The Very Long-Winded Story of Ryan and Valiant...by Ryan.
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RyanMcLelland
- Is it Dee-no or Die-no? Dunno.
- Posts: 430
- Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2004 10:29:40 am
- Valiant fan since: Since Super Mario SE #1
- Favorite character: Peter Stanchek
- Favorite title: Harbinger
- Favorite writer: Kevin VanHook
- Favorite artist: Cary Nord
- Location: Trenton, NJ
- Contact:
The Very Long-Winded Story of Ryan and Valiant...by Ryan.
My name’s Ryan McLelland and as far back as I can remember…I always wanted to be a gangster.
But…I ended up writing about comic books.
One of my first memories was taking a walk with my pops to the local deli and buying a comic book. A Marvel Western Gunfighters #3. This was probably 1977 and I always found it funny later in life that the street date on it was….1973? Yeah, it had been lying around for 4 years until I found it. Fate? Or no one liked western comics?
I’d like to think it fate. Ever since I loved westerns but loved comic books more. I’d go on to collect comics more and more, on and off, until I stopped some time around age…14. Money was tight when I was a kid so my passion for comics got sidelined when comics rose to being more than a buck.
Two things brought me back. Death of Superman and Valiant. DOS was all about the money for me…bought a few and sold them for A LOT more to stupid people. Yeah I put a classified in the paper selling that issue for 50 bucks the very same day I bought it at the local comic store. I always knew how to wheel and deal. Secondly was Valiant. My buddy Hesser had started right before Unity so when Unity came along I was reading his and was blown away.
This wasn’t my first run in with Valiant. Collecting on and off I also snagged a Super Mario Bros Special Edition #1 when it first came out. I was a monster Nintendo fan spending hours playing those Mario games (and…I still do). I remember thinking the comic was cheesy but fun and so I wrote a cheesy letter. Sure enough, months later, I found a Super Mario #2 and found my letter in there. They PUBLISHED my cheesy letter. My friends laughed at me…I still hate them to this day.
I soon got all the Valiants Hesser had. I think I traded him everything he wanted but the Valiants were mine. I soon started snapping up every Pre-Unity Valiant my store had. And then the prices GREW. My Rai’s were like 80 bucks a piece! I couldn’t believe it! It was like taking candy from a baby but the baby was a comic book store!
I then started collecting Valiant. Every single issue I bought. Valiant was like crack in comic book form. Even though Shooter was gone by the time I started collecting and I noticed a drop-off in quality…I stuck with it.
Two years went by before I stopped collecting. Issue prices had gone up but back issue prices had cooled. Most of my pre-Unity comics I had sold off when they were HIGH. It was nice going to a convention and walking out with 500 bucks to spend on a 50 dollar investment.
College made way for the Army made way for fraternity made way for beers and hooking-up. I sent did conventions and such, picking up quarter comics of Valiants here and there…but I really didn’t care about the comics. Ho-Hum.
Then Acclaim took over and relaunched. I swooped in and picked up every issue and was happy with Shadowman, Magnus, and especially Quantum and Woody. Shadowman was meh after Ennis left, Magnus remainded twisted and fun, and Q&W were god to me. I would continue to collect Q&W even when Acclaim cancelled the line and brought it back later. When Acclaim brought back their line again I was collecting comics again full swing. I bought every comic they had coming out and loved them. I even loved Unity 2000…SO HAH! Then they petered out…and I was sad.
I read Harbinger constantly and was always thinking of new ways to bring it back, to fix up pieces in the origin, to make the comic more contemporary. I went out and bought all the trade paperbacks to make for easier reading then the comics put away in those long boxes.
I started writing and finally landed a steady gig at Newsarama. I started my Quarter Bin column and was happy to see people love Valiant when I covered their comics. My boss asked me if I had interest in doing a Valiant piece after a piece I did on the Ultraverse was a big hit. I said yes and interviewed many of the players I had grown up reading. It was pretty cool doing things like going up to NYC to meet Jeff Gomez and Madonna’s husband. (Not Sean Penn…and not Guy Richie…it was the one inbetween).
