Why I started reading Valiant comics

How did you become a VALIANT collector?

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Dreadly13579
Magnus, Solar, and Turok
Magnus, Solar, and Turok
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2017 9:53:15 am
Valiant fan since: 1993
Favorite character: The eternal warrior and bloods
Favorite title: Harbinger wars
Favorite writer: Jim shooter
Favorite artist: Bob layton
Why I started reading Valiant comics

Post by Dreadly13579 »

My name is Nathan and I'm an addict. I'd like to add a little joke right there, like I'm addicted to comics or valiant comics in general. Although I am one of Valiants biggest fans, I'm also really an addict. I grew up in a small town in NY called plattsburgh. I grew up hard. My folks liked to drink and we're somewhat abusive. My mother's brother used to molest me on a damn near daily basis. Right up until I was 12 years old and big enough to fight him off. Sometimes he would bring a friend with him to watch as he would do these horrible things to me. Just to add to my humiliation and his sick perverted fantasy. I started using drugs at the age of 13. Drinking, weed, LSD, mushrooms and pain killers.... boy did I love those pain killers. Everything seemed to be ok on those. But there was something else that was like a drug to me that wasn't killing me. Comic books. I started reading comic books at 7 years of age, in 1987. I devoured whatever books I could get my hands on. I had a very good friend when I was 8 who's house I went to all the time. I think they knew my home life was rough. Every time my friend would get a few comics at the comic shop in town, his mom would by me just as many. God I love that woman. I remember telling my friend about what my mom's brother was doing. I think I remember at one point his mom trying to get it out of me, and me being terrified of the consequences, so I just denied the hell out of it. But she knew. Anyways, I made Ithe through high school and did ok in regards to grades and friends. I had left my parents house at the age of 16 and moved in with another friend, who's father was a former member of the bike gang "The Warlocks". He was a very good man. I loved him like a father and he treated me like a son. This friend was also very much into comics. Being rebellious teenagers, we didn't want to read what everyone else was. So, in 1996 we started digging through our local comic shops back log. We found whole sets of Xo manowar, Solar, eternal warrior, bloodshot, etc. We DEVOURED ALL OF THEM. Then acclaim bought them and well..... we all know what happened there. I graduated high school and moved around a bit. I started a band and played all over the place. I moved out to AZ and made a permanent home there while myself and three other band mates played all over. My drug habit skyrocketed. For 5 years I forgot about comics. All I cared about was getting high. Well, 2012 came. I decided to move back to NY and get help. I moved to another town in central NY and checked in to a rehab facility. I stayed for 2 months and then decided I wanted to do sober living as well. I was clean a total of 9 months when I started having issues with wanting to use. Hard stuff at that. One day, I was walking home a different route that I was used to. This road went tight by a local comic book shop. As I was walking by I noticed a giant valiant comics logo. I thought to myself "No way!! They are back??" I walked into the shop and started looking around. I found some shadowman and harbinger comics. I bought as many as I could afford. I brought themy home and went nuts reading them. When I was reading them I noticed something. My drug cravings? Vanished. I knew right then and there that to help me stay true north in my journey to recovery, that comics were going to play a role. Well, here it is... 2017. I've been clean for over 5 years now. I feel amazing, I'm engaged, I have a son and three beautiful adopted daughters, a hell of a lot of valiant comics and a passion for valiant that I dare people to match. Thank you valiant comics. I know this will never make it to anyone in the company, but if it ever did, I would want them to know one thing above all, and that would be this: Thank you VALIANT comics. Thank you for being there when I needed someone more than anything. Thank you for having issue after issue of the best story telling there is and most of all, and I say this with a slight tear in my eyes..... thank you for saving my life.

