Most Collectible/Desirable books of the 1990's....

[ZephyrWasHOT!!]

Ok, we talked about Modern Books, but I think most of us agreed, the best Modern Books are from the 80's....and pretty much ignored the 90's. So...how about JUST the 90's as criteria?

Which books do you think will, in the long term, become the Amazing Fantasy #15, Hulk #181, TMNT #1 of the 1990's? Which books, while maybe in the doldrums now, are destined for greatness...eventually? Are we still too close to the 1990's to see any clear front runners, any real data, is the market still mostly undecided? Keep in mind, the list doesn't necessarily include books that sell for the MOST, or have the smallest print runs....just books that will, in the future, be the most desired/treasued/valued/sought after of the era, for the COMBINED criteria of low print run/enormous popularity/enduring fan base/much press.

So, without further ado, my list, in no particular order, of the Big Books of the 1990's:

X-Men #266....perennial favorite, always a consistent $20-$30 seller.

New Mutants #87...in my opinion, the single most important and influential character introduced at Marvel in the last 15 years, AND, I believe, the ONLY Marvel regular book to break the $50 barrier until Ultimate Spiderman #1, just over 10 years later.

Harbinger #0...the single most valued Valiant for most of the 90's, this was always the Holy Grail for collectors of the era.

Harbinger #1...the single most valued REGULAR Valiant book, always a favorite.

Unity #0 Red...though not as valuable curently as CEAR, it's got a hell of a lot more of a following, and is much more famous.

Strangers in Paradise #1....with a 3000 copy print run, and a strong fan base, this book will likely maintain it's following in the years to come.

Evil Ernie #1...the first appearance of Lady Death, the first bad girl to 'hit the big time' (yes, Vampi came before her, but Vampi didn't get 'hot' until Vengeance #1 came along, almost a year after Lady Death #1. )

Danger Girl #2 Ruby Red....with only 400 copies in existence, this book is consistently a $175-$200 book...and was up to $400 at one point. Not bad for a book printed in 1998.

Bone #1...Another miniscule print run indie that hit it big, Bone #1 is still over $100 in Near Mint grades.

Nightwing #1/Sword of Azrael #1..couple of tough choices, but given their continued prominence in the Batman mythos, and that they were both 'underordered surprises', I think these two will have legs in the future.

Lobo's Back #1...ok, just kidding.

Honorable Mentions: Spiderman #1 platinum, Spiderman #1 UPC Gold, Superman #75 (just TOO huge a print run), Superman #75 Platinum, all the rest of the Valiant Golds/Reds/Platinums/#0's, Witchblade #1, Lady Death #1 Mini, Gen13 #1's, Green Arrow #101/Birds of Prey #8 etc....all solid books, but all of which seem to have gotten all the press and attention they're gonna get, and outside of flukes, don't seem to be THE books that everyone will want, and which everyone cannot GET.

And there you have it....tough, tough list to come up with, and a much less obvious list than, say, the 1970's or 80's with their clear front runners. DC and Marvel are no longer the dominant powerhouses they were for much of comics' history, and as a result, have almost zero superkey books (on par with, say, Spidey #300, #252, Batman #428, or X-Men #137) but as time goes by, the real keys will make themselves clear. To be completely honest, Ultimate Spiderman #1 is the first mega hot superkey book to hit the aftermarket since Pre-unity Valiants...everything in between, while enjoying their moments in the sun, simply didn't have what it takes to be the real powerhouses of the past (if I may mix metaphors. )

'Big' books that didn't make the cut were Gen 13 mini, Danger Girl #1, BattleChasers #1, Daredevil #1, JLA #1, Vengeance of Vampirella #1, etc, because they simply had too high (relatively speaking) print runs...although, again, time will tell, as their print runs, while large, were nothing compared to books from the early 90's.

By all means, post YOUR lists! This is BOUND to be a lot more varied and non-consensus topic!

