For superheroes like the Green Lantern and the Fantastic Four, time travel is a standard mode of transportation. It’s the hope of Richard Evans that Houston-area comic book fandom can take a similar trip at Houstoncon 2001. The owner of Bedrock City Comics aims to put on a con that’s a throwback to the gatherings of the ’60s and ’70s, one that will appeal to both casual and committed fanboys and girls.
“More and more conventions have gotten less fan-oriented and more retail product [-oriented], selling the same stuff that you can buy at Toys R Us,” Evans says in the stockroom of his Westheimer location. “I wanted a show where people could see a lot of cool stuff they never have before.”
To do so, Evans handpicked dealers from around the country who will be selling new and vintage comics, nostalgic toys, action figures, videotapes and movie memorabilia. The evolving list of guests will include Scott Gilbert (True Artist Tales), Internet movie journalist/gadfly Harry Knowles of Ain’t It Cool News, local artists and a rep from Penny Farthing Press.
Modern nonsuperhero comic books sometimes get media attention for their more adult-themed material (like Frank Miller’s Sin City or Chris Ware’s Jimmy Corrigan). Still, many in the United States dismiss it as kid stuff, despite the fact that many European and Asian countries view it as a legitimate art form. In his recent book Comic Book Nation, scholar Bradford Wright argues that comics reflect America’s social history. When Americans fled the inner city, for example, “suburban” strips such as Archie soon followed.
“That stigma is slowly being taken away,” Evans says, pleased to note that the ’90s craze of speculators buying hot comics “like junk bonds” has mostly died out. Market oversaturation abounded as companies released endless “special editions,” issues with holographic covers and — in the nadir — comics that came already sealed in a plastic bag, so that even reading them decreased their potential resale value.
The industry is bouncing back, and Evans says most comics sold today are strictly for reading pleasure. For investments, he steers customers toward rare comics of the ’30s and ’40s instead of the latest hot item that will be colder than Mr. Freeze’s lair in six months, noting that a near-perfect copy of Captain America No. 1 recently sold for a record $265,000 at auction.
As for what’s hot right now, Evans points to the East, with the explosion of Japanese animation and comic books, from Pokémon and Dragonball Z to Akira. He also sees a healthy symbiotic relationship between the movies and comics. “The X-Men and Batman had a big effect on people. And Blade was a surprise, too. I think the upcoming Spider-Man will be really huge.”
Another competitor has become an unlikely ally in this renewed interest in collecting: the Internet auction site eBay. “eBay has created so much amazing exposure for collectibles,” Evans says. “People have access to their youth that they never had before.”
So if you’re looking for that complete Planet of the Apes tree house, Howard the Duck 1976 presidential campaign button, an I Grok Spock pin or a rare issue of Tales from the Crypt, you may find your yesteryear at Houstoncon 2001 — though it probably will cost you a bit more than Mom originally paid for it.
This article appears in Sep 13-19, 2001.
