The Savage Sword of Conan!

Back in the 1970's when the comics code was still mostly in force and there were restrictions on what comic book companies could and could not publish, regular magazine sized comic books were published by a number of different publishers that fell outside of the code...and allowed the artists and writers a freer hand.  This magazine, The Savage Sword of Conan, was one such magazine.

This magazine (issue #2 shown here) was put out by a group called Magazine Management Company, but it drew from artists that were all well known at the time.  This cover is by Neil Adams.  The art director for the magazine was John Romita.  Interior art is by John Buscema, Gil Kane and Howard Chaykin.  The book is a little edgier than the standard comics of the time...but the work is of a high quality, and all true to the Robert E. Howard Conan of yore.

The best part about these books??  They are available cheap!!  Nominally...issues after #5 or so are available for a few dollars each.  So...if you are a Conan fan like me...these are must haves!

Until next time...

Blogging here on Sundry Collectibles and at Disney Postcards on, you guessed it, Disney Postcards!

X-Men #101 - The Phoenix!

When the new X-Men were introduced in 1975 in Giant Size X-Men #1 and X-Men #94, a really great ride awaited the readers over the next 40 or so issues.   It's actually been quite some time since I read a lot of this stuff, but I remember reading it for the first time and being captivated by the quality of the Chris Claremont story and Dave Cockrum art together as one cohesive and integrated story telling entity.  And this issue was the real beginning of it all...the rise of the Phoenix!

I am not going to rehash the story which can be found in innumerable places, including an adaptation of sorts in the X-Men movies.  Instead, I thought I would share this cover and splash page by Dave Cockrum.  Easily my favorite X-Men splash page from this era...and one of the better covers as well.

Next time you watch an X-Men movie and find yourself asking questions about "the book"...head on down to your local comic shop...this story has been reprinted on several occasions and in several formats.  Like I said...it's a great read and a lot of fun.

Until next time...

Blogging here on Sundry Collectibles and at Disney Postcards on, you guessed it, Disney Postcards!

The Douglas DC-7 - First East-to-West Coast Service Non-Stop

It's been a while since I have posted any aviation postcards here, so today we are going to look at this Douglas DC-7.  This aircraft was, as the card states, the world's fastest airliner for a time in the 1950's.   Built from 1953 to 1958, it was the last of the big turbo-charged propeller driven aircraft built by Douglas.  You may recall that the DC-8 was a jet aircraft that Douglas came out with starting in 1958 (oh the good old days...when you could develop new passenger aircraft in a few years!)

Anyway...when the plane was put into service in 1953, it offered the first non-stop airliner service from east coast to west coast.  It was eight hours, nominally, not the ~five and a half hour trip it is today.  (Note...if you have ever travelled east to west on a day when the gulf stream is really blowing...then you know that even in a modern jet, the trip can take up to 7 hours or more.)

According to the 1000 aircraft photos site (which has this exact postcard photo on its site) this particular aircraft served United Airlines until it was sold in 1964.  Eventually it was destroyed in a fire at a facility where it was being scrapped.  Not a very glorious finish for this plane I am afraid.

Until next time...

Blogging here on Sundry Collectibles and at Disney Postcards on, you guessed it, Disney Postcards!

The Lyon Air Museum - One Man's Collection

As a collector, one of the things I like to do is see what other people collect.  When I walk in to someones house...maybe they have invited me and my family over for dinner...my eyes are always drawn to the book shelves, or the mantle...or maybe even the wals if there are interesting prints or paintings on them.

A friend of mine and his wife are really into photography.  The shots are almost always personal family photographs taken while on vacation...but done so in a very artistic and creative way.  This may not be a collection in the classic sense, but it really is not that different.

This past week I was on business travel to Anaheim in Southern California.  As the plane touched down, I noticed for not the first time a small air museum on the opposite side of the airfield:  The Lyon Air Museum.  In the afternoon I had a little time to go check it ut while I was waiting for my flight.

The man who started this museum is a collector...of motorcycles and airplanes.  How cool is that?  He needed a hanger to show his stuff...but it is quite a collection.  He has a B-17 bomber, a B-25Mitchell, an A-4 Skyhawk, an old American Airlines DC-3 (you can see the aft end of this plane in the photo above), a C-47 cargo plane in invasion stripes...and a bunch of motorcycles from Germany and America (the Indian above is magnificent).