[tanord]

Your list is awesome. Here's some that are in addition to that list:
Apocalypse the twelve storyline (I heard this storyline is/was popular)
Age of Apocalypse (especially if this universe makes a comeback)
X-men 53 1st Onslaught
early Ghost Rider stuff (cuz of movie)
early Punisher stuff (cuz of movie)
HellBoy (movie)
Next Men 21 1st HellBoy not sure its in the 90s though
Early Knightfall storyline (shorter print run than the latter parts)
X-men 25 B&W
Spawn 1 B&W (many Image fans didn't know it existed until...)
Pitt latter issues (has a loyal legion of fans that love Dale Keown's art and followed him to the Darkness. Think of the latter issues like Valiant latter issues.)
Star Wars Episode I storyline (1st Darth Maul, might be key)
Simpsons comics (one of the few comics out there that's consistently funny and the print run isn't high, the show will be heralded as a classic)
Futurama comics(same as above except for the classic part)
Marvel vs. DC (some nice fights)
Marvels (was hot, realistic view of marvel characters in painted art)
Kingdom Come (same as above and the print run is smaller)


and this is an if... only if they bring back the universe.
Ultraverse (most of the issues were rockin' good reads and were collectible)

[whetteon]

Keys:
Green Lantern #48,49,50 - 1st Kyle & Hal going nuts!
Amazing Spider-Man #361 - Carnage will become cool again!
Harbinger #0 pink, 1 - obviously
Unity #0 Red - obviously
Solar #10 - 1st "special" cover?
Bone #1 - obviously
Spider-Man #1 platinum/gold upc
Super-Man #75 platinum
Thanos Quest - bad *SQUEE* thanos and the infinity gauntlet.
Batman #457 - 1st robin 3
X-Men #53 - 1st full Onslaught
X-Men #266 - 1st Gambit
Kingdom Come/Marvels - 1st Alex Ross exposure.
Sword of Azrael #1 - when the character makes a comeback!

Not Keys(aka may they die a slow and paintful death):
Anything Image.
Anything X-Force (AUGH!)
Anything Amazing Spider-Man #375 and up.
Anything Super-Man/Batman gimmic.

[KO2003]

I like all the comics listed and I have most of them.As far as modern comics go I would say that the 1998 Marvel stuff was pretty hot with the relaunches of Amazing Spider-man,Incredible Hulk, & Daredevil.
These three titles did better than the Avengers, FF, Iron man, & Thor relaunches. Of course all three had Movie adaptations which added to the hype of the three titles. Complete runs are more of an investment option as opposed to individual issues IMHO.
The Dynamic Forces variants and the Marvel Authentix variants of the #1 issues are blue chips since they were in small supply compared to the regular issue #1's.
-Amazing Spider-man vol.2 #1 Dynamic Forces variant
-Amazing Spider-man vol.2 #1 Marvel Authentix variant- Printed & Sketched covers
-Peter Parker Spider-man #1 Dynamic Forces variant
-Incredible Hulk vol.3 #1 DF variant
-Incredible Hulk vol.3 #1 DF Gold Embossed variant
-Daredevil vol.2 #1 Dynamic Forces variant
-Daredevil vol.2 #1 Marvel Authentix variant- Printed & Sketched covers

Add any of the above issues to the respective full run and you've got a great investment.
With the glut of modern comics on the market now speculating on individual issues is tricky. Its those "sleeper" titles that are unordered that are making waves now(i.e. Y The Last Man#1,Teen Titans 2003 Turner variant #1,Fables#1 both variants,30 Days of Night #1, and the like).
The old addage,"buy what you like" always comes to mind. I would just add "and take good care of what you buy" to that cliche'.You can't predict which comic wil be the next lead-turned-to-gold sleeper issue. I picked up a Next Men #21( 1st app. of Hellboy) for .20 cents at a store liquidation sale and turned around and sold it for $36 when the movie hype set in.

[x-omatic]

I would add 2 independants.

Stray Bullets #1
THB #1

[R Daneel]

Any Scud the Disposable Assassin fans out there? Not one to make the above lists, but some mentions reminded me of how much I liked those books.

