Daytripper - A Sublime Experience

By: Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon

While in Emerald City, I attended the Con of Comics. At the DC booth, there were heaps and heaps of free comics, pins, and posters. Like a red leaf among the yellow piles, the first installation of Daytripper lept into my hands. Seldom does a comic resound so powerfully within a single issue. Daytripper #1 is an non-judging look at the life of an obscure writer named Bras on his birthday. It goes largely unremembered and unnoticed by the world around him, and he struggles with resenting his family as a result. His father is a very successful writer, and all that Bras has accomplished is a steady job as a writer of obituaries. The reader of this comic follows him on this red letter day in his life, not because of his accomplishments, but because of his realizations.

There are very thick themes of family loyalty and love within this issue. It ends in a most surprising manner (which I won't spoil here) that drove several waves of emotion through me. Sadness, joy, understanding, but most of all gratitude. I would recommend this comic to my Father, my Mother, my brothers, my friends and my Wife; such is the power of the message it portrays. It seems to touch upon a deeper level of thought and emotion that most media strives to reach but seldom obtains. More important than reading it, is feeling it.

"You don't choose family."

Please read this comic! You won't regret it!

Chad de Lisle is a newly married college student in Utah. He spends much of his day with his wife Hilary and their dog Bobby Dylan. He spends his weekends as a Dungeon Master for his friend's Dungeon's and Dragon's games.

His website: http://www.resmirch.com/

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A Brief History Of The Evolution Of Vintage Comics

For centuries now, comics have been printed and collectors classify them into 5 Periods: 1897 to 1937 Platinum; 1938 to 1955 Golden Age; 1956 to 1969 Silver Age; 1970- 1979 Bronze and 1980 to present Modern Era. The value for vintage comic books is given based on condition, issue and title and rarity. Some of the popular titles are Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Incredible Hulk and X-Men.

Among the first comics to be published was Hogan's Alley in 1895 and this featured the first lead character and speech bubbles. The Yellow Kid in McFadden's Flats was published in 1897, which created the comic book term and this signifies the start of the Platinum Era, which continued until 1937.

Immediately after newspaper comic strips like Mutt and Jeff had been reprinted as books and the publishers started to experiment with periodic books, which were sold for 10 cents at the newsstands. The pre-superhero comic strips had been mainly pulp stories of detectives, adventure, criminals and exotic travel. The very first costumed hero had been The Phantom, which came out in 1936 wearing black mask and a purple costume.

The Golden Age started in 1937, and comics, formerly intended for adults were now centered more on youngsters. During 1938 an innovative new series called Action Comics #1, released Superman first comic character with superhuman capabilities. Batman came out in the following year in Detective Comics #27, much grittier than the Superman and at first much more mysterious than the superhero comics.

In 1939, Superman received his own book and this brand-new format took over as the standard for the American comics. The Golden Age continued to 1955 and presented characters like Captain Marvel, Captain America, The Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash and The Spectre.

The Silver Age revamped The Flash with superheroes coming back from the post WW2 decline. There were characters such as Fantastic Four, X-Men and The Avengers
In 1962, Spider-Man was introduced to great success because he was similar to an average person. Some other characters introduced during this era include Dr. Doom, Aquaman and Martian Manhunter.

For more great tips on vintage comic books and comic book collectors visit any of the links in this authors bio.

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3 Locations To Discover Rare Comics

Whether you've been collecting comic books for a long time, or you're new to the hobby, there's something fun that keeps both nerds and entrepreneurs interested. Finding rare comics is one of the funnest things you can do and if you play your cards right, you can earn a good living by reselling your findings. You don't need to be an expert, you simply need to know where to find the best of the crop. Consider these three locations to finding your next big rarity.

1. eBay - This seems way too obvious. But if you look for misspellings and listings that get the numbers and grading wrong, you will discover a new world of options. There are a variety of sites that can help you look through the millions of comics on this mighty auction site. I most recently purchased a Daredevil #8 for ten dollars because someone forgot to list that it was the first appearance of Stilt Man.

2. Amazon - The biggest e-commerce website has a lot of books in their database. That includes millions of copies of used and new illustrated graphic novels. I was surprised to see just how many different options that are available to the consumer. I most recently found vintage copies of Dr. Strange from the Silver Age at a faction of the price that they are worth.

3. Half Priced Discount Book Store - There are a great variety of clearance book locations throughout the world. Look for these places to jack up the price for retail goods, but if they have a used section look for high quality trade paper backs and single issue comics. You'll be amazed how many of these stores sell big lots of vintage comics, and don't even realize that they are worth a lot of money. While in Seattle, I found a whole collection of Spawn comics for less than ten cents each. Just keep your open and you'll find gems.

For some, these seem obvious, but for others these represent modern locations where your next big score is waiting. There are a great deal of options to discover if you're looking to collect or resell these marvelous works.