If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend a quick stop at the Lyon Air Museum.  Even if you have only a passing interest in mid-20th century aircraft and mechanical machines...you will not be disappointed 

Until next time....

Rip Kirby by Alex Raymond

My daughter and I started reading Alex Raymond's Rip Kirby together tonight.  If you are not familiar with Rip Kirby, it is the strip that Alex Raymond started right after WWII.  Alex Raymond was a master...and you need only check out his Flash Gordon work to verify.  With Rip Kirby, which began in 1946, he starts with more great draughtsmanship.

These stories have all been collected and published by IDW as part of their "Library of American Comics".  These are fantastic books that are worth the price of entry (retail of $49.99...but you may find them cheaper).

Pick up a copy and settle in to a comfortable chair.  I guarantee a great ride!

Until next time...

Disney Dollars - The Currency of Disney

I wasn't sure whether to put this on this blog, or my other Disney Postcard blog tonight.  But, since it's not a postcard, and I haven't blogged here in a while (due to a trip to Disneyland and a few other things) I decided to put it here.

Disney Dollars have been around for 25 years now, and they are a great collectible for a couple of reasons.  Starting in 1987, the early bills are quite collectible and not that common.  A quick survey of eBay shows that while the early bills don't go for a ton...they go for way more than the original $1 it took to buy them.

Disney dollars usually come in $1, $5 or $10 denominations (like this 2008 $10 bill shown here).  They do not charge more than face value for the bills and they are "legal tender" at any Disney park...so, assuming you are at Disneyland, the worst you can do is lose a little interest from the time you bought it to the time you used it.

The most valuable bills are the $50 50th anniversary of Disneyland bills.  I had one of these once...but spent it!  They will go for as high as $700 or more depending on the version you have.

Anyway...next time you are at Disneyland...or the magic Kingdom...drop by the town hall and asked them what they have.  They are well produced and are a sure bet for collectibility.

Until next time...

Blogging here on Sundry Collectibles and at Disney Postcards on, you guessed it, Disney Postcards!

Lord of the Rings TCG

A few posts ago I introduced TCG's and CCG's to this blog.  Over the years, as I mentioned, I have dabbled in this hobby.  Sometimes I collect the cards just for the cards sake...other times, I will find a few friends that are collecting also and we will play the game.

This game, The Lord of the Rings TCG, represents one of the games that I played and collected extensively.  Well...I didn't play that much, but I have a LOT of these cards floating around the nooks and crannies of my house...and even my office at work (another friend of mine and I would play a lunch!)

The game design is very well done.  You start out with a small "Fellowship" and travel through nine sites where your opponent(s) are given the opportunity to attack and defeat the fellowship on its journey.  When it is their turn...you act as the forces of Mordor.  

The cards are all based on the Peter Jackson film and are beautifully done, and as in most/all TCG's they come in Common, Uncommon and Rare varieties with different capabilities.  

You can still find these cards for sale on eBay...some sets going quite cheaply.  

Until next time...

Blogging here on Sundry Collectibles and at Disney Postcards on, you guessed it, Disney Postcards!

Del Four Color 236 - Zane Grey

Four Color 236 is the product of an anonymous group of artists working in 1949 for Dell.  Sounds maybe a little crazy, but it's true.  If you go to the Grand Comic Book Database, or look at the Overstreet Price Guide, no one seems to be too sure who did the cover or the interior art.  There is a suggestion that Morris Gollub (never heard of him?...me either) did the painted cover, and only question marks for the interior art and story adaptation.

                   

That said...this is an adaptation of a Zane Grey story, one of several in the Four Color run.  I really like these books because they speak to the mid-century fascination with the old west...a fascination that was evident in comics, on TV and even at places like Disneyland when it opened in 1955 (Frontierland).  The painted wrap-around cover and the decent interior work make this a great addition to any collection of Golden Age books.

Thanks to Dell....for another "Good Comic"! (I'll explain why there are quotations there in my next post)

Until next time...

Blogging here on Sundry Collectibles and at Disney Postcards on, you guessed it, Disney Postcards!