Why Comic Books?

I began reading comic books when I was five years old.  Not long afterwards I began collecting them.

At first I read only Harvey, Dell, Whitman and Archie comic books but eventually shifted over to DC Comics and then to Marvel Comics.

I also read and collected Warren, Tower and other small publishers books and as I grew older I bought and read underground comic books and small independent titles.

By the time I was about seven years old all of my three older brothers had moved out leaving only my invalid mother and myself.

From that point on I was pretty much an only child.  I was fat, socially awkward, unschooled in how to interact with others comfortably and I loved to draw, read and I possessed a curious mind.

To put it in more succinct terms: I was a geek.

As the years progressed I read and collected more and more comic books content to live in my imaginary worlds.  Comic books were a refuge, somewhere where I felt I was a part of a very special club.  

Collecting comic books was, and is, a very personal thing to me.  Oh sure, I love to share my hobby when asked, but I mostly I keep my love of comic books to myself.

I very seldom attend conventions as I’m not big on crowds and quite frankly the over hyping and commercialism of the hobby sickens me--and the prices!

I do like many of the superhero movies and TV shows and especially collectible action figures-both large and small.

I’m retired and on a fixed income.  I cannot afford to buy expensive back issues and I stopped buying new comic books when I retired for two reasons: they are two expensive and there is too much social relativism and political bias in many of the titles.  Political correctness and Wok-ism have almost destroyed the hobby.

While I don’t disparage or discourage anyone from buying new comic books or attending conventions (it’s necessary for the hobby to continue) I am put off by the crass commercialism and emphasis on how much comic books are worth.

To me grading and slabbing comic books is degradating the hobby for the average collector-who cannot afford such high prices.  The market has swung in favor of the speculators.  It’s taken much of the allure out of collecting.

I’m fortunate in that since I’ve been a collector for several decades that I have many of the ‘hot’ back issue comics collectors clamor for.

In my blog I review many of the older back issues adding in a few personal observations.  There are a lot of issues that are ignored because they are not on the ‘hot’ list.

My hope is, one day, to come across a large cache of old Silver and Bronze Age comic books so that I can write even more retro reviews.

As my blog attests I love to write review-of all sorts.  I’ve been blessed that I can do so.

But more important than that is that I am able to slip in a few Bible scriptures and my personal testimony now and again as to the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

All the comic books or stuff in the world will not save you-neither will good works.  It is the grace of God that saves, not of works, lest any man should boost.

It’s so simple-ask God to forgive you and to save you and he will.  All it takes is faith and trust-two things lacking in today’s world.  God does all the work-Christ died on the cross to save humanity-don’t let his sacrifice be in vain.

St. John 3: 16

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Himshould not perish, but have everlasting life.