WonderCon is On!

Today marks the beginning of the long anticipated WonderCon 2008 at Moscone Center South in San Francisco. I’m sure if you are reading this then you wish you could go as much as I do. San Francisco is a little too far for me to travel with school and work, but luckily there are events like this all over the country.

Some of the awesome events scheduled for tonight include, Q&A sessions with Bill Willingham and Becky Cloonan. Bill has been well known since he started writing for DC Comics in the early 2000s. His work on Proposition Player was great and who doesn’t love Vertigo’s Fables? He’s just amazing! Becky is awesome too. Her work on East Coast Rising is really good. There are just too many great events to list.

One con that is almost close enough for me to attend is Wizard World Dallas. It is coming up in November. I wonder if they are going to offer a Q&A on comic book appraisals. There are so many people out there asking themselves “how do I value comics?” I had no idea how to handle it before I found iTaggit. If you were lucky enough to attend WonderCon comment and let me know how it was!

By Jamie

Spanish Language Comics

Comics appraisers are all talking about the hottest thing on the market these days; Spanish Language Comics. People started to really take notice of the profit possibility when Marvel Comics released both an English version and a Spanish version of Fantastic Four: Isla de la Muerta. After seeing how quickly the book sold out, I’m sure this was the first of many to be published.

The comic book tells the tale of The Fantastic four’s struggle with Chupacabras. Most of us have heard of Chupacabra, but for those of you who haven’t, the term means goat sucker in English. It refers to an animal that attacks, and drinks the blood of goats and other livestock. Of course, the existence of Chupacabra has yet to be proven.

Comic book collectors should take note, the worth of comics that have historical relevance like this one can grow to astronomical levels. I certainly wish I had a copy.

I think it is wonderful that mainstream American publishers are making their comics more available in other languages. This is a global economy and we all have to adapt to survive. Hopefully after two years of Spanish in high-school and four semesters more in college, I am fluent enough to read one. I can’t wait to give it a try!

By Jamie

Valentine's Day Gift Panic?

If you haven't found that perfect Valentine's Day gift for your sweetie, don't worry there is still time! I know we've all gotten a gift that looks like the person picked it up on the way home. It is the thought that counts but sometimes you just
can't imagine what they were thinking. Waiting until the last minute doesn't have to mean a bad gift. If you don't know where to begin, try thinking outside the box this year, instead of candy, flowers or dinner check out the ideas I've compiled for you.
For Him:

• If your man is messy why not hire someone to clean his apartment? Coming home to a fresh clean home will be just what he needs to focus on a romantic evening for the two of you. If he is pretty clean on his own maybe he just needs someone to organize collections that he hasn't had time to focus on. I know my fiance has a collection of baseball cards that really needs to be organized and displayed properly. He'd love it if I took care of that for him.
• Maybe your guy's passion is comic books. If he already has an extensive collection of graphic novels, you can look into finding out the worthof comics he owns through comic book appraisals. If he doesn't have a collection, find out which books or characters he loved the most growing up, and start one for him. Check the Marvel Comics website for popular titles.
• If your boyfriend loves working with his hands, look in to getting him a tool set. It is the perfect gift to help him complete all of his projects. If you can't fit an entire set into your budget, get him a single high quality tool and get it engraved with his initials. For future holidays, you can buy him additional tools and eventually he'll have a high quality personalized set. This one works out for you too since he might become Mr. Handyman.
• For the sports nut in your life, why not try sports card memorabilia? Every sport has a set of cards these days, so it won't be hard to find something he'll love. Budget won't be a problem on this gift, you can easily find baseball cards worth hundreds, or if that is too pricey you can find cards for less than a dollar. Maybe your boyfriend doesn't really value baseball cards, don't worry! There are tons of other kinds of sports memorabilia out there. An autographed jersey or maybe even just a shirt with his favorite team's logo would make him happy and sports stuff is just so easy to find.

For Her:

• If your girlfriend is the sentimental type, why not find out what her favorite childhood toy was and buy it for her. A vintage toy is a sweet way to show her how well you know her. They are easy to find in antique stores and on the web. When I was a little girl, I had a my little pony named Ember. It would melt my heart if a guy bought that for me.
• If you are on a tight budget a sweet and inexpensive gift is a photo collage of the two of you. You can print the photos yourself and put them in a discount frame, or if you have the means, you can have it put together at a frame shop or by a local artist. Either way, your lady will be impressed by your thoughtful gift!
• Jewelry is usually a safe bet for Valentine's day, but it doesn't have to be brand new or cost two months salary for your girl to love it. Interesting and beautiful jewelry can be found easily in antique stores. Don't be afraid that the antiques prices will be too high, jewelry from several eras can be found at inexpensive prices. Some of the most fashionable periods right now are Edwardian, Art Deco and Art Nouveau.
• A gift that would be perfect for any lady in your life is an outing with you. Personalize the trip to her interests. If she likes drama, buy two tickets to a play. If music is her thing, why not a concert? If she loves animals take her to the zoo, just get creative and think of a place where the two of you can spend time together doing something fun and interesting. There is no greater gift than time with someone you love!