[x-omatic]

Any Scud the Disposable Assassin fans out there? Not one to make the above lists, but some mentions reminded me of how much I liked those books.

I meet Rob a bunch of times when i lived in Michigan. He would always be at the Motor City Con. I have his "homemade" trade paper back. Basically he printed a card stock cover and placed Scud 1-6 in it loose.

I haven't seen any new work from he in a few years. Do you know what he is up to these days?

[ZephyrWasHOT!!]

Keeping in mind that the most collectible books aren't just because they're your personal favorites, there are some other things to re-iterate:

Comics aren't going to be 'the most desirable' if they have print runs well into the hundred thousands (barring some bizarre freak accident that obliterates 95% of their print runs)...so, all the Onslaught books, while great, certainly won't be 'the most desirable' simply because almost anyone who wants one can have one.

Also....this is not a list of books that will be short term affected by events like crossovers or movies....these are books that will remain collectible through thick and thin. Fantasy #15, Hulk #181, the EC's, Action #1, these books are all the benchmarks of their respective eras, and are going to be sought after regardless of a movie (though they certainly don't hurt.)

As far as the Marvel relaunches in 1998 go...I'd considered those, but, again, it's more of a 'been there, done that' sort of thing that (Ultimate Spiderman #1 notwithstanding) just doesn't carry off the most desirable thing very well. Most of the benchmark books of earlier eras....if not all....are there because they contain something new, something different, something original.

Next Men #21....ya know, movie hype notwithstanding, that books been just-under-the-radar popular for nearly 10 years now. But, Hellboy suffers the exact same problem as every other creator owned work: other than Dave Sim, Todd McFarlane and Erik Larsen, name another creator owned ANYTHING that has gotten as far as 100 issues, on a semi-regular basis. That's one thing Marvel and DC have going for them: they may not have the best talent, they may not have the best material, but by god, they get those Batman, Superman, Spiderman, FF, Flash, Daredevil books out there, each and every month, for decades, without fail. They keep the characters in circulation, and that, more than almost anything else, has kept their FIRST issues so high in value.

So, if Mignola doesn't get off his *SQUEE* and get Hellboy out there on at LEAST a semi-monthly basis...forget Next Men #21.

I'll give you Green Lantern #48 and #50, because they are the first (and only) appearances of an 'official' SUCCESFUL lead character change in DC comics in the 1990's, and really only one of two since the 1960's! (the other being Wally West replacing Barry Allen as the Flash.) Azrael wore the Bat costume for a while, as did Dick, but Bruce Wayne is FARRRR too much of an icon himself to be succesfully replaced (as is Peter Parker, which the Clone mess aptly demonstrated.) Nothing short of non-publication for a decade or so is going to duplicate what Julie and the gang did in the 50's and 60's.

Oh, and I totally forgot to mention Preacher #1, although, without a continuing presence in the market, I don't know that it can stay 'a classic'.

One more caveat: this is not, nor does it pretend to be, a list of 'speculator' issues, or what books will be worth the most money in the future. This is simply a discussion about books that will someday (or perhaps are now) considered the benchmarks of their era, and overall value is merely a single factor (a reflection, even) of that status.

[R Daneel]

I meet Rob a bunch of times when i lived in Michigan. He would always be at the Motor City Con. I have his "homemade" trade paper back. Basically he printed a card stock cover and placed Scud 1-6 in it loose.

I haven't seen any new work from he in a few years. Do you know what he is up to these days?

SWEET! No, I have no idea ... I was simply a fanboy of his work when it first came out. I left for the UK soon after, so I didn't even keep up with the series as it branched out with the different books. Now that is a TPB I'd like to have!

[lobo]

New Mutants 87 is tops on my list and I'm not much of a Cable or X-Men fan. That book will be quiet for awhile yet but keep an eye on it....

If the Star Wars movie franchise ever goes on to the final trilogy then watch out for Dark Empire #1 and #2.

