Comic Book Marketplace Haul Part 4: The Batman

My initial goal when I went to the comic book marketplace was to pick up as many Batman comics as I could. For about a couple of years now, I have been stricken by a case of Batman-itis. I have read, watched, bought nothing but Batman related items. Anything that had the Batman logo or image was something I would either want or pick up. Everything except comic books.

I realized long ago that I wouldn't be able to have a meaningful run of Batman comics as most of the key books would be well out of my price range. So, I never really picked up any older issues. Most of the books I read were either the recent issues or trade paperbacks. Since I was going to the marketplace, I decided I was going to pick up some Batman books. I also wanted to grab as many 1970's issues as I could. Since I was not going to pick up books to collect, but to read, I figured condition would not matter to me. Well, thanks to my Spider-Man shopping spree, I failed on both counts. But fear not, I did manage to pick up a few Batman books to read. Unfortunately, none of them are from the 70's, but from the 80's and 90's.

Here is the Batman haul:

A little disappointed in my pickup, Batman-wise. I could have done a lot better. There was no entire runs on any book I bought, so when I read a book, I will be left wondering what happens next, lol. I did but back a ton of Batman books, but when I saw that I could add to my Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man collection, I abandoned my goals and went for it. Oh, well. Next time I will pick up more Batman books.

So, that is it. That is all the comics I picked up this past Sunday at the Hasbrouck Heights Comic Book Marketplace. I did enjoy the show, although I wish there was more dealers at the show. But, for what it was, It was pretty darned good. I do hope I can make the next show and more after. I can't imagine a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than to shift through boxes upon boxes of comics...unless it's staying home, lying on the couch with a drink on the table, music playing in the background, reading the comics that were bought at the show. Looks like I have plans for this weekend.

Ahh, I Love The Smell Of Old Comic Books In A Small Hotel Conference Room

Today my buddy, George and I decided to go out on a hunt for comic books. And not just any comics. We wanted old, cheap books to read. The kind of book that was read and re-read a few times before I got my grubby mitts on it. Luckily, George knew where we could find books like these. At a good old fashioned comic book marketplace.

At a Holiday Inn at Hasbrouck Heights, NJ there was a comic book marketplace that I believe is held a few times a year. It was one of those marketplaces that was held in a room where you walked in the front door and fell out the back window. Where people battled for elbow room and to check out boxes and boxes of comic books.

And I loved it.

My game plan going in was to go for books I just wanted to read. I wasn't looking for high dollar items. Just books to read and to fill holes in my collection until I can upgrade them. I also did not want to spend a whole lot of money either. Lucky for me, at a comic book marketplace there are a ton of books that could be had for very little.

After looking at the dollar and 4 for a dollar boxes, I came away with a ton of books. Now, the condition of these books are not the greatest, which is to be expected in dollar boxes. That said, I think I came away with some nice books. I will split the haul over the next couple of days as I don't want to write up a long, boring blog. I will have the next few days to do that. What? I keed. I keed.

I'm trying to put together a complete Run of Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man. I would love a complete Amazing Spider-Man run as well as Batman, but with those titles, you're running into high dollar books that I will never be able to afford. Peter Parker was one of the first comic books I read as a kid because I dug the picture of Peter Parker pulling on his Spidey mask in the upper left corner of the comic, so I want to put that series together. Here are some PPTSM books I grabbed:

I cannot wait to start reading these books. Spider-Man is one of my very favorites and is always a good read no matter what title he is in. I also plan to start a Web Of Spider-Man collection when I can as that title was one of my favorites in the 80's. There was a ton of Web at the show, but I left those behind. Next time.

I bought home more Spidey, but I'll save those for the next blog. Stay tuned.

