Discussing the minutiae of comic book collecting.
Discussing the minutiae of comic book collecting.
Well, folks, I must say that I wasn’t expecting last month’s column, “A Spectrum Publications Checklist,” to receive such an enthusiastic response from readers. It obviously struck a chord. Quite a few people commented and numerous others contacted me privately…
When the second Canadiana auction (hosted by Walter Duralija’s eBay store, International Collectibles Exchange) ended on June 8, the talk of the comics community was the record price achieved for the first Canadian comic book, Better Comics # 1. This…
Before getting started on this month’s topic, I want to direct readers to Robin Bougie’s recently published Gutter Hunter # 2. Note that this Canadian publication is NSFW and Bougie calls it “The adults only guide to the history’s wildest…
The notion that comics could be collectible and worthy of critical study emerged in North America, somewhat organically, during the mid-to-late 1960s. The advent of comic book shops, comic conventions and comic fanzines all came to fruition during this decade.…
When I think about bandes dessinées québécoises (BDQ) from the early 1970s, the main collecting strain that comes to mind involves original content that was part of the “Springtime of Quebec Comics.“ The majority of these comics were comedic and…
For the past few months, I have focused on a handful of bizarre, low-quality “gutter” comics from the 1980s. This has been a fun exercise for me, but I think it is time to break things up with something completely…
Despite last year having many starts and stops, including my personal hiatus (and a wider hiatus by our research group), Dan, Victor and I were able to uncover about a dozen “new” comics from the Canadian Silver Age that we…
One of the most disheartening things about collecting and researching independent comic books from the late 1980s is knowing that the market collapsed before the decade ended. The simplest explanation of the crash is that the sheer volume of mediocrity…
It’s been a while. My hiatus lasted a bit longer than I originally planned. It was a rough summer. In August, my mother-in-law fell down the stairs and broke her neck. She is doing well in her recovery (far better…
In the pandemic era, awards shows have continued a steady decline in terms of viewership that began at least a decade ago. There are numerous explanations for why there is dwindling interest in events like the Golden Globes or Academy…
Back in September 2019, my monthly edition of Forgotten Silver listed three creators (Vincent Marchesano, Sylvie Rancourt and Dave Geary), as well as one cohort of artists (FreeKluck) who I believe should be inducted into the Joe Shuster Awards’ Canadian…
Well, here we are. It’s the middle of June and I, along with many Nova Scotians, have been sitting in full or partial lockdown for eight weeks. Since the last week of April, I have only left my apartment a…
I started 2021 with a column focusing on Barry Blair and Aircel. Partway through that column, I briefly mentioned the self-published comics that Blair released under the “Nightwynd” name (and which predate Aircel). These rare comics had print runs of…
As I looked at some of my older editions of Forgotten Silver over Easter weekend, it dawned on me that I have not written an article specifically dedicated to a comic or series produced in British Columbia (BC) since May…
One of the most common requests I receive from readers of Forgotten Silver is to write about minicomics from the 1980s more often. Last year, I wrote columns about the early works of Chester Brown and also covered the work…
Welcome back to the final part of my three-month-long look into the major Canadian publishers from the 1980s. Since December, I have covered (in broad strokes) the important contributions to the history of Canadian comics made by the largest Canadian…
Happy belated New Year! For the first time in a long time, bringing in the New Year was not something that excited me. Admittedly, I fell asleep before the clock hit midnight on the east coast and January 1, 2021,…
When I started this column two years ago, I defined the Canadian Silver Age differently from how John Bell does in his book Invaders from the North. My definition of the era captures all of the comics created in Canada…
Well, that’s a strange title, huh? I promise it’s not a typo. I will come back to that shortly. This month’s edition of Forgotten Silver will pick up where I left off last month by filling in the blanks that…
Before delving into this month’s topic, Snore Comix, I want to wish everyone (in Canada) a happy Thanksgiving! As we approach seven months of living in a world fundamentally altered by Covid-19, I am both fortunate and thankful to find…