Hopefully this list has given you some ideas for treating your loved one this holiday. You don't have to roam the aisles full of candy boxes and singing stuffed animals, find something he or she can really treasure forever! They'll never know you waited until the last minute if you put real thought into your gift.

That is my take on great Valentine's day gifts, but I could be wrong about all of this. Maybe diamonds really are a girls best friend. Maybe a giant teddy bear balloon is what you were dreaming of. Let me know if I'm a genius, or if my ideas are crazy. I'd also love to hear the best and worst gifts given to you by your sweetie.

Limited Variant Scud Cover Available Only at WonderCon

Hey comic book collectors, if you love Scud: the Disposable Assassin, then I’ve got good news for you! Scud creator, Rob Schrab has announced that he is currently producing the final chapter of the comic book to be released in a book that includes all of the Scud issues.


As you may know, Rob Schrab starting writing and producing the comic in the late 1990s. It ran for only 20 issues before Rob left the property to focus more on his career in television and film. Now only four more issues remain, which include Scud #21 “Return of the Over-Used Muse,” Scud #22 “Challenge of the Over-Used Muse,” Scud #23 “Retaliation of the Over-Used Muse” and Scud #24 “Death of the Over-Used Muse.”

Covers of the remaining four graphic novels covers were supposed to be done by guest artists, including Ashley Wood, Jim Mahfood, David Hartman, and Doug Tennapel, but recently Scrab announced that he will be doing a variant cover for Scud #21 that will only be available at this years’ WonderCon.
The other covers won’t disappoint though with the star-studded cast of artists working on them. Ashley Wood is a well known Austrailan comic book artist who has worked on Metal Gear Solid Comics and Automatic Kafka. Jim Mahfood has done work for Marvel Comics and has his own comic book series Grrrl Scouts. Doug Tennapel is best known for creating Earthworm Jim but has worked as an animator and artist on several projects.

There is no need to check your comics price guide, the 32 page black and white comic Scud #21 will be available this month for $3.50. Remember, the worth of comics with variant covers can sometimes climb to astronomical numbers so if you are a collector, be sure and grab the Rob Schrab cover of Scud #21 at Wondercon at the Image Comics booth (#509).

Appraising Comic Books with iTaggit

If you find yourself wondering “How Do I Value Comics?” Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Lots of Collectors today want to know exactly how much their investment is worth. If you ever want to sell the titles individually or if you want to auction off your entire collection some day, you’ll need to know the fair market value. Luckily, the answer is simple. The only way to find the real worth of comics you own is to have them appraised.

Getting an appraisal is easier than ever. Upload your collection on to iTaggit.com, fill in the fields and upload some pictures. Click on the comic you’d like to value, hit the “Item Actions” button and then select “Appraise This Item” at the bottom of the list. Make your selection and follow the remaining steps. Before you know it, you’ll know the worth of your comic from real comics appraisers.

Special Image Cover Coming Soon!

If you love graphic novels from Image, this is your lucky day! Erik Larsen is teaming up with Ryan Ottley for a Walking Dead #50 super hero variant cover that will only be available as one for every twenty-five copies ordered.

The cover was originally supposed to be much more rare, only one for every one hundred copies ordered, but the level of demand was so high that Image decided to make it more accessible.

Erik Larsen, best known for his work on Savage Dragon with Image Comics, has done extensive work with Marvel Comics and DC. Some of the most notable titles he’s worked on include Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Wolverine, The Outsider and Nova. Ryan Ottley is known for his penciling skills. His use of realism and caricature are amazing to say the least. The combination of these two master’s styles is as exciting as can be.

No need to check your comics price guide, you can get the black and white comic for $2.99 at the end of April. If you can’t live without the special edition cover, check the web. You should expect the comics prices to be significantly higher than the regular edition.

WonderCon 2008 Coming Soon!

Hey comic book collectors, it is almost that time of year again! Our favorite heros, villains and other characters come together for a four day extravaganza. For those of you who aren’t quite sure what I’m talking about, WonderCon is coming!

WonderCon is a comic, sci-fi and movie convention held in San Francisco every year. The Con was started in 1987 by John Barrett and was originally held in the Oakland Convention Center. After the 2000 convention, WonderCon became part of the Comic

Con International family of conventions and has since been known for early screenings of comic book related movies. WonderCon 2008 will be held February 22-24 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

If you can’t make it out to all the cons this year, don’t worry. There are plenty of commentators ready to give you the stories. One in particular has earned himself quite a fan base, his name is Bob Stencil. Search the web to see Comic-Con through Bob’s eyes. It is quite a treat!

If you can, you should really try to attend at least one comic convention this year, if not for the fun, then at least for all the back issues of comics for sale! Once you’ve added all those new comics to your collection, don’t forget to let iTaggit help you find comic book appraisals.