Course the article was massive and didn’t even make a dent…but I think it did lead a lot of people back to Valiant. At least I hope it did. I just continued to write about it every chance I got. Now I find myself having worked in the comic industry, in the movie industry, written comic books myself, met comic and movie stars, etc, etc, etc. Now my job is to sit home all day and write about movies and comics. I’d say it is a blessing…and nothing is more fun than picking up the phone and having an interview with Neil Gaiman, interviewing Ben Kingsley for TV, or having Joe Quesada being like, “Hey Ryan…I love your stuff.”
But a big part of that is Valiant. It really made me love comics again. If it wasn’t for Valiant…I might not still be collecting. Or writing about comics…so on and so forth…so it will always hold a special place in my heart. And lots of those who worked for Valiant know who I am so its nice to go to shows and chat up peeps like Jim Shooter, Bernand Chang, and many others. I always feel at home around Valiant people and can talk about the books all day.
And especially here on the boards…I’ve made many friends over the years whether its just talking here…or the long conversations me and MOTA can have on IM.
Sniff…I love you guys! Sniff..sniff…
Anywho…I’m glad Valiant is coming back and I can’t wait. Literally. I’m up everyone’s butt looking for more to do constantly. And until the new books are out (or even the reprints) I’m still having fun writing ABOUT Valiant. I’m starting a piece right now on the new colorization process! Why!!??!?!
Because everyone should know. And because when you love something you tell everyone. My pops is a Born Again Christian so he can talk to me about Jesus all day. Me? I just tell my Dad “Yes Dad…he’s the savior. Got it. Now read this Solar TPB.”
Hope I didn’t bore you all too much.
Ry
But…I ended up writing about comic books.
One of my first memories was taking a walk with my pops to the local deli and buying a comic book. A Marvel Western Gunfighters #3. This was probably 1977 and I always found it funny later in life that the street date on it was….1973? Yeah, it had been lying around for 4 years until I found it. Fate? Or no one liked western comics?
I’d like to think it fate. Ever since I loved westerns but loved comic books more. I’d go on to collect comics more and more, on and off, until I stopped some time around age…14. Money was tight when I was a kid so my passion for comics got sidelined when comics rose to being more than a buck.
Two things brought me back. Death of Superman and Valiant. DOS was all about the money for me…bought a few and sold them for A LOT more to stupid people. Yeah I put a classified in the paper selling that issue for 50 bucks the very same day I bought it at the local comic store. I always knew how to wheel and deal. Secondly was Valiant. My buddy Hesser had started right before Unity so when Unity came along I was reading his and was blown away.
This wasn’t my first run in with Valiant. Collecting on and off I also snagged a Super Mario Bros Special Edition #1 when it first came out. I was a monster Nintendo fan spending hours playing those Mario games (and…I still do). I remember thinking the comic was cheesy but fun and so I wrote a cheesy letter. Sure enough, months later, I found a Super Mario #2 and found my letter in there. They PUBLISHED my cheesy letter. My friends laughed at me…I still hate them to this day.
I soon got all the Valiants Hesser had. I think I traded him everything he wanted but the Valiants were mine. I soon started snapping up every Pre-Unity Valiant my store had. And then the prices GREW. My Rai’s were like 80 bucks a piece! I couldn’t believe it! It was like taking candy from a baby but the baby was a comic book store!
I then started collecting Valiant. Every single issue I bought. Valiant was like crack in comic book form. Even though Shooter was gone by the time I started collecting and I noticed a drop-off in quality…I stuck with it.
Two years went by before I stopped collecting. Issue prices had gone up but back issue prices had cooled. Most of my pre-Unity comics I had sold off when they were HIGH. It was nice going to a convention and walking out with 500 bucks to spend on a 50 dollar investment.
