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Comics Copper Age

1980s Indie Comics8944

Collector X51 private msg quote post Address this user
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Originally Posted by michaelekrupp
Very early direct direct sales comics and also my first ECs:
















These were originally published between 1972 & 1975. Not really in the scope of the thread unless there was a late printing in the 80's that I don't know about. They are still really cool.
If you can pick up a reddish brown cover on Crypt of Terror cheap, grab it. Collectors are willing to pay more for it.

http://comiclist.000webhostapp.com/East_Coast/East_Coast.html
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#17 was the only one I actually bought in the 80's. I'm not really a fan. I'll still buy any below #15 if they are very reasonably priced.


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Collector michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user
@X51 the East Coast reprints were definitely published in the ‘70s. Mainly posted them because they were indie comics and also for the sentimental value to me personally.
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Originally Posted by michaelekrupp
@X51 the East Coast reprints were definitely published in the ‘70s. Mainly posted them because they were indie comics and also for the sentimental value to me personally.


It doesn't bother me. I just wanted others to know.
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I'm a #2. BigRedOne1944 private msg quote post Address this user
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Originally Posted by brysb
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Originally Posted by BigRedOne1944
Great Thread and some very memorable books you all have posted.

I credit the eighties independent titles as what really got me back into comics.

The diversity in all of the different artwork that began really pushing the envelope, as well as the more detailed mature storylines was really what grabbed hold of me.

The Title that started it all for me was Grim Jack in 1984, when I purchased Issue #5 "Eternity Road".
The Extreme details of John Ostranders Trans-Dimensional city of Cynosure was beyond belief and still remains one of my all time favorite story lines, and Tim Truman's Gritty and "Dirty" artwork really brang it all to life. I have since completed a high grade Grim Jack Run, but the Tim Truman Issues are really the heart and soul of the Series.

I firmly believe The John Ostrander/Tim Truman Grim Jack Work are masterpieces that are some of the most overlooked and under appreciated comic book works in the hobby.





The last page in Grim Jack #5 "Eternity Road" really left me hanging. I couldn't wait for the next issue!




So it was without question that I was immediately drawn to Tim Truman's Scout Series. Outstanding story and art from Truman, While I indeed loved all the Rock N Roll, Guns and Bikes action, The Scout character was not quite as strong as Grim Jack. It goes without question I maintain a High Grade Scout run though.






Who could ever forget the Impact Judge Dredd would have on the world of comics. The John Wagner/Brian Bolland combo is the stuff comic book legends are made of! I couldn't ever imagine a comic book world without our favorite Law officer of the future. In fact our current world could use a few more no holds barred Judge Dredd's.

Im still looking for a few upgrade Issue's for my Dredd run, Including a 9.4-9.6 Issue #1, Which is getting kind of pricey.






Another of my favorite Indie titles from the eighties was Chuck Dixon's Airboy stories. I have always been intrigued by stories from the war era. Obviously by now you know the Tim Truman Art on the early issues was a big draw for me as well. Of coarse a HOT Valkyrie cover by Dave Stevens never hurts your cause! All this Action coming to you Bi-weekly for ONLY .50 cents!!! Ahh the good ole days!







Of coarse ANY serious discussion about eighties Indies titles has to start with Howard Chaykins "American Flagg". Chaykin's masterpiece almost single handily moved the comic book genre forward to the next level of maturity in story telling. His knack for drawing the reader into the story by establishing a character base that plays through out the story line and that always makes you not only want to turn the page, BUT have to turn the page to find out what happens next. With multiple plot lines of political scandal, police and Government corruption, to Ruben's sexual escapades, Chaykin masterfully weaves them all full circle.
If one has no American Flagg, Im not sure I can even call ya a comic enthusiast.






While it is true that many of the Independent publishers were only around for a short time, I strongly believe that they hold a VERY significant distinction in the timeline of comic book history. It gave Creators, for the first time the ability to work outside of the Comics Code of Authority, and gave writers and artist the creative freedom to push the boundaries of their creativity with more creative and mature storylines. It also paved the way for creative rights issues that gave Writers and Artist the rights to their work.