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bobby97801
Just jumpin' through time arcs, that's all.
Just jumpin' through time arcs, that's all.
Posts: 1723
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2012 9:42:18 am
Favorite character: X-O Manowar
Location: vancouver, washington
Re: Why I started reading Valiant comics

Post by bobby97801 »

Welcome :thumb:

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greg
The admin around here must be getting old and soft.
The admin around here must be getting old and soft.
Posts: 22861
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2004 9:39:27 am
Valiant fan since: Rai #0
Favorite character: Depends on title
Favorite title: Depends on writer
Favorite writer: Depends on artist
Favorite artist: Depends on character
Location: Indoors
Contact:
Re: Why I started reading Valiant comics

Post by greg »

Welcome to the board!

You never know who might read your story. :)

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nycjadie
Especially "dude." And "balls." Those terms work in the tech industry.
Especially "dude." And "balls." Those terms work in the tech industry.
Posts: 7288
Joined: Tue Sep 25, 2012 12:38:36 am
Valiant fan since: Solar #1
Favorite character: Rai
Favorite title: Bloodshot
Favorite writer: Kindt
Favorite artist: Too many to choose.
Location: Virginia
Re: Why I started reading Valiant comics

Post by nycjadie »

Awesome story. Comics got me through some dark times, and I know they will be there for those in the future. Thanks for sharing!

corey
H.A.R.D.E.R. Corps, with Extra Resistance
H.A.R.D.E.R. Corps, with Extra Resistance
Posts: 1004
Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2016 8:03:21 pm
Valiant fan since: 1st turok
Favorite character: x-o manowar
Favorite title: x-o manowar
Location: Kentucky
Re: Why I started reading Valiant comics

Post by corey »

welcome to the boards

and i hope that guy burns in hell and gets his teeth kicked in everyday whiel he is alive

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caxiotis
Wang, Wang, Wang, I want all of your books.
Wang, Wang, Wang, I want all of your books.
Posts: 3314
Joined: Sun Aug 19, 2007 3:28:45 pm
Valiant fan since: 1991
Location: Des Moines, IA
Re: Why I started reading Valiant comics

Post by caxiotis »

Welcome
Pull List: I only buy TPB's, HC's and Hellboy comics

Dreadly13579
Magnus, Solar, and Turok
Magnus, Solar, and Turok
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2017 9:53:15 am
Valiant fan since: 1993
Favorite character: The eternal warrior and bloods
Favorite title: Harbinger wars
Favorite writer: Jim shooter
Favorite artist: Bob layton
Re: Why I started reading Valiant comics

Post by Dreadly13579 »

Thanks for all the kind words and responses guys. It was really cathartic sharing that. I guess posting and keeping my anonymity helps to be able to share things like that. Either way? I'm forever grateful to valiant comics. I'm going to a con this April and am seeing Jim shooter for the first and probably last time. I can't way to shake the man's hand and get his autograph! I hope he knows how many lives he's touched and the impact on so.e that he's made.

valiantking
100 posts! (if you round to the nearest 100)
100 posts! (if you round to the nearest 100)
Posts: 67
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 9:24:27 pm
Re: Why I started reading Valiant comics

Post by valiantking »

Welcome to the valiant family !!!

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TheeBaldMoose
Rockin' out in Torquehalla
Rockin' out in Torquehalla
Posts: 2451
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2016 12:03:41 pm
Valiant fan since: ECCC April 2016
Favorite character: Bloodshot/Ninjak/Divinity
Favorite title: Divinity/BS Reborn/Britannia
Favorite writer: Kindt/Lemire/Roberts
Favorite artist: All of them, really
Location: Tacoma
Re: Why I started reading Valiant comics

Post by TheeBaldMoose »

Dreadly, this is a sad, yet great story! Happy for your triumph, way to kick arse!

You'd be surprised who you'll run into on these posts. Also, make sure you check out the Valiant table at your con. Again, you'll never know who will show up there from Valiant;)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
Moose

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JustCallMeAric
...remember that they are just paper.
...remember that they are just paper.
Posts: 3679
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Re: Why I started reading Valiant comics

Post by JustCallMeAric »

Welcome!

