What's Your Origin Story?

[Dick Grayson]

i made this thread, because the members on this website seem like really cool people and share some of the same hobbies. i was curious to know a little more about the members here, like your background, your hobbies, and what brought you to the DC Collector website?

i call it "origin story" cause this is a website about comic books and everyone has an origin story in comics.

And for Ashley, our "website lord" hahahaha, includin the above questions, how did you get the idea for this cool website and how has it changed your life?

my "origin story" is i am of Spanish descent and i was born in the 1980's in New York City and grew up there. i love comic books especially DC Comics, collectin action figures, music vinyls (mostly 80's 90's music like hard rock, thrash metal, industrial from that time period) and other genres. i love to read books, mostly historical books (im a true crime history buff) and like readin how to books. i enjoy workin out, playin baseball, soccer, doin MMA. i love horseback ridin, motorcycles and vistin historic places.
my favorite decade is the 1980's because of the music, the movies, the cartoons, the toys, the comics and my birth. last but not least i love comin here and talkin about DC Comics related stuff with cool people.

i found this place when i was googlin DC Comics action figures and i found this place and thought it was cool, so i decided to join. i really hope this website keeps growin and we get more people in here.

[ashley76]

It all started on the planet Oa, wait that isn't mine :)

I was born in 1976. I firsted started reading comics when I was about 3. I was reading Batman Family, Action Comics, Legion of Super Heroes, and Sgt. Rock. Keep in mind those were comics my mom or dad bought used for me back then. Probably were I get my love for DC stuff... I like Marvel too though. The first comic I ever bought was an issue of Marvel Team-up.

My hobbies are painting garage kits (model kits) which I don't have time to do a lot of (check my picture album here to see Batman and Darkseid that I did). I also love the Atlanta Falcons with a passion! I am a Network Admin for a local College and do this website on the side.

I love talking to others about comics/toys/collectibles/art and since I am in an area without other who share my likes, well the Internet is a nice substitute. I would say running this site takes a good 2 complete hours out of my day, just keeping up with the latest breaking DC news.

I hope to see this place grow as well! I want it to be full of people who share my love for DC Comics!

[TheGameAH]

I was born a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Oh sorry, no it was this galaxy, but it was a long time ago, (feels like it anyways). My first DC memories are of the Batman TV show, my first comic book was an issue of Batman that I found in the school yard without a cover, I remember he was taking on Catwoman. Batman led me to DC, but I always liked Robin, (Dick Grayson) because he was a kid like me. I like the team books, and that's what brought me to collecting the DC books. JLoA and Legion were the 2 I collected the most, although my favorite group is the original Teen Titans. The first book I bought was a copy of Justice League of America #121, I've since obtained almost every issue of JLoA from the original run the earliest issue I had being #6 (which I recently sold), I replaced most of the issues with the Archive editions, but I have every issue from the point where the archives end, (something else DCD didn't complete). My favorite DC hero is Green Lantern with Flash (Barry Allen), a close second. I loved the Flash books when GL was the back-up feature. I would frequent the DC message board, but was getting tired of the whining and some of the idiots over there, when Ashley said "I've started a new site check it out", I was hooked. Ashley has done a great job and his hard work is greatly appreciated by me.
My super power is customizing DC minimates, and my weakness is DC action figures.
My 2 greatest enemies are Mattel, (with some of there stupid decisions and distribution), and DCD, (for the completely non-sensical decision to "rest" the DC minimate line, which made me quit buying DCD product). I don't read very much Marvel but I do collect the Marvel minimates which is a great line of figures.

[ashley76]

Oh yes, I forgot to add, my favorite comic was and shall always be Justice League by Giffen, DeMatteis,and Maguire. That was coming out around the time I started my "full-time" comic buying era. After reading the first issue I was hooked and didn't stop reading it until after the breakdowns storyline. (Which pretty much completed the Giffen era).

