Hello! Long-time lurker, first time poster here. Recent discussions of the DC reboot and the event some think is at the root of it (the long-term decline of sales since the implosion of the 90's comics-as-investment market) got me nostalgic for when I was most a purchaser of comics: the period of about 1982-1992 when publishers like Comico and Eclipse and First popped up and pushed Marvel and DC out of their comfort zone. As it happens I've been meaning to clean out the walk-in closet where I know I've got something like twenty boxes of comics and I've got a brand-new scanner here, so I thought I'd share some of the little gems I come across.

So far I've only found one box (I have a lot of crap in the closet), but it contained some fun items. I thought I'd start with a story from Marvel Fanfare #13, publication date March 1984. Now I know exactly why I bought this comic -- it would have been around 1986 and I was a big fan of both George Perez and Art Adams. The lead story was by the former, part of a continuing Black Widow story, while the cover was the latter (and, as far as I can tell from Wikipedia, was his first professionally published work). Still am a fan of both, actually, but at that time the local comic shop had Charles Vess in to sign things and this issue was among the books they had out for sale if one were interested in an autograph -- he had drawn the backup story. I figured what the heck and ponied up, since I'd at least have the Adams and Perez work. I didn't know who Vess was at the time, and I'm still kind of lukewarm about the Warriors Three, but I do know they get a lot of love around this community. And in the years since 1986 I've come to love Charles Vess with the passion of a thousand burning suns. He's one of the folks who turned me on to Art Nouveau illustration, examples of which now decorate my place of residence in all their glory.

( So let us begin... )