THE END OF A FLING

You know how it is. You're far from home. Away from the people you love. Lonely. Wandering the streets, getting use to your new surroundings. Then you see it - The local comic store. You're pretty sure it has all the stuff you'd find back home at your normal store but you're not that sure . Maybe they have a better discount on new books? Maybe they'll have that back issue you've been looking for? That missing Holy Grail.

Or maybe you just want to try something new. The excitement and anticipation kicks in as you enter the store.

And so begins your tawdry affair with another comic vendor. It's only temporary. You both know what you're getting into from the get-go. It was never meant to be long term. It's only to fulfill your selfish need for instant gratification. You could wait until you return home to your faithful comic guy but you can't. You need it now.

Right now, dammit!

I've been on the road, off & on, for the past 3 years. Sometimes for a couple of weeks. Sometimes 6 or 7 weeks. Or like now, 10 full months. Each time, I'd have my local comic store (DJ's Universal Comics) hold comics for me. Meanwhile, I'd find some local "action" in each city. For the most part, it's been pretty hush-hush and I've been able to get away with it.

However…..

After a trip back from St. Louis last year, I got caught. I returned home and hit Universal Comics. As I picked up my haul from the past 5 weeks, I made the mistake of adding the few titles I had been reading in St. Louis. To raise suspicions even more, I asked for a few bag and boards more than what I was buying. My comic guy (Cat) looked me in the eye and asked "Dude, are you cheating on me?"

Caught. I fumbled a response before admitting I was getting some stuff on the side. Just to hold me over until I returned home.

He gave me the stink-eye the entire time he bag & boarded my purchases. I felt lousy having it come out that way.

This is the same comic guy who has been my comic guy since after college. The same comic guy who found a first printing of Captain America #25 for me WEEKS after it sold out. Who knows I worship Grant Morrison and holds his titles for me even if I don't ask. The same comic guy I've followed to three different store locations faithfully for close to 16 years.

Yeah. I felt pretty crummy.

That hasn't stopped me tho. These past 10 months, I've been "stationed" in Singapore. I diligently send a Pull List back home each and every week but find myself visiting the local store (Comics World) to pick up at least one title a week. Without this store, I would have been MONTHS behind on reading Blackest Night - And that's something that could not happen! Of the three stores out here (Yeah, ONLY three stores), this one is the best in terms of customer service. They've treated me really well each and every week.

This weekend, I'm going to have to tell the owner (Bill) that it's over. Like St. Louis and New Jersey before, our weekly relationship is coming to an end. I'm heading home in two weeks and I probably won't be coming back. I'll try to stay in contact. If you're having trouble finding a specific back issue or promotional item, drop me an e-mail. I'll see if I can send it to you. 

Don't shed a tear.  We can end this amicably.

HELLO AND WELCOME

Hello.  My name is Andrew Rubio and I read comic books.  I read them for pleasure.  I read them for research.  And for a brief period of time, I was actually paid to read them as a consultant.  Comic books have been the one constant throughout my life, haunting me like a four-colored banshee.

My earliest comic book memories usually include man-handling a Disney, Bugs Bunny or Archie comic.  I vaguely remember images from various early stories but can never place where they came from.

1972

From a young boy to an outcast teenager to a grumpy adult, the art form known as the COMIC BOOK has always been there. My grandfather taught me how to read using comic books (especially with Spidey Super Stories as presented by Marvel and The Electric Company).

Yes.  I still have this!

Well, the California school system helped out too but Spidey definitely left a larger impact.  I continued reading throughout my school years becoming a "serious" collector in Junior High (which means I stopped folding them over to read 'em). Continued reading as a working adult. Continued reading after my children were born. Continued reading as prices steadily increased (I started reading comics when they were .35¢. They are currently $3.99). I even got married the same week Clark Kent and Lois Lane did, reading that issue on the way to the chapel.

Lois & Clark: Oct. 9, 1996
Dawn & Andrew: Oct. 13, 1996

I’ve made 2 serious attempts to give up comics (not counting the times that financial situations forced me to take brief sabbaticals or the one time my mom forbade me from buying new comics for an entire summer).  Both of those attempts saw me crawling back to my true love after a few months.

Comic books have been there for as long as I remember. And more than likely, they'll be there for a long time to come.

I had a MySpace blog way back when (like 2007) and never really stuck anything on it.  This is my second attempt at a blog and I'm sure it'll work exactly like the last one.  Eventually, I'll add the original MySpace stuff to this blog to keep all my thoughts in one place.  It'll also pad this place up a bit.

If you're looking for a blog with in-depth reviews of comics, this probably won't be the place to find them. Admittedly, I'm not smart enough to deliver an insightful or scholarly review of anything. I just like to babble. But if you're looking for aimless ramblings about the Micronauts or the time a friend of mine took the bus, carrying his entire comic collection in milk boxes to trade with me then this is the place for you.

Thanks for reading.