Blue Beetle is my favorite character with Booster Gold and Batman close seconds...

[Dick Grayson]

wow guys, those are some really cool background stories. you guys have some really cool talents and amazing comic collections. i bet if you guys decided to come up with your own business chain of comics or custom figures youd be very sucessful. i feel like such a comic book novice hahahahahaha after readin your stories. you guys have been fans since before i even existed. my first exposure to DC comics was the Superfriends cartoons and for Marvel is was the NBC Spider-Man and Hulk cartoons.

the first time i got exposure to Superman was back in like 1985 and i found a stack of movie Superman cards...i saw Reeve in front. the first comic book i ever had was an issue of Superman back in early 1987...i dont remember it much but i think he was in space or somethin like that. i got more exposure to Batman with the West/Ward movie and then the reruns in the 80s.

i considered West/Ward's Batman and Robin to be my favorite as a child. i didnt know much about the darkside of the Batman, so when Burton made his movie at first, it took some gettin used to seeing a Batman draped in black. the Batman i was used to was a Smilin Batman with a gray and blue suit. Burt Ward's Robin is still my favorite live action Robin to date. notice that DC started drawin Robin with his hair parted to the side, instead of the two curls in front after Ward portrayed him in the 1960s. Ward's Robin i think was influencial to the comics version of Grayson.

for the toys the first comic book action figure i ever got was a Super Powers Martian Manhunter at Woolworth(remember that old store chain hahaha) back in 1987. and then i got my most prized action figure of all time, the Super Powers Robin in a store down by Lafayette street in Manhattan back in 1988. those things were scarce to find around here around that time.... probably cause the franchise had been dead for 2 years back in 88.

good thing you brought up the DC board GameAH, i was goin to ask if anyone here was ever a member there. because i was a member there but i havent logged in since 2006. it was borin at times and you would see some "know it alls" on there. i never had a problem personaly with anyone there, but i would see how some members would put down other members with a "i know more about DC Comics than you" kind of swager. that kind of crap shouldnt happen amongst people who share the same hobbies or people in genereal. good thing we have this website, where everyone helps each other out and discuss comic related things without any "keyboard warriors" puttin anyone down for no reason.

[The Flash III]

I was also born in 1976 and I grew up reading comics because my older brother was really into them, so they were always laying around. I watched the Super Friends and Super Powers shows when I was younger and thought they were the coolest things ever.

My favorite character is the Flash (obviously) and I like both the Barry Allen and Wally West versions, but feel more attached to Wally, since Barry died when I was like 10. I remember thinking Crisis #8 was both the best and worst issue ever created in comics: The Flash was dead, but he went out saving the entire universe, so I'm kind of torn about them bringing Barry back--can't anyone stay dead, please? I always thought the Flash got the short end of the stick compared to the Supermans and Batmans, so I felt obligated to like him. I also enjoyed the short-lived Flash TV series, which was put in a no-win situation (it started up against The Cosby Show and then got moved to Friday nights). Mark Hamill as the Trickster was awesome, though he was a little Jokerish.

I collected (well, played with) the Super Powers line and remember having The Flash, Batman, Robin, Kalibak, DeSaad, Steppenwolf, The Joker, Green Lantern, and Braniac. They all met tragic ends at the hands of my brother, the pavement, and/or fireworks. I still do have the original Batmobile my parents bought me for Christmas and recollected the rest of the line via eBay a couple years back. In college, the Total Justice line came out and I collected all of those through Kmart and eBay. The DCUC line has brought me back into the action figure game and I have every wave so far and some of the 2-packs.

In real life I live in Montana and do editing out of my home for a company in another town, which is why I find time to surf the Internet and this site. I'm married with dogs and cats, but no kids yet, so I'll enjoy collecting toys while I still can, haha! There aren't a lot of collectors in the area (that I know of), so it's nice to read everyone's posts and comment here and there about Mattel's ineptitude, what characters we like, and what we'd like to see from characters, figures, statues, etc. Thanks, everyone!