A Day Of Monkee Madness

I'm not sure when I became a Monkees fan. I know it was when I was a kid. At school, a buddy of mine used to go to the music room during lunch and listen to records (ask your parents what they were, kids). We would always play Fabien's "Sunshine Superman", The Beatles "Hey Jude", The Kinks "Lola" and The Monkees "I'm A Believer", so I'm guessing it was then because I couldn't get enough of "I'm A Believer". I thought it was the greatest song ever. Then, channel 5 used to run 3 shows back to back to back that would become 3 of my all time favorite TV shows. The 1967 Spider-Man cartoon at 3:30, The 1966 Batman series at 4 and The Monkees at 4:30. That was probably the greatest block of programming because I was in front of the TV every afternoon. Homework? That could wait. I wanted to see what mess the Monkees got themselves into this time. 

I continued to listen to their music as I became a teenager. I even got into the New Monkees back in 1987. But the originals were still awesome and I got caught up Monkee-mania when the shows started airing again on MTV. when a neighbor went to see them at what was Brendan Byrne Arena in NJ (It's now the Izod Center), he bought me back a T-shirt, which I wore to school. The kids rolled their eyes, but I didn't care. I was a fan dammit!

When my buddy George and I started hanging out, I didn't initially tell him I was a Monkee fan.He was a metal head and I wasn't sure if that was going to fly. One day, he and I were in Kmart, just looking around, I found Arista's Monkees Greatest Hits CD, That was Then, This Is Now. I wanted it and was going to buy it. I just didn't want George seeing what I was buying and save myself the ridicule that would follow. I started to slowly walk to the register, trying to hide the CD. George actually came up behind me out of nowhere and asked what I had. Busted! I sheepishly showed him the CD. He asked if it was a Monkees CD. I confirmed it. George looked at it for a few seconds and then admitted he loved the Monkees. Relief! I bought the CD and the Monkees became something we bonded over. 

For the next 23 years, he and I would listen to the music together, see them in concert, buy their merchandise, and mourn the death of Davy Jones together. The Monkees are something I can't see myself enjoying without George to this day. 

Last year, We found out about the Monkees Convention and made plans to go. But life got in the way and we both initially said we would pass. Then, last week, George called me and surprised me with a ticket to the convention, so George, his wife Marge, and I went to the convention today at the Sheraton Meadowlands in East Rutherford, NJ. As soon as we got there, we were greeted in front of the hotel

I'm pretty sure it's a reproduction of the famous Monkee mobile, but it was a damn good repo.

We went inside and signed in at the registration desk and got our wristbands for the day. After sitting around downstairs and talked among ourselves we decided to go upstairs and wait in line to get into the dealer room. The line was pretty long by the time we got upstairs.

As soon as we got to the dealer room, I jumped on the line to get Mickey Dolenz's autograph. I have been working on a Monkees 8x10 picture for a few years now, having gotten Peter Tork and Davy Jones to sign it. I needed Dolenz to sign it and today was the day I would get that autograph. I looked across the room and noticed George and Marge on a line across from me. Apparently, they had to wait on another line just to get into the dealer room. The room was crowded with VIP's who paid to get into the dealer room an hour before the general public. 

After waiting a few minutes, I was allowed into the dealer room and lined up by a table where Mickey was appearing. I managed to get off a few shots of him from a distance, as you really weren't allowed to take a pic of him unless you paid for the photo op.

And when I got a bit closer

A few minutes later, I got up to the front of the line and got to meet Mickey. It was truly an honor to meet one of my all time favorite personalities and he was such a nice man. I got to shake his hand and thank him for all the years of music and laughter.

I met up with George and Marge and we wandered around the dealer room, looking at the tables. To be honest, there was not a whole lot. Either the VIP's cleaned up or the dealers didn't really bring much. I did pass by Peter's table and snapped a quick pic of him signing an autograph.

I had met him countless time before, so I didn't meet him today. I saw he was walking around with the use of a cane. I just hope it's nothing too serious. 

I managed to pick up 3 posters for 20 bucks. A Vote For Batman, A Back To The Future and a Green Hornet poster. I'll show those off at another time. They will be used for autographs. I also picked up Season 2 of The Monkees. 

After we headed to the ball room to rest up and was told there would be an opportunity to take a picture with David Cassidy of The Partridge Family if you paid a donation. I was told the woman who made the announcement had a laundry list of rules before taking the picture like, no messing about, leave your stuff behind, get in and out, blah , blah, blah. Cassidy arrived soon after and announced he had a plane to catch soon. He sat down and talked about Davy Jones and how close he got to him the final 5 years of Davy's life.

As you can see, we were pretty far back, so the picture is not the greatest. The yellow blur is Cassidy. 

Cassidy kinda bored me. He went on and on about how depressing it was to be type cast and not being able to find serious work after the Partridge Family and how he understood Davy's frustrations at the same as he was a talented actor and could comfort Jones. Pretty egotistical if you ask me. Then he bought up Jones's daughters and it seemed to me like he was drooling over them, saying how beautiful they were, more than once.. Kind of creeped me out. Then we realized that Cassidy was talking on and on because he had no intention on taking the photographs with the fans. Mickey was taking the stage for a Q & A at 4 pm and it was 3:45 pm at that point, so we decided to grab a bite and end the day.

Here's the small haul

Mickey adding his autograph to my 8x10. He was selling a Monkees drum head for $60.00 signed, which I was considering, but since Davy is gone, I can't get him to sign it. I passed on it for that reason. Just need Mike Nesmith to sign this piece and he is the hardest one to get. I might try to get him to sign when he does his solo show in New York coming soon. If that fails, I do have his autograph on a book he wrote when George and I went to his book signing in the 90's. I could just matte that with the pic and frame them.

Season 2 of the series  which would also be the last. I cannot wait to watch it. Three of my favorite episodes are in Season 2: Fairy Tale, Monstrous Monkee Mash and The Frodius Caper. I highly recommend Fairy Tale. Mike Nesmith in drag as a crabby princess is pretty funny.

Overall, I had a nice time at the convention. I just wish that the dealers had better stuff to sell. I was looking to see if they had the 1:18 Die cast Monkee mobile  the Monkee finger puppets from the 70's, The Monkees hand puppet from the 60's Those are tops on my Monkees wish list and I might have bought them if I found them there. But, meeting a favorite of mine was good enough for me as well as spending time with 2 of the best people in the world. I can't think of any better way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Making An Announcement

First of all, I want to extend my prayers to those who were effected by Hurricane Sandy, which touched down here on the East Coast. NYC was hit hard as well as Long Island, Westchester and Rockland Counties. Non was hit as hard as New Jersey, which was in the direct path of the hurricane. I saw the devistation New Jersey is in on the news. Families losing their homes in the floods. Some were damaged by winds, fires or trees falling on their homes. I consider myself pretty fortunate that I didn't lose power and still have a place to call home. If you can send a prayer out to the less fortunate, I'm sure they would appreciate it.

Now, on to the announcement. When I first started The House Of Swag, it was a sports collectors blog and was under a different name. Then, I started to write about pop culture and collectables, mixing it up with the sports stuff. Now, the blog has become more pop culture than sports and for the House Of Swag, it will become a pop culture, comics blog only. So, what about the sport enteries?

Simple, I'm creating a blog just for that.

So, from here on, The Sexy Geek's Sports Room will be where I post about anything sports related. Be it a card pick up, an autograph score, a bobblehead add or just my thoughts on a particular subject, The Sports Room is the place I will have all my sports related content. I wanted to keep my two hobbies seperate as I have readers who just read the pop culture stuff and readers who just read the sports stuff. Now, I can satisfy both.

Can I make this a success? Am I biting off more than I can chew? I don't think I am. If I thought this was a bad idea, I wouldn't have created the seperate blog. I just hope I can make The Sports Room into an enjoyable blog for the sports fan and one that they will come back to read over and over again. I will probably post my first blog there tonight so please look for that.

I Hope you will support The Sports Room just as you have supported The House Of Swag.