Hello, folks. Please allow me to introduce myself. My real name is Duane Thomas. I make my living as a freelance writer, primarily writing magazine articles. I sold my first magazine article in 1989, and have been making my living at it (with occasional stints as a cab driver or armed security guard) since 1992 when I exited the Army after 10 years on active duty.
I began collecting comic books in 1975 at the age of 11. My main collection, the stuff with which I will never part, is 24 long boxes - the reject collection, the stuff I'd sell if anyone was interested, is another 12 boxes. About 15,000 comics all-told. I am very, very glad I started buying comic books when I did, because I see the stuff I bought for 35 cents when it was new selling today for $40 in comic book stores. There's no way I'd be able to afford to have the collection I have if I had to pay today's back issue prices.
I thought I would keep at it forever but I got out of it around age 38. Part of this was a financial consideration - for most of the 1990s I was buying about $300 worth of comic books a month - but most of it was that the vast majority of what was out there just wasn't doing it for me anymore. I mourned for a time when the heroes actually acted like heroes, and writers understood the lost art of the one 'n' done instead of giving us stuff requiring familiarity with an immense amount of backstory to understand what's happening in any individual issue. A time when comic books even
smelled good instead of this vile odor of chemicals they have today. With the loss in enjoyability of most of what was out there, eventually I couldn't justify the expense anymore and pulled the pin.
Tried to get back into it about a year ago. Found there was very, very little out there for a guy like me, and let it go again. Then I discovered the Digital Comic Museum. For someone like me, this was like discovering Aladdin's cave. There are things that I have been aware of for years, decades, and always wanted to read, but knew that, unless I happened to win the lottery, I never would. The Fawcett Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr. and Mary Marvel stories. Captain Triumph from
Crack Comics. The Lou Fine Dollman. Reed Crandall's Blackhawk and Black Condor. Alias the Spider. Airboy. The Heap. Captain 3-D. The original Daredevil and his Little Wise Guys. Crimebuster from
Boy Comics. The original Ghost Rider. The Human Bomb. Uncle Sam. Matt Baker's Phantom Lady. Jack Cole's Plastic Man. The Ray. Blue Beetle. The Red Bee. Kid Eternity. Miss America. The original Qucksilver. The original Manhunter. The Spirit.
A great thing I have found about DCM is discovering the obscure, oddball stuff that I wasn't even aware existed. Inferior Man. Jeb Rivers. Joe Hercules. The Moth (a series so bad it's almost hallucinogenic, and therefore fascinating). The original Old Witch. Sally O'Neal, Policewoman, Sky Girl. Spitfire. Strange Twins. Torchy (I was vaguely aware somesuch character/series had existed, but other than that I couldn't have told you anything about it - boy, was *I* missing out).
