New Slabs Unveiled at CBCS Expo!!11008

Originally Posted by GAC
CGC has those Marvel labels....I think CBCS should contact DC and make a similar label.

Originally Posted by newsletter
A Texas Howdy to All!

Yesterday, Este, Phillip and I were guests at a gathering hosted by Steve Borock and the CBCS team at their impressive headquarters in Farmers Branch (a city just north of Dallas). Traffic wasn't bad going there given that it was the Martin Luther King holiday. We arrived early and enjoyed an excellent catered breakfast while chatting with fans and dealers from as far away as Florida and Vancouver, Washington where Chris Simons' wonderful I Like Comics store is located.


Buddy and Judy along with Chris Simons, his wife Jody, and Steve Borock.

After breakfast, I gave a talk on how Lone Star Comics got started way back in 1961 and evolved over the years from a brick and mortar chain on to a major internet comics retailer. You already know that story so I'll not repeat it here. After that bit of history, including how I first became a comic collector, I talked about the various ways collectors and dealers can sell and trade to us. Then Este talked about consigning comics with us, Phillip talked about our social media efforts, and lastly, we fielded questions from our very friendly and receptive audience.

The next hour was devoted to Steve Borock and me talking about the history of comic fandom, all the way from its original science fiction-centered roots in the 1930s right up to today. We just had that one hour, but I could have talked on for hours more! I love that subject!

With noon at hand, CBCS again treated us all to a catered lunch, this time Mexican food, and as delicious as our breakfast. Who doesn't enjoy a free meal, especially if it is shared with old and new friends?

The event also featured pubic signings with hotshot writer Donny Cates who burst onto the comics scene with his creator-owned series God Country before hopping over to Marvel to write an all-time great Thanos story followed by a reinvigoration of Venom's mythos which led into the no-holds-barred Absolute Carnage event and a truly epic run on Guardians of the Galaxy all the while continuing to create some of the best horror comics out there in Babyteeth and Redneck.

Also present doing signings was the legendary Sam de la Rosa who helped define one of the most popular characters of all time for an entire generation with his work on Venom and Spider-Man and has worked on more comics than you can shake a stick at over the course of his accomplished career. With the signings done, the program moved to another of my favorite subjects, comic grading, with CBCS's experts hold forth. One can never learn enough about grading and insights from the experts are both enlightening and invaluable.

One thing I want not to overlook is the CBCS comic case, which has undergone further improvements. We saw sample cases yesterday, and we were very much impressed. The cases are sturdier, less prone to cracking, but at the same time are much more tamper-resistant. The cases even have a break-open feature that makes opening a case (should one want to for one reason or another) very easy, convenient and wholly safe for the comic. And these cases, soon to be available, are just as crystal clear as the earlier styles.

Both CGC and CBCS have made great strides in improving their cases. That kind of improvement comes as a consequence of competition, a good thing for all.

Originally Posted by mattness
Not sure why Mr. Saunders felt the need to bring up cgc in a CBCS write-up.

Originally Posted by Jesse_O
@kon_jelly In the interview that Steve did last night, he said they will be in use no later than April 1st, and that's not an April Fools Day joke. They may start earlier if they need to.

Originally Posted by IronMan
I thought about staying out of this conversation - I have stayed out of it for two months - because bottom line is I really don't care about the labels and slabs as long as they are not just obviously, ridiculously awful. z

But here is my observation - which I believe is worthy of consideration:

The deal with the label and pastel vs more bright colors. It is ultimately a question of what you want to notice first. The label and the grade. Or the comic encapsulated. I don't point this out to be elitist. Both are legitimate. Is it primarily a collectible comic book - or primarily a graded and encapsulated collectible comic book?

I personally prefer the comic to be the primary focus and first thing you notice. The label and grade I believe should be something your eyes are drawn to a few moments later. IMHO. Others might feel different and those feelings are legitimate. CGC - with the brighter color label and the almost comically large numeric grade clearly wants the first thing a collector notices is the fact CGC graded the comic and the grade assigned. WHAT comic is graded you notice moments later.