Spiderbite

Similar type cover art to the Dune one. I wore this issue out. Remember this was before home video so this was the next best thing to rewatching the movie back then. This was release in summer of 1981.

Spiderbite

About the same cost of a magazine nowadays. For Raiders:


Dune would be around $7.47 if adjusted for inflation since it was released in 1984.

cultshock

The Marvel Super Specials I remember were not printed on newsprint, but were not on glossy paper either, just a better quality, whiter paper than other Marvel mags like Savage Sword of Conan (which were on newsprint). I bought the very first one when it came out in 1977 (KISS!!!) and the cover price was $1.50. A little pricey for a 9 year old kid like me, but it was KISS, so I was willing to shell out the extra bucks for that one, and the second KISS issue in MSS #5. Some issues were printed in both magazine sized format and tabloid size (like the Treasury Editions), the latter were on newsprint.

If I recall correctly, MSS #27 (Return of the Jedi) was accidently released a week or so before the movie came out, and Lucas was really pissed at Marvel. Of course, I bought it immediately and ended up spoiling the film for myself, but I couldn't resist!

Josh-da-man

The Marvel Super Specials were more like magazines than regular comic books. More pages than a regular 32-page comic book and larger, too. I think they were big, like a LIFE magazine, but they might have been a tad smaller like 8 1/2 x 11.

Going from memory, the only one I had was the Empire Strikes Back one.

Bronkster

Having just sold one, I can state that they were "regular" magazine size - 10 3/4 x 8.

Bronkster

Something for the Cover of the Day. The current issue of Action Comics - #1063, and #63 from 1943. What a difference 1,000 issues makes!

cultshock

Most of them were standard magazine size (like Marvel's Savage Sword of Conan and Epic Illustrated) and I believe mostly 48 pages. I had a big treasury sized edition of ESB, so I don't think mine was a Super Special. The other Super Specials I remember having besides the KISS ones were the movie adaptations of Battlestar Galactica, Dragonslayer, Conan the Barbarian and ROTJ. Actually I still have the KISS ones, but they are beat to shit at this point.

Dimension X

1980-1986 about covers my "serious collecting days" too. I read comics occasionally starting around 1973, I guess (I still have comics and the Slurpee cups I got that year), but really got into them in '79 (a comic shop had opened up in my hometown, and I had my driver's license). I was obsessive enough about comics that I kept a list of them as I bought them - unfortunately, I didn't write down where I bought them or how much I paid. I was only interested in keeping a running overall total. I recently looked through that list, and could see that I was going to the comic shop every week on new comic book day through sometime late in '86, when I started having a pull list, letting the shop pull my books and picking them up every 2-3 weeks. Then after I moved here in '92, I had my comics shipped to me once a month, or so, until I quit buying new ones around '07-'08.

Dimension X

Mike's Amazing World of Comics is a great site for looking up covers, publishing dates, etc.

Spiderbite

I don't know. Having a pull list until 1992 and then having comics shipped to you until 2008 kinda seems like serious collecting to me. What made you quit?

And in the spirit of the thread and not as off topic...here's another cover of a Marvel Super Special I still have to this day that traveled to school with me and the teacher took it from me, sent me to the principal's office and called my parents. Little did they know that my ultra conservative preacher dad was also a massive James Bond fan and actually bought it for me. I remember that parent's conference quite well.

Both books below were taken for me for being offensive. I was only in 4th Grade at the time, so I had zero idea what the big deal was or why it was deemed offensive.

Looking at it today, it blows my mind that the movie was even made with this title. Can you imagine the uproar that would happen now!?!

Dimension X

I guess it could still be considered "serious collecting" to some, but I was no longer going to the shop every week and obsessing over picking the best copy for myself, I quit bothering to keep a list...

My interest was waning over time, and I wasn't as serious as I had once been.

Got laid off (and was considering making it permanent and "retiring"), and not long after that, DC's New 52 came up as a convenient excuse for me to drop out.

fujishig

Ha, New 52 was a convenient way for me to quit too (though I did try with legion since it was technically not rebooted, but the writing was on the wall for me and my pull list, especially after the slap in the face of just discarding all continuity)

B5Erik

George Perez, of course...

Spiderbite

I had this one below. Damn the art was so good in these. I should have bought more of them when I was a kid.

Spiderbite

Had to add the obvious face-off cover. I loved these kinds of covers.

PhantomStranger

I think that is one of Deathstroke's earliest appearances.

B5Erik

The first Avengers issue I bought brand new off the rack. What a place to start!

Kane/Romita

Spiderbite

^Nice start, B5Erik!

I didn't have many Avengers comics as a kid. But basically, if Spider-Man graced a cover, I bought it. So, I had these two issues for the obvious reason. It was a fun, too brief story.

cultshock

Ah, back in that brief period in the 70s when Iron Man had a nose.

Which is why the Mego Iron Man has a nose, he was designed during that period.

Spiderbite

I had this issue below and several ones like it. I just loved the wacked-out stories these contained...especially any Bizarro or Superbaby stories. Those used to crack me up as a kid. I hated I didn't see stuff like this for sale very often when I was buying off the newsstand. Had to luck up on ones like these at yard sales or thrift stores. This was a 1974 release. 100 pages! Fuck yeah! This son of a bitch was a book as far as I was concerned!

Trevor

I love those DC 100 pagers so! Might be close to owning them all. Haven’t fully organized/indexed my collection in 30+ longboxes, so sure I’m rebuying lots of things at this point.

PhantomStranger

Last summer I finally completed a gem mint complete run of all Superman Family issues. Some of the Neal Adams issues and #200 are very hard to find in great condition. I'd say it's easier finding Batman Family issues in stone mint condition.

Dimension X

What a great run of Detectice Comics. Every issue from 1974 was a 100 pager (along with a bunch of other DCs).

Bronkster

Darn you! I've narrowed my collecting down to Superman-related titles, and so far overlooked this one. I have issues #164 thru 189 (missing two) - bought new off the stands. Had to stop because I was sent remote by the Air Force and basically stopped collecting until years later. Now I got the bug to fill in the gaps!!

B5Erik

I love the use of negative space here for Spider-Man. Great work by Steve Ditko.