What is it?
Back when I was in 3rd grade I had a tonsillectomy. As I spent a week laid up in bed recovering, my mother purchased some comic books to keep me busy and in good spirits. Around the same time frame, my father found some of his old comics in my grandfather's house, including Amazing Spider-man #121: The Death of Gwen Stacy. Reading through these comics got me hooked. I asked for a variety pack for Christmas the next couple of years and my collection was off and running.
Now in order to "protect" the comics from damage while they are in storage, people typically place them in a plastic bag with a piece of cardboard backing (i.e. bagging and boarding them).
Why is it on the list?
Well, of the 1750 comic books in my collection hardly any of them were bagged and boarded, including some of the most valuable ones my Dad found so many years ago. A buddy who also collects comics called me a heathen and demanded that I start bagging and boarding my collection.
The Process
Nothing too exciting to say here. It takes a long time to bag and board comics, and as the supplies cost some money, I spaced it out over the course of a year. But as of today, the 1750 comics in my collection are all safely bagged and boarded and placed in short boxes (13 of em!). It was a fun trip down memory lane and I got to reread a bunch of good comics.
Nowadays, I still visit the comic shop every Wednesday. It blows my mind that people will watch Heroes on TV, see the latest Marvel Movie, and play superhero video games, but consider comic books to be "kid stuff". This might have a lot to do with the stereotypical comic nerd who is a 45 year old virgin living in his Mom's basement. I wish we could get past this because there really are a lot of great comics out there for all ages and interests.
If you like horror, Stephen King's son Joe Hill is publishing a wonderful miniseries called Locke and Key. In fact, King's Dark Tower series is being adapted in comic book form (with original stories!) and a comic book adaptation of The Stand will be out soon! If you like smart science fiction try out Pax Romana from Jonathon Hickman, the first issue of which can be read for free here (click the page to advance to the next one). If you like Westerns, Dynamite has a sequel to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (the best western ever). We find Blondie immediately after digging up all the Confederate Gold. He's on the run from the Union for blowing up the bridge (in the movie), is running from the Confederates from who he got the gold (in the movie), and now is heading back to the Mission (from the movie) to save them from some bandits. Can't wait for Tuco to show up! And if you like noir, Ed Brubaker's Criminal is a great read.
I could go on and on. But I already know you won't pick up a comic book. But in the immortal words of A Christmas Story, I TRIPLE DOG DARE YA!
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