Comic book/graphic novel fans intro thread

[anotheranon]

Just reading through my Friends page and realizing there are a lot of you who are into comic books, graphic novels, Comic Con, the Small Press Expo and the like, and I'm not sure that you all know each other.

Please feel free to use the comments to this post to introduce yourselves, say hello etc. if you're so inclined. You might meet some people to chat/hang out with :)

Comments

[folo1.livejournal.com]

I got hooked on funny books when my father died, and neighbors gave me a bunch of old comics (yes, that sounds weird, but that's what happened). I was 7, and the two events warped me greatly. I collected comics through the sixties, much to the dismay of my mother who thought people who read books were just subhuman. "Wait until you get married, and see what your wife says about those damn things," she said. (She stopped saying this when I brought my fiancee home and saw her taking out my old Legion of Super Hero titles to read).

I collected comics until last year. Mainly DC and independens, was a regular for many years at the Chicago Comic Con, had a few letters printed, published in fanzines and mini-comics and ran a local comic book club for many years.

I sold about two-thirds of my collection and bought a tent. Then I sold some more. I wasn't reading them, waiting instead to read the more convenient compilations. And then not rereading them.

Last year, I realized that I was buying the comics, not reading them and then buying the trade compilation. This year, as a New Year's resolution, I stopped buying comic books (except for Northlander and an odd comic here and there). I buy graphic novels and compilations and have never been happier, especially with the various b&w reprints, which are mainly the stuff I loved as a kid. Recently, I got into the Dark Horse reprits of odd titles such as Turok, Joe Kubert's Tarzam and the Creepy/Eerie archives.

I love artists as diverse as Hal Foster, Steve Ditko, John Byrne, Carl Barks, Neal Adams, Frank Miller Jeff Smith, Gil Kane, Will Eisner, Gary Frank, Wally Wood, Frank Moore and, of course, the God himself, Joe Kubert. Writers such as Stan Lee (in the 60s), Neil Gaiman, Wolfman & Wein, Steve Englehart, Kevin Smith, Jeff Johns and, despite himself, Alan Moore. And many others besides.

[ladyaelfwynn.livejournal.com]

I've come late to comics. It's only been the past few years and then very select titles.

I like the Joss Whedon titles based on Buffy and Angel. I also like the Anita Blake titles and Mice Templar. But since single issues are annoying (not quite enough to read) I wait for trade ppbks.

I also like some manga. The title I'm waiting for to be completed is Emma. There are a couple more installments.

Owly is my favorite indy comic.

I like SPX because of the creativity. It is in the air. I always leave there feeling very jazzed with lots of ideas.

I don't generally like mainstream comics. Superhero comics are right out.

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

Started out with comic books shortly after I learned to read, as two uncles not much older than me had a stack of Batmans in their bedroom that was taller than I was and an irresistable magnet every time we visited my grandparents.

These days I've an eclectic collection that includes Richard Sala, Eric Powell, Richard Moore, Bill Willingham, Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, Alexander Grecian & Riley Rossmo (who works at my local comics shop), Serena Valentino, Adam Warren, Garth Ennis, Matt Wagner, Posy Simmonds, James Turner, Roman Dirge, Brian K. Vaughn, Juan Díaz Canales & Juanjo Guarnido, and Marjane Satrapi. Plus re-released classics like Will Eisner's New York books and "The Spirit", and the current Titan Books reprints of Peter O'Donnell's "Modesty Blaise". Not much of the capes'n'tights stuff any more, though I like and own the occasional book.

And then there's webcomics like The Zombie Hunters, Evil Inc., Pibgorn, Kukuburi, Post-Nuke Comic, Good Ship Chronicles, What Birds Know, Girls With Slingshots, Ménage à 3, and Jump Leads

I'm another who prefers the bound collections to the flimsy-and-can't-stand-up-in-a-bookcase comic books. And because I catalogue the graphics collection for one of the larger libraries in the country, I get to see and preview a fairly broad spectrum of titles which is really hazardous to my wallet really helps when making up the ol' personal shopping list. ;p

[timcharmorbien.livejournal.com]

I like cartoons! If it's printed I will read it, if it's animated I will watch it at least once. Main stream superhero comics, quirky webcomics, edgy indie comics, largely incomprehensible manga - - I'll try anything. :) I mostly get my "fix" from webcomics these days, as it's been a while since I bought a comic book, but I have been slowly adding to my collection of graphic novels and compilations: The Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns, Fables, Kingdom Come, Crisis, Sandman, Preacher, and I'm thinking of adding The Walking Dead to the list.