Here's my Valiant story...
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MichaelBrowning
- Working on the first full appearance of me
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 10:45:49 am
Here's my Valiant story...
I've been a comic book reader since around the age of four. My parents encouraged me to read at a very early age and I picked up rather quickly. I loved Marvel and DC and Charlton and Turok Son of Stone was one of my favorite comics, but it wasn't until the 1980s that I discovered Dr. Solar, Man of the Atom, and Magnus Robot Fighter when Western Publishing brought them back with art by Frank Bolle for the last-gasp three-packs that were sold during the early 1980s. I was amazed at how great these characters were. But, that was the end of the line and all I could do was try to find back issues (not an easy task here in West Virginia, where we don't have an abundance of comic book shops). So, one day, when I was in Jerome's Comics in Williamson, W.Va., I spotted an ad in a Previews for Magnus Robot Fighter. I asked if the store would get those and they did and I bought one of the early issues. But, it would be awhile before I'd get any more, because the owner went to work in the coal mines and closed the shop. On a quest to get more, I traveled to Logan, W.Va., to a couple comic shops there. When I got to the first store, the owner was charging, like, $50 an issue for Valiants, and that was WAY more than I could ever afford. So, I went down the street to the other comic shop, which was actually a video rental store that sold a few comics and the owner, Gus Winter, told me he'd order me a bunch of Valiants and would sell me some of his because he wanted me to get into Valiant like he was.
I got hooked. I loved the really great stories and the art was beautiful. It wasn't McFarlane and Lee, but the stories were well-told and easy to follow and that means a lot in comics.
I then found a shop in Gilbert, W.Va., called The Vault, which specialized in Valiant back issues. I bought a bunch of stuff there, like some early Harbingers (without the coupons) and some Magnus Robot Fighters and Rais.
I paid $55 for Harbinger 4 with coupon and $130 for Magnus Robot Fighter 0 with coupon and $60 for Magnus 0 without a coupon and I completed my Harbinger coupon set -- but only one of the books had the coupon inside. So, I wrote to Valiant and asked them what I could do to get the pink Harbinger 0 and Michelle Peri sent me one of the last copies they had in the Valiant office (said so in the note). I still have it with the note she sent me.
After that, I found ways to publicly promote Valiant Comics and Valiant rewarded me with several gold editions. I kept all those with the notes, too.
I wrote "Read Valiant Comics" in the sand at the beach, then took a photo of it from above. I put "Buy, Read and Collect Valiant Comics" on a Wendy's sign in South Williamson, Ky. And I did other things to promote Valiant and they sent me gold books for my trouble. (The Wendy's sign was tough; the manager said I could put it up on the sign for a day -- if I put the letters on the sign myself. I arrived with the opening crew and worked all morning with this really long pole that placed the letters on the sign high above my head. The letters were in bad shape, so they kept falling from the sign, which meant I had to keep redoing the sign. It took me about an hour and a half to get it completed.)
I ended up buying Gus Winter's partner in the store out of his Valiant Comics collection, which included every Valiant up until right before Birthquake. It was all the gold books (except those for Eternal Warrior and Archer and Armstrong) and the regular editions for one price.
Over the years, I've bought several collections of Valiants and I'm just now weeding through them all. I have so many doubles and triples and so on that I figured I'd sell some.
I've also got stuff like a Valiant birthday party balloon, several of the Valiant cloisonne pins, an X-O bronze ring and a page of art from Harbinger 1.
I am a longtime advisor for The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, and I have written several times about Valiant Comics. I try to keep up with significant Valiant sales because I do believe that one day, like ECs of the 1950s, Valiants will be recognized for the quality of their stories and art, and not just for being at the forefront of the comic book collapse of the mid- to late-1990s.
I've read and read many of my Valiants and I love them. I sit and analyze the art and discuss the characters with my fellow Valiant fans at the two local shops. I also have a Ninjak lithograph proudly displayed in my office at work.
So, that's my Valiant story.
I got hooked. I loved the really great stories and the art was beautiful. It wasn't McFarlane and Lee, but the stories were well-told and easy to follow and that means a lot in comics.
I then found a shop in Gilbert, W.Va., called The Vault, which specialized in Valiant back issues. I bought a bunch of stuff there, like some early Harbingers (without the coupons) and some Magnus Robot Fighters and Rais.
I paid $55 for Harbinger 4 with coupon and $130 for Magnus Robot Fighter 0 with coupon and $60 for Magnus 0 without a coupon and I completed my Harbinger coupon set -- but only one of the books had the coupon inside. So, I wrote to Valiant and asked them what I could do to get the pink Harbinger 0 and Michelle Peri sent me one of the last copies they had in the Valiant office (said so in the note). I still have it with the note she sent me.
After that, I found ways to publicly promote Valiant Comics and Valiant rewarded me with several gold editions. I kept all those with the notes, too.
I wrote "Read Valiant Comics" in the sand at the beach, then took a photo of it from above. I put "Buy, Read and Collect Valiant Comics" on a Wendy's sign in South Williamson, Ky. And I did other things to promote Valiant and they sent me gold books for my trouble. (The Wendy's sign was tough; the manager said I could put it up on the sign for a day -- if I put the letters on the sign myself. I arrived with the opening crew and worked all morning with this really long pole that placed the letters on the sign high above my head. The letters were in bad shape, so they kept falling from the sign, which meant I had to keep redoing the sign. It took me about an hour and a half to get it completed.)
I ended up buying Gus Winter's partner in the store out of his Valiant Comics collection, which included every Valiant up until right before Birthquake. It was all the gold books (except those for Eternal Warrior and Archer and Armstrong) and the regular editions for one price.
Over the years, I've bought several collections of Valiants and I'm just now weeding through them all. I have so many doubles and triples and so on that I figured I'd sell some.
I've also got stuff like a Valiant birthday party balloon, several of the Valiant cloisonne pins, an X-O bronze ring and a page of art from Harbinger 1.
I am a longtime advisor for The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, and I have written several times about Valiant Comics. I try to keep up with significant Valiant sales because I do believe that one day, like ECs of the 1950s, Valiants will be recognized for the quality of their stories and art, and not just for being at the forefront of the comic book collapse of the mid- to late-1990s.
I've read and read many of my Valiants and I love them. I sit and analyze the art and discuss the characters with my fellow Valiant fans at the two local shops. I also have a Ninjak lithograph proudly displayed in my office at work.
So, that's my Valiant story.
Re: Here's my Valiant story...
Nice story with lots of things worth repeating.MichaelBrowning wrote:I do believe that one day, like ECs of the 1950s, Valiants will be recognized for the quality of their stories and art
/Magnus
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comicsyte95
- It's Porktastic!!!
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96Valiantfan
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Daniel Jackson
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Draco
- Well I think I talked enough poop...
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sanman
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Re: Here's my Valiant story...
You are not alone, welcome to the fold--nice story.MichaelBrowning wrote: I've read and read many of my Valiants and I love them. I sit and analyze the art and discuss the characters with my fellow Valiant fans at the two local shops.
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JustCallMeAric
- ...remember that they are just paper.
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Lightning Strike
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Re: Here's my Valiant story...
Welcome
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maraxusofkeld
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- I was young and silly and only read Marvel books.
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