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| Passion Investments: Collectibles |
Child's Play
Catherine Curan
01/01/2006
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“CGC lends legitimacy,” explains Michael Carbonaro, promoter of the Big Apple
Con Comic Book, Art & Toy shows and head buyer for North Bergen, N.J.-based
comic book dealer NeatStuff Collectibles. A member of the Merry Marvel Marching
Society when he was 10, Carbonaro now earns a living from his childhood
obsession, traveling the country buying stashes of old comics. Even after 35
years in the business, Carbonaro exudes a boyish, almost manic enthusiasm. “I’m
seeing an increase in new investors and collectors,” he says. “More and more
people understand the hobby, and they know no more [of these vintage] books are
being printed.”
While CGC and the Internet have advanced the market place, prices for the rarest
books are soaring because comics pack a powerful emotional punch. As children,
many collectors formed deep and lasting associations with the modern American
heroes portrayed in the pages of the comic books. Superman, with his chiseled
chin, straight-arrow sensibility and amazing powers, offered a vision of what
America could be. Hecht is well aware of this backdrop; he points out that
Superman imagery and stories were used by the U.S. government to help promote
war bonds during World War II.
Spider-Man, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1962, provided another,
more accessible take on the American hero. Instead of a grown man with a
youthful sidekick, Spider-Man was a high school kid who lived in Queens. “He was
somebody closer in age to you,” says collector Doug Schmell, who gave up his New
York–based law practice to run Wellington, Fla.-based Pedigree Comics, an online
business. “He had problems with dating girls, and he wanted to get on in life,
and not get beat up by neighborhood bullies. He was actually a regular guy you
could relate to.”
While most of the general population still considers comic books disposable
fluff, fans see many of these books as visual art and literature in their own
right. Upgrading to high-grade copies represents the fulfillment of boyhood
ambitions and provides a nostalgic trip back to the carefree days before adult
responsibilities. Finally, vintage comics can still be enjoyed for their
original purpose: as well-told and illustrated stories.
California-based collector Bob Underwood recalls that as a fifth and sixth
grader he boasted an advanced vocabulary, including words such as “symbiotic”
and “apocalyptic,” that he gleaned from comics. “Early Marvel books were more
literary,” says Underwood, a screenwriter who values his collection of vintage
comics at several hundred thousand dollars. “I have a specific memory of a
teacher saying, ‘What book did you get this [word] from?’ thinking I would say,
Of Mice and Men. I still remember the look on her face when I said, ‘It was The
Incredible Hulk.’ ”
Hollywood hotshots such as Nicolas Cage and Leonardo DiCaprio are reportedly
comics enthusiasts; their interest has contributed to the recent spate of
comics-related films, which in turn, have boosted sales of the vintage books.
Comics characters have been in theaters for decades: Superman debuted in a
live-action film in 1948. The rise of computer-generated imaging has enabled a
greater range of characters to reach the big screen. Underwood says he started
investing seriously in comics when computer imaging arrived, realizing that
live-action films with characters such as the Fantastic Four—who could not be
adequately captured by simply putting actors in capes—would now be possible. “It
became clear to me that people in the industry, having grown up on this, were
going to get around to a lot more sci-fi in TV and movies.”
Eager to cash in on this lucrative trend, Marvel in September announced plans to
make films rather than licensing the characters, and completed a $525 million
credit facility to finance up to 10 new movies.
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