From cradle to slab: a mini-comics story.4964
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BabaLament private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Hello all! On impulse, I've decided to slab a set of Dark Horse Aliens mini-comics from the 1993 Kenner Toys. I've never seen them graded; rarely seen them at all truth be told, so I figure it will be a neat thing to put on display as a conversation piece. I've decided to document the journey, as much as I'm able. Toy collectors might take a hit to the feels, but the comics are free! I asked ahead in the pressing thread & CBCS doesn't think there will be any issues; after twenty-five years of being trapped in retail packaging, they're pretty much a case study for "needs to be pressed". So this is it; they'll be boxed & mailed tomorrow (waiting for Snake Alien & Drake to arrive w/ the mail).     |
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thelastbard private msg quote post Address this user | |
| On the plus side, most of the comics look to be in good shape based one the pic... better than the packaging of the toys. This will be a fun experiment! | ||
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BabaLament private msg quote post Address this user | |
| The comics are clean; not surprising since they've been in packaging for over twenty years. The Rhino Alien comic (#12) had the least amount of clearance, and it shows. I'm hoping that pressing can straighten that out. Overall I'm pretty happy with the first step in this evolution; and as a bonus I have a bunch of Aliens toys to display. I have such a massive amount of space in my PC chassis that I might even be able to have a little fun with them:   |
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thelastbard private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @BabaLament Oh my god, that's crazy! Love the tower... I've always had boring towers - your is next level awesome. | ||
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BabaLament private msg quote post Address this user | |
LoL! That's not mine; that belongs to Ron Lee Christianson of Blue Horse Studios. Its pretty much the definition of "Epic Case Mod". My rig is far more modest: |
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 I'm a #2.
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BigRedOne1944 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Cool Stuff! I love the Alien Franchise. Any chance you could just roll them out and press them at home? I can't wait to see the end results with the Mini comics. Good Luck! John |
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comic_book_man private msg quote post Address this user | |
@BabaLament I love Aliens, even better than Alien. Don't get me wrong I'm a big Ian Holm fan(LotR, Fifth Element, Alien) - but James Cameron rocked Aliens with the one-liners and sci-fi epicness!! |
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thelastbard private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by BabaLament Well, still better than my "out of the box" rig. :P |
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BabaLament private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by BigRedOne1944 I could probably do it at home, I have enough hardcover books to make a serious effort at imitating a press; but I'm sending it in to have it done properly. Its like I tell my customers: "You can have the work done right, fast, or cheap. Please pick the option that best suits your needs." |
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BabaLament private msg quote post Address this user | |
Ok, so they're unrolled, bagged, boarded, and boxed up for shipping Its up to CBCS at this point; I can't wait to see how they turn out!             |
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JustABitEvil private msg quote post Address this user | |
| God, I had all of those, stupid kid I took them out and played with them. I think I saw the scorpion Alien comic in a box a while back. | ||
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BabaLament private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by JustABitEvil I had them as a kid too. I was unpacking moving boxes & came across a bunch of old toys. When I saw these I remembered the comics, and thought "huh, I haven't seen these since..." I did a little digging (called CBCS, CGC, Midtown, Mile High, Meltdown, Chicago, The Secret Stash, & Lone Star) & even though a couple of places knew about them, the only people who'd ever had them in stock was Mile High. Neither grading house has slabbed these before, so I'm going to have a unique set for however long it takes for someone else to go, "hey, that's a good idea!"  Unfortunately like most kids, I managed to lose all of the small pieces and comics. However, now equipped with Super-Adulting Powers (aka: credit card & eBay account) I was able to find a set of the toys MOC. Over the cries of anguish from toy collectors, I pulled the comics from the packaging & sent them to CBCS for pressing & grading. My timing was darn good. If the Disney/20th Century Fox buyout goes down, I'm guessing Dark Horse Comics is going to lose the Aliens license. Since these comics were produced between DHC & Kenner Toys, and have not been reproduced to-date, I'm pretty sure once Disney/Marvel takes ownership, the chances or these ever getting a reprint will drop to somewhere around zero. |
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I'm a #2.
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BigRedOne1944 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| The Aliens books look outstanding! I think they may press out very nicely. Im a big fan of the Alien Franchise as I stated earlier. Im still missing 2 of the Original Mark Verheiden/Mark Nelson Books from 1988  Of coarse I was all over the Full color Mark Verheiden/Den Bearvais Series! The Painted covers alone are worth the price of admission.  What are the Copyright dates of the mini comics? Are they full color or B/W? Is the Cover and Interior Art by Mark Nelson? |
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BabaLament private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by BigRedOne1944 Which ones are you missing? I have three sets, all of which are presentable, but I'm not experienced/confident enough to give them a score guesstimate. I can take lots of pictures though. The pictures you linked are of two different runs. The top photo is from the first series 1988 run, which was a six-issue run. The second photo is from the second series, four issue 1989 run. My Dad & I used to go see movies at the local mall, which (at the time) had two amazing things right outside the movie theater: a huge coin-op arcade (many quarters gave their lives for this information...), and a comic shop. I was seven or eight when the comic shop opened, and I still remember the first time we went in; obviously a pivotal moment in life. The first set of comics I ever bought was the Aliens Predator: Deadliest of the Species run. Still have 'em too; though now I'm trying to finish the set by grabbing a Platinum #1, and the four Ashcans (Red/Gold/Silver/Chicago Comic-Con Exclusive). Anyhow; here is the information on the mini-comics. I'll be passing this along to CPG too, so they can update their database: Aliens: Desert Storm (#1): Written by - Dan Jolley Illustrated by - Norman Felchle Inked by - Mark McKenna Lettered by - Dan Nakrosis Cover(s) by - Joe Phillips Edited by - Dan Thorsland Publisher - Dark Horse Comics Release date(s) - 1992 Aliens: Operation Rescue (#2) Written by - Dan Jolley Illustrated by - Denis Rodier Inked by - Denis Rodier Lettered by - Dan Nakrosis Cover(s) by - Mark A. Nelson Edited by - Dan Thorsland Publisher - Dark Horse Comics Release date(s) - 1992 Aliens: Hive War (#3): Written by -Dan Jolley Illustrated by - Joe Phillips Inked by - John Dell Lettered by - Dan Nakrosis Cover(s) by - Joe Phillips Edited by - Dan Thorsland Publisher - Dark Horse Comics Release date(s) - 1992 Aliens: Jungle Attack (#4): Written by - Dan Jolley Illustrated by - Tony Harris Inked by - Tony Harris Lettered by - Dan Nakrosis Cover(s) by - Mark A. Nelson Edited by - Dan Thorsland Publisher - Dark Horse Comics Release date(s) - 1992 Aliens: Meltdown (#5): Written by - Dan Jolley Illustrated by - Rick Hoberg Inked by - Ian Akin Lettered by - Dan Nakrosis Cover(s) by - Joe Phillips Edited by - Dan Thorsland Publisher - Dark Horse Comics Release date(s) - 1992 Aliens: Showdown (#6): Written by - Dan Jolley Illustrated by - Brandon McKinney Inked by - Karl Kesel Lettered by - Dan Nakrosis Cover(s) by - Joe Phillips Edited by - Dan Thorsland Publisher - Dark Horse Comics Release date(s) - 1992 Aliens: Stampede (#7) Written by - Dan Jolley Illustrated by - William Knapp Inked by - Robert Campanella Lettered by - Dan Nakrosis Cover(s) by - Mark A. Nelson Edited by - Dan Thorsland Publisher - Dark Horse Comics Release date(s) - 1992/1993 Aliens: Fireball (#8) Written by - Dan Jolley Illustrated by - David Johnson Inked by - David Johnson Lettered by - Dan Nakrosis Cover(s) by - Joe Phillips Edited by - Dan Thorsland Publisher - Dark Horse Comics Release date(s) - 1992 Aliens: Night Strike (#9) Written By - Dan Jolley Illustrated by - John Nadeau Inked by - Steve Moncuse Lettered by - Dan Nakrosis Cover(s) by - Joe Phillips Edited by - Dan Thorsland Publisher - Dark Horse Comics Release date(s) - 1992 Aliens: Swarm (#10) Written by - Dan Jolley Illustrated by - John Nadeau Inked by - Steve Moncuse Lettered by - Dan Nakrosis Cover(s) by - Joe Phillips Edited by - Dan Thorsland Publisher - Dark Horse Comics Release date(s) - 1992 Aliens: Terrordome (#11) Written by - Dan Jolley Illustrated by - John Nadeau Inked by - Billy Ray Marimon Lettered by - Dan Nakrosis Cover(s) by - Joe Phillips Edited by - Dan Thorsland Publisher - Dark Horse Comics Release date(s) - 1992 Aliens: Ice Storm (#12) Written by - Dan Jolley Illustrated by - John Nadeau Inked by - John Nadeau Lettered by - Dan Nakrosis Cover(s) by - Joe Phillips Edited by - Dan Thorsland Publisher - Dark Horse Comics Release date(s) - 1992 Aliens vs. Predator: The Ultimate Battle (#13) Written by - Dan Thorsland Illustrated by - Brandon McKinney Inked by - Karl Kesel Lettered by - Dan Nakrosis Cover(s) by - Joe Phillips Edited by - Barbara Kesel Publisher - Dark Horse Comics Release date(s) - 1992 |
