Comic Book Collecting Is Passion For Some, Business For Others – And For Many A Signature Event Headed To Detroit

In the 1970s, the corner drug store was seeing the last of 15¢ DC Action Comics with cover stories including “The Punishment of Superman’s Son!” Marvel Comics Group seemed a bit more premium, at 20¢ and on to a whopping 35¢ for installments of The Amazing Spider-Man. Harvey Comics was somewhere in that mix with Sad Sack, and there were others, too — all assuredly stamped: “Approved By The Comic Book Code Authority.” [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]

Who remembers when it was Stan Lee and Jack Kirby who saved Marvel? or that Marvel ever needed saving? The number of attempts to take Captain America beyond the printed page? The status of superhero merchanizing before Adam West played Batman? [9,10,11]

Whatever the origin story, today there are two indisputable facts. The first is the comic book collecting is an established, main stream, high stakes industry in its own right. The second is that it’s a far bigger world than was once found between the covers of those pulp magazines of the 1960s. Next time you’re in downtown Ann Arbor, take a peak in Vault of Midnight on main street and see for yourself. [12,13,14,15,16,17]

“Comic cons” provide the broadest view. San Diego Comic-Con International just wrapped its thirtieth year this month, and that’s likely your image of such happenings. Some two dozen trailers premiered at that event — with Shazam! perhaps the greatest departure of type within its universe (with potential to do so with a great deal of fun while attracting a wider audience along the way). [18,19,20,21]

But comic cons come in a far wider variety of shapes and sizes, as well as venues. And Michigan is on the list. Earlier this year, Motor City Comic Con was held in Novi. Grand Rapids Comic-Con is slated for November. Before that, Michigan Comic Con will be in Detroit, just over three weeks from now. [22,23,24]

Like other shows in this category, Michigan Comic Con offers an impressive list of celebrity guests, including John Rhys-Davies, Nichelle Nichols, Ray Park, and Lea Thompson. It will also feature cosplay, which means that those from this area looking to rationalize a trip can easily justify it as “research” for planning entries in The Saline Scarecrow Contest that’s coming up this year. [25,26,27,28,29,30,31]

Expect to see comic books there, too. But plan on paying more than the pocket change prices indelibly printed on those covers — especially the ones in mint condition. Couldn’t hurt to do your homework before heading off to the show. These days, even those available as electronic reprints online will cost you more than that. [32]

Cobo Center in Detroit is located 44 miles east-northeast of Saline. See links below for 2018 and future Michigan Comic Con show dates.

References

Michigan Comic Con debuts on August 17-19, 2018, at the Cobo Center – Hall C. Tickets range from $30 to $60, and children 12 and under are admitted for free. The event is produced and promoted by Imaginarium LLC, which produces four other comic conventions around the country. For information regarding hours, announced guests, programming, and other details, see website link below.

1. DC Comics (home page).
2. “Action Comics #391” (August 1970) Comic Vine.
3. Marvel (home page).
4. “The Amazing Spider-Man #116” (January 1, 1973) Comic Vine.
5. “The Amazing Spider-Man #175” (December 10, 1977) Comics.
6. “Harvey” Comic Vine.
7. “Sad Sack” Comic Vine.
8. “61 Years Ago: The Comics Code Authority Changed The Face of Comics” Patrick A Reed (October 26, 2015) Comics Alliance.
9. “The Back Story on Stan Lee vs Jack Kirby” Steve Duin (June 27, 2011) The Oregonian.
10. “The Evolution of Captain America in Television & Film” Burger Fiction (April 28, 2016) YouTube.
11. Citizen Spy: Television, Espionage, and Cold War Culture (page 207) Michael Kackman (2005) Google Books.
12. “Comic Collection Tips From A Real Comic Book Man” Kelly Knox (April 25, 2012) Wired.
13. “The #1 Comic Book Collecting Mistake: Buying Key Issues Without a Plan” Sell My Comic Books.
14. “Secrets of the Biggest Comic Book Collection in the World” Jordan Zakarin (May 14, 2018) SyFy Wire.
15. “Why you shouldn’t collect comics” Joshua Rivera (October 25, 2014) Entertainment Weekly.
16. Comic Book Collecting (Facebook Group).
17. Vault of Midnight (home page).
18. “8 questions about Comic-Con you were too embarrassed to ask” Alex Abad-Santos (July 9, 2015) Vox.
19. Comic-Con International: San Diego (home page).
20. “Watch All the Trailers That Premiered at San Diego Comic-Con This Year” (July 22, 2018) Vulture.
21. “SHAZAM! – Official Teaser Trailer [HD]” Warner Bros Pictures (July 21, 2018) YouTube.
22. Motor City Comic Con 2018 (home page).
23. Grand Rapids Comic-Con (home page).
24. Michigan Comic Con (home page).
25. “John Rhys-Davies” IMDb.
26. “Nichelle Nichols” IMDb.
27. “Ray Park” IMDb.
28. “Lea Thompson” IMDb.
29. “What Is Cosplay and Why Do People Do It?” Molly McIsaac (December 6, 2012) iFanboy.
30. “An Introduction Into The Wild World Of Cosplay” Melia Robinson (October 9, 2014) Business Insider.
31. “Theme Announced For Seventh Annual Saline Scarecrow Contest (Competitive Entrants Will Want To Start Planning Early)” Dell Deaton (July 18, 2018) Saline Journal.
32. “The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #175” (December 10, 1977) Marvel.