How about some background?

Everybody always comes into my comic shop and asks, "How long you been into comics?" or "How'd you get into comics?". Well my friends, it's a long strange trip so let me catch you up.

I've been reading comics virtually my entire life. Honestly. As long as I can remember. I was introduced to comics through my grandmother. I would visit her every weekend as a child, and our adventures included her weekly trips to three destinations: the grocery store, the drug store, and garage sales. At every stop my grandmother would search the books they had. She was a reader... an AVID reader. Of course at that time (the 1980's) right next to the books in almost all grocery and drug stores was a rack of comics.

They hooked me instantly. These wild, bright, colorful books featuring these amazing characters grabbed me and they've never let go. My grandmother would typically buy me a comic or two at the grocery and drug stores. It was like Sophie's choice trying to decide which one's to buy.

Probably around my 8th birthday in 1983 (and many subsequent birthdays after) I would ask for and receive subscriptions to two of my favorite titles: GI Joe and Transformers. I was a sucker for the licensed properties with the cool cartoons and toys. I bought every book that plugged a product: Thundercats, Masters of the Universe, Silverhawks... it didn't matter. I would buy anything that appeared in comic book form. I remember owning TV and movie tie-in comics. I remember owning comics of the Kool-Aid Man and books plugging Atari and Radio Shack. Add to that the regular ingestion of superheroes I received through my favorite characters' books (Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, and Captain America were my big four) and I was a comic book addict.

Garage sales would provide the largest hauls. Boxes of discarded books were my treasure. I was able to sample several titles and genres through these finds. Add to that the fact that I would snatch up ALL compilations of Peanuts comic strips and I usually came home happy.

So whenever you come into my shop and buy your favorite comic, or get into a discussion with me on the awesomeness of Valiant Comics, or read one of my geeky posts online, just remember I owe it all to my grandmother, God rest her soul. She fed my reading addiction and encouraged me to write and draw. She always supported me while giving me constructive criticism and advice. She was a role model for how to live life and enjoy every minute of it. I still smile when I remember my near 70 year old grandmother sitting in her favorite chair in her living room, reading one of my comic books. She was living proof that you may grow old, but you never have to grow up.