When I was a kid, one of my great interests and pastimes was comic books. Like everyone else, I liked the superheroes, though I could be persuaded to take in an Archie and Jughead now and again. But nothing compared to a good old Superman adventure or Spider-Man throwing insults and snappy comebacks at Doc Ock or Gobby.
A number of the comics were lost when I went off to school, but I grabbed some more over the years when the price and titles were right. Not for serious collecting, just a source of some mindless diversion that I never really lost the taste for.
We moved to Europe in 2001 and they all went into storage boxes; for various reasons they were not reopened until now. I remember most of the titles I had, but not how many of each, or some of the specific favourite stories I'll find.
I invite you to join me as I rediscover my stash some 25 years later, and share some of my memories of scrounging dimes to pay for books and what some of the heroes looked like 60 years ago. You certainly know most of them now by name if nothing else.
It's not a fortune that waits for me, as I went for quantity of books in fair to rough condition rather than just a few pricey dazzlers. It's definitely a treasure trove of nostalgia as well as some pleasant and entertaining hours waiting for me as I re-read my faves.
Whether you're of a certain age and know where I'm coming from, or a recent fan of the multiverses that might enjoy seeing where things started, there is something for everyone. There's a fair bit of content here, so feel free to check the chapters and click thru to something that catches your eye; but if you make it all the way thru, I may award you a fantastic No-Prize!
Keep looking out for my videos, covering travel, fitness/health, hockey stuff, and just general issues and nonsense; and sometimes just on being retired (which includes doing nuthin’ when you feel like it!). Subscribe so you don’t miss any!
Shout out to DC and Marvel for battling for my attention during the Silver Age sixties--the hits just kept coming. But you can hold off on the movies for a while...
Shout out to Alex Carlson of the Westmont Library, whose expertise and encouragement made this channel and videos possible.
Fair Use:
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Chapters
00:00 Intro and Welcome
01:30 What is the Silver Age?
03:50 Buying Comics in the 50s and 60s
05:40 Building the Collection
07:03 Superman, Action, Superboy
09:54 Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen
11:14 Adventure/Legion of Super Heroes
12:08 Various DCs--Challengers, Aquaman, Metal Men...
15:01 Marvel Emerges
17:34 Avengers, Spider-Man, Marvel Tales
19:58 Justice League, Green Lantern, Flash
22:02 Classics Illustrated
22:47 Sgt. Fury and Howling Commandos, Marvel Westerns
24:29 Batman, Detective, World's Finest
27:02 Phantom, Haunted Tank, Sgt. Rock
28:34 Annie Fannie, Lampoon, Mad
30:20 Outro