I read both Marvel and DC, but always enjoyed DC more--the heroes were heroes, not overly complex, self-hating, morose, borderine psychotics. My favorite comics were Crisis on Infinite Earths, Justice League International/Europe, Vigilante (the 80s answer to the Punisher), Blue Devil, and The Flash series that started after Crisis. I also loved this issue of The Avengers (an annual) where Grandmaster pits the Avengers against their dead former comrades and enemies--I've read it like a hundred times. I don't read comics these days, but do buy collections later (like Identity Crisis, 52, and Infinite Crisis), so I'm somewhat out of the loop in terms of comics continuity.

Anyway, I look forward to all the useful and superfluous posts from everyone. It's always nice to see what everyone thinks.

[ashley76]

The Flash III, you sound almost like my clone. I kid, I too enjoyed the Flash TV Series while it aired. I also enjoyed the campy Batman TV Show. I remember going outside and hopping on my BMX thinking it was the batcycle and zooming around the yard like it was Gotham City LOL!

I also played with Super Powers figures! I had Batman, Robin, Superman, Aquaman, Lex Luthor, Brainiac, Flash, Green Lantern, Penguin, Joker, Kalibak, Clark Kent, Darkseid, Martian Manhunter, Mister Miracle, Plastic Man, Dr. Fate, and Green Arrow. I also had the Lexsoar 7 and Batmobile!

My favorite comics are mostly 80's based - Justice League International/Europe, John Byrne's run on Action Comics/Superman, Man of Steel mini series, Green Lantern Corps, Batman (used to subscribe :)), Detective Comics, and Flash.

I do have some favorites from today that are popping up though. All Star Superman was very good, along with the current Green Lantern/Green Lantern Corps run!

[TheGameAH]

I loved that Flash TV series. I recorded every episode on VHS, and bought the collection when it came out on DVD. I've also picked up some of the old DC serials, like the 2 Batman & Robins and my favorite the Captain Marvel one. I recently found out they actually did a Vigilante one as well. I'll have to see if I can get my hands on that.

[ashley76]

Really Vigilante? The "punisher" type one or the cowboy?

[Dick Grayson]

the Flash series was cool! i used to watch it on CBS when i was a little kid. i thought John Wesley Shipp was a great Barry Allen/Flash, and the suit he used was comic book acurate and didnt look cartoony. the special effects were really good too and i like that they included the fact that Barry had to eat constantly because of his extremely high metabolism due to his speed. just imagine if they would have included the Flash ring and the suit would jump out, that series wouldve be 100% dead on to the book. if im not mistaken, the Vigilante that GameAH is talkin about is the cowboy one, they made a serial back in 1947.

[TheGameAH]

Yes it was the cowboy Vigilante, complete with his motorcycle. It was black and white so '47 is probablly about right. An interesting fact about the Captain Marvel serial, when they filmed it they used a grey uniform so it would look correct on film in black and white.

[The Flash III]

Yeah, they did a good job on that Flash series, considering special effects technology at the time. I liked the compulsive eating as well. While I like the whole "speed force" angle, the thought of The Flash eating 20,000 calories a day seems more realistic.

I think the original Superman suit that George Reeves wore for Superman was also a bland combination of grays because of filming in black and white as well.

[Dick Grayson]

yea the original Reeves suit was a combination of grays. i think i had seen a picture of the suit in the book "Superman: The Complete History" and explanations about it. good thing we live in the color age now...i usualy get sleepy when i watch some black and white stuff. i remember i saw a Batman serial a few years ago and i remember i wasnt able to take it too seriously cause Robin had a messy "blow out" hair dew and Batman's costume ears looked too long. i remember the Reeves show when i used to see it in the 80s but i always like Kirk Alyn more as Superman. Alyn is #2 only to Christopher Reeve in my book.

