We now begin to approach an important crossroads in my comic book reading history. My family frequented a local drugstore, part of a chain, pretty regularly, and one day during this summer, the store put in this huge bin of comics. In my mind’s eye, it was massive, though in reality it was probably a … Continue reading BHOC: ACTION COMICS #458
As a kid, one of my other interests apart from comic books was codes and ciphers. I was always fascinated by the ways in which information could be concealed and then deciphered, and I read a bunch of books on the subject. Even to this day, I retain some general knowledge relating to the subject. … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL’S MYSTERIOUS SECRET MESSAGES
It was at around this time, during the summer of 1977, that I became aware that Captain America was going to be making a personal appearance at my local Smithhaven Mall. Every year the Mall held a collectibles fair for a week or so, and this year as a part of it, they had hired … Continue reading BHOC: CAPTAIN AMERICA AT THE SMITHHAVEN MALL
This is another older comic book that I had forgotten about, but which I still have. It was bought for my brother Ken initially, and only found its way into my possession over time. So I definitely read it back in the day. And while I can today testify that it is indeed a very … Continue reading BHOC: GIANT-SIZE DEFENDERS #4
We comic book fans love statistics, don’t we? Whether it’s issue numbers, print runs, the number of pounds that our favorite character can lift (press) or whatever, we dig knowing the numbers. So when I became curious to know which particular books I’d gone over in this nostalgia-fueled trip down memory lane were the most … Continue reading BHOC TOP TEN
In January of 1977, I turned ten-years-old. And around that time, I would up getting my second book collection of vintage comic book stories–a book that, up until that point I didn’t even know existed. We found it in the remaindered section at Two Guys, a regional low-rent department store chain, kind of like the … Continue reading BHOC: THE GREAT COMIC BOOK HEROES
I recently became aware that I had missed one additional comic book that had come into my household a few months earlier. It was this issue of SPIDEY SUPER STORIES, which was bought for my younger brother, Ken. It did eventually end up with me as well, but only after it had been reduced t … Continue reading BHOC: SPIDEY SUPER STORIES #17
The other comic book that my Uncle Jerry Blazer gave to me that summer Saturday was this issue of MARVEL TALES, reprinting a classic Stan Lee and John Romita issue of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN from the pinnacle of their run. This was the real stuff, and so surely this was the comic book that finally changed … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL TALES #53
Now, this comic book I know was purchased for my brother Ken, as at this point I was still an avowed Marvel-hater, and even reading SUPERMAN VS THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN had not swayed me. It’s worth noting that this issue still cost a quarter, whereas DC’s books were going for thirty cents at this time. … Continue reading BHOC: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #159
It came out right around the time of my 9th birthday–in fact, that may have been the reason it was bought for me, given its hefty cover price. At a time when regular comics cost a quarter (and were right on the cusp of increasing to 30 cents–my most recent subscription issue of FLASH carried … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERMAN VS THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
