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Your Oddball Amigo, beloved Smith
by beloved Smith
I will be the very first to admit that when it comes to pop culture, I’m a sucker for an Oddball, particularly when it comes to comic books as well as comic book characters. I always have been. I assumption that’s something that’s never gonna change.
As a kid, I was always drawn to those strange comic books with the weird names as well as covers that my other friends would pass on. When we would show up at the supermarket, drugstore, or newsstand as well as there wouldn’t be any type of new marvel or DC Comics, they would reveal their disappointment, get back on their Stingray bikes, as well as head on home. Not me.
Werewolf 1966
I’d painstakingly pull each comic book out of the spinner rack one by one as well as look them over for the oddest of the odd. Each one represented something new as well as different for me to read, one more world outside of Batman as well as Captain Americafor me to find for the very first time.
Even at a young age, I understood there would be some danger selecting some strange comic book over a trusted problem of Daredevil or Justice league Of America, however I was willing to take that danger since the payoff might be huge. I might potentially discover “The next huge Thing;” A comic book that I might tell my good friends about as well as utilize as a bargaining chip to trade that a person special comic book for a stack of marvel as well as DC Comics that I was missing or hadn’t checked out yet. I had done it before, I needed to do it again. Not only did oddball comic books provide me the excitement of the hunt, however they might likewise be possible gold in trade.
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #15, the comic that stimulated a excellent trade.
A prime example of this was T.H.U.N.D.E.R Agents from Tower Comics. I can keep in mind stumbling across problems of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents in the rack as well as feeling like I already understood them. The reason for that is since the artwork in those problems were by a few of the very best marvel as well as DC Comic book artists that I was increased on, guy like Gil Kane, Wally Wood, George Tuska, as well as many others. The books were likewise double the cover cost of other comic books, they were 25 cents as opposed to the then 12 cent cover cost of most marvel as well as DC Comics. The books were square bound like an annual. I always discovered them to more than worth the cover price. most of the time, the stories were just as great as those that Stan Lee was putting out at Marvel, at least they were to my 12 year old mind. The art was always perfect as well as the powers that the characters had were beyond cool. T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents were a unique combination of meaningful superheroes as well as the super cool, trick agents of the 1960s that were so prominent at that time. After a while, when I would discover these excellent Tower Comics, I would buy doubles to ensure that I would have one for myself as well as one to trade with good friends for stacks of marvel as well as DC Comics.
Daredevil #5 from The beloved Smith Collection
I keep in mind trading T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #15 for outstanding Spider-Man #6, Tales Of Suspense #46, Avengers #4, as well as Daredevil #5 with one friend. He believed he was truly getting the much better end of the offer since my comic book was brand new. Of course, I had no concept back then just exactly how much I was coming out ahead, I just believed it was excellent that I was getting four comic books for one. To add a side note to this, years later, when my friends “grew” out of their comic books I bought their collections from them in bulk for $3.00, therefore getting all the comics I traded them, plus great deals more. hunting for comics as well as trading comics added such a personal value to my collection in addition to my reading wonderful stories. It’s no question my old comics still mean so much to me. It’s almost like having old house movies or household pictures to keep in mind easier times. Granted, someday soon, it’ll come time to part with all these comics, with passing some down to family, friends, as well as just outright selling most, however that day isn’t right here yet.
Once I got into the business of comic books as a advertising VP as well as a writer, I began traveling around the country to conventions as well as satisfying with tons of dealerships as well as retailers from around the world. That was my possibility to truly begin collecting oddball comic books. most of the time, my retail good friends were more than happy to offer me stacks of their “weird” comics that had been taking up area in their warehouses as well as stores. Not a week would go by when a lot of them would phone call me as well as tell me that they just uncovered a lot of oddball comics as well as wished to understand if I desired them. seldom did I state no, as well as the costs were always beyond good.
Dracula 1966
My like for oddball comic books has grown though the decades as well as I haven’t restricted myself to just vintage oddball comics, although that’s where the genuine fun is. I’ve been lucky sufficient to discover some new comics that are just flat out strange from time to time as well as thanks to the internet, I’ve got great deals of friends, fans, as well as visitors who steer me in the right direction.
The primary reason for this specific column is to stress to you to have some fun as I did. go out as well as begin seeking out some oddball comics that will bring a smile to your deal with as well as puzzlement in wondering exactly how this concept ever made it to four-color paper in the very first place. That alone doubles your entertainment factor.
I’ve added some option oddball books right here for you to inspect out as well as look up for yourself. all of these books are from a wonderful year of freaky four-color fun, 1966! I extremely suggest any type of of these back problems for full throttle fun as well as entertainment. I understand you have some personal favorites you may wanna listing for everybody as well. I understand we’d like to see them.
Captain marvel 1966
Captain marvel
1966
M.F. Enterprises
Crazy 60s fun as well as not your great-grandfather’s Captain marvel or your dad’s. insane villains as well as packed with wonderful 1960’s pop culture ads.
Spyman 1966
Spyman
1966
Harvey Comics
More madness from the 60s. flat out fun craziness with a extremely entertaining story as well as art by George Tuska as well as Jim Steranko!
Peter Cannon…Thunderbolt 1966
Peter Cannon…Thunderbolt
1966
Charlton Comics
For whatever reason, I was mesmerized with this comic book back as a 12 year kid. It was weird, wild, as well as had a superhero/James Bond feel to it. The stories were complex as well as truly entertaining if you provided them a shot.
Frankenstein 1966
Werewolf
Frankenstein
Dracula
1966
Dell Comics
I have to admit, as a kid, I was dissatisfied when I chosen these three problems up at the Tradewell supermarket in 1966. I believed they were gonna be like the excellent universal Monsters that I liked so much. I was wrong in the element that they weren’t the universal Monsters, so to speak, however I did discover out they were monster fun! Each unique as well as with a wild style of their own. I have checked out as well as re-read these comics many times over the last few decades. I believe you will as well.
Like I said, I hope you listing up a few of your all-time oddball comic book favorites, stuff so weird, it works.
Your oddball amigo,
Beau Smith
The flying Fist Ranch
www.flyingfistranch.com