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I'm a #2.
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BigRedOne1944 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Opps Sorry about the Typo  Yes Im aware of the first two Series. Im missing #1 and #3 of the original 1988 Series. I do have #2 but it is a 2nd print and I would like to have all 1st prints. Im a condition freak so Im looking for 9.4 NM high quality books. Outstanding Info on your Mini comics! Thanks! Was the interior artwork B/W or Color? How did you go about submitting the books for pressing? Did you just write a submission on a piece of paper and send it to CBCS? There is currently no Pressing info on the CBCS submission page. Happy Holidays John |
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BabaLament private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by BigRedOne1944 I have two sets of the first & second series, all first printing. Both sets are in excellent shape, but I'm not experienced/confident enough to assign a numerical grade to them. I'll be off on Wednesday, and I will take a bunch of photos & post them here. If they meet your acceptance criteria, I'm sure we can work something out. The interior artwork on the mini's is in color. I'm impressed at the amount of detail/work that went into those lil' guys. The licensing on that run had to be a pain in the butt; a deal between Kenner Toys & 20th Century Fox for the Aliens license, then splitting hairs further to include the Dark Horse Comic...whomever put that deal together was on-point. Not surprising they have never been reprinted. I submitted the order via the online submission form, and typed up a pressing request that I printed & stapled to the invoice on the submission. I also called customer service & they were extremely helpful. They added the pressing charges to the invoice & I was able to get everything submitted easily. Now its the waiting game...and trying to get my hands on the rest of the Dark Horse Comics Aliens sets before Disney rolls the license to Marvel and we lose the iconic Dark Horse art style. |
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BabaLament private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Hello all! A bit of invoice shock when I checked the dashboard. I got a call from Customer Service about the mini's; they arrived safe & sound (yay!), but there were some "issues" I need to be aware of. I'd already known that pressing would be an additional charge ($35/book), and had that on my original invoice. Well, being mini-comics, to account for the "additional work" that goes into getting these lil' guys graded & cased, they are billed at the 2-Day Modern tier...effectively doubling the cost of the invoice to $996. Putting the word out in case anyone thought about following in my footsteps on these. |
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Homer private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @BabaLament Not sure about how these slot into the two day modern. Was this your choice, or did they upgrade you because these are mini comics. | ||
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Johnnylray private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Wow...was a cool thought..but not at 900$+..you could buy a great key for that moolah...and the Extra work they charge your...what? a smaller heat seal sleeve? good luck and thanks for trying! | ||
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BabaLament private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Homer I chose to have them pressed because, as you can see in the photos earlier in this thread, they have spent the previous twenty-five years rolled in the original packaging. They need the press. I was informed the upgrade to 2-Day Modern was the price adjustment for having to deal with mini-comics. Quote: Originally Posted by Johnnylray Apparently so. I want to get a full set of the Dark Horse Aliens/Predator series graded, and these mini's are part of that collection, so its something of a necessity for the set. These are the only mini's though, so its a one-and-done expense. Of course, with the pending buyout of 20th Century Fox by Disney, we'll end up with another set of toys w/ mini-comics courtesy of Marvel, and I'll have to go through this all over again. |
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conditionfreak private msg quote post Address this user | |