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Dreadly13579
Magnus, Solar, and Turok
Magnus, Solar, and Turok
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2017 9:53:15 am
Valiant fan since: 1993
Favorite character: The eternal warrior and bloods
Favorite title: Harbinger wars
Favorite writer: Jim shooter
Favorite artist: Bob layton
Re: Why I started reading Valiant comics

Post by Dreadly13579 »

Wow.... I'm speechless. Since the day I posted this, the outreach has been unbelievable. I'm so grateful to be in a community with so many like minded people. People that care and have the best intentions I've ever seen. Thank you all for your support. Since I've posted this, I have been contacted by so many amazing people, including Dinesh himself who sent me an amazing care package. All I can say is.... thank you. Thank you so much.

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JCP
H.A.R.D.E.R. Corps, with Extra Resistance
H.A.R.D.E.R. Corps, with Extra Resistance
Posts: 1098
Joined: Fri May 08, 2015 11:06:14 pm
Valiant fan since: 1992
Favorite character: Toyo Harada
Favorite title: Harbinger
Favorite writer: Joshua Dysart
Favorite artist: Mico Suayan & Lewis LaRosa
Location: Arizona
Re: Why I started reading Valiant comics

Post by JCP »

That's an incredible story. You'll continue to find welcoming refuge here. Lots of really great people who have also relied on VEI's quality entertainment to sustain us in our trying times.
Egad, a base tone denotes a bad age!

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TheeBaldMoose
Rockin' out in Torquehalla
Rockin' out in Torquehalla
Posts: 2451
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2016 12:03:41 pm
Valiant fan since: ECCC April 2016
Favorite character: Bloodshot/Ninjak/Divinity
Favorite title: Divinity/BS Reborn/Britannia
Favorite writer: Kindt/Lemire/Roberts
Favorite artist: All of them, really
Location: Tacoma
Re: Why I started reading Valiant comics

Post by TheeBaldMoose »

Like I said, ya never know :thumb:

There is a reason we are all fans of this company. Art, amazing stories, great community... But being treated like you're part of THEIR club makes you feel special.
Moose

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greg
The admin around here must be getting old and soft.
The admin around here must be getting old and soft.
Posts: 22861
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2004 9:39:27 am
Valiant fan since: Rai #0
Favorite character: Depends on title
Favorite title: Depends on writer
Favorite writer: Depends on artist
Favorite artist: Depends on character
Location: Indoors
Contact:
Re: Why I started reading Valiant comics

Post by greg »

Dreadly13579 wrote:Wow.... I'm speechless. Since the day I posted this, the outreach has been unbelievable. I'm so grateful to be in a community with so many like minded people. People that care and have the best intentions I've ever seen. Thank you all for your support. Since I've posted this, I have been contacted by so many amazing people, including Dinesh himself who sent me an amazing care package. All I can say is.... thank you. Thank you so much.
:high-five:

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FlipMega
My posts can all fit in a short box
My posts can all fit in a short box
Posts: 188
Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2017 10:38:33 am
Valiant fan since: Ninjak vol. 1 #23
Favorite title: Harbinger, Imperium, Divinity
Favorite artist: Hairsine, Suayan, LaRosa
Location: MI
Re: Why I started reading Valiant comics

Post by FlipMega »

Very brave. Very courageous. Very authentic. Very inspiring. Very...Valiant, one might say. Thank you for sharing!

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grendeljd
innerSPACE does whatever I tell them
innerSPACE does whatever I tell them
Posts: 8132
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2012 6:51:43 am
Valiant fan since: 1991
Favorite character: Aric
Favorite title: Harbinger
Location: On the 7.5th floor of LesterCorp, headed through the back door to John Malkovich's brain.
Re: Why I started reading Valiant comics

Post by grendeljd »

Glad you're feeling the love! T'is a great community. Welcome, sir!
I like to draw stuff... http://grendeljd.deviantart.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My wife likes to draw stuff too, and she is better than me! [I'm very proud of her]... https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sara-Dec ... ref=stream" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


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