Yea, for potential keys Valiant has so much going for it. Just image if any of those characters hit it big mainstream, did someone mention a shadowman movie?

[whetteon]

Scud was awesome. I have issues 1-18 and I believe that's a full run. The art work rocked, the story line rocked and the covers were insanely cool!

As for key issues; a key issue is an issue that either has the 1st appearance of an important character, introduces a new writer/artist or changes the storyline. I believe X-Men #53 fits into two of those criteria. Nobody cares about the print runs. Print runs don't equal keys. Did you know that the "key" marvel 60's issues were printed in the 100,000's? (possibly millions but I hesitate before I say that) Not very rare if you ask me. If it is any consolidation to you, future keys from the 1980's to present will most likely only be accepted in 8.5 or higher grades among collectors.

So X-Men #53 still stands imho.

They jury stands on the relaunched Marvel #1's, I tend to lean towards "no" because it happened because of a previous event and therefore wasn't a true event itself. Plus, with the renumbering of all the marvel titles back to "normal" (whatever that may be), it's sure to be a speed bump that will quickly be forgotten in future decands. *shrug*

[ZephyrWasHOT!!]

Scud was awesome. I have issues 1-18 and I believe that's a full run. The art work rocked, the story line rocked and the covers were insanely cool!

As for key issues; a key issue is an issue that either has the 1st appearance of an important character, introduces a new writer/artist or changes the storyline. I believe X-Men #53 fits into two of those criteria. Nobody cares about the print runs. Print runs don't equal keys. Did you know that the "key" marvel 60's issues were printed in the 100,000's? (possibly millions but I hesitate before I say that) Not very rare if you ask me. If it is any consolidation to you, future keys from the 1980's to present will most likely only be accepted in 8.5 or higher grades among collectors.

So X-Men #53 still stands imho.

They jury stands on the relaunched Marvel #1's, I tend to lean towards "no" because it happened because of a previous event and therefore wasn't a true event itself. Plus, with the renumbering of all the marvel titles back to "normal" (whatever that may be), it's sure to be a speed bump that will quickly be forgotten in future decands. *shrug*

A 'key' issue is an issue that stands out from other issues for ANY reason. Among those reasons is 'low print run'. GI Joe #155 has absolutely nothing going for it other than it's the last issue, and it's 'hard to find' relative to the rest of the run. #154, #153, #152, all have nothing to do with anything other than being 'harder to find' books, which makes them KEY issues. Print runs DO INDEED make keys in certain cases, and print runs ALONE in some.

Miracleman #15 has no 'first appearances' or 'change or artist' or 'change or storyline'...it's one of the most desirable books of the 80's because it is the SCARCEST book of a phenomenal title. No other reason. If #16 was scarcer than #15, #16 would be the one selling for $100.

Heck...there are key issues simply because of the person appearing on the cover (Elvis, Beatles, etc.) No 1st appearances, no new writer/artist, no changes in storyline.

So....because the print run for X-Men #53 'a lot', since Onslaught was a popular but not outstanding (it was not any better or any worse than other X-Crossovers of the 90's), since Cable, Gambit, Bone, et al are all FAR more important characters than Onslaught (at the moment...things can change), then X-Men #53 won't be a benchmark issue of the 90's.

And yes...<smirk>...I DO know that many of the 'key' Marvels were printed in the 100,000's. Most Marvels from 1964 on were. So? Did anyone save them? Action #1 had a print run of 200,000. That's 25,000 less than Fathom #1. So? The benchmark Marvel books of the 1960's WEREN'T printed in massive numbers, they were a gamble based on the success of DC's 'relaunch', and more importanly: NO ONE SAVED THEM, especially in high grade. The fact that there is a SINGLE known copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 in 9.6, and none higher, attests to that.

However, in THIS day of 'collector mentality', it's almost impossible to NOT find a NM copy of these books. So, with regards to MODERN books, it's PRINT RUN...not 'surviving copies in various grades'...that matter. So, comparing the print runs of the 1960's and before to the print runs of 1990 and later books is really comparing apples to oranges, at least at this point. You have to compare print runs of modern books to SURVIVING copies of Bronze, Silver, and Gold books to get a clearer picture of relative obtainability, as WELL as existence in varying grades.