The short of it? It was good shit that pushed the industry to the next level. I believe some of the most influential work ever done in comic books was done during this brief, but very fruitful time period.

While these substantial comic book works still seem to be overlooked and under valued, They will always remain as top tier books in my collection, as there have been very few comics printed since their departure that have come remotely close to reaching the creative level of the eighties Indie books.


You have beautiful comics, wish we were related.



We're all brothers at heart here in the comic book world. I appreciate the kind words on the books.
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I'm a #2. BigRedOne1944 private msg quote post Address this user
I haven't checked in here lately.... WoW! Lots of amazing comics posted!

It really was a special time in the comic book timeline.


While it is true that many of these eighties Independent publishers have long since vanished, it should also be noted that it also gave rise to some very prominent publishers that not only flourished, but became industry leaders that continue to this day.

A prime example is Dark horse comics, It was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon.

Richardson started out by opening his first comic book store, Pegasus Books, in Bend, Oregon, in 1980. From there he was able to use the funds from his retail operation to start his own publishing company. Dark Horse Presents and Boris the Bear were the two initial titles in 1986 and within one year of its first publication, Dark Horse Comics added nine new titles to its roster, including Hellboy, The American, The Mask, Trekker, and Black Cross. Frank Miller's Sin City is one of the most famous works associated with Dark Horse, and it has become something of a signature comic to the publishing house.

Their Early renditions of both the Aliens and Predator franchise are still some of the most prized books in my collection.

















Dark Horse publishes many licensed comics, including comics based on Star Wars, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Predator, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Conan and Who Wants to be a Superhero? Dark Horse also publishes creator owned comics such as Frank Miller's Sin City and 300, Mike Mignola's Hellboy, Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo, Gerard Way's Umbrella Academy, Overwatch, and Michael Chabon's The Escapist. Today, the comic arm of the company flourishes despite no longer having its own universe of superpowered characters. Dark Horse also published the English translation of The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia in 2013.

Like Dell and Gold Key, Dark Horse was one of the few major American publishers of comic books never to display the Comics Code Authority seal on its covers.

Dark Horse's production studio arm, Dark Horse Entertainment, produces films and television shows based on Dark Horse Comics. Established by Richardson in 1992, Dark Horse Entertainment set up shop on the lot at Twentieth Century Fox through a first-look deal with Larry Gordon and Largo Entertainment. Dark Horse Entertainment has produced over two dozen films and television projects.

In 2019, Dark Horse Entertainment set up a first-look deal with the streaming company Netflix.

Not Bad for a start up Eighties Indie publisher


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Although I was very high on them when they first came out, Dark Horse was probably not the publisher I would have bet on to survive that tumultuous era. In hindsight, they did demonstrate the one thing that so many of the others lacked: the ability to run a business. I think that was really the downfall of many of the publishers on this thread.
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Threat! from Fantagraphics was an SF anthology which I enjoyed tremendously.
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Originally Posted by michaelekrupp
Although I was very high on them when they first came out, Dark Horse was probably not the publisher I would have bet on to survive that tumultuous era. In hindsight, they did demonstrate the one thing that so many of the others lacked: the ability to run a business. I think that was really the downfall of many of the publishers on this thread.


Historically speaking, the publishers that rely upon licensed content are not the ones that survive in the market. I don't think Dark Horse can survive if their movie deals dry up.
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Western Publishing (AKA Dell/ Gold Key) managed to survive for over 40 years almost exclusively publishing licensed material. I will agree that a diversified business model is probably the best strategy.
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Originally Posted by michaelekrupp
Western Publishing (AKA Dell/ Gold Key) managed to survive for over 40 years almost exclusively publishing licensed material. I will agree that a diversified business model is probably the best strategy.