| First off, how many modern comics for a thousand dollars? Wow. Secondly, there should be a discount for the pressing as they are much smaller.  Thirdly and most important. Thanks for the heads up. I am considering submitting a set of six Star Wars micro comics that came in card packs. But I won't pay a whole lot to do that. Of course mine won't need pressing, so that is a huge difference right there.  |
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BabaLament private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by conditionfreak Thirteen mini's. I have photos up at the top of this thread. Quote: Originally Posted by conditionfreak Amen brother. Quote: Originally Posted by conditionfreak Those look neat! From what I was told, mini comics are going to be priced at the 2-Day Modern price tier, so you're looking at $36/each. Still, its a neat thing to have done, and I'm not griping too much. From calling around, I don't think anyone else has graded these [be it CBCS, CGC, or "other"] , so it'll be neat to have a unique set for however long that lasts. |
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JustABitEvil private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Ouch. | ||
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50AE_DE private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Wow...$76/book to get graded? That's a lot for mini comics books. I've thought about getting my He-Man and the Power Sword graded, since he appeared in the mini comic before he appeared in a regular comic book format, but now there is no way I'm going to spend that much to get a mini-comic graded. No doubt it'll be cool to have a complete set but man...that's a lot of money. |
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I'm a #2.
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BigRedOne1944 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Ouch! on the price hit. This is just another reason why I prefer not to use CBCS pressing service until there are clear details added to the online submission page. but Hey! Those mini's are going to be awesome! I would be interested in seeing the First series Aliens books you spoke of. Regards John |
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BabaLament private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by BigRedOne1944 I wanted to get these up on the board for you before I head in to work. The #1 on the left has an indent in the cover; its pretty obvious in the photo from the light, but it isn't nearly as pronounced in person. The #3 on the right has a manufacturing defect where one staple is towards the front of the comic and the other is towards the back, they don't align perfectly along the side of the spine. The #4 on the left has a small roll to the upper-left part of the spine. The #5 on the left has some color wear along the spine. Let me know what you think & if any of them meet your acceptance criteria to fill the gap(s) in your collection.       |
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I'm a #2.
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BigRedOne1944 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by BabaLament Really Appreciate the prompt response! Im really only interested in picking up 9.2 NM or better copies. I can't really tell much from the smaller scans as well as them being bagged. The Black covers are super tough. Its slim pickings for higher grade copies on Ebay. I may have to opt for slabbed books to aquire the higher grades. Are they all first prints? Would you trade a set for a TPB Edition featuring the 6 issues?   |
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BabaLament private msg quote post Address this user | |
| They are all first printings. Unless later printings have something unique/special (ex. ASM #700 Ramos 2nd Print Variant), I try to keep to all first printings. I don't know about the grade; I don't have enough experience to give them hard numerical values. I have the TPB already; which also has some fine cover art. |
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BabaLament private msg quote post Address this user | |
| EH-MEH-GERD! I submitted these lil' guys on 12/6/17, they arrived at CBCS 12/10/17, and I just got the all-important e-mail: they are in grading! Many thanks in advance to the pressing staff, I hope they look wonderful. For CBCS Staff: Any chance you guys took internal photos during the pressing process? Would be neat to see before/after the press shots; for promotional purposes of course. So, if the gods are kind, maybe I'll get these back soon-ish, and have a unique set of goodies to put on display next to the toys! |
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JustABitEvil private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I got my book back about 3 weeks after I got the grading email, you might see them soon. | ||
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