And, as far as consolidation ...collectors will accept ANY copy in ANY grade if they can't get BETTER for a reasonable (whatever that's defined as to them) price. I'll HAPPILY accept Batman #3 in VG for $1500, because I cannot (or should not) afford a 9.2 unrestored copy. So...if 9.4 copies of Spiderman #300 are, at some point, $10,000...then there will be people out there who would GLADLY pay $100 for a G/VG copy. And, yes, of course, surviving copies of modern books will definitely be, overall, in higher grades, disproportionately, than books from other eras....it's the nature of the Modern Collector beast.

But that's cool, everyone's got their own opinions, and only the future will tell for sure! I don't see how it's possible for X-Men #53 to be the 'Amazing Fantasy #15' of the 1990's, but you never know.

[BodaZoffa]

This is true....

I wonder what the collector's market will look like twenty years from now, when there are thousands of CGC 9.8's out there of Punisher #1 (new series) & 1602?

If I only new in 1982 to buy an extra couple of $.25 issues to store away so that I could CGC it now. Wow!!! I kick myself thinking of the comics that I threw away because I was 11 & did'nt care.

Boda

[whetteon]

I guess you and I will have to agree to disagree. I find print runs to mean absolutely nothing when deciding a key issue. GI Joe last issues may be desirable because they are hard to find but can you claimed GI Joe's are key issues to anything? Popular? Yes! Key? No. GI Joe's last issues means nothing but to prove the tiresome debate of supply and demand. (it's posted under the "topic to oblivion" subject header I think? )

A 'key' issue is an issue that stands out from other issues for ANY reason. Among those reasons is 'low print run'. GI Joe #155 has absolutely nothing going for it other than it's the last issue, and it's 'hard to find' relative to the rest of the run. #154, #153, #152, all have nothing to do with anything other than being 'harder to find' books, which makes them KEY issues. Print runs DO INDEED make keys in certain cases, and print runs ALONE in some.

If this is true then why stop at GI Joe? I know for a fact that Scud #18 had a super low print run. Should that be added to our list? How about Young Blood #10? I think it had a low print run cause people stopped giving a crap about Rob's retarded stories and convienant mole hills his characters feet seemed to always be behind (not to mention his love affair with teeth as we discussed before on this forum). So that should be a key then too! See my point? I conceed that "Print runs DO INDEED make keys in certain cases" but don't confuse price/value/worth of a comic with the fact of being a "key" issue.

As for the huge print runs of the past, my point basically boils down to this question: why isn't Solar #1 Gold Key more valuable then Amazing Spider-Man #1? It's rarer, had a smaller print run harder to find in nm conditions and is as old as many of those early marvels? Because prints runs mean nothing. It's the content, the stories and the memories "Key" issues bring that make up their inherant value.

But we both seem to agree that the new generation of collectors hoard and protect their comic collection like no others. So it will be interesting to see how the market accepts this in the future. :mrgreen:

[lobo]

A 'key' issue is an issue that stands out from other issues for ANY reason. Among those reasons is 'low print run'. GI Joe #155 has absolutely nothing going for it other than it's the last issue, and it's 'hard to find' relative to the rest of the run. #154, #153, #152, all have nothing to do with anything other than being 'harder to find' books, which makes them KEY issues. Print runs DO INDEED make keys in certain cases, and print runs ALONE in some.

G.I.Joe has everything going for it because I collect it!
...And the people rejoice!

[ZephyrWasHOT!!]

I guess you and I will have to agree to disagree.

That's fine! That's what this topic is about. If you think any of my 'picks' aren't valid, by all means, say so, and provide the rational as to why.

I find print runs to mean absolutely nothing when deciding a key issue. GI Joe last issues may be desirable because they are hard to find but can you claimed GI Joe's are key issues to anything? Popular? Yes! Key? No.