College made way for the Army made way for fraternity made way for beers and hooking-up. I sent did conventions and such, picking up quarter comics of Valiants here and there…but I really didn’t care about the comics. Ho-Hum.
Then Acclaim took over and relaunched. I swooped in and picked up every issue and was happy with Shadowman, Magnus, and especially Quantum and Woody. Shadowman was meh after Ennis left, Magnus remainded twisted and fun, and Q&W were god to me. I would continue to collect Q&W even when Acclaim cancelled the line and brought it back later. When Acclaim brought back their line again I was collecting comics again full swing. I bought every comic they had coming out and loved them. I even loved Unity 2000…SO HAH! Then they petered out…and I was sad.
I read Harbinger constantly and was always thinking of new ways to bring it back, to fix up pieces in the origin, to make the comic more contemporary. I went out and bought all the trade paperbacks to make for easier reading then the comics put away in those long boxes.
I started writing and finally landed a steady gig at Newsarama. I started my Quarter Bin column and was happy to see people love Valiant when I covered their comics. My boss asked me if I had interest in doing a Valiant piece after a piece I did on the Ultraverse was a big hit. I said yes and interviewed many of the players I had grown up reading. It was pretty cool doing things like going up to NYC to meet Jeff Gomez and Madonna’s husband. (Not Sean Penn…and not Guy Richie…it was the one inbetween).
Course the article was massive and didn’t even make a dent…but I think it did lead a lot of people back to Valiant. At least I hope it did. I just continued to write about it every chance I got. Now I find myself having worked in the comic industry, in the movie industry, written comic books myself, met comic and movie stars, etc, etc, etc. Now my job is to sit home all day and write about movies and comics. I’d say it is a blessing…and nothing is more fun than picking up the phone and having an interview with Neil Gaiman, interviewing Ben Kingsley for TV, or having Joe Quesada being like, “Hey Ryan…I love your stuff.”
But a big part of that is Valiant. It really made me love comics again. If it wasn’t for Valiant…I might not still be collecting. Or writing about comics…so on and so forth…so it will always hold a special place in my heart. And lots of those who worked for Valiant know who I am so its nice to go to shows and chat up peeps like Jim Shooter, Bernand Chang, and many others. I always feel at home around Valiant people and can talk about the books all day.
And especially here on the boards…I’ve made many friends over the years whether its just talking here…or the long conversations me and MOTA can have on IM.
Sniff…I love you guys! Sniff..sniff…
Anywho…I’m glad Valiant is coming back and I can’t wait. Literally. I’m up everyone’s butt looking for more to do constantly. And until the new books are out (or even the reprints) I’m still having fun writing ABOUT Valiant. I’m starting a piece right now on the new colorization process! Why!!??!?!
Because everyone should know. And because when you love something you tell everyone. My pops is a Born Again Christian so he can talk to me about Jesus all day. Me? I just tell my Dad “Yes Dad…he’s the savior. Got it. Now read this Solar TPB.”
Hope I didn’t bore you all too much.
Ry
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X-O HoboJoe
- Bradley is not unsupervised anymore.
- Posts: 22412
- Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2004 7:07:18 pm
- Valiant fan since: 1991
- Favorite character: Aric
- Favorite title: Shadowman
- Location: Adrift on the Seas of Fate
Re: The Very Long-Winded Story of Ryan and Valiant...by Ryan
I'll bet those punks bad-mouthed the Gilmore Girls too!RyanMcLelland wrote:My friends laughed at me…I still hate them to this day.
RyanMcLelland wrote:Because everyone should know. And because when you love something you tell everyone. My pops is a Born Again Christian so he can talk to me about Jesus all day. Me? I just tell my Dad “Yes Dad…he’s the savior. Got it. Now read this Solar TPB.”
Last edited by X-O HoboJoe on Thu Jun 28, 2007 11:18:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
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greg
- The admin around here must be getting old and soft.