[grcoffman104]

I guess I’m the old man here. My brother had a girlfriend as a local Drug Store in the early 60’s and would bring comics home from his visits for me. He was 12 years older and passed in 1968. Batman, Showcase (Green Lantern) ect. I was hooked and could read on arrival at the 1st grade. (No kindergarten back then boys! I was puzzled there were no words on the books teacher passed out?)
Ran home (lived half block away to catch “Adventures of Superman” Mom made several Halloween costumes of Supes.
1966 Batman…. WOW.
High School 1971…College… First cop job. pounding foot beat Amarillo Texas.
Kids start arriving 1976…Oldest daughter fead steady diet of Wonder Woman (Lynda Carter strong but sweet..subservent to no man) Must have worked married to the best son in law on earth ..’nother cop.
Boys..(Must have bought TONS of super power figs…they were rough on them)
Batman 89 Stood up in theater when bats grabbed Joker and yelled “ Kick his…”
Embarrassed wife of the time.

Comics, Neal Adams, Rogers and his partners… Time moves on. 5 Officer involved shootings, was hit twice, moved from street cop to Deputy then college cop. Kids grew,
Got there own kids now. Both boys cops. Daughter’s nurse like her mom.

Landed in Waco Texas as High school cop , married to teacher who has developed a first name basis with my local comic book store (all gifts are Batman related). Kids and grandkids live 8 hrs away, send PaPa Blinkie lights lots of Batman stuff.

Time marches on ..enjoy your passions. they keep you grounded.

Thanks Guys!!!!!!!!!

GR Coffman 104

[ashley76]

cool story grcoffman! Love to here the "origins" of other collectors!

[Dick Grayson]

I guess I’m the old man here. My brother had a girlfriend as a local Drug Store in the early 60’s and would bring comics home from his visits for me. He was 12 years older and passed in 1968. Batman, Showcase (Green Lantern) ect. I was hooked and could read on arrival at the 1st grade. (No kindergarten back then boys! I was puzzled there were no words on the books teacher passed out?)
Ran home (lived half block away to catch “Adventures of Superman” Mom made several Halloween costumes of Supes.
1966 Batman…. WOW.
High School 1971…College… First cop job. pounding foot beat Amarillo Texas.
Kids start arriving 1976…Oldest daughter fead steady diet of Wonder Woman (Lynda Carter strong but sweet..subservent to no man) Must have worked married to the best son in law on earth ..’nother cop.
Boys..(Must have bought TONS of super power figs…they were rough on them)
Batman 89 Stood up in theater when bats grabbed Joker and yelled “ Kick his…”
Embarrassed wife of the time.

Comics, Neal Adams, Rogers and his partners… Time moves on. 5 Officer involved shootings, was hit twice, moved from street cop to Deputy then college cop. Kids grew,
Got there own kids now. Both boys cops. Daughter’s nurse like her mom.

Landed in Waco Texas as High school cop , married to teacher who has developed a first name basis with my local comic book store (all gifts are Batman related). Kids and grandkids live 8 hrs away, send PaPa Blinkie lights lots of Batman stuff.

Time marches on ..enjoy your passions. they keep you grounded.

Thanks Guys!!!!!!!!!

GR Coffman 104

wow sir, thats a heavy and interestin story. i have family in law enforcement myself and i know that job isnt for everyone. its good to see that youre also a DC Comics fan and a bigger fan of the Batman mythos. its cool to see that even though you have grandkids of your own now, you still have your same childhood passion for your heroes and hobbies. you might call yourself an "oldman" but youre young at heart...i dont know many grandfathers that are fans of Batman or DC Comics. i hope to still be into my childhood hobbies when im a grandfather myself. thanks for sharin your story with us sir.

[The Flash III]

Yes, thanks for your years of protecting people. I was a detention officer for 3 years and still know a lot of people in law enforcement--it's hard, underappreciated work. I hope old Bats has brought you enjoyment.