If you restrict your definition of the word 'key' to mean ONLY certain aspects DIRECTLY relating to 'storyline' (ie, characters/artist/writers), then yes, you are correct. But that's not what the word means as it relates to collectibles, and that's not what it means to the collecting population at large. A KEY issue is just that: an issue, for WHATEVER REASON, that is more desired than other issues around it (or before it, in the case of last issues, or AHEAD of it, in the case of first.)

Consider this example: 99.9999352% of ALL coins are KEYS because of one thing, and one thing only (well, ok, TWO things that are very closely related): 'print run' (mintage) and 'surviving examples known.'

That's it. And yet, those become the KEYS of those sets because they are harder to find than the other coins minted around them.

Another example: the key Beanie Baby is that blue polar bear (I think)...why is it the key? Simple. There are fewer of it than any other beanie baby. Not because it's the best made, or the highest quality, or the best craftsmanship went into that one, or it's a polar bear, or any other reason than it was made in less quantities than every single other beanie baby.

If this is true then why stop at GI Joe? I know for a fact that Scud #18 had a super low print run. Should that be added to our list? How about Young Blood #10?

You're looking at it backwards. It is not you nor I that determine what becomes a key issue. It is the collecting public at large who do. It doesn't become a key JUST because it has a low print run. It becomes a key because the general comics fandom public, for whatever reason (read: hype) picks up on the idea, AND....because GI Joe #155 is the last issue of a MUCH HERALDED Marvel series....realizes it's got a relatively low print run and runs with it. Scud #18 IS indeed a key to the Scud set, but not relative to other comics of the same era. The reason Scud #18 isn't on our list? Simple: no one cares (yet.) Same with Youngblood #10, Strangers in Paradise #34, almost ANY issue of Savage Dragon above #30 (you would be shocked to find out how many copies of Savage Dragon have been printed lately....the answer is 'less than 10,000'.)

As sad as that may sound to say, the simple fact is, very few people care about these books. That's just a reality of the universe, not everyone can care about everything all the time. There is no REASON for those issues to become keys, because, again....key status is something EVERYONE (or almost everyone) decides on, by virtue of popularity.

Will Scud #18 ever become a benchmark 1990's book? Probably not. Neither will GI Joe #155. They are just examples of low printed books, one of which has become a more valuable (likely most at this point) book of the set through word of mouth and printed hype.

I think it had a low print run cause people stopped giving a crap about Rob's retarded stories and convienant mole hills his characters feet seemed to always be behind (not to mention his love affair with teeth as we discussed before on this forum). So that should be a key then too! See my point?

I see and understand your point, but it doesn't apply to this conversation.

I conceed that "Print runs DO INDEED make keys in certain cases" but don't confuse price/value/worth of a comic with the fact of being a "key" issue.

You're again getting it backwards. It's not a key BECAUSE of its price/value/worth...it's price/value/worth is higher than other issues similar to it BECAUSE it (whatever book we're discussing) is a KEY. It simply doesn't mean JUST 'storyline/character/artist/writer'. It means ANYTHING that makes the general public want to own it more than they do other issues of the same run. That's it.

As for the huge print runs of the past, my point basically boils down to this question: why isn't Solar #1 Gold Key more valuable then Amazing Spider-Man #1? It's rarer, had a smaller print run

It had a smaller print run? I didn't know that. Cool, where do I find that info?

harder to find in nm conditions

It is? Where do I find that info?

and is as old as many of those early marvels? Because prints runs mean nothing.

...you must have missed what I said about 'surviving copies in all grades for pre-1980 books' versus 'print runs of modern books.'

You NEED to understand that no one, least of all me, is saying print run/surviving copies is the ONLY factor that determines whether a book is a key issue. It is but one of MANY. HOWEVER....in same cases, print run is SUCH an overwhelming factor in a PARTICULAR issue that everything else becomes moot. Case in point: GI Joe #155. What are the OTHER factors? It's a Marvel book. It's GI Joe. It's the last issue. It had a relatively low print run to other GI Joe's. So. Of those factors, all of which CONTRIBUTE to determining it's 'key' status...which one is, far and away, the most important? Print run.