Whether you're a comic nerd, or simply want more commentary about comics, consider reading Casket Sales Man Blog. It is updated daily with book recommendations, music reviews, and a variety of other geeky things.

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Homo Ludens - Notes About BOCAH Comic Book

According to Indonesia law, a man presumes to be adult when he/she reaches age of eighteen. When that age is coming, I come to realize that the most interesting part of life is when someone at his/her childhood, or to be clearer, when someone entering his essence of humanity as a homo ludens: which means, creatures who love to play. Sometimes before a man becomes an adult, or when someone still at his childhood, maybe he would be happy to play with one fake pistol, and then consider himself as a cowboy who carries pistol at his waist, walking on the dusty road, going to save a beautiful princess who had been kidnapped by some bad person.

The comic book, written by Bayu, Seta, Ockto, and given with title: B.O.C.AH (MnC!, 2010), depicted everyday's life of four mischief-making children: Beri (11 years old), Badi (11), Ijul (11), and Ardi (11); who reach their essence of humanity by become a group of homo ludens. This comic book divided into twelve chapters, each chapter contains one story, which does not have any relation with the others. Readers might also notice that each panel occasionally burlesqued everyday's life by focusing on Beri and his Friend's naughty behavior; showing to us one world filled by Childs imagination. Moreover, it is not only their imagination, but also their game and adventure, which had, becomes elements of the whole story. Readers can find those elements by looking at some "ridiculous" (some reader might say, irrational) story. However, what kind of story we could find in B.O.C.A.H? To say some, they once dreaming about turning-out fire with giant glass. On the other story, Beri (with his ridiculous daydreaming experiment) trying to pull out moon from its orbit to prevent earth from tsunami disaster. With those "ridiculous" stories, of course, you do not have to ask any logical sense, because you really do not need to do that.

Perhaps the simple story line of B.O.C.A.H is actually the most endearing part of the comic. The entire plots follow four children relationship with one another, showing the various nuances of their lives. Although Beri seems to be given more portion to develop his nature than others boy do. Therefore, it seems that the only purpose that the other characters serve is to create conflicts, exposition, and comedic relief. I this case, I must say that the other characters are more like additional player, even in the beginning of this comic; four of them have mentioned to be prominent figure. Surely, in this comic book, as I said before, there is no room for logical sense. For a four mischief-child, all they can do is playing with their body and mind, more and more. Readers may find some plots, which are so irrational to us, but, once again, it is child imagination, you can imagine whatever, and whenever you want. At this point, irrational-thing will guide us to some pieces of childhood memories.

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Golden Age Hawkman Remains Excellent DC Comics Character

Although he may not be as famous as Superman or Batman, Hawkman has been a major DC Comics superhero since the Golden Age of comics. Not only is he a great character visually, he sports an interesting origin, too. And while there have been more than one Hawkman, the Golden Age Hawkman is the best.

I am not going to spend hours explaining Hawkman's past. A great place to read about it is at Wikipedia. However, I need to sum up Hawkman a little. Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics in 1940. He was Carter Hall and, later in the series, his fiancee Shiera became Hawkgirl. They flew using wings and a metal-called ninth metal in the Golden Age and Nth metal in the Silver Age-harness that defies gravity. This was all courtesy of ancient Egyptian secrets. They were reincarnated Egyptians.

In the 1960s, Hawkman and Hawkgirl were reintroduced as Katar Hol and Shayera Hol (Thal was her maiden name). They were alien police officers who came to Earth from the planet Thanagar. Although they have a different history, their costumes look almost exactly the same as the original hawks. There are twists and turns to the history of Hawkman and Hawkgirl, but, basically, these are the four main hawk characters.

Growing up in the 1980s, I was most familiar with the alien hawks. It was Katar and Shayera who were on the SuperFriends and featured in DC Comics at the time. Carter and Shiera Hall were still around in DC Comics, too, but not as prominently in the 1980s. In the 1990s, the entire Hawkman franchise was revamped, in a way, through the Hawkworld miniseries and the Hawkworld ongoing series. Although fans were split on some decisions made with the Hawkworld stories, I loved them. The Hawkworld ongoing series was excellent. Some issues featured all four hawks, which made for some great tales.

Hawkman was once again reintroduced in the early 2000s. Carter Hall was back as the main Hawkman and Kendra Saunders (grandniece of the first Hawkgirl) was Hawkgirl. But, it was not really Kendra. It was Shiera's soul in Kendra's body, using Kendra's memories. Thankfully, Shiera is back completely now, memories and all! She returned in DC Comic's Blackest Night No. 8 in early 2010.

Carter is my number one choice for Hawkman. The reincarnation angle of his character makes for some good stories. His adventures are a mix of Indiana Jones and Mummy movies with science fiction thrown in. Plus, he's the first Hawkman. He gets kudos for that!

Haters who say Hawkman is pointless because all he does is fly are missing the point. Sure, he flies. And while Superman can fly and do a hundred other things, Hawkman is unique. Hawkman is about adventures in ancient worlds, lost civilizations, and even on other planets. Also, unlike other heroes who fly, Hawkman embodies the idea of flight. His wings are a symbol of man's dream of flight. And they just look darn cool!

Another important aspect of Hawkman has also been the equality and partnership between Hawkman and Hawkgirl (sometimes called Hawkwoman). The first Hawkgirl, Shiera, appeared in Flash Comics (1940) No. 1 as an non-costumed supporting character in the Hawkman story. She becomes Hawkgirl later in the run. But, that is a subject for another article.

I am an owner of Halloween Hill, an online store that sells haunted house props, as well as Halloween decorations. I am also a comic book collector and have been for more than 25 years!

Visit me at http://www.halloween-hill-props.com/ and http://comicbooksandthings.blogspot.com/.

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Football Rookie Cards

Football rookie cards are the first appearance of a football player in a particular trading card. These are highly valued and sought after by football card collectors. Every year major companies bring out special editions on the best players of the season.

For an ardent follower of football who is into sports card collection, football rookie cards are perhaps the most prized possessions. Sports card collection itself is a very rewarding hobby. And if this is a rookie card, then it becomes that much more special. A football card is the first appearance of a football player in a particular trading card.

Among all other types of sports cards, rookie cards are the most valued and are most sought after. Some regard it as the first ever appearance of a player, while others regard it as the first official card of a player from a major manufacturer. Collecting these is a separate hobby altogether. People are crazy about these. Some people spend fortunes on building a sports card collection. Although quite a time consuming and expensive hobby, some people keep hunting for these, looking to add every one of them to their collection, and football being one of the most popular games, football cards are prized even more.

Some people collect these only because of their novelty, others for the information, while the rest for simply nostalgic reasons. For American football fans, collecting football rookie cards of NFL players is a very popular hobby. All leading manufacturers bring out special editions on the best NFL players of the season every year. These cards are highly valued and, considering their demand, are often highly priced. However, that definitely doesn't serve as a deterrent for crazy football fans. They are just too happy to add their favorite players' rookie card to their ever-increasing collection. After the 2010 pro-bowl, a Vincent Jackson card is what every collector would be looking for.

Football cards are also excellent for investments. Their value never diminishes. On the contrary, they become more valued over the years, growing in demand. Apart from the ones for current players, collectors keep hunting for those special editions from the yesteryears to add to their collection. Apart from local shops, these are also available online. Some collectors also form groups where they exchange cards. If you are on the lookout for some rare rookie card, being a part of such a group can be a good idea.

Rare football rookie cards also surface at auction sites. Every collector knows the worth of a rare football rookie card, and they protect such cards as they would their most precious possession. If you want to add such a rare card to your collection, then be ready to shell out an astronomical price.

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Conan the Cimmerian #19

Until 2 weeks ago, I had never read a SINGLE Conan comic book. He never interested me. Then, while I was in Captain Comics in Boise, Idaho, I saw this cover and I knew I had to buy it. Initially, I bought 5 issues to give it a test run. I was immensely surprised by the depth of story I found, and how much I enjoyed the Cimmerian's antics. The story reminded me of playing dungeons and dragons as a twelve year old, gathered with my closest friends in my parent's kitchen, slaying evil and stopping villainy. Since that day in Boise, I have completely caught up on the back issues and I was able to purchase #19 that came out this month. So from here on out, expect a monthly review of Conan the Cimmerian!

This issue begins with the ghost of Amalric (the dead mercenary leader) paying a visit to the diseased and starving Conan. He rebukes the Cimmerian for losing his mighty army, and begs to know how it was so. Conan then proceeds to recount the loss of the "Free Companions of the Sword". The art is crisp and beautiful, as always when Giorello pencils. (One criticism I have for this series is the unending parade of guest artist that lack the skill to bring Conan to life.) We are introduced to a smok'in hot chick, Olivia, who is added to the harem of Shah Amurath. The Shah takes brutal advantage of her and all we can do is cringe and pray that the mighty hands of the Cimmerian will one day snap his neck. As the issue concludes, a man that Conan had previously offended returns, and it looks to be a bloody reunion!

I know why I love the Conan comics so much, here is the equation: 1) Conan travels and slays 2) He meets a beautiful woman who is in some sort of danger 3) Conan slays the crap out of everyone and protects/saves her 4) They make sweet, powerful, sweaty Cimmerian love 5) Conan travels and slays again.

With the Conan equation in place, any comic, movie, television show, or book will be wildly successful. I guarantee it. Issue 19 is awesome, and I absolutely cannot wait until next month when 20 comes out!

Chad de Lisle is a newly married college student in Utah. He spends much of his day with his wife Hilary and their dog Bobby Dylan. He spends his weekends as a Dungeon Master for his friend's Dungeon's and Dragon's games.

His website:

http://www.resmirch.com/

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