Celebrated Writer Leaves Marvel Comics

Comic book collectors who attended San Francisco’s WonderCon may have already heard the news that writer, J. Michael Straczynski is leaving Marvel Comics and heading over to DC Comics. JMS’s announcement is the biggest news to come from the convention season so far.

Straczynski is known for his work on “Amazing Spider-Man” when some of the most controversial events took place in Peter’s life, including Aunt Mary learning his secret identity once and for all. Straczynski also worked on several other graphic novels for Marvel including, “Babylon 5,” “Fantastic Four,” and “Supreme Power,” but it is yet to be announced what he will be working on at DC. All we know is that his first title with them will be released in the fall of 2008.

This isn’t the first shake-up for Marvel this year, if you remember from my previous blog, veteran artist, Mark Bagley, left a few months ago to work with DC Comics. Surely with these two industry giants on their side the worth of comics at DC are likely to go up. I imagine they are pretty excited about all of this. Hopefully Marvel can maintain their level of success even though they are losing people to competitors. It is pretty interesting that they are having such a hard time holding on to people who have been with them for so long. DC could be making offers these writers and artists can’t refuse or maybe they are looking for new blood at Marvel. Only the industry insiders really know that for sure.

Like I said before, if you have any Mark Bagley or JMS comics, now would be the time to look into comic book appraisals, your comics prices may have changed.

By Jamie.

Marvel Comics Releases Hulk Teaser Trailer

Hey comic book collectors, if the Incredible Hulk is on your list of favorites now is the time to head over to Marvel Comics official site for the new teaser trailer. The movie’s June 13th release is a long way off, but trailers like this one will tide us over until then. I snagged it from youtube for your viewing pleasure. Take a look!



I have to say that I’m pretty excited about this movie. The funny thing is that I’m not really a big Hulk fan. I remember my brother watching the TV show when I was a child and I hear the TV show strayed heavily from the graphic novels. Though it isn’t my favorite story, this movie just looks so good. The fact that I love Edward Norton and Liv Tyler might have something to do with that.

The Hulk has been around now for forty-six years. When he first appeared he wasn’t even green, he was grey. I imagine that finding a book with a grey Hulk is pretty hard. If anything is going to affect the worth of comics, it would be a major art change like that. The movie is likely to cause a change in these comics prices as well. We’ll all have to watch and see what happens over the next several months.

I’m glad I saw this trailer, because it has really raised my interest in the Incredible Hulk. Before researching the story, I never new that Dr. Bruce Banner was such a complex character with such interesting story lines. I’m not sure how much of the story will be covered in the upcoming movie, but I’m excited to find out. If you love the Hulk let me know!

By Jamie.

Veteran Artist Bids Farewell to Marvel Comics

According to Marvel Comic's official site, Mark Bagley is moving on.  For those of you who aren't familiar with Bagley, he is one of the most well respected artists in the business. He started his career with Marvel Comics, when he won a try-out contest and has done extensive work for them since then. He is not only a Marvel Icon, but truly a legendary artist when it comes to graphic novels. Bagley has worked on titles like The Amazing Spider-Man, Thunderbolts, New Warriors and Ultimate Spider-Man. I'm sure after 20 years of penciling, that everyone reading this has seen at least some of his work.

Now that his time with Marvel is up, Bagley is heading over to DC Comics. I can't wait to see what he'll do next! I'm no expert, but I bet that this shake up might affect the worth of comics that Bagley has worked on. Especially his final project at Marvel,  Mighty Avengers #11. I know a few comic book collectors who are going to want to get their hands on that book no matter what the cost. If you have an extensive collection of Bagley comics it may be time to go visit some comics appraisers. Let me know how it turns out!

Marvel Comics Collectibles

I was browsing the web today and I found a website that sells movie props. I had never really thought about it before, but these items would perfectly compliment comic book collections. A few of the most interesting items I saw were from Spider-Man. If you collect Marvel comics Spider-Man comic books then you might be interested in a swatch of the Green Goblin’s costume. At $400.00 that might be a little out of reach, but there are less expensive options like a World Unity Festival cup and button for under $100.00. Check out this video of both the Green Goblin costume and the cup in action.

I'm sure the worth of comics , like Spiderman, have increased since Hollywood decided to make movies about classic comic book action heroes. I’m sure comics appraisers must take this into account right? I would think so, then again, maybe lesser known, harder to find comics might be worth more. Can anyone shed some light on the subject?

By Jamie.

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.