 in which Allen Funt catches Clark Kent on candid camera changing into his Superman attire. Another issue of interest is Avengers # 239 from 1984 in which the super-hero team appears on Late Night with David Letterman. These two are just too funny.
18) Holiday Comics. While Christmas issues have been plentiful in the past, the Justice Society actually celebrated Thanksgiving with the Justice League in JSA # 54.
19) A good sampling of issues from some Favorite Writers and Artists. Some of my favorite writers include Stan Lee (of course), Denny O'Neil, Roy Thomas, and Geoff Johns. My favorite artists include George Perez, Alex Ross, and Dale Eaglesham.
20) Marvel and DC Crossovers. As a child I recall the tabloid-sized one-shots of Superman vs. Spiderman and Batman vs. the Incredible Hulk (DC Special Series # 27). DC and Marvel together was a dream come true that up until then I could only experience by teaming up my Mego Men. Since these two milestones, the X-Men has met the Teen Titans, Superman has teamed up with the Fantastic Four, and Batman has appeared in one-shots with Spiderman, Daredevil, the Punisher, and Captain America. The real dream come true was the four part series from 2003 in which the JLA met the Avengers. Now if we could just have the Golden Age JSA team-up with the Invaders. Or how about Two-Gun Kid and Jonah Hex? The possibilities are endless.
21) Some hardcover Archive or Masterworks editions. Experience the history of your favorite DC and Marvel characters.
22) Collect some Action Figures of your favorite comic book heroes. Nowadays you can get just about anybody. While not comics, these items are comic-related.
23) Other Comic-Related Collectibles include games, toys, movies, statues, and the list is never-ending. My comic-related items mainly consist of Batman items. Limiting myself to one character makes the collecting a bit more manageable--although I have a few other items I could not resist.
24) Sports-Related Comics. My personal collection includes the series in which Sports Illustrated teamed up with Kellogg's cereal and DC Comics to produce the biographies of Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Ozzie Smith, and Nolan Ryan.
25) Some Black-and-White comics. My collection includes Batman Black and White--of course. And these days a lot of Golden and Silver Age runs have been reprinted in black-and-white trades like DC's Showcase and Marvel's Essentials. It's a relatively inexpensive way to research your comic book history. AC Comics has also reprinted some Golden Age super heroes and westerns.
So there you have it. My top 25 essentials to a comic collection in no particular order.
Did 'Dell' release many Christmas comics? If so, are they hard to find?
Posted by: Vicki | July 26, 2009 at 04:25 PM
Vicki,
That is a very good question. I've been researching it and have come up with some interesting information already. I will make it the subject of a near-future post.
Of course Dell is a now defunct company that existed from the 40s through the 60s. I'm curious as to why you are interested in this information.
Posted by: Dr. Retro | July 26, 2009 at 10:32 PM
Vicki,
BTW, I do welcome any other vintage pop culture or comic questions you may have. I'm always looking for topics to write about.
Posted by: Dr. Retro | July 26, 2009 at 10:35 PM
I'm thinking of starting a collection for Emma, and Dell seems very "kid" friendly. I've given her my Lady & The Tramp to start her off. I'd like some from earlier than the 50's. Also, I love holiday comics! Perhaps some suggestions?
Posted by: Vicki | July 27, 2009 at 03:11 PM
...But, the 60's are fine also.
Posted by: Vicki | July 27, 2009 at 03:13 PM