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Daniel Jackson
- A toast to the return of Valiant!
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96Valiantfan
- You gotta have Faith!
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X-O HoboJoe
- Bradley is not unsupervised anymore.
- Posts: 22412
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RyanMcLelland
- Is it Dee-no or Die-no? Dunno.
- Posts: 430
- Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2004 10:29:40 am
- Valiant fan since: Since Super Mario SE #1
- Favorite character: Peter Stanchek
- Favorite title: Harbinger
- Favorite writer: Kevin VanHook
- Favorite artist: Cary Nord
- Location: Trenton, NJ
- Contact:
Welcome? I joined the boards 3 months before you did.Dr. Solar wrote:Cool story!
I remember reading one of your quarter bin articles about H.A.R.D.Corps #2 or something like that a number of months ago.
Welcome a bored!
Don't be fooled by my post count...I've never been much of a poster. Just a lurker. I like to watch.
Just don't call me a peeping Tom.
And don't mess with the Gilmore Girls.
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Lightning Strike
- Silent from '04 to '07, then he strikes!
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Re: The Very Long-Winded Story of Ryan and Valiant...by Ryan
Welcome to the board 
-
RyanMcLelland
- Is it Dee-no or Die-no? Dunno.
- Posts: 430
- Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2004 10:29:40 am
- Valiant fan since: Since Super Mario SE #1
- Favorite character: Peter Stanchek
- Favorite title: Harbinger
- Favorite writer: Kevin VanHook
- Favorite artist: Cary Nord
- Location: Trenton, NJ
- Contact:
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kikitwitme
- Get those scissors away from my coupons
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Re: The Very Long-Winded Story of Ryan and Valiant...by Ryan
Very cool story. I didn't know Madonna married someone b/w Penn and Richie though. I thought she only married twice.....guess I learn something here everyday. (Comic related or not)RyanMcLelland wrote: It was pretty cool doing things like going up to NYC to meet Jeff Gomez and Madonna’s husband. (Not Sean Penn…and not Guy Richie…it was the one inbetween).
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betterthanezra
- Wanna see an unpublished Shadowman page?
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RyanMcLelland
- Is it Dee-no or Die-no? Dunno.
- Posts: 430
- Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2004 10:29:40 am
- Valiant fan since: Since Super Mario SE #1
- Favorite character: Peter Stanchek
- Favorite title: Harbinger
- Favorite writer: Kevin VanHook
- Favorite artist: Cary Nord
- Location: Trenton, NJ
- Contact:
I'll be there... Though I'll be WORKING...so I have no clue how much time I'll have or whatever.
My studio (Evolution Studios) will be there...they'll have a table. I hope to get there at least once to sign some copies of Philly #1 (also free at http://www.drunkduck.com/Philly so if you are at the show, wanna get some comics, get some drinks, whatever...best way to reach me is via that table and my buddy Jim Hanna (who draws Philly as well) will get in contact with me.
The ONLY sad thing? I'm missing meeting Jackie Chan to go to SDCC. Yeah...one of my IDOLS ....it was interview Jackie or go to SDCC...and my boss said "We already paid for you to go to San Diego!"
Though I'll be WORKING...so I have no clue how much time I'll have or whatever.My studio (Evolution Studios) will be there...they'll have a table. I hope to get there at least once to sign some copies of Philly #1 (also free at http://www.drunkduck.com/Philly so if you are at the show, wanna get some comics, get some drinks, whatever...best way to reach me is via that table and my buddy Jim Hanna (who draws Philly as well) will get in contact with me.
The ONLY sad thing? I'm missing meeting Jackie Chan to go to SDCC. Yeah...one of my IDOLS ....it was interview Jackie or go to SDCC...and my boss said "We already paid for you to go to San Diego!"
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k_c_collectibles
- Walmart - ALWAYS low prices!
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worldsbestcomics
- A CGC 9.8 pre-Unity complete set? Done.
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