A few years ago I contributed a couple of stories to Rick Taylors wonderful anthology Growing Up With Comics. Amongst the other stories was Mark Askwiths New Comics Day an ode to our weekly pilgrimage to comic book shops everywhere. I just reread that story recently and it remains a powerful invocation of an experience Im not sure exists anymore. It must certainly be different. When I went into my local corner store in 1971 and gave the spinner rack a turn, I never knew what I would find. I knew Spider-man was the third week of the month, but other than that everything was a complete surprise. Kirbys DC comics, Howard the Duck, Conan #24 and Savage Tales Red Nails where all bolts from the blue. I imagine kids still get excited come Wednesday, but is it the same? We wait in anticipation for a release, but we often know that release is coming months in advance. Its a world of difference. I cant adequately describe for you what it was like to discover Red Nails, other than that: it was a discovery. I walked into a store and I when I walked out my world had been unexpectedly changed. The shift began with the advent of the direct market, but even in the 1980s you could still be surprised and blown away by your inner fan. Id really like to hear your thoughts and experiences, especially younger fans (which is pretty much everybody compared to me). Whats New Comic Book Day to you? And if you havent seen Growing Up With Comics, its definitely worth hunting down. Thanks Mark and Rick!
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 19:09:18 +0000
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