Agreed. Sticking with licensed comics can be lucrative. Star Wars was a huge success for Marvel. The problem is that success is only maintained while the properties are "hot". Replacing "hot" properties depends on what the competition is doing. The problem is that it doesn't leave a back-up plan. When the popularity of a property fades, the sales drop and you are paying more to produce those comics (production costs + licensing).
DC and Marvel own most of what they produce, so lean times enable them to milk the value of what they already own without having the added expenses. Now Comics had good market penetration with licensed properties, but it faded to nothing quickly.
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Originally Posted by michaelekrupp
@Enelson I followed the Eagle Comics 2000 AD series not as much for Judge Dredd, but because I loved D.R. And Quinch! Alan Davis is coming to the Motor City con this year and I am hoping to get him to do a sketch inside my copy of The Complete D.R. and Quinch.


I am guessing that most of you are not following the Motor City Con thread, so I am re-posting Alan Davis’ finished sketch here. For more cool con stuff, or if you’re just curious exactly how ugly I am in real life, check out the Motor City thread.
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I will post one here too from Motor City Con. Here is Mike Grell signing a couple Sable drawing I picked up from him. Sable was a book written and drawn by Mike Grell and published by First Comics in the 1980's



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Nice! I'm a big fan of the old DR and Quinch. I bought everything Alan Moore did back then. Alan Davis was going to be at a con a couple years ago that I went to, so I pulled this out to get signed, but he had to cancel. Still, enjoyed re-reading it again.

Quote:
Originally Posted by michaelekrupp
I am guessing that most of you are not following the Motor City Con thread, so I am re-posting Alan Davis’ finished sketch here. For more cool con stuff, or if you’re just curious exactly how ugly I am in real life, check out the Motor City thread.
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Originally Posted by esaravo
Did somebody say Dave Stevens?









Nobody does hot Chicks like Dave Stevens! Outstanding stuff!
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@Tedsaid Alan was hesitant to do the drawing. When I told him what I wanted, he was only doing head shots. I asked him if he would draw them both if I paid him for two. I guess I looked sufficiently dejected because, after a brief pause, he said ...”I’ll see what I can do”. He did that drawing in about 10 minutes. Watching him work was just incredible! Man, I wish I had that kind of talent!
Another interesting tidbit: when I was waiting at Alan’s table for him to return from lunch, I was talking to another fan who had met Alan before and had brought some Eclipse Miracleman issues for him to sign. He refused to sign them, saying that the creative people never received any money from Eclipse from these books. Apparently it was work for hire and Eclipse paid the publisher for the rights, but the creative people never saw a dime.
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Originally Posted by michaelekrupp
@Tedsaid Alan was hesitant to do the drawing. When I told him what I wanted, he was only doing head shots. I asked him if he would draw them both if I paid him for two. I guess I looked sufficiently dejected because, after a brief pause, he said ...”I’ll see what I can do”. He did that drawing in about 10 minutes. Watching him work was just incredible! Man, I wish I had that kind of talent!
Another interesting tidbit: when I was waiting at Alan’s table for him to return from lunch, I was talking to another fan who had met Alan before and had brought some Eclipse Miracleman issues for him to sign. He refused to sign them, saying that the creative people never received any money from Eclipse from these books. Apparently it was work for hire and Eclipse paid the publisher for the rights, but the creative people never saw a dime.

That's awesome! So cool of him to do that. I would love a DR and Quinch sketch.

It seems odd that he blames Eclipse for that. They paid Warrior Magazine - where it was originally published - for the right to reprint that stuff. it seems like Warrior should have subsequently paid Davis and others, not Eclipse?

Even more odd, Alan Moore went on to work for Eclipse, continuing the Miracleman story. And Alan Moore is notorious for 1) having creators' rights arguments with publishers, and 2) looking out for creators' rights in general. For example, when Marvel bought all the Miracleman rights and started re-publishing those comics, Moore stated that any royalties he was due, he would donate some to the original creator of Miracleman Mick Anglo. So it seems weird that he wouldn't similarly look out for his long-time collaborator Alan Davis.

Anyway, Eclipse is bankrupt now. I wonder if he will sign them, now that he has won that particular battle?
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I don’t know that he blames Eclipse specifically, only that he never received payment and refused to sign the comics. It is interesting that he wasn’t compensated in some way by someone. Not that the comic book industry has a long history of treating creators well😕.
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