However, if it were NOT GI Joe #155, but rather indentical in EVERY way, but published by Gort Comics, and titled 'GIs In Combat', and it wasn't the last issue..but the story, art, writer, artist, cover, everything else was IDENTICAL...would it be 'worth' as much? Nope. Because there are OTHER factors which MAKE the print run factor so overwhelmingly important.

See?

It's the content, the stories and the memories "Key" issues bring that make up their inherant value.

....as well as how many copies exist, if we're talking about 'overall value as a collectible'. Trust me, if there were 75 million copies of Amazing Fantasy #15, in varying grades, floating around....how much do you think it would be worth? Would it be an important issue? Probably. Would it be a key issue? Sure, because ALL factors relate to it's 'desirability', not just one. But would it be a collectible? If everyone and their mother had a copy.....?

Not bloody likely.

[wrunow]

Zephyrwashot, I really like your list although longterm I really like the value of the Solar 10 which you left off, but the next poster or so had on their list. Did anyone else put together all those separate inserts to make the large panel by BWS in the first 8 (i think issues).

But anyway, heres why:

1. Because anything that is worth money will eventually be sold, much like the original Gold Key characters were by Valiant, someone will buy the rights and try to publish these characters again, could be 2yrs, 5yrs, or 10, but it will happen, and Solar will be one of the main books and first published.

2. The Black cover on Solar 10 reminds me of the old Marvel squarebounds like Silver Surfer 4, Giant Size X-Men 1, etc. As time goes on it gets harder and harder to find in NM 9.4 or better condition. Just touching the book makes it look worn because of the black cover and any crease is going to be magnified.

3. It really wrapped up everything that was happening in the Solar book up to that time before the Unity stuff took over.

Mark

[whetteon]

hmmm...

You have some strong points so I conceed.

[Brother J]

Zephyr,

What's a good price for a Strangers in Paradise Vol. 1 #1? I saw this auction on eBay but wasn't sure if it was a first print. Is there any way to tell from looking at the cover?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... egory=3979

[ZephyrWasHOT!!]

Zephyr,

What's a good price for a Strangers in Paradise Vol. 1 #1? I saw this auction on eBay but wasn't sure if it was a first print. Is there any way to tell from looking at the cover?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... egory=3979

First prints are not identified as first prints, but rather by a 'print run: 3000' near the bottom of the indicia. Also, first prints are cover dated November 1993, while the 2 other Antarctic printings have later cover dates (3rd printing is Feb 1994, I believe) and ARE identified as '2nd printing' and '3rd printing' respectively.

I can't tell from the pic what the cover date is, though.

And wow...that ended FAST. $45, not bad.

[dellamorte]

I meet Rob a bunch of times when i lived in Michigan. He would always be at the Motor City Con. I have his "homemade" trade paper back. Basically he printed a card stock cover and placed Scud 1-6 in it loose.

I believe you are thinking of Lethargic Lad, Greg Hyland was always at the motor city cons. Both books (Scud and Lethargic Lad) rocked. I believe Rob went to hollywood to work on something and Scud just got forgotten.

[Brother J]

Another book from the late 80's/early 90's that I think could be a real key issue of that time period in the future would be the Caliber issues of the Crow. Even if the later movies weren't great, the first movie kicked *SQUEE* and is a personal favorite of mine. The print runs on these seem to be pretty low, as well. I just picked up a complete set off eBay, so I'm happy to have them and I'm hoping the value of these go up even more in the future. It doesn't hurt that these books are a great read, as well.

[oxygen]

I met Phantom Planet one time and Jason Schwartzman had the Scud heart sign drawn on his shirt. So, in short, Scud's still kickin'.

[whetteon]

I have Scud 1-18 (missing 17 though ). It was a damn good comic series ant totally unique to anything I have seen since. It was always my hope that Scud would hit the mainstream but for some reason it just never happened.