Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 300, where we look at various comic books I own (and in some cases ones that I let get away), both new and old, often with a nostalgic leaning for those feelings of yesteryear. I hope you have as much fun reading about them as I had writing about these cool comics!
For each of the comic books I include here, I list the current secondary market pricing (except for of digital issues, which don’t have collectible value). This is according to the websites ComicBookRealm.com (CBR) and Zap-Kapow Comics (ZKC), using the comic book grading scale of 9.4 (if both sites have the same price, you’ll find just one price for that issue), along with the 50th Edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide (OPG) using their 9.2 NM scale. Not all my comics meet that grade. Some are probably better, and some are certainly worse. But to simplify it, that’s the scale I use here. And remember, a comic book is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. And for those who enjoy the additional fun of knowing some of the more important issues in your collection, I recognize each Cool Comic that is listed in Key Collector Comics.
If you have any comments, please scroll to the bottom of the page to where it says, “Leave a Reply.” And now, Episode 300…
Cool Comics Stuff!
First off, I want to thank all of you readers out there who keep coming back, week after week. I receive encouraging comments that show up both on the blog, and in private messages and emails, and I appreciate that you’ve taken the time to let me know that you enjoy Cool Comics In My Collection. If not for you, this would have ended long before we ever hit 300 episodes.
Each week I must decide what Modern-Day Cool Comic to include below, and often there are some fun ones that get missed. And that’s why we now have Cool Comics Stuff! This section (okay, some of you have read this before…) allows me to show off other awesome comics I got the previous week that are now hiding in white boxes in my house. The Captain America Annual is continuing the Infinity storyline and it’s still intriguing, Doctor Doom’s wedding day is here in Fantastic Four #33, and Venom #35, a big issue that retails for $9.99, is #200 in legacy numbering. Also, this issue is the last from the creative team, and if you’ve been reading it, you know what a great job they did on this series. But never fear, Venom will be back, but…different. Read this issue to find out what I mean!
Cool Comics Battle of the Week!
The Cool Comics Battle of the Week is The Cast from House of Secrets versus King Konk from Not Brand Echh! What do you think would happen if they faced each other in a titanic tussle, and how do you see the winner achieving victory? Let us know in the comments section below.
Cool Comics Creations!
This owl by Ed Griffie is the perfect representative for our 300th episode, because starting the Cool Comics blog was a wise decision! Ed is a lifelong comic book fan who started drawing Kawaii and Chibi style versions of pop culture icons and superheroes about five years ago. Through Facebook, his work came to the attention of Daniel Hare, the owner of vintage toy and comic bookstore The Toys Time Forgot, who offered him a guest spot at Free Comic Book Day. Since then, Ed has been a regular at local conventions and comic bookstores, where he offers bookmarks, coloring pages, trading cards, and color prints featuring his unique artwork. You can check out his full catalog of work at toonist27.deviantart.com or contact him at edgriffiejr@gmail.com to commission an original piece of your very own.
You can have a piece of your art featured right here in Cool Comics Creations! Just send an electronic file in an email featuring one of your drawings, whether you’re a professional or amateur, (it can be just pencils, or inks too…or full color if you prefer) or a picture of a craft or sculpture that you’ve done, and if it’s family friendly (and not controversial…let’s try to keep this fun), you’ll be a part of an upcoming Cool Comics episode. We also want your name, an optional picture of yourself to go here, and any other background information you want to provide, such as a website or a way you can be contacted about your art (who knows, maybe someone will make you an offer for the original!). And then email it to edgosney62@gmail.com.
Cool Comics In My Collection
Modern-Day Cool Comics
#1516 — Planet-Size X-Men #1, Marvel, August 2021.
In comic book ads leading up to this issue, Marvel proclaimed the following: “Fifty years ago, Giant-Size X-Men changed our world. This June, Planet-Size X-Men changes our universe.” And if you’ve read this issue (don’t worry, I’m not going to spoil it for you if you’re part of the uninitiated as to the goings on here), now you understand why they said it. How do I feel about it? Unsure. Unsure what this will mean for the Marvel Universe as a whole; unsure if I think this was a smart, bold move by the X-Team of creators (with Jonathan Hickman listed as “Head of X”); unsure of the direction of these comics that started off in the Sixties with a small team of misfit mutants; unsure of Charles Xavier; and unsure if, several decades in our future, this special one-shot issue will be considered as important as Giant-Size X-Men #1 (it seems highly doubtful, but then again, after what’s taken place, who knows?). Still, this is a cool comic on a grand scale because of what takes place, so it fittingly belongs here in the 300th episode of Cool Comics In My Collection. The creators of this issue are Gerry Duggan (writer), Pepe Larraz (artist), Marte Gracia (color artist), VC’s Clayton Cowles (letterer), and Jordan D. White (editor). The cover price of Planet-Size X-Men #1 is $4.99, while the current value is $5. The Key Collector Comics value is also $5.
Dynamically Discounted Cool Comics
#1517 — House of Secrets #148, DC, November 1977.
While most of the comic books I bought as a kid in the Seventies were centered on superheroes, scary stuff was also a big part of this decade for me and my neighborhood pals. From The Night Stalker on TV to Aurora monster models to Saturday night horror host “Chilly Billy” Cardille, we loved things that made our hair stand on end. And now that I’m older and often see all the great scary comics I missed out on, I don’t hesitate to grab them out of quarter boxes whenever I’m fortunate enough to stumble on these awesome finds. House of Secrets is one of those fun anthologies that has a host (Abel), which sort of reminds me of those late Saturday nights spent watching Chiller Theatre. The cool cover pencils and inks were done by Gray Morrow, while the introduction from Abel was written by Paul Levitz, with art by Michael Golden. The first tale, Roman Holiday, was written by George Kashdan, with art by Ernie Chan. Jack Oleck (writer), Steven Ditko (pencils), and Ernie Chan (inks) brought us the story Sorcerer’s Apprentice. The cover price of House of Secrets #148 is 35¢, while the current value is $12. The OPG value is also $12.
Cool Comics Celebrates FCBD (Week 49 of 2020)
#1518 — Defend Comics, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, May 2020.
This is it, comic book fans, the last Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) issue for the 2020 batch. While most comic book shops limit how many FCBD issues you can take (for example, some stores will let you have up to five issues), it makes me wonder just how many people make the trip with the purpose of grabbing the annual Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) offering. This issue comes with six stories: Something Borrowed by Sas Milledge; 2984 by Jeffrey Brown; The Uproars Cannot Be Silenced by Audra Winslow; Common Ground by Christine Larsen; The Squeaky Toy Rescue by Sam Davies; and Weekday Wayfarer by Jenna Ayoub. You won’t find anything here on the level of Superman versus Doomsday, but the CBLDF is an organization that has helped many people in the comic book community over the years. The cover price of Defend Comics is free, while the current value is $1.
Cool Comics for the Young at Heart
#1519 — Donald Duck #156, Gold Key/Whitman, May 1974.
When I started Cool Comics In My Collection 300 weeks ago, I had no clue that I’d be looking forward to reading “kiddie comics” for future episodes. In November 2018 (episode 163) I launched the first Cool Comics Kids segment of the blog, and though the name has now changed (Cool Comics for the Young at Heart), the passion for finding ways to keep this blog fun and entertaining is still strong. Maybe you don’t consider Donald Duck (or other Disney characters, or Harvey Comics, or others I’ve included here) to be fun and entertaining when it comes to comic books, but I do try to give you a variety of other Cool Comics each episode, in case this category isn’t for you. But if it is, you’ve come to know how much I like Donald and his nephews, so it was no mistake that I selected this issue for episode 300. Often the stories in these older kid-focused comics are short, with each issue containing several stories. However, this one has just one longer adventure, The Pirates of Ashcanistran, which is both scripted and penciled by Bob Gregory, with inks by Jeff Maurer. Additionally, there is a one-page prose tale featuring Li’l Bad Wolf with a couple accompanying illustrations. You’ll notice that my copy (pictured) is the Whitman variant, and yes, I did find this in a quarter bin. The cover price of Donald Duck #156 is 20¢, while the current value is $26. The OPG value is also $26.
Twentieth Century Cool Comics
#1520 — Not Brand Echh #11, Marvel, December 1968.
Comic book storylines are often intense, brutal, and bloody. Our heroes fight not just to save individual lives, but sometimes the very universe itself! Do I take my hobby too seriously? And if I do, does it really matter? For me, I want to enjoy the experience of reading and collecting and have fun while doing it. Not all comics are for all people, and if you can’t find something you like that’s currently being offered by a myriad of companies, you may just be able to find your passion in back issues from a different time and different sensibilities. Up until a couple months ago, Not Brand Echh was never a part of my collection. When it originally issued, I was rather young and not yet buying comic books. Over the years, I’d seen images of the covers in magazines, books, and on social media sites. So, one day when I was searching through back issues at a local comic shop, I decided to purchase this comic. The store had it listed for just $3.50, and it had a parody of King Kong on the cover…what’s not to love? Sometimes it’s good to take a break from major galactic stories and just have some goofy fun. Plus, it’s sort of like owning a piece of history, only not the “real” history of these Marvel characters. Wait, they are real, right? Okay, maybe not, but if we study the mythology of different civilizations, and we know it’s fiction…wait a minute…if you’re reading this, I don’t need to try to convince you. We’re on the same team! There are lots of creators who made this issue happen, including: Marie Severin, Sam Rosen, Roy Thomas, Tom Sutton, John Tartaglione, Artie Simek, Arnold Drake, Frank Springer, Herb Cooper, Stu Schwartzberg, Jean Izzo, Irv Watanabe, and John Verpoorten. For detailed breakdowns, click HERE. The cover price of Not Brand Echh #11 is 25¢, while the current values are $70 on CBR and $15 on ZKC. The OPG value is $70.
Cool Comics Reader Reviews!
Would you like to write a review of a comic book or graphic novel for all the Internet to read? Our Cool Comics Reader Reviews section is looking for fans just like you to submit your review, along with a cover image of the comic. Additionally, you may provide a picture of yourself and any other biographical information you want published in Cool Comics. Send all this to edgosney62@gmail.com. Please keep in mind that we reserve the right to decide what will and won’t go in the blog, so keep the language clean, pick out a comic that won’t cause controversy (we try to have fun here!), and start tapping away on your keyboard!
ComicBooks For Kids!
ComicBooks For Kids! (CB4K) is a charity that Cool Comics In My Collection is honored to be working with. CB4K provides comic books to kids in hospitals and cancer centers all across the United States. You can check their website and see if your local hospital is included and if not, you can work with them to get them included! If you like what you see, please help them out and follow/like their Facebook page. Their link is https://www.facebook.com/comicbooksforkids/
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Hurray!
Three hundred issues!
And you didn’t even need the tri fold cardstock cover with the holograms!
May there be many more!
Action Ace,
I really appreciate